Associative data storage system

• US 4,777,622 A
• Filed: 11/26/1985
• Issued: 10/11/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Max-Planck-Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Wissenschaften e.V. (Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Frderung der Wissenschaften e)
• Original Assignee: Max-Planck-Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Wissenschaften e.V. (Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Frderung der Wissenschaften e)
• Inventors: Palm, Guenther, Bonhoeffer, Hans T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zache, Raulfe B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MOHAMED, AYNI Y
• Application Number:
  US06/801,794
• Time in Patent Office: 1,050 Days
• Field of Search: 364/200 MS File, 364/900 MS File, 365/49
• US Class Current: 365/49.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90339 by using parallel associative memories or content-addressable memories
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 15/04 using semiconductor elements
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 7/00 Arrangements for writing information into, or reading information out from, a digital store G11C5/00 takes precedence; auxiliary circuits for stores using semiconductor devices G11C11/4063, G11C11/413

Abstract

A data storage system for storing a number of associations between pairs of data patterns, each including a plurality of data elements and having a plurality of data processing and storing units, and circuits for providing the data patterns to the processing and storing units, each of such units processing and storing information relating to different portions of at least one of the patterns.

Claims

1. An associative correlation memory for storing a plurality of associations between pairs of corresponding first and second data patterns which each comprise a series of data elements, wherein

each data pattern comprises data elements of a first type and data elements of a second type, no more than 5 percent of the data elements of each data pattern being of said first type, and wherein said memory comprises

a large number of memory cells which are organized in first and second coordinates (such as rows and columns),

means for storing an association between any given pair of data patterns by assigning the first data pattern of the pair to said first coordinates and the second pattern of the pair to said second coordinates, and storing a data element of a predetermined type in each memory cell, the first and second coordinates of which correspond to a data element of said first type in the respective first and second patterns assigned to said first and second coordinates,

means for retrieving information about a stored association by addressing said first coordinates with the corresponding first data pattern of the stored association, and responsive to the number of addressed data elements of said first type in said second coordinates, and

means which receive said data patterns and provide said storing means and said retrieving means with address information, which relates to said first data pattern.

2. The memory as claimed in claim 1, wherein ordinal numbers are assigned to said second coordinates, and the memory further comprises means for providing output information, which indicates the ordinal number of each second coordinate, which comprises at least a predetermined number of addressed data elements of said first type.

3. The memory as claimed in claim 1, wherein

at least one of said first and second patterns includes a plurality of data element blocks,

each block comprises the same plural number of data elements, and

the data elements of each block comprise only a small proportion of data elements of said first type.

4. The memory as claimed in claim 3, wherein all of said blocks comprise the same number of data elements.

5. The memory as claimed in claim 1, wherein said address information relates exclusively to those coordinates, which correspond to a data element of said first type, to select the so addressed coordinates.

6. The memory as claimed in claim 5, wherein ordinal numbers are assigned to the data elements in said first and second patterns, and said address information designates the ordinal number of each data element of said first type in the respective data pattern.