Method and apparatus for determining minimum/maximum of multiple

Communications: electrical – Digital comparator systems

Patent

Rate now

  [ 0.00 ] – not rated yet Voters 0   Comments 0

Details

364715, G06F 702

Patent

active

045395497

ABSTRACT:
A method and apparatus for very rapidly determining a minimum or maximum data word from a list of such words in which the expected time for completing the determination of the minimum or maximum value decreases as the number of words in the list is increased. Each data word is stored in a dedicated processing element. Each processing element first outputs onto an open-collector bus a "0" in a position corresponding to the highest order "1" bit in the stored data word. The data signal thus assembled on the bus thus has a "0" at positions corresponding to the highest order "1" bit of each of the processing elements. In response to this data signal, a single controller transmits back to the processing elements a control signal having a "0" in and only in the lowest order "0" bit of the data signal received on the bus. In the processing elements, ones of the processing elements which have a "1" bit in a higher position than the single "0" bit of the control signal are eliminated, while in processing elements still active, " 1" bits are eliminated from the stored data word in the same position as the "0" of the control signal. The most significant "1" bit of the modified control word in each processing element is again determined, and the process repeated until only a single processing element, or multiple processing elements in which the same data word is stored, is left transmitting back to the controller. In that processing element is stored the minimum or maximum data word.

REFERENCES:
patent: 4007439 (1977-02-01), Semmelhaack et al.
patent: 4446452 (1984-05-01), Munter
Shirley, "Parallel-Search Max/Min Word Algorithm", IBM Tech. Disclosure Bulletin, vol. 22, No. 7, Dec. 1979, pp. 2671-2672.
Yuen, "A Bit-Serial Device for Maximization & Sorting", Proceedings of the IEEE, vol. 68, No. 2, Feb. 1980, pp. 266-267.
Gourlay et al., "Circuit for Finding the Minimum or Maximum of a Set of Binary Numbers", IBM Tech. Disclosure Bulletin, vol. 25, No. 7A, Dec. 1982, pp. 3318-3320.

LandOfFree

Say what you really think

Search LandOfFree.com for the USA inventors and patents. Rate them and share your experience with other people.

Rating

Method and apparatus for determining minimum/maximum of multiple does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Method and apparatus for determining minimum/maximum of multiple, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Method and apparatus for determining minimum/maximum of multiple will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

     

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-616127

  Search
All data on this website is collected from public sources. Our data reflects the most accurate information available at the time of publication.