Patent ID: 8780633

Claim:
A non-volatile memory system, comprising: a first non-volatile memory section storing a plurality of data sets; a search section, including: a search array storing a corresponding signature for each of the data sets, where for each of the data sets the signature is derived from the corresponding data set and is of a smaller size, wherein the search array is of NAND type architecture and the signatures are stored therein oriented along the search array's bit lines; biasing circuitry connected to the word lines of the search array; and sensing circuitry connected to the bit lines of the search array, wherein based on a received a first signature, the biasing circuitry biases the word lines of the search array according to the first signature and the sensing circuitry determines whether any of the bit lines of the search array conduct in response to said biasing of the word lines, wherein the memory system maintains a correspondence between the location at which the data sets are stored in the first non-volatile memory section and the location at which the corresponding signatures are stored in the search array.