Creating a thread of execution in a computer processor without operating system intervention
US8561070B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 2, 2010 |
| Grant date | Oct 15, 2013 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 7, 2031 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F9/4843
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Creating a thread of execution in a computer processor includes an apparatus for copying data from a first set of registers to a second set of registers. The first set of registers is associated with a parent hardware thread and the second set of registers is associated with a child hardware thread. The copying is indicated by a hardware processor opcode called by a user-level process. The copying is performed with no operating system involvement. The child hardware thread is in a wait state. Creating the thread also includes changing, as indicated by the hardware processor opcode, the child hardware thread from the wait state to an ephemeral run state. The ephemeral run state indicates a lack of operating system support structures for the child hardware thread.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.