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:
Sep. 03, 1996
Filed:
Apr. 27, 1995
Applicant:
Inventors:
Assignees:
Motorola, Inc., Schaumburg, IL (US);
International Business Machines, Armonk, NY (US);
Attorneys:
Primary Examiner:
Assistant Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
G06F / ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
395375 ; 395414 ;
Abstract
A data processor (12) has a branch prediction unit (28) that predicts conditional branch instructions and a control unit (70) therein that monitors the number of unresolved branch instructions. This control unit selectively allows the data processor to fetch the instructions indicated by the branch prediction unit from an external memory system depending upon the number of unresolved branch instructions. The particular threshold number of unresolved branch instructions is user programmable. The data processor thereby limits its bus accesses to those occasions when it is reasonably sure that it will need the indicated instructions.