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:
Aug. 24, 2021
Filed:
Sep. 01, 2016
Oracle International Corporation, Redwood City, CA (US);
Oracle International Corporation, Redwood Shores, CA;
Abstract
An apparatus includes a branch target cache configured to store one or more branch addresses, a memory configured to store a return target stack, and a circuit. The circuit may be configured to determine, for a group of one or more fetched instructions, a prediction value indicative of whether the group includes a return instruction. In response to the prediction value indicating that the group includes a return instruction, the circuit may be further configured to select a return address from the return target stack. The circuit may also be configured to determine a hit or miss indication in the branch target cache for the group, and to, in response to receiving a miss indication from the branch target cache, select the return address as a target address for the return instruction.