Pipelined Hardware Module for Gigabit Document Transformation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing content routers struggle to scale in speed for document transformation capabilities, as prior art XSLT processors do not efficiently handle high-throughput requirements, such as those needed for commercially available content routers like Solace Systems' VRS/32 Value-Added Services System, which require transformation capacities in the order of gigabits per second.
Innovation Solution
A transformation module utilizing specialized hardware like ASICs or FPGAs with multiple pipelined stages for parallel processing of transformations, allowing simultaneous operation on multiple transformations and documents, in contrast to general-purpose CPU-based approaches that process sequentially.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If general-purpose CPU-based approaches are used for document transformation, then ease of operation is maintained, but transformation speed and throughput are insufficient to meet gigabits per second requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces general-purpose CPU-based software transformation with dedicated hardware circuits implemented in ASICs or FPGAs. This substitution of mechanical/computational systems with specialized hardware achieves gigabit-per-second transformation speeds while maintaining the transformation functionality through dedicated logic circuits and pipelined architectures.
Solution Approach 2:
The transformation process is divided into multiple pipeline stages, each handling specific transformation operations. This segmentation allows parallel processing of different document portions through separate hardware pipelines, achieving high throughput while distributing the computational complexity across multiple specialized hardware modules.
2Productivity
If sequential processing is used, then device complexity is reduced, but productivity and throughput cannot achieve high-volume document transformation
Solution Approach 1:
The transformation engine is segmented into multiple independent pipeline stages that can process different documents or document portions simultaneously. Each stage handles specific transformation operations, allowing parallel execution across multiple hardware pipelines to achieve high throughput without requiring complex sequential coordination.
Solution Approach 2:
The pipelined architecture ensures continuous transformation processing by maintaining multiple active stages simultaneously. While one stage processes a document segment, another stage processes a different segment, eliminating idle time and achieving sustained high throughput through continuous parallel operation of multiple transformation pipelines.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus for converting documents from one format to another in a speed efficient way involves a hardware module which implements several operating pipeline stages which work in parallel. The transformations are supplied and decomposed into sequences of control units. The transformation of documents consists of applying control unit sequences to input documents. The control units are themselves executed by a set of dedicated hardware resources. Furthermore the pipeline is capable of operating on more than one document at a time. Fast document transformation is a key capability of document processing systems. The use of parallel processing techniques and hardware that implements highly specialized transformation resources make this invention particularly scalable for its use in large, high speed content networks.