Importance

Loading Importance Indicators...

Abstract

A method and apparatus for processing binary mixed indefinite and definite length encodings. The length of a definite length encoding is stated at the beginning of the encoding whereas for an indefinite length encoding, the length is unknown. The present invention processes encodings which contain indefinite length encodings with definite length encodings nested therein by keeping track of the levels of nesting. When a definite length encoding is being processed which is nested within an indefinite length encoding, the end of the indefinite length encoding cannot be searched for as data within the definite length encoding might be identical to the flag or marker which signifies the end of the indefinite length encoding. A stack can be used to keep track of the number of bytes within a definite length encoding which have been processed. As an indefinite length encoding within a definite length encoding is being processed, the stack keeps track of the number of bytes within the indefinite length encoding which have been processed as those bytes within the indefinite length encoding are part of the definite length encoding.

Loading the Abstract Image...

First Claim