Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
153 words
A data processing apparatus comprising: means for modelling a first asynchronous logic circuit as a plurality of circuit elements, the functions of said plurality of circuit elements being governed by a set of rules, each rule defining a response to a given condition; means for responding to any condition being satisfied by generating an associated response, wherein two or more of the circuit elements function as registers, each register having an internal value and two or more output states; and means arranged to apply a constraint linking internal values or output states of two or more register function elements and, in response to a change in an internal value or an output state of one of the register function elements, to detect the change and modify a corresponding internal value or output state of the other register function element or one of the other register function elements to maintain validity of the constraint.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
153 words
A data processing apparatus comprising: means for modelling a first asynchronous logic circuit as a plurality of circuit elements, the functions of said plurality of circuit elements being governed by a set of rules, each rule defining a response to a given condition; means for responding to any condition being satisfied by generating an associated response, wherein two or more of the circuit elements function as registers, each register having an internal value and two or more output states; and means arranged to apply a constraint linking internal values or output states of two or more register function elements and, in response to a change in an internal value or an output state of one of the register function elements, to detect the change and modify a corresponding internal value or output state of the other register function element or one of the other register function elements to maintain validity of the constraint.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
50 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising means operable to detect when a register function element subject to a constraint is unloaded from a model and to remove the constraint from a further register function element or each further register function element to which the constraint had been applied.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
23 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the constraint comprises an equality of internal value or output state for the register function elements.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
31 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the constraint comprises an algebraic equation, arguments of the algebraic equation being represented by the internal values or outputs of respective register function elements.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
14 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the constraint comprises a Boolean logic function.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
64 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the constraint is applied to the internal values or output states of three or more register function elements; and said means for applying the constraint further comprises a storage device containing instructions specific to the constraint configuration concerning which of the other element internal values or outputs is to be modified to maintain validity of the constraint.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
30 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 6, further comprising data storage means and wherein each register function element has a pointer to a respective data value held in said storage device.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
38 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein said means for modelling is operable to store and execute a number of processor functions, and comprises a memory stack holding pointers to the register function elements and corresponding processor functions.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
58 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: means for modelling a plurality of further asynchronous logic circuits, including a working memory area in which the first asynchronous logic circuit and further asynchronous logic circuits are modelled; and data storage means from which data defining yet further asynchronous logic circuits may be called into a working memory area.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
35 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein one or more constraints are applied to register element pairs formed by register elements from separate ones of the asynchronous logic circuits modelled in the working memory area.