Microprocessor including an interrupt polling unit configured to poll external devices for interrupts when said microprocessor is in a task switch state
US5948093A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 9, 1996 |
| Grant date | Sep 7, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 9, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F9/32
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An interrupt polling unit included within a bus interface unit of a microprocessor is provided. The interrupt polling unit causes an interrupt acknowledge bus transaction to occur. If an interrupt controller receiving the interrupt acknowledge bus transaction returns an interrupt vector indicative of an interrupt service routine, then the microprocessor executes the interrupt service routine. The number of interrupt acknowledge bus transactions associated with the interrupt is reduced from two to one. In one embodiment, the interrupt polling unit causes an interrupt acknowledge bus transaction to occur when the microprocessor is performing a task switch. The task switch may be performed by hardware included within the microprocessor or, alternatively, by software executing upon the microprocessor.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.