Re: [idn] Alternative Solutions

[Kenneth Whistler <kenw@sybase.com>]

> First, let's make sure we all mean the same thing when we say "ACE".
> When I say "ACE", I mean a reversible algorithmic mapping from Unicode
> strings to LDH strings.
> 
> What started this thread was the possibility that patents might prevent
> us from using an ACE.

Has it actually been determined that the WALID patent covers *all*
possible "reversible algorithmic mappings from Unicode strings
to LDH strings"? That seems like a stretch to me.

Before this discussion goes too far off track discussing alternatives,
can no one come up with a functional plugin for ace_encode and
ace_decode that avoids any particular techniques covered by the
patent, but which is still *algorithmic* and does not require online
lookup tables?

Trying to think outside the box:

Has anyone considered trying bit and byte transforms directly on
the UTF-8 encoding form, rather than on the Unicode code point?

How about some deterministic and quick compression run on the
UTF-16 encoding form of a Unicode string, and *then* rearranging
the resulting bytes to accomodate ASCII restrictions?

Something else?

Or has WALID actually gotten a patent on a generic concept without
actually specifying a particular technique to accomplish it??

--Ken