Patent · US Expired

Adaptive throttling of memory acceses, such as throttling RDRAM accesses in a real-time system

US6662278B1 · kind B1 · utility

30Cited by
8References
6Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 22, 2000
Grant dateDec 9, 2003
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 25, 2021

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02D10/00
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Apparatus and methods to adaptively throttle accesses to memory employ a masking tool to specify the percentage of memory bandwidth available for access. The apparatus applies the mask and monitors the number of memory accesses during a throttle-monitoring window. If the number of memory accesses during the throttle-monitoring window exceeds or is fewer than the percentage of memory bandwidth specified by the mask, access to the memory continues until the end of the throttle-monitoring window. At the end of the throttle-monitoring window, the apparatus selects the next lower mask, which has a lower memory bandwidth allocation, applies the next lower mask, and monitors the number of memory accesses during the next throttle-monitoring window. If the number of memory accesses during the throttle-monitoring window is fewer than the percentage of memory bandwidth specified by the mask, at the end of the throttle-monitoring window, the apparatus selects the next higher mask, which has a higher memory bandwidth allocation, applies the next higher mask, and monitors the number of memory accesses during the next throttle-monitoring window. The mask itself comprises a series of ones and zero…

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