Patent ID: 7079409

Claim:
A system comprising a content addressable memory (CAM) having a first data field and a second data field, and including: circuitry to separate a match line of data into a segmented match line (SML) connected to said first data field in said CAM and a main match line (ML) connected to said second data field in said CAM, circuitry to selectively provide and use new comparison results or old comparison results on said SML, circuitry to compare new comparison data inputted to the SML with data in the first data field of said CAM and indicate a “hit” or “miss” with respect to inputted new comparison data, circuitry to store the most recent previously inputted new comparison data on said SML, circuitry to compare data in said second data field of said CAM with comparison data imputed to said ML, comparison circuitry to control a “hit” or “miss” ML on the SML with respect to the comparison results of the SML, and circuitry to combine the output of the SML with the output of the ML for determining a “hit” or “miss” of the data in the entire CAM.