A hardware implementation for approximate text search in multimedia applications

We describe various multimedia applications that demand a fast approximate text search. Each application requires a specific method of implementing the approximate text search. We present important algorithms and implementation methods and their characteristics concerning throughput rate and flexibility. A text processor with a very high text throughput rate has been fabricated for hardware accelerated applications. This processor performs an approximate text search with a text throughput of up to 132 MByte/s. A demonstrator using this processor on a CardBus-based coprocessor board has been realized