Data processing apparatus and method for arbitrating access to a shared resource
US7664901B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 27, 2007 |
| Grant date | Feb 16, 2010 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 3, 2028 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F13/36
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A data processing apparatus and method are providing for arbitrating access to a shared resource. The data processing apparatus has a plurality of logic elements sharing access to the shared resource, and arbitration circuitry which is responsive to requests by one or more of the logic elements for access to the shared resource to perform a priority determination operation to select one of the requests as a winning request. The arbitration circuitry applies an arbitration policy to associate priorities with each logic element, the arbitration policy comprising multiple priority groups, each priority group having a different priority and containing at least one of the logic elements. Within each priority group, the arbitration circuitry applies a priority ordering operation to attribute relative priorities to the logic elements within that priority group. Responsive to a predetermined event, the arbitration circuitry re-applies the priority ordering operation within at least one priority group prior to a subsequent performance of the priority determination operation. Such an approach has been found to provide a particularly flexible mechanism for performing arbitration, allowing a w…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.