General purpose dynamically programmable state engine for executing finite state machines

A dynamically programmable state engine for executing a finite state machine, comprising:

• a means for accepting inputs and translating the inputs to symbols;
• a means for storing a plurality of state entries, each state entry of the plurality of state entries including a state identifier, a symbol identifier, a plurality of state attributes, and a next state;
• a means for maintaining a current state, locating state entries in the storing means having a state identifier matching a current state and a symbol identifier matching a current symbol, and setting the current state to the next state of a matching entry;
• and
• a means for processing a matching entry if the matching entry is a terminating entry.

A method of dynamically executing a finite state machine, the method comprising the steps of:

• storing a plurality of state entries, each state entry including a state identifier, a symbol identifier, a plurality of state attributes, and a next state;
• accepting a first input;
• translating the first input to a symbol;
• and
• locating a state entry having a state identifier matching a current state and a symbol identifier matching a current symbol.

A general purpose state engine for executing a plurality of state machines, comprising:

• a means for storing a first plurality of state entries;
• a means for accepting and translating first inputs for a first state machine;
• a means for processing the appropriate state entries of the first plurality of state entries;
• a means for storing a second plurality of state entries;
• a means for accepting and translating second inputs for a second state machine;
• and
• a means for processing the appropriate state entries of the second plurality of state entries;
• wherein the first state machine and second state machine comprise different types of finite state machines.