Searching for and providing objects using byte-by-byte comparison
AssigneeZi Corporation of Canada, Inc.
InventorsCharles Weir, Tommy Wildenflycht
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention may be embodied as a method of providing information. The information may be stored as objects in a database. Such a method may use identification codes to identify pointers, and the pointers may indicate the address in a database where desired objects are stored. The invention may also be embodied as a machine having an input device, a database, a processor and executable instructions. The executable instructions may cause the processor to carry out a method according to the invention.
Claims22
A method of providing information, comprising:
- providing an input device having at least two keys;
- storing objects in a database, each object having a unique address;
- storing pointers in the database, each pointer identifying at least one of the unique addresses, and each pointer having an identification code that is at least one byte in length;
- selecting one of the keys to provide a first selection;
- selecting one of the keys to provide a second selection;
- associating the selections as a first input;
- comparing the first input to a first byte of the identification codes;
- identifying pointers for which there is a match between the first input and the first byte, to provide a first group of pointers;
- providing objects corresponding to the identified pointers.
A machine, comprising:
- an input device having at least two keys;
- a database, having stored therein a plurality of objects, each object being potentially desired by a user, and having stored therein pointers, each pointer identifying at least one address of an object and each pointer having an identification code that is at least one byte in length;
- a processor capable of executing instructions;
- executable instructions capable of instructing the processor to (a) accept selection of one of the keys to provide a first selection, (b) accept selection of one of the keys to provide a second selection, (c) associate the selections as a first input, (d) compare the first input to a first byte of the identification codes, (e) identify pointers for which there is a match between the first input and the first byte, to provide a first group of pointers, and (f) provide objects corresponding to the identified pointers.
A computer readable memory device having stored thereon instructions that are executable by a computer, the instructions causing a computer to (a) accept a first selection and a second selection, (b) associate the selections as a first input, (c) compare the first input to a first byte of identification codes, each identification code corresponding to a pointer that identifies at least one address for an object, (d) identify a first group of pointers, each pointer in the first group having an identification code with a first byte that matches the first input, and (e) provide objects corresponding to the first group of pointers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.