Data processing apparatus and method for arbitrating access to a shared resource
US8452907B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 25, 2009 |
| Grant date | May 28, 2013 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 16, 2031 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F13/362
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A data processing apparatus and method are provided for arbitrating access to a shared resource. The data processing apparatus includes a plurality of requester elements sharing access to the shared resource, and arbitration circuitry which is responsive to requests asserted by one or more of the requester elements for access to the shared resource, to perform a priority determination operation to select one of the asserted requests as a winning request. Each of the asserted requests has a priority level associated therewith, and the apparatus further comprises relative priority ordering circuitry for attributing relative priorities to the plurality of requester elements. The arbitration circuitry is responsive to the asserted requests to perform the priority determination operation in order to select as the winning request the request asserted by the requester element with the highest relative priority whose asserted request has a priority level not exceeded by any other asserted request. This provides a very flexible mechanism for performing arbitration, while allowing priority levels to be set on a request-by-request basis, thereby facilitating use of the arbitration circuitry w…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.