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. 10, 1999
Filed:
Sep. 16, 1996
Sherman Lee, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA (US);
David G Kyle, Austin, TX (US);
Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Abstract
A central processing unit (hereinafter 'CPU') has a number of functional units and a tuning port for modifying one or more parameters of the functional units (hereinafter 'tunable units'). The combination (also called a 'tuning assembly') formed by a tuning port and the tunable units allows a CPU to be fine tuned, i.e. take on different configuration profiles (as defined by the tunable units' parameters) for efficiently executing different application programs. Therefore, a CPU that includes a tuning assembly as described herein can take on a first configuration profile capable of most efficiently executing a first application program such as a computer game, and can take on a second configuration profile capable of most efficiently executing a second application program such as a spreadsheet and so on. The CPU's configuration profile can be changed even during the execution of an application program by changing the tunable units' parameters. Such fine tuning allows the CPU to execute different portions of an application program more efficiently than possible in the prior art.