Task execution in a SIMD processing unit
US9250961B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 17, 2014 |
| Grant date | Feb 2, 2016 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 17, 2034 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F2209/507
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A SIMD processing unit processes a plurality of tasks which each include up to a predetermined maximum number of work items. The work items of a task are arranged for executing a common sequence of instructions on respective data items. The data items are arranged into blocks, with some of the blocks including at least one invalid data item. Work items which relate to invalid data items are invalid work items. The SIMD processing unit comprises a group of processing lanes configured to execute instructions of work items of a particular task over a plurality of processing cycles. A control module assembles work items into the tasks based on the validity of the work items, so that invalid work items of the particular task are temporally aligned across the processing lanes. In this way the number of wasted processing slots due to invalid work items may be reduced.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.