Patent ID: 7272684

Claim:
A range compare circuit, comprising: at least one first storage location for storing a first range value that defines one limit of a range that includes multiple compare values, the first range value including a plurality of first range bit values; at least one second storage location for storing a second range value that defines a second limit of the range, the second range value including a plurality of second range bit values; and a plurality of compare sections that compare same portions of a comparand value to corresponding portions of both the first and second range values, the comparand value including a plurality of comparand bit values, and each compare section including a first compare circuit having a first circuit path that is disabled and enabled according to a corresponding bit of the comparand value and a bit of the first range value, and a second circuit path that is enabled and disabled according to a corresponding comparand bit value and a second range bit value, wherein the first circuit path is in parallel with the second circuit path and the first and second circuit paths are commonly coupled to a signal node.