Management of conditional branches within a data parallel system
US8726252B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 28, 2011 |
| Grant date | May 13, 2014 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 1, 2032 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F8/456
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A compiler of a single instruction multiple data (SIMD) information handling system (IHS) identifies “if-then-else” statements that offer opportunity for conditional branch conversion. The SIMD IHS employs a processor or processors to execute the executable program. During execution, the processor generates and updates SIMD lane mask information to track and manage the conditional branch loops of the executing program. The processor saves branch addresses and employs SIMD lane masks to identify conditional branch loops with different branch conditions than previous conditional branch loops. The processor may reduce SIMD IHS processing time during processing of compiled code of the original “if-then-else” statements. The processor continues processing next statements inline after all SIMD lanes are complete, while providing speculative and parallel processing capability for multiple data operations of the executable program.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.