Apparatus and method for bias-free branch prediction
US9952870B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 13, 2014 |
| Grant date | Apr 24, 2018 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 13, 2035 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F9/3848
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An apparatus and method for filtering biased conditional branches in a branch predictor in favor of non-biased conditional branches are disclosed. Biased conditional branches, which are consistently skewed toward one direction or outcome, are filtered such that an increased number of non-biased conditional branches which resolve in both directions may be considered. As a result, more useful branches may be captured over larger distances, thereby providing correlations deeper in a global history. In addition, by tracking only the latest occurrences of non-biased conditional branches using a recency stack structure, even more distant branch correlations may be made.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.