US Patent 7483426 Look-up table expansion method

A look-up table includes a first table formed using a first portion of the table entries where each table entry is associated with a look-up address and includes one or more key-data value pairs and an expansion pointer field, and a second table formed using a second portion of the table entries where each table entry is associated with an expansion address and includes one or more key-data value pairs. An expansion pointer field in a first table entry in the first table identifies a first expansion address associated with a second table entry in the second table as a first expansion pointer for linking the second table entry to the first table entry, thereby providing expansion of the first table entry. Each table entry in the second table can also include an expansion pointer field to provide table entry expansion through linking of multiple table entries in the second table.