Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Driggs, Lucas, Brubbaker & Hogg
  • Patent number: 6452822
    Abstract: A semiconductor content addressable memory (CAM) is described that has the enhanced capability of simultaneously performing content search operations between two sets of input data and stored data. This invention utilizes a segmented ML scheme, where one long ML is separated into two parts: a SML (Segmented ML) and a main ML. The SML is for evaluation of the comparison between input A and the content stored in an array of CAM cells A, and the main ML is for evaluation of the comparison between input B and the content stored in an array of CAM cells B. A specialized circuit that ties the SML and the main ML together is provided. The SML sense & restore is utilized to sense the value on the SML, send the result to the main ML if the enable signal (enable SML) is on, and restore the SML to a precharge state, if necessary, after SML evaluation. The circuit is able to discharge the ML if the SML shows a mismatch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2002
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Chiaming Chai, Jeffrey Herbert Fischer, Michael ThaiThanh Phan