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:
Feb. 15, 2000
Filed:
May. 20, 1997
Hisashi Kodama, Osaka, JP;
Kunitoshi Aono, Osaka, JP;
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., Osaka, JP;
Abstract
A 32-bit processor control unit receives from a memory an instruction. The control unit then determines whether the received instruction is intended for a 32-bit processor or for a 16-bit processor. If the received instruction is analyzed to be a 32-bit processor instruction, the control unit controls the 32-bit processor with the aid of two 16-bit instruction control units. If the received instruction is a 16-bit processor instruction, the 32-bit processor control unit sends a 16-bit processor mode signal to each of the 16-bit instruction control units. One of the two 16-bit instruction control units controls one of two 16-bit processors which are divisions of the 32-bit processor while the other 16-bit instruction control unit controls the other 16-bit processor. The present invention makes it possible to have a single, wide bitwidth processor serve as a plurality of narrow bitwidth processors depending upon the type of processing. Various operations can be performed in parallel, thereby improving processor performance.