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. 09, 1988
Filed:
Nov. 17, 1986
Applicant:
Inventors:
Mark W Bluhm, Austin, TX (US);
Robert R Thompson, Austin, TX (US);
David S Mothersole, Austin, TX (US);
Douglas B MacGregor, Austin, TX (US);
Assignee:
Motorola, Inc., Schaumburg, IL (US);
Attorneys:
Primary Examiner:
Assistant Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
G06F / ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
364200 ;
Abstract
A microcomputer has the capacity for executing instructions, requesting prefetches of instructions, and experiencing a change in instruction flow, or a branch. The microcomputer also knows in advance that a change in instruction flow is going to occur. At such time that a branch becomes known there may also be a pending instruction prefetch request. Because a branch is going to occur, there is no need to execute the prefetch. Consequently, the pending instruction prefetch is flushed which thus avoids wasting time making an unnecessary instruction prefetch.