The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 31, 2018
Filed:
Jul. 27, 2016
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);
David S. Levitan, Austin, TX (US);
Nicholas R. Orzol, Austin, TX (US);
Robert A. Philhower, Valley Cottage, NY (US);
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);
Abstract
A computer processor includes a branch prediction unit that includes a local branch predictor and a global branch predictor. Managing power consumption in such a computer processor includes, for each of a plurality of branch instructions: performing, by the local branch predictor, a local branch prediction; performing, by each of the global branch predictors, a global branch prediction; determining to utilize the local branch prediction over the global branch predictions as a branch prediction for the branch instruction; incrementing a value of a counter; determining whether the value of the counter exceeds a predetermined threshold; and if the value of the counter exceeds the predetermined threshold, powering down at least one of the global branch predictors and configuring the branch prediction unit to bypass the powered down global branch predictor for branch predictions of subsequent branch instructions.