The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 09, 1996
Filed:
Jun. 08, 1994
Yasunori Kasahara, Kanagawa, JP;
Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A method and apparatus for controlling a hardware merge sorter to sort N.gtoreq.2.sup.n number of records, the hardware merge sorter including a plurality of local processors that are cascaded in series, a plurality of local memories and a plurality of selectors. Each selector is coupled to and between one of the plurality of local memories and a respective local processor and couples the local memory to the respective processor during a first sorting step. In addition, the plurality of local memories are coupled to one local processor, of the plurality of local processors, during a second sorting step. With this arrangement, the hardware merge sorter can sort a plurality N.ltoreq.2.sup.n+1 number of records. In one particular embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of hardware merge sorter cells are cascaded in series. With this arrangement, the hardware merge sorter can sort a plurality N.ltoreq.2.sup.n+2 number of records.