Patent ID: 6556993
Filing Date: 2003-04-29
Classification: G06F,Y10S

Abstract:
A system for sorting items in a computer system, the sort being based on a plurality of values of a key, each item having a value of the plurality of values, the system comprising:a plurality of sort cells for sorting at least a portion of the plurality of items, the plurality of sort cells including a first sort cell, each sort cell of the plurality of sort cells being a hardware sort cell, each sort cell for sorting a corresponding item, the corresponding item having a corresponding value, each sort cell further having an associated key storage for storing the corresponding value, a comparator for comparing the corresponding value to a new value associated with a new item and an output, wherein each of the plurality of sort cells except the first sort cell further includes a first input, the first input of the each of the plurality of sort cells except the first sort cell being coupled with the output of a previous sort cell; and a second input coupled with each of the plurality of sort cells, the second input for providing the new item to the plurality of sort cells; such that each of the plurality of sort cells compares the new value to the corresponding value to determine whether to retain the corresponding item and retains the corresponding item if it is determined that the corresponding item is to be retained; and such that each of the plurality of sort cells accepts either the new item or an item corresponding to the previous sort cell from the output of the previous sort cell if the corresponding item is not to be retained and provides the corresponding item over the output if the corresponding item is not retained.