Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
232 words
A prefetching apparatus which provides at least two starting addresses one for a first sequence of instructions and another for a next sequence of instructions, comprising: means for storing a plurality of potential starting addresses of the first sequence of instructions stored in an instruction cache store, and for storing a plurality of potential starting addresses of the next sequence of instructions stored in the instruction cache store, said means for storing comprising; a first register having a read port and a write port, and a plurality of locations for storing the potential starting addresses of the first sequence of instructions; a second register stack having a read port and a write port, and a plurality of locations for storing a first portion of bits of the potential starting addresses of the next sequence of instruction; and a third register stack having a read port and a write port, and a plurality of locations for storing a remaining portion of the bits of the potential starting addresses of the next sequence of instructions; means, fed by said storing means and a forced address signal, for providing the starting address for the next sequence of instructions and for selectively providing a next read address for said storing means; and means fed by said storing means, for selectively providing the starting address of the first sequence of instructions and for providing output select signals.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
232 words
A prefetching apparatus which provides at least two starting addresses one for a first sequence of instructions and another for a next sequence of instructions, comprising: means for storing a plurality of potential starting addresses of the first sequence of instructions stored in an instruction cache store, and for storing a plurality of potential starting addresses of the next sequence of instructions stored in the instruction cache store, said means for storing comprising; a first register having a read port and a write port, and a plurality of locations for storing the potential starting addresses of the first sequence of instructions; a second register stack having a read port and a write port, and a plurality of locations for storing a first portion of bits of the potential starting addresses of the next sequence of instruction; and a third register stack having a read port and a write port, and a plurality of locations for storing a remaining portion of the bits of the potential starting addresses of the next sequence of instructions; means, fed by said storing means and a forced address signal, for providing the starting address for the next sequence of instructions and for selectively providing a next read address for said storing means; and means fed by said storing means, for selectively providing the starting address of the first sequence of instructions and for providing output select signals.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
38 words
The apparatus as recited in claim 1 further comprising: means, responsive to said output select signals for selecting between the starting address of a first sequence of instructions and the starting address of a next sequence of instructions.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
39 words
The apparatus as recited in claim 2 further comprising: means, responsive to a signal indication of a branch mispredict, for writing one of said plurality of potential starting addresses of the next sequence of instructions to said storing means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
31 words
The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said third register stack further includes a plurality of branch type bits associated with the starting address of the next sequence of instructions.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
35 words
The apparatus as recited in claim 4 wherein said storage means further comprises: means for delaying the address fed to the write address lines of the write port of the first and second register stacks.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
58 words
The apparatus as recited in claim 5 wherein said means for providing a next read address and said means for providing a next starting address are responsive to select signals with said select signals provided from the third register stack; and further comprising: means for delaying said select signals to said means for providing a next read address.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
39 words
The apparatus as recited in claim 5 wherein said apparatus further comprises: a register stack for holding return addresses of subroutines to provide said addresses to said means for providing the starting address of the first sequence of instructions.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
193 words
A prefetching apparatus which provides at least two starting addresses one for a next, first block of instruction sequences and another for a second block of instruction sequences, comprising: first means for storing a plurality of potential starting addresses for the next, first block of instruction sequences, said first means further comprising: a first register stack for storing a first portion of the bits of the potential starting addresses for the next first block of instruction sequences and control bits to control said means for selectively providing; and a second register stack for storing a remaining portion of the bits of the potential starting addresses for the next first block of instruction sequences; second means for storing a plurality of potential starting addresses for the second block of instruction sequences; means for selectively providing at an output thereof, a first one of said plurality of potential starting addresses of the next first block of instruction sequences and a forced address signal, to provide a first address of the next first block of instruction sequences; and means responsive to said second means for providing a starting address of the second block of instruction sequences.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
193 words
A prefetching apparatus which provides at least two starting addresses one for a next, first block of instruction sequences and another for a second block of instruction sequences, comprising: first means for storing a plurality of potential starting addresses for the next, first block of instruction sequences, said first means further comprising: a first register stack for storing a first portion of the bits of the potential starting addresses for the next first block of instruction sequences and control bits to control said means for selectively providing; and a second register stack for storing a remaining portion of the bits of the potential starting addresses for the next first block of instruction sequences; second means for storing a plurality of potential starting addresses for the second block of instruction sequences; means for selectively providing at an output thereof, a first one of said plurality of potential starting addresses of the next first block of instruction sequences and a forced address signal, to provide a first address of the next first block of instruction sequences; and means responsive to said second means for providing a starting address of the second block of instruction sequences.