Branch prediction structure with branch direction entries that share branch prediction qualifier entries
US7380110B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 11, 2003 |
| Grant date | May 27, 2008 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 5, 2024 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F9/3848
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An efficient branch prediction structure is described that bifurcates a branch prediction structure into at least two portions where information stored in the second portion is aliased amongst multiple entries of the first portion. In this way, overall storage (and layout area) can be reduced and scaling with a branch prediction structure that includes a (2N)K×1 branch direction entries and a (N/2)K×1 branch prediction qualifier entries is less dramatic than conventional techniques. An efficient branch prediction structure includes entries for branch direction indications and entries for branch prediction qualifier indications. The branch direction indication entries are more numerous than the branch prediction qualifier entries. An entry from the branch direction entries is selected based at least in part on a corresponding instruction instance identifier and an entry from the branch prediction qualifier entries is selected based at least in part on least significant bits of the instruction instance identifier.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.