Patent · US Expired

Software invalidation in a multiple level, multiple cache system

US5699551A · kind A · utility

29Cited by
30References
6Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 7, 1995
Grant dateDec 16, 1997
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 7, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F12/1045
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method of invalidating a line in a designated cache in each level of a multiple level, multiple cache memory system. Each line of the cache memory system includes a tag field, a data field, and a bit indicative of the validity of the line. The method provides a software invalidate instruction which bypasses any address translation mechanism. Included in the software invalidate instruction is a first field to identify within which multiple cache the line is to be avoided. A target address is generated to index each level of the cache memory system. The state of the bit is changed in accordance with the address and the invalidate instruction.

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