Processor with instructions that operate on different data types stored in the same single logical register file
US6792523B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 27, 1999 |
| Grant date | Sep 14, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 27, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F9/462
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A processor with instructions to operate on different data types stored in a single logical register file. According to one aspect of the invention, a first set of instructions of a first instruction type operates on the contents of what at least logically appears to software as a single logical register file. The first set of instructions appears to access the single logical register file as a flat register file. In addition, a first instruction of a second instruction type operates on the logical register file. However, the first instruction appears to access the logical register file as a stack referenced register file. Furthermore, sometime between starting the execution of the first set of instructions and completing the execution of the first instruction, all tags in a set of tags indicating whether corresponding registers in the single logical register file are empty or non-empty are caused to indicate non-empty states.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.