At+t Corp.

Cambridge Consultants Limited

Alan Mycroft

Paul Michael Webster

Phil Endecott

Neil Edward Johnson

Alistair Guy Morfey

Karl Leighton Swepson

Martin David Cooper

A data processing apparatus comprises a processor constructed to operate under control of a sequence of program instructions selected from a predetermined instruction set; master circuitry to request access to storage locations of the processor; an interface circuit to provide an interface for an external apparatus to signal a request for access to the storage locations and an interface for the master circuitry to signal a request for access to the storage locations; and control to provide access between the storage locations and the interface circuit in response to the request only at predetermined points in execution of the stored program, the control being operable to fix periods of time for providing such access relative to the sequence of program instructions such that execution timing of the stored instructions is independent of whether a request is supplied to the interface.

Processor and interface

A method is provided for reducing the power consumption of a pipelined microprocessor system arranged to run a program stored in a memory. The method comprises duplicating at least one branch instruction so as to reduce the number of transitions on the bus between the microprocessor and the memory when the program is executed.

Power reduction in microprocessor systems

A method of reducing the power consumption of microprocessor system is provided, wherein: said microprocessor system comprises a microprocessor () and a memory () connected by a bus (); said memory () contains a plurality of data values, each represented by a number of bits, for transmission to said microprocessor () via the bus (); and at least some of said data values contain unused bits; and wherein said method includes assigning values to said unused bits in such a way as to reduce the Hamming distance between successive data values by a greater extent than setting all of said unused bits to an arbitrary predetermined value.

Power efficiency in microprocessors using reduction of hamming distance between data value

method of preventing an electronic file containing a computer virus from infecting a computer system using the Symbian&#x2122; operating system, the method comprising the steps of scanning files using an anti-virus application, and if an infected file is identified, maintaining the file in an open non-sharing state, whereby other applications running on the computer system may not operate on an infected file.

Growing community of inventors

Cambridge, United Kingdom

Alan Mycroft