Method and apparatus for transferring data within a computer using a burst sequence which includes modified bytes and a minimum number of unmodified bytes
US5386540A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 28, 1993 |
| Grant date | Jan 31, 1995 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 28, 2013 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F12/0879
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method of transferring data words that include data bytes within a computer having a main memory, a processor and a cache memory, with the processor being able to cause data words to be transferred in a burst mode from the cache memory to the main memory in one of a plurality of predetermined sequences, includes the following steps: (1) determining which data words of a group of data words located in the cache memory include data bytes which have been modified, (2) selecting one sequence of data words of the plurality of predetermined sequences of data words which includes (a) all of the data words of the group of data words that include data bytes which have been modified, and (b) a minimum number of data words of the group of data words that include no data bytes which have been modified, and (3) causing the one sequence of data words selected in the selecting step to be transferred in the burst mode from the cache memory to the main memory.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.