Performing comparison operations using extended exponent range floating point values

Abstract

A method and a processing module for performing a particular comparison operation using floating point values received in one or more input formats, The exponent range of the floating point values is extended. One or more of the following is performed: (a) a floating point value of zero is replaced with a non-zero substitute floating point value whose magnitude is small enough to behave like zero if all other values involved in the particular comparison operation are non-zero finite values in their input format; (b) one or more of the floating point values are shifted by a non-zero amount which is small enough to behave like zero if all other values involved in the particular comparison operation are non-zero finite values in their input format, wherein said non-zero amount is too small to be representable using the one or more input formats but is representable using the extended exponent range; and (c) a floating point value of infinity is replaced with a finite substitute floating point value whose magnitude is large enough to behave like infinity if all other values involved in the particular comparison operation are non-zero finite values in their input format, wherein said finite substitute floating point value has a magnitude that is too large to be representable using the one or more input formats but is representable using the extended exponent range.