# US 7,610,611 B2 · Prioritized address decoder > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,610,611 B2 - Document ID: US7610611B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 10/666,077 - Filed: 2003-09-19 - Published: 2005-04-21 - Granted: 2009-10-27 - Earliest claimed: 2003-09-19 - Inventors: Douglas R. Moran; Satish Acharya; Zohar Bogin; Sean G. Galloway - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7610611B2 ## CPC - G06F 12/1441: {for a range} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract A prioritized address decoder has been disclosed. One embodiment of the prioritized address decoder includes a first comparator to compare a destination device address of data with a first address range associated with a first device and a second comparator coupled to the first comparator to compare the destination device address with a second address range associated with a second device, wherein the data is sent to the second device in response to a first output of the first comparator and a second output of the second comparator. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A prioritized address decoder comprising: a first comparator associated with a trusted first destination device to compare a received destination device address for data with a first address range associated with the trusted first destination device, the first comparator sending the data to the first device if the destination device address is within the first address range; and a second comparator associated with a non-trusted second destination device and coupled to the first comparator to compare the destination device address with a second address range associated with the non-trusted second device, wherein the second comparator sends the data to the second device only if the second comparator receives a first output of the first comparator, the first output indicating that the destination device address does not correspond to the first address range, wherein the first comparator disables the second comparator when the destination device address is within the first address range; a third comparator coupled to the first and the second comparators to compare the destination device address with a third address range associated with a third device, wherein the data is sent to the third device only if the third comparator receives a third output of the third comparator, the third output indicating that the destination device address does not correspond to the second address range, wherein in the third comparator is disabled when the address is within either the first address range or the second address range. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The prioritized address decoder of claim 1, wherein if the first address range is associated with a first device of a computer system, then secured data in the computer system is authorized to be sent to the first device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The prioritized address decoder of claim 1, wherein if the second address range is associated with a second device of a computer system, then the secured data is not authorized to be sent to the second device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The prioritized address decoder of claim 1, wherein the comparators include a plurality of configuration bits corresponding to respective address ranges. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the plurality of configuration bits are software configurable. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the plurality of configuration bits are locked during a trusted mode. ### Claim 7 A computer system comprising: a dynamic random access memory (DRAM); a memory controller coupled to the DRAM, the memory controller comprising a prioritized address decoder, the prioritized decoder including a first comparator associated with a trusted first destination device to compare a received destination device address for data with a first address range associated with the trusted first destination device, the first comparator sending the data to the first device if the destination device address is within the first address range; and a second comparator associated with a non-trusted second destination device and coupled to the first comparator to compare the destination device address with a second address range associated with the non-trusted second device, wherein the second comparator sends the data to the second device only if the second comparator receives a first output of the first comparator, the first output indicating that the destination device address does not correspond to the first address range, wherein the first comparator disables the second comparator when the destination device address is within the first address range; a third comparator coupled to the first and the second comparators to compare the destination device address with a third address range associated with a third device, wherein the data is sent to the third device only if the third comparator receives a third output of the third comparator, the third output indicating that the destination device address does not correspond to the second address range, wherein in the third comparator is disabled when the address is within either the first address range or the second address range. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The computer system of claim 7, further comprising a processor coupled to the memory controller, wherein the trusted agent is the processor. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The computer system of claim 7, wherein the second address range is associated with agents coupled to an external bus. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The computer system of claim 7, wherein the memory controller further comprises a plurality of configuration registers storing information on the first and the second address ranges. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The computer system of claim 10, wherein the information is stored in the plurality of configuration registers during configuration. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The computer system of claim 10, wherein the plurality of configuration registers are locked during a trusted mode.