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Abstract

A method and apparatus for multiple string searching using a ternary content addressable memory. For one embodiment, the method includes selecting character groups from an input text string in a temporal sequence, each character group having more than one character. A first character group of the character groups is compared with a plurality of character fields and a current state of a state machine is compared with a plurality of states of the state machine that correspond to the plurality of character fields to identify information indicative of a subsequent state of the state machine. Comparison of the first character group with the plurality of sets of character fields is repeated if the information indicative of the subsequent state of the state machine indicates that a terminal number of characters of a desired character pattern has been located and that the terminal number of characters is fewer than the number of characters in the first character group.

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First Claim