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. 19, 2010
Filed:
Nov. 03, 2006
Elodie Charra, Antibes, FR;
Frederic Claude Marie Piry, Cagnes-sur-Mer, FR;
Richard Roy Grisenthwaite, Nr. Royston, GB;
Mélanie Emanuelle Lucie Vincent, Grasse, FR;
Norbert Bernard Eugéne Lataille, Le Cannet, FR;
Jocelyn Francois Orion Jaubert, Antibes, FR;
Stuart David Biles, Little Thurlow, GB;
Elodie Charra, Antibes, FR;
Frederic Claude Marie Piry, Cagnes-sur-Mer, FR;
Richard Roy Grisenthwaite, Nr. Royston, GB;
Mélanie Emanuelle Lucie Vincent, Grasse, FR;
Norbert Bernard Eugéne Lataille, Le Cannet, FR;
Jocelyn Francois Orion Jaubert, Antibes, FR;
Stuart David Biles, Little Thurlow, GB;
ARM Limited, Cambridge, GB;
Abstract
A data processing apparatus and method are provided for handling execution of instructions within a data processing apparatus having a plurality of processing units. Each processing unit is operable to execute a sequence of instructions so as to perform associated operations, and at least a subset of the processing units form a cluster. Instruction forwarding logic is provided which for at least one instruction executed by at least one of the processing units in the cluster causes that instruction to be executed by each of the other processing units in the cluster, for example by causing that instruction to be inserted into the sequences of instructions executed by each of the other processing units in the cluster. Such a mechanism provides a particularly efficient technique to cause each of the processing units in the cluster to perform an identical operation which can be useful in a variety of situations, for example in an SMP system where coherency of data is required and accordingly maintenance operations need to be performed periodically within each processing unit to ensure such coherency.