Patent · US Active

Tininess prediction and handler engine for smooth handling of numeric underflow

US10379814B2 · kind B2 · utility

9Cited by
7References
20Claims
0Family size

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Key dates

Filing dateMar 23, 2018
Grant dateAug 13, 2019
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 23, 2038

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F9/4843
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure include a tininess prediction and handler engine for handling numeric underflow while streamlining the data path for handling normal range cases, thereby avoiding flushes, and reducing the complexity of a scheduler with respect to how dependent operations are handled. A preemptive tiny detection logic section can detect a potential tiny result for the function or operation that is being performed, and can produce a pessimistic tiny indicator. The tininess prediction and handler engine can further include a subnormal post-processing pipe, which can denormalize and round one or more subnormal operations while in a post-processing mode. A schedule modification logic section can reschedule in-flight operations. The schedule modification logic section can issue dependent operations optimistically assuming that a producing operation will not produce a tiny result, and so will not incur extra latency associated with fixing the tiny result in the post-processing pipe.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.