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. 12, 2010
Filed:
May. 22, 2007
Laurent R. Moll, San Jose, CA (US);
Peter N. Glaskowsky, Cupertino, CA (US);
Joseph B. Rowlands, Santa Clara, CA (US);
Laurent R. Moll, San Jose, CA (US);
Peter N. Glaskowsky, Cupertino, CA (US);
Joseph B. Rowlands, Santa Clara, CA (US);
Sun Microsystems, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US);
Abstract
A re-fetching cache memory improves efficiency of a processor, for example by reducing power consumption and/or increasing performance. When the cache memory is disabled or temporarily used for another purpose, a data portion of the cache memory is flushed, and a tag portion is saved in an archive. In some embodiments, the tag portion operates 'in-place' as the archive, and in further embodiments, is placed in a reduced-power mode. In some embodiments, less than the full tag portion is archived. When the cache memory is re-enabled or when the temporary use completes, optionally and/or selectively, the tag portion is repopulated from the archive, and the data portion is re-fetched according to the repopulated tag portion. In some embodiments, less than the full archive is restored. According to various embodiments, processor access to the cache is enabled during one or more of: the saving; the repopulating; and the re-fetching.