Finite state-machine employing a content-addressable memory
First Claim
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1. A finite-state machine, operable in cycles, comprising:
- A. a content-addressable memory, including a key-word port comprising a feedback port and machine input port, at least one output port, and a plurality of storage locations having respective output words associated therewith, for (i) operating in one mode to receive key-word and location-identification signals and to store the key words represented by the key-word signals in the locations identified by the location-identification signals and (ii) operating in another mode to generate at its output port, in response to reception at its key-word port of an input representing a key word, a memory output representing the output word associated with the storage location that contains the key word represented by the input signals at the key-word port;
B. feedback means for applying to the feedback port during a current cycle a feedback signal determined by the memory output of the previous cycle; and
C. output means for generating a machine output determined by the memory output,whereby the finite-state machine generates a machine output determined by the previous memory output and a machine input received at the machine input port.
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Abstract
A finite-state machine (30), which receives its input on INPUT lines (32) and generates its output on OUTPUT lines (34), is implemented with a content-addressable memory (46), whose output is the address of the location containing the data word presented to the content-addressable memory as its input. The content-addressable memory'"'"'s input data word is the concatenation of the finite-state-machine input and the content-addressable-memory output, while the content-addressable-memory output is the output of the finite-state machine.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. A finite-state machine, operable in cycles, comprising:
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A. a content-addressable memory, including a key-word port comprising a feedback port and machine input port, at least one output port, and a plurality of storage locations having respective output words associated therewith, for (i) operating in one mode to receive key-word and location-identification signals and to store the key words represented by the key-word signals in the locations identified by the location-identification signals and (ii) operating in another mode to generate at its output port, in response to reception at its key-word port of an input representing a key word, a memory output representing the output word associated with the storage location that contains the key word represented by the input signals at the key-word port; B. feedback means for applying to the feedback port during a current cycle a feedback signal determined by the memory output of the previous cycle; and C. output means for generating a machine output determined by the memory output, whereby the finite-state machine generates a machine output determined by the previous memory output and a machine input received at the machine input port. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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Specification