CAM-Based Deflate Header Decoding for Faster Decompression

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for Deflate decompression are inefficient and require significant computational resources, particularly in the context of header processing.

Innovation Solution

The use of content-addressable data structures to accelerate Deflate decompression by constructing a CAM-based data structure from header data, leveraging a hardware decompression accelerator to optimize the decompression process.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Speed

If traditional methods are used for Deflate decompression header processing, then the decompression can be performed, but the processing speed is slow and computational overhead is high

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheader processing speedVSAvoidcomputational overhead

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces traditional software-based header processing with a hardware decompression accelerator that uses content-addressable memory (CAM) to perform parallel lookup operations. This substitution of mechanical/computational approach dramatically reduces processing time and computational overhead for Deflate decompression header processing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent pre-processes header data during compression to create a CAM data structure that can be quickly searched during decompression. By performing preliminary actions during compression (creating the searchable index), the decompression process gains significant speed improvements without requiring complex real-time computations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If content-addressable data structures are used to accelerate header processing, then processing speed improves, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedecompression throughputVSAvoidhardware accelerator complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a content-addressable memory (CAM) structure as an intermediary between the compressed data and the decompression logic. This CAM structure serves as a mediator that enables fast parallel lookup of Huffman codes based on header data, significantly improving throughput while keeping the overall system architecture manageable through modular design.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP4020817B1Method and apparatus for efficient deflate decompression using content-addressable data structures

Publication Date: 2025.08.27 INTEL CORP

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AI summary

Apparatus and method for efficient compression block decoding using content-addressable structure for header processing. For example, one embodiment of an apparatus comprises: a header parser to extract a sequence of tokens and corresponding length values from a header of a compression block, the tokens and corresponding length values associated with a type of compression used to compress a payload of the compression block; and a content-addressable data structure builder to construct a content-addressable data structure based on the tokens and length values, the content-addressable data structure builder to write an entry in the content-addressable data structure comprising a length value and a count value, the count value indicating a number of times the length value was previously written to an entry in the content-addressable data structure.