Techniques for selecting a predicted indirect branch address from global and local caches
US9442736B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 8, 2013 |
| Grant date | Sep 13, 2016 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 27, 2034 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F9/3851
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A technique for branch target prediction includes storing, based on an instruction fetch address for a group of fetched instructions, first predicted targets for first indirect branch instructions in respective entries of a local count cache. Second predicted targets for second indirect branch instructions are stored in respective entries of a global count cache, based on the instruction fetch address and a global history vector for the instruction fetch address. One of the local count cache and the global count cache is selected to provide a selected predicted target for an indirect branch instruction in the group of fetched instructions.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.