Patent ID: 6172623
Filing Date: 2001-01-09
Classification: H03M

Abstract:
An apparatus for locating a most significant set bit in an original bit-string, wherein said original bit-string comprises a plurality of data bits, comprising:at least one level of sub-string extractor for extracting a sub-string from an input bit-string, wherein said sub-string comprises said most significant set bit of said bit-string, wherein said sub-string of each one level of the sub-string extractor is provided as the input bit-string of the subsequent level when there is a subsequent level of sub-string extractor after the current level of the sub-string extractor, wherein said original bit-string is provided as the input bit-string for the first level of the sub-string extractor, each level of the sub-string extractor producing an index indicating the location of the corresponding sub-string extracted in the corresponding input bit-string provided; anda bit locator for generating a precise index indicating the location of said most significant bit in the sub-string generated by the last level of the sub-string extractor,wherein the location of said most significant set bit is provided by combining all index generated by said at least one level sub-string extractor and said precise index generated by said bit locator.