Patent · US Active

Efficient placement of texture barrier instructions

US9142005B2 · kind B2 · utility

1Cited by
0References
21Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 20, 2012
Grant dateSep 22, 2015
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 12, 2033

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06T1/60
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for placing texture barrier instructions within a thread program to advantageously enable efficient and correct operation of the thread program. A thread program compiler statically determines a pending request count needed to progress beyond a particular texture barrier instruction, which blocks execution of subsequent instructions that depend on previously requested data. Each instance of the thread program blocks execution at the barrier instruction until a pending request count condition is satisfied. This technique may advantageously reduce power consumption in a graphics processing unit by eliminating power consumption associated with conventional, generalized scoreboard resources.

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