Loading patent…
AssigneeSwitchcore, AB
InventorsAnders Edman, Henrik Johansson
Estimating the term…
The present invention provides a content addressable memory (CAM) circuit that includes at least one row of memory cells storing data to be subjected to search data for a compare operation, with the cells in each row being inter-connected by a match line. Each cell can, if the search data does not match the stored data, discharge the match line in an evaluation operation. According to the present invention, a match line is partitioned into a least two segments, each segment having a first unit for precharging and evaluating the match line segment and a second unit for determining the result of the evaluation operation. The compare operation of the second and any subsequent segments is performed and the corresponding matchline segment involved only if the result of the compare operation of the respective preceding segment indicates a data match.
A content addressable memory circuit comprising at least one row of memory cells, the memory cells storing data to be subjected to search data for a compare operation, means for a compare operation, and a result output to indicate a result of a row-compare operation, wherein:
A memory circuit according to clam 1, wherein an entry is stored in several rows, an entry-comparison operation requires several row-comparison operations, and a first row-comparison operation is always executed, and execution of one or more subsequent row-comparison operations for an entry are dependent on the result of the entry's preceding row-comparison operations.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.