Patent ID: 11875850
Assignee: MACRONIX INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD.
Field: Computer technology (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC G | IPC G

Claim 7:
8. A data search and comparing method for a content addressable memory (CAM) memory device, the method comprising:
storing a storage data in a plurality of CAM memory strings;
performing data searching on the CAM memory strings by a search data;
generate a plurality of memory string currents from the CAM memory strings;
detecting the memory string currents to generate a plurality of sensing results, or detecting a plurality of match line voltages on a plurality of match lines coupled to the CAM memory string to generate the plurality of search results;
wherein the storage data and the search data is a range storage data and a single-bit search data, or the storage data and the search data is a single-bit storage data and a range search data,
a CAM memory cell of the CAM memory string includes N1 memory cells (N1 being a positive integer larger than or equal to 3), when the CAM memory cell is encoded for storing M1 decimal data combinations (wherein M1 being a positive integer, M1≥1 and M1≤N1), M1 memory cells of the memory cells are programmed to have a first threshold voltage, and (N1-M1) memory cells of the memory cells are programmed to have a second threshold voltage; and
the search data is defined by N2 search voltages (N2 being a positive integer larger than or equal to 3), when the search data is encoded for M2 decimal data combinations (wherein M2 being a positive integer, M2>1 and M2<N2), M2 search voltages of the search voltages have a first search voltage, and (N2-M2) search voltages of the search voltages have a second search voltage.