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:
Jun. 15, 2004
Filed:
Feb. 27, 2003
Ethan Mirsky, Mountain View, CA (US);
Robert French, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Ian Eslick, Mountain View, CA (US);
Broadcom Corporation, Irvine, CA (US);
Abstract
A method and apparatus for providing local control of processing elements in a network of multiple context processing elements (MCPEs). A MCPE stores configuration memory contexts and maintains data of a current configuration. State information is received from at least one other MCPE. A configuration control signal is generated in response to the state information and current configuration data. A MCPE is selected in response to the configuration control signal to control the MCPE. Each MCPE in the networked array has an assigned physical and virtual identification. Data comprising control data, configuration data, an address mask, and a destination identification is transmitted to a MCPE. The transmitted address mask is applied to either a physical or a virtual identification, and to a destination identification. The masked physical or virtual identification is compared to the masked destination identification. When the masked physical or virtual identification matches the masked destination identification, a MCPE is manipulated in response to the transmitted data by selecting one of a number of configuration memory contexts to control the functioning of the MCPE.