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:
Apr. 24, 2007
Filed:
Jun. 28, 2002
Peter C. Damron, Fremont, CA (US);
Peter C. Damron, Fremont, CA (US);
Sun Microsystems, Inc., Palo Alto, CA (US);
Abstract
A processor includes a set of registers, each individually addressable using a corresponding register identification, and plural virtual registers, each individually addressable using a corresponding virtual register identification. The processor transfers values between the set of registers and the plural virtual registers under control of a transfer operation. The processor can include a virtual register cache configured to store multiple sets of virtual register values, such that each of the multiple sets of virtual register values corresponds to a different context. Each of the plural virtual registers can include a valid bit that is reset on a context switch and set when a value is loaded from the virtual register cache. The processor can include a virtual register translation look-aside buffer for tracking the location of each set of virtual register values associated with each context.