Associative data storage system

Claim 1

An associative correlation memory for storing a plurality of associations between pairs of corresponding first and second data patterns which each comprise a series of data elements, wherein each data pattern comprises data elements of a first type and data elements of a second type, no more than 5 percent of the data elements of each data pattern being of said first type, and wherein said memory comprises a large number of memory cells which are organized in first and second coordinates (such as rows and columns), means for storing an association between any given pair of data patterns by assigning the first data pattern of the pair to said first coordinates and the second pattern of the pair to said second coordinates, and storing a data element of a predetermined type in each memory cell, the first and second coordinates of which correspond to a data element of said first type in the respective first and second patterns assigned to said first and second coordinates, means for retrieving information about a stored association by addressing said first coordinates with the corresponding first data pattern of the stored association, and responsive to the number of addressed data elements of said first type in said second coordinates, and means which receive said data patterns and provide said storing means and said retrieving means with address information, which relates to said first data pattern.