Patent · US Active

Branch prediction for indirect branch instructions

US11099851B2 · kind B2 · utility

0Cited by

4References

17Claims

0Family size

Assignee

International Business Machines Corporation · US

Inventors

Wolfgang Gellerich · Eppelheim, DE
Peter M. Held · Renningen, DE
Gerrit Koch · Herrenberg, DE
Martin Schwidefsky · Eppelheim, DE

Key dates

Filing date	Oct 26, 2018
Grant date	Aug 24, 2021
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Mar 10, 2039

Classification

Technology area (CPC G)Physics
CPC primaryG06F9/323
WIPO fieldComputer technology
WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Examples of techniques for branch prediction for indirect branch instructions are described herein. An aspect includes detecting a first register setting instruction in an instruction pipeline of a processor, wherein the first register setting instruction stores a target instruction address in a first register of the processor. Another aspect includes looking up the first register setting instruction in a first table. Another aspect includes, based on there being a hit for the first register setting instruction in the first table, determining instruction address data corresponding to a first indirect branch instruction that is associated with the first register setting instruction in a first entry in the first table. Another aspect includes updating a branch prediction for the first indirect branch instruction in a branch prediction logic of the processor based on the target instruction address.

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