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. 18, 2013
Filed:
Dec. 01, 2010
Jonathan Ross, Woodinville, WA (US);
Ronald Aigner, Redmond, WA (US);
Jan Simon Rellermeyer, Zurich, CH;
Jork Loeser, Woodinville, WA (US);
Jonathan Ross, Woodinville, WA (US);
Ronald Aigner, Redmond, WA (US);
Jan Simon Rellermeyer, Zurich, CH;
Jork Loeser, Woodinville, WA (US);
Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, WA (US);
Abstract
A processor chip may have a built-in hardware lock and deterministic exclusive locking of the hardware lock by execution units executing in parallel on the chip. A set of software locks may be maintained, where the execution units set and release the software locks only by first acquiring a lock of the hardware lock. A first execution unit sets a software lock after acquiring a lock of the hardware lock, and other execution units, even if exclusively locking the hardware lock, are unable to lock the software lock until after the first execution unit has reacquired a lock of the hardware lock and possibly released the software lock while exclusively locking the hardware lock. An execution unit may release a software lock after and while holding a lock of the hardware lock. The hardware lock is released when a software lock has been set or released.