Patent ID: 7206898

Claim:
A content-addressable memory comprising: a storage section having a plurality of storage areas for storing therein a plurality of pieces of information, the storage areas having respective priority ranks assigned thereto; an ancillary storage section having a plurality of ancillary storage areas for storing therein the priority ranks different from each other, the plurality of ancillary storage areas being associated with the plurality of storage areas, respectively, priority rank stored in each of the plurality of ancillary storage areas being assigned to the associated one of the plurality of storage areas; and a controlling section for outputting, when at least one of the storage areas stores therein information matching with a word supplied from an exterior, pointer(s) of all or part of the at least one of the storage areas in descending order of priority ranks that are stored in ancillary storage area(s) associated with the at least one of the storage areas.