CONTENT SEARCH EXTENSION ARCHITECTURE FOR PROGRAMMABLE INTELLIGENT SEARCH MEMORY

1 . An integrated circuit chip comprising programmable intelligent search memory for content search, said programmable intelligent search memory comprising:

circuits to store first content search rules compiled in a predetermined format wherein said first content search rules comprise fixed-size groups of symbols;

circuits to extend the fixed-size groups of symbols to process second content search rules of variable-sized groups of symbols; and

circuits to evaluate content presented to the integrated circuit chip with said first stored content search rules or second content search rules or a combination thereof.