XML Element Encoding With FSA Flags for Structure Redundancy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional schema-based compression methods for structured documents, such as XML, generate redundant structure information when encoding elements with occurrence constraints, leading to inefficient storage and transmission.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of a Finite State Automaton (FSA) with Shunt and Loop transitions, along with 'Repeat' and 'Unrepeat' states, to encode and decode elements, reducing redundancy by indicating sameness or difference in structure information using a flag, thereby optimizing encoding and decoding processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional schema-based compression method is used to encode structured documents, then the encoding process is simple, but redundant structure information is generated leading to inefficient storage and transmission
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the necessary structure information for encoding by introducing a flag mechanism that indicates whether structure information is present or can be inferred. This removes redundant structure information from the encoded bit stream while preserving essential structural data needed for accurate decoding, thereby improving storage efficiency without complicating the encoding process
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the encoding parameter by introducing a flag bit that controls the presence or absence of structure information in the encoded stream. This parameter change allows the encoding system to dynamically adjust between including full structure information and using compact flag-based representation, resolving the contradiction between encoding simplicity and storage efficiency
2Reliability
If structure information is encoded for every element repetition, then complete structural data is preserved, but encoding redundancy increases reducing compression efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a flag-based copying mechanism where structure information from previous elements can be referenced and reused. Instead of encoding complete structure information for every repeated element, the system uses flags to indicate that structure information should be copied from previously encoded elements, maintaining structural data completeness while dramatically improving compression efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent inverts the conventional approach by encoding the absence of structure information (using flags) rather than encoding structure information itself for repeated elements. This inversion allows the system to achieve high compression ratios while maintaining complete structural data through the flag-based reference mechanism
Data Source
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AI summary
A method for encoding a set of elements wherein each element comprises a data structure of a type and at least one attribute value is provided. The method comprises the steps of: selecting a current element for encoding; determining whether the current element has the same data structure type as a previously encoded element; in the negative, encoding the data structure of the current element and the at least one attribute value of the current element; and in the affirmative, encoding the at least one attribute value of the current element and providing an indication value indicating the current element has the same data structure type as the previously encoded element. The method is used to reduce the encoding redundancy of the structure information.