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.

Date of Patent:
Jan. 17, 2017

Filed:

Apr. 27, 2012
Applicants:

Aneesh Aggarwal, Portland, OR (US);

Ross Segelken, Portland, OR (US);

Paul Wasson, Tigard, OR (US);

Inventors:

Aneesh Aggarwal, Portland, OR (US);

Ross Segelken, Portland, OR (US);

Paul Wasson, Tigard, OR (US);

Assignee:

NVIDIA CORPORATION, Santa Clara, CA (US);

Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
G06F 9/30 (2006.01); G06F 1/32 (2006.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
G06F 1/3243 (2013.01); G06F 9/30058 (2013.01); Y02B 60/1239 (2013.01);
Abstract

In one embodiment, a microprocessor is provided. The microprocessor includes a branch prediction unit. The branch prediction unit is configured to track the presence of branches in instruction data that is fetched from an instruction memory after a redirection at a target of a predicted taken branch. The branch prediction unit is selectively powered up from a powered-down state when the fetched instruction data includes a branch instruction and is maintained in the powered-down state when the fetched instruction data does not include an instruction branch in order to reduce power consumption of the microprocessor during instruction fetch operations.


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