Patent ID: 8838873

Claim:
An apparatus, comprising: a plurality of memory modules, each memory module from the plurality of memory modules configured to store data to be retrieved in a data match computation; a reprogrammable circuit module configured to execute the data match computation, the reprogrammable circuit module configured to receive data to be computationally and actively matched; a plurality of data channels, each data channel from the plurality of data channels operably coupling the reprogrammable circuit module to at least one memory module from the plurality of memory modules, the reprogrammable circuit module configured to retrieve (1) a first set of data stored at a first memory module from the plurality of memory modules via a first data channel from the plurality of data channels, and in parallel (2) a second set of data stored at a second memory module from the plurality of memory modules via a second data channel from the plurality of data channels, to produce retrieved data including the first set of data and the second set of data, the reprogrammable circuit module configured to store the retrieved data for a time period, the reprogrammable circuit module configured to computationally and actively compare, during the time period and entirely at the reprogrammable circuit module, the retrieved data with a representation of the data to be matched to produce matched data, the reprogrammable circuit module configured to send a result signal representing the matched data; and a driver module operatively coupled to the reprogrammable circuit module, the reprogrammable circuit module configured to be modified by the driver module, the driver module configured to modify the reprogrammable circuit module, at a first time, to retrieve data based at least in part on a first keyword, the driver module configured to modify the reprogrammable circuit module, at a second time after the first time, to retrieve data based at least in part on a second keyword different from the first keyword.