Patent · US Active

Prefetch unit

US7493451B2 · kind B2 · utility

11Cited by

6References

30Claims

0Family size

Assignee

P.A. Semi, Inc. · US

Inventors

Sudarshan Kadambi · Sunnyvale, US
Puneet Kumar · Pune, IN
Po-Yung Chang · Saratoga, US

Key dates

Filing date	Jun 15, 2006
Grant date	Feb 17, 2009
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Mar 13, 2027

Classification

Technology area (CPC G)Physics
CPC primaryG06F2212/6028
WIPO fieldComputer technology
WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

In one embodiment, a processor comprises a prefetch unit coupled to a data cache. The prefetch unit is configured to concurrently maintain a plurality of separate, active prefetch streams. Each prefetch stream is either software initiated via execution by the processor of a dedicated prefetch instruction or hardware initiated via detection of a data cache miss by one or more load/store memory operations. The prefetch unit is further configured to generate prefetch requests responsive to the plurality of prefetch streams to prefetch data in to the data cache.

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