International business machines corporation (20240119999). PHOTONIC CONTENT-ADDRESSABLE MEMORY AND APPLICATIONS THEREOF simplified abstract
Contents
- 1 PHOTONIC CONTENT-ADDRESSABLE MEMORY AND APPLICATIONS THEREOF
- 1.1 Organization Name
- 1.2 Inventor(s)
- 1.3 PHOTONIC CONTENT-ADDRESSABLE MEMORY AND APPLICATIONS THEREOF - A simplified explanation of the abstract
- 1.4 Simplified Explanation
- 1.5 Potential Applications
- 1.6 Problems Solved
- 1.7 Benefits
- 1.8 Potential Commercial Applications
- 1.9 Prior Art
- 1.10 Unanswered Questions
- 1.11 Original Abstract Submitted
PHOTONIC CONTENT-ADDRESSABLE MEMORY AND APPLICATIONS THEREOF
Organization Name
international business machines corporation
Inventor(s)
Ghazi Sarwat Syed of Zurich (CH)
Abu Sebastian of Adliswil (CH)
PHOTONIC CONTENT-ADDRESSABLE MEMORY AND APPLICATIONS THEREOF - A simplified explanation of the abstract
This abstract first appeared for US patent application 20240119999 titled 'PHOTONIC CONTENT-ADDRESSABLE MEMORY AND APPLICATIONS THEREOF
Simplified Explanation
The abstract describes a photonic content-addressable memory (CAM) system that uses a photonic cross-bar array with programmable photonic filter devices to store and retrieve data encoded in optical signals.
- The CAM system includes a photonic cross-bar array with row and column waveguides, as well as programmable photonic filter devices that store bit values and filter out light based on their programming.
- An encoder is used to encode input bit-strings into optical signals, with different bit values encoded using different pairs of optical states, and supply the signals to respective row waveguides.
- A detector is used to identify mismatches between input bit-strings and stored bit values by detecting light in different optical states in each column waveguide.
Potential Applications
The technology can be applied in data storage systems, optical computing, and high-speed pattern recognition applications.
Problems Solved
The technology solves the problem of fast and efficient data retrieval in large datasets, as well as enabling parallel processing and high-speed pattern matching.
Benefits
The benefits of this technology include high-speed data retrieval, parallel processing capabilities, and improved efficiency in pattern recognition tasks.
Potential Commercial Applications
Potential commercial applications include data centers, artificial intelligence systems, and telecommunications networks.
Prior Art
One example of prior art in this field is the use of traditional electronic content-addressable memories (CAMs) in computer systems for fast data retrieval.
Unanswered Questions
1. How does the scalability of this photonic CAM system compare to traditional electronic CAM systems? 2. What are the potential challenges in integrating this technology into existing data storage and computing systems?
Original Abstract Submitted
photonic content-addressable memories (cams) and applications thereof are provided. the cam includes a photonic cross-bar array comprising a plurality of row and column waveguides, and a plurality of photonic filter devices. each filter device is selectively programmable in first and second states representing respective stored bit values that filters out light according to the programming. an encoder for encoding a plurality of input bit-strings into optical signals such that bit values in different bit-strings are encoded using optical signals in different pairs of optical states, and to simultaneously supply the optical signals corresponding to each bit-position in the bit-strings to a respective row waveguide of the array. the cam further comprises a detector for detecting light in any of said optical states in each column waveguide, thereby identifying any mismatch between each input bit-string and bit values stored in the filter devices coupling light to that waveguide.
