Processing commands and data in a common pipeline path in a high-speed computer graphics system
US5421028A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 31, 1994 |
| Grant date | May 30, 1995 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 31, 2014 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06T1/20
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A pipelined processing system in which context switching for each of the pipelined processing circuits within the pipeline may be accomplished without flushing the data from the pipeline. This is accomplished by sending the pipeline commands and data together through the pipeline and differentiating the commands from the data using a flag added to the commands and data which specifies whether the associated data word is a command or data. During operation of the pipeline, when the input data is received by one of the pipelined processing circuits in the pipeline, the flag is checked to see if the associated data word includes a command. If the associated data word includes data to be processed, it is processed in accordance with the current configuration of the pipeline. However, if the associated data word includes a command for setup and control and the like, each pipelined processing circuit within the pipeline compares its identification value with a tag field in the command to determine whether it is to be reconfigured by that command. If it is to be reconfigured by that command, the appropriate context switching and the like takes place. However, if the current pipelined proc…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.