Discarding of threads processed by a warp processing unit
US10748236B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 30, 2018 |
| Grant date | Aug 18, 2020 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 27, 2038 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06T2200/28
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A warp processing unit controls, in dependence on a warp program counter shared between a plurality of threads processing respective graphics fragments, fetching of a next instruction to be executed for at least some of the plurality of threads. In response to a determination that a given subset of threads is to be discarded when at least one other subset of threads is to continue, the warp processing unit processes the given subset of threads in a discarded state. For a thread processed in the discarded state, execution of instructions continues for the discarded thread, and at least one of: generation of data access messages triggered by the discarded thread is suppressed; and at least one processing operation, which would be deferred until completion of the discarded thread had the thread not been discarded, is enabled to be commenced independently of an outcome of the discarded thread.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.