Associative array with five arithmetic paths

Claim 1

In an associative processor array including M rows and N columns of identical processing cells whereby said M and N are positive integers, with each cell connected horizontally to its left and right to a neighboring cell and connected vertically to its up and down to a neighboring cell, with a vertical bus connecting all cells in a column and a horizontal bus connecting all cells in a row; each cell including a memory for storing control and data information, with the output of said memory coupled to an arithmetic logic unit (ALU) and with the output of said ALU coupled to register means within each cell, with said cells as forming said array for performing arithmetic operations on words each consisting of a plurality of bits and each including word a given number of slices to enable an arithmetic function to be implemented by each cell, the improvement therewith of apparatus for providing data paths between cells in a given row in said array, comprising: a first path coupled to each of said cells in said given row and operative to move a first bit from left to right or from right to left in said row with said path coupled to each of said memory in said cells, a second path coupled to each of said ALU's in said cells in said given row and operative to propagate an arithmetic carry from said ALU of any of said cells unidirectionally to another cell in said row, a third path coupled to each of said cells in said row and operative to move a second bit from one cell to the next in a given selected direction as from right to left or from left to right, and means within each cell and responsive to said second bit to store said bit in said cell, a fourth path coupled to each of said cells in said row and operative to move a third bit from said ALU output of each cell from one cell to the next with said means within each cell responsive to said third bit for storing said bit in any of said cells, a fifth path coupled to each of said cells in said row and operative to move a fourth bit from one cell to the next in said row from left to right or from right to left, and storage register means within each cell for storing said fourth bit in each storage register means in said cell to enable said cell to operate with a given slice of said word to perform said arithmetic function according to said bits as stored within said cell.