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:
Jan. 23, 2007
Filed:
Oct. 31, 2002
Stephen Barlow, Cambridge, GB;
Neil Bailey, Cambridge, GB;
Timothy Ramsdale, Cambridge, GB;
David Plowman, Saffron Walden, GB;
Robert Swann, Cambridge, GB;
Stephen Barlow, Cambridge, GB;
Neil Bailey, Cambridge, GB;
Timothy Ramsdale, Cambridge, GB;
David Plowman, Saffron Walden, GB;
Robert Swann, Cambridge, GB;
Broadcom Europe Limited, Cambridge, GB;
Abstract
Described herein is a processor for executing instructions and a method therefor. The processor comprises a scalar unit for executing scalar instructions each defining a single value pair; a vector unit for executing vector instructions each defining multiple value pairs; and an instruction decoder for receiving a single stream of instructions including scalar instructions and vector instructions and operable to direct scalar instructions to the scalar unit and vector instructions to the vector unit. The vector unit can comprises a plurality of value processing units and a scalar result unit. The scalar unit can comprise a scalar register file. Communication between the vector unit and the scalar unit is enabled by allowing the vector unit to access the scalar register file and allowing the scalar unit to access output from the scalar result unit. The output of the scalar result unit may be based on the relative magnitudes of outputs from the plurality of value processing units.