Patent ID: 9666278
Date: 2017-05-30
CPC Classifications: G11C

Claim:
1. A memory apparatus, comprising: a content addressable memory (CAM), a cell block comprising CAM cells, and a random access memory (RAM), the cell block including RAM cells; and a geometric footprint of each of the CAM cells having a side bigger than a side of a geometric footprint of each of the RAM cells, wherein the sides of the CAM cells and the RAM cells are parallel to each other; the apparatus being configured to translate an input keyword at an input of the CAM cell block to an output word at an output of the RAM cell block when the keyword at the input of the CAM cell block is stored in the CAM cell block; the CAM cell block being split into a first part and a second part of the CAM cells; the RAM cell block being located between the first part and the second part of the CAM cells with the first part and a second part of the CAM cells being coupled to the corresponding RAM cells in an alternating manner via respective word lines.