Method and Apparatus for Approximate Matching Where Programmable Logic Is Used to Process Data Being Written to a Mass Storage Medium and Process Data Being Read from a Mass Storage Medium
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Abstract
A method and device are disclosed for an associative and approximate, analog or digital scanning of databases that allows for the asynchronous accessing of data from a mass storage medium. The invention includes providing dedicated analog and digital circuitry and decision logic at the mass storage medium level for determining a key identifying the data of interest, continuously comparing the key to a signal generated from a reading of the data from the mass storage medium with an approximate or exact matching circuit to determine a pattern match, determining a correlation value between the key and the data as it is read in a continuous fashion, and determining a match based upon a preselected threshold value for the correlation value. The pattern matching technique eliminates any need to compare data based on its intrinsic structure or value, and instead is based on an analog or digital pattern. The key and data may be either analog or digital. This device and method may be provided as part of a stand-alone computer system, embodied in a network attached storage device, or can otherwise be provided as part of a computer LAN or WAN.
202 Citations
56 Claims
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1-37. -37. (canceled)
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38. A method for interfacing a mass storage medium with a computing system, the method comprising:
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receiving data from the computing system; processing the received data using a programmable logic device; writing the processed received data onto the mass storage medium; reading a stream of data from the mass storage medium; and manipulating the stream of data read from the mass storage medium using the programmable logic device, wherein the step of manipulating the stream of data comprises performing an approximate match operation on the stream of data. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. An apparatus for interfacing a mass storage medium with a computing system, the method comprising:
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an approximate matching and pre-fetch processor that interfaces the computing system with the mass storage medium, the approximate matching and pre-fetch processor comprising at least one programmable logic device; wherein the approximate matching and pre-fetch processor is configured to receive data from the computing system; wherein the at least one programmable logic device is configured to process the received data; wherein the approximate matching and pre-fetch processor is further configured to write the processed received data onto the mass storage medium; wherein the approximate matching and pre-fetch processor is configured to read a stream of data from the mass storage medium; and wherein the at least one programmable logic device is further configured to manipulate the stream of data read from the mass storage medium, wherein the manipulation of the stream of data comprises an approximate match operation that is performed on the stream of data. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
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- 52. A programmable logic device in communication with a mass storage medium, said device being configured to process data passing to or from said mass storage medium, and wherein said device is further configured to process data passing from said mass storage in a continuous data stream via an approximate matching operation.
Specification