Patent · US Active

Controlling priority levels of pending threads awaiting processing

US8589934B2 · kind B2 · utility

101Cited by
8References
21Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 1, 2011
Grant dateNov 19, 2013
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 9, 2032

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F2209/507
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A data processing apparatus comprises processing circuitry arranged to process processing threads using resources accessible to the processing circuitry. A pipeline is provided for handling at least two pending threads awaiting processing by the processing circuitry. The pipeline includes at least one resource-requesting pipeline stage for requesting access to resources for the pending threads. A priority controller controls priority levels of the pending threads. The priority levels define a priority with which pending threads are granted access to resources. When a pending thread reaches a final pipeline stage, if the request resources are not yet available then the priority level of that thread is raised selectively and the thread is returned to a first pipeline stage of the pipeline. If the requested resources are available then the thread is forwarded from the pipeline.

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