Method for creating specific purpose rule-based n-bit virtual machines

• US 5,893,084 A
• Filed: 10/04/1996
• Issued: 04/06/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Stargate, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Gemini Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Harold, Michael D., Morgan, Joseph M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hafiz, Tariq R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rhodes, Jason W.
• Application Number:
  US08/725,249
• Time in Patent Office: 914 Days
• Field of Search: 341/51, 341/95, 341/67, 341/50, 395/54, 395/406, 706/45, 706/47, 706/50, 707/101
• US Class Current: 706/50
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 7/30 Compression speech analysis-synthesis for redundancy reduction G10L19/00; for image communication H04N; Expansion; Suppression of unnecessary data, e.g. redundancy reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/30 Compression, e.g. Merkle-Damgard construction
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/32 including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system or for message authentication, e.g. authorization, entity authentication, data integrity or data verification, non-repudiation, key authentication or verification of credentials

Abstract

A system and method for implementing one or more specific purpose rule-based n-bit virtual processing machines. Specific purposes include, but are not limited to, encryption, compression, and arbitrary precision arithmetic. Each virtual machine consists of a command processor, a rule-base, and an interface between the command processor and the rule-base. Each of the elements of a specific purpose rule-based n-bit virtual machine--the command processor, the rule-base, and the rule-base interface--is preferably implemented as software. In the preferred embodiment, the system uses a stored rule-base as its instruction set and provides for input and output in the form of variable length bit strings of length n where n is any number greater than zero. Each of the rules within the rule-base performs one or more binary string operations against one or more variable length n-bit strings. The function of the rule-base is to provide a set of application specific rules that allows the machine to perform a particular task such as encryption, data compression, or arbitrary precision arithmetic. The system includes a method for providing a software interface to the rule-base. This interface may be a separate program or may be contained within the command processor. The command processor receives input in the form of one or more n-bit data types, performs rule-based operations on the data, and returns output in the form of one or more n-bit data types. Specific system and methods for performing data encryption, data compression, and arbitrary precision arithmetic using the invention are described.

Claims

1. A method for compressing information data from a data source comprising the steps of:

coupling at least one n-bit data string of input data as variable length n-bit data types where n is all integers greater than 0 and includes both odd and even numbers and is limited only by the physical address space of the computer and contains bits representing said information data and including control bits to a virtual command processor;

storing a plurality of data compression rules in a rule-base memory for processing the n-bit data string;

coupling a rule-base interface between said virtual command processor and said rule-base memory for identifying specific data compression rules stored in said rule-base memory according to said control bits in said n-bit input data string received from said virtual command processor;

modifying the n-bit data string according to the identified compression rules in the rule-base to compress the information data bits; and

transferring said compressed information data bits to said virtual command processor for output as variable length n-bit data types.

2. A method as in claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

identifying said data source with said control bits in said n-bit data string; and

including bits in said control bits that represent at least one argument to be used when accessing said rule-base.

3. A method as in claim 2 further comprising the steps of:

coupling one or more of said arguments to said identified rule within said rule-base; and

applying the identified rule to the n-bit information data to modify said information data and to perform said data compression.

4. A method as in claim 3 further including the steps of:

appending additional arguments, as needed, to said modified information according to said identified rule in said rule-base; and

returning the modified information data to said rule-base interface along with said needed arguments.

5. A method as in claim 4 further including the steps of:

iteratively submitting said modified data to at least another one of said rules stored in said rule-base in accordance with said arguments appended by said identified rule for further modification until said data modification satisfies all of said arguments; and

returning said satisfied modification data to said virtual command processor as one or more n-bit data strings that are not required to correspond to the n-bit size and number of n-bit input data strings coupled to said virtual command processor from said data source.

6. A method as in claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

storing said rules in a memory in said rule-base; and

defining said rules as binary string operations.

7. A method for creating a specific purpose virtual processor comprising the steps of:

coupling at least one n-bit data string of input data as variable length n-bit data types where n is all integers greater than 0 and includes both odd and even numbers and is limited only by the physical address space of the processor and contains bits representing said specific purpose and including control bits to a virtual command processor;

storing a plurality of rules for said specific purpose in a rule-base memory for processing the n-bit data string;

coupling a rule-base interface between said virtual command processor and said rule-base memory for identifying specific ones of said specific purpose rules stored in said rule-base memory according to said control bits in said n-bit input data string received from said virtual command processor;

modifying the n-bit data string according to the identified specific purpose rules in the rule-base to create a specific purpose application; and

transferring said modified n-bit data string representing said specific purpose application to said virtual command processor for output as variable length n-bit data types.

8. A method as in claim 7 further comprising the steps of:

identifying said data source with said control bits in said n-bit data string; and

including bits in said control bits that represent at least one argument to be used when accessing said rule-base.

9. A method as in claim 8 further comprising the steps of:

coupling one or more of said arguments to said identified rule within said rule-base; and

applying the identified rule to the n-bit information data to modify said information data to perform said specific purpose.

10. A method as in claim 9 further including the steps of:

appending additional arguments, as needed, to said modified information according to said identified rule in said rule-base; and

returning the modified information data to said rule-base interface along with said needed arguments.

11. A method as in claim 10 further including the steps of:

iteratively submitting said modified data to at least another one of said rules stored in said rule-base in accordance with said arguments appended by said identified rule for further modification until said data modification satisfies all of said arguments; and

returning said satisfied modification data to said command processor as one or more n-bit data strings that are not required to correspond to the n-bit size and number of n-bit input data strings coupled to said virtual command processor from said data source.

12. A method as in claim 10 further including the step of manipulating said information data with rules from said rule-base such that accomplishment of said specific purpose is not dependent upon an explicit key, a specific purpose rule, or a specified data type.

13. A method as in claim 10 further comprising the step of user-defining the implementation of said specific purpose since no single algorithm or rule must be defined.

14. A method as in claim 7 further comprising the steps of:

storing said rules in a memory in said rule-base; and

defining said stored rules as binary string operations.

15. A virtual software processor for defining an n-bit data type in terms of a desired output where the value of n is all integers greater than 0 and includes both odd and even numbers and is limited only by the physical address space of the processor, said machine comprising:

an input means for receiving, as input, one or more of said n-bit data types as Y variable length n-bit words where Y>

0;

a storage means for storing user-defined rules in a rule-base,

processing means coupled to said input means and said storage means for performing operations on said input n-bit data types using one or more of the user-defined rules of said rule-base to define said input n-bit data types in terms of said desired output; and

output means coupled to said processing means for outputting sad desired output as variable length n-bit words that do not necessarily hag to correspond with the size, in bits, and number, Y, of the variable length n-bit input words.

16. A method of implementing a virtual processor capable of performing rule-based n-bit arbitrary precision arithmetic logic functions comprising the steps of:

coupling at least one n-bit data string of input data as variable length n-bit data types where n is all integers greater than 0 and includes both odd and even numbers and is limited only by the physical address space of the processor and contains bits representing a desired arithmetic logic function and including control bits to a virtual command processor;

storing a plurality of arithmetic operations in a rule-base memory for processing the n-bit data string;

coupling a rule-base interface between said virtual command processor and said rule-base memory for identifying specific arithmetic logic functions stored in said rule-base memory according to said control bits in said n-bit input data string received from said virtual command processor;

modifying the n-bit data string in accordance with the identified arithmetic operations in the rule-base to perform said desired arbitrary precision arithmetic operations; and

transferring said performed arithmetic operations to said virtual command processor for output as variable length n-bit data types.