Patent ID: 7552155

Claim:
An apparatus for determining a best number, representing a maximum or minimum of a set of numbers, comprising: a) first comparator means, having a latency of at least one clock cycle, arranged to compare a current number with a current best score and to output a corresponding first comparator signal; b) at least second comparator means in parallel with the first comparator means and having a latency of at least one clock cycle arranged to compare the current number with a number input immediately previously while the current number is being processed through the apparatus and to output at least a corresponding second comparator signal; c) combinatorial logic means arranged to receive the comparator signals and to output a corresponding signal dependent thereon and on a flag signal received from flagging means arranged to flag whether the current best number was updated for one or more preceding input numbers while the current number was being processed; and d) switching means arranged to output either the current best number, or the current number, as a new current best number, dependent upon the combinatorial logic block signal.