Data processing with time-based memory access

• US 20090113159A1
• Filed: 10/29/2007
• Published: 04/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MOSAID Technologies Inc. (f/k/a Conversant Intellectual Property Management)
• Original Assignee: Conversant Intellectual Property Management Inc (MOSAID Technologies Inc. (f/k/a Conversant Intellectual Property Management))
• Inventors: Mekhiel, Nagi N.
• Granted Patent: US 8,914,612 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/167
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/06 Addressing a physical block of locations, e.g. base addressing, module addressing, memory dedication G06F12/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/1016 Performance improvement

Abstract

Memory access in data processing is provided using a time-based technique in which memory locations are mapped to respectively corresponding periods of time during which they are made available for access.

Claims

1. A method of providing a data processor with access to a plurality of memory locations in a memory, comprising:

independently of the data processor, accessing the memory locations sequentially and repetitively to produce a continually repeating sequence of memory location accesses; and

making said continually repeating sequence of memory location accesses available to the data processor.

2. The method of claim 1, including making said continually repeating sequence of memory location accesses simultaneously available to a plurality of data processors.

3. A method of providing a plurality of data processors with shared access to a memory having a plurality of memory locations, comprising:

independently of the data processors, accessing a first group of the memory locations sequentially and repetitively to produce a first continually repeating sequence of memory location accesses;

making said first continually repeating sequence of memory location accesses available to a first one of the data processors;

independently of the data processors, accessing a second group of the memory locations sequentially and repetitively to produce a second continually repeating sequence of memory location accesses; and

making said second continually repeating sequence of memory location accesses available to a second one of the data processors.

4. The method of claim 3, including making said first continually repeating sequence of memory location accesses simultaneously available to the first data processor and a third one of the data processors.

5. The method of claim 4, including making said second continually repeating sequence of memory location accesses simultaneously available to the second data processor and a fourth one of the data processors.

6. The method of claim 3, including performing said accessing steps simultaneously, and performing said making steps simultaneously.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein said second group is a subset of said first group.

8. The method of claim 7, including making said first continually repeating sequence of memory location accesses simultaneously available to the first data processor and a third one of the data processors.

9. The method of claim 8, including making said second continually repeating sequence of memory location accesses simultaneously available to the second data processor and a fourth one of the data processors.

10. The method of claim 7, including, independently of the data processors, accessing a third group of the memory locations sequentially and repetitively to produce a third continually repeating sequence of memory location accesses, and making said third continually repeating sequence of memory location accesses available to a third one of the data processors, wherein said third group is a subset of said second group.

11. The method of claim 10, including making said first continually repeating sequence of memory location accesses simultaneously available to the first data processor and a fourth one of the data processors.

12. The method of claim 11, including making said second continually repeating sequence of memory location accesses simultaneously available to the second data processor and a fifth one of the data processors.

13. The method of claim 7, including performing said accessing steps simultaneously, and performing said making steps simultaneously

14. A memory apparatus for use with a data processor, comprising:

a memory having a plurality of memory locations;

a memory controller coupled to said memory and cooperable therewith independently of the data processor for accessing said memory locations sequentially and repetitively to produce a continually repeating sequence of memory location accesses; and

a bus coupled to said memory and adapted for coupling to the data processor to make said continually repeating sequence of memory location accesses available to the data processor.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said bus is adapted for coupling to a plurality of data processors to make said continually repeating sequence of memory location accesses simultaneously available to the plurality of data processors.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said plurality of memory locations includes groups of physically adjacent memory locations, and wherein said continually repeating sequence of memory location accesses provides access to first and second ones of said groups without providing access to a third one of said groups that is physically interposed between said first and second groups.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said memory includes a further plurality of memory locations.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said first-mentioned plurality of memory locations includes groups of physically adjacent memory locations, and wherein said continually repeating sequence of memory location accesses provides access to first and second ones of said groups without providing access to a third one of said groups that is physically interposed between said first and second groups.

19. A memory apparatus for use with a plurality of data processors, comprising:

a memory having a plurality of memory locations;

a memory controller coupled to said memory and cooperable therewith independently of the data processors for

accessing a first group of the memory locations sequentially and repetitively to produce a first continually repeating sequence of memory location accesses, and

accessing a second group of the memory locations sequentially and repetitively to produce a second continually repeating sequence of memory location accesses;

a first bus coupled to said memory and adapted for coupling to a first one of the data processors to make said first continually repeating sequence of memory location accesses available to the first data processor; and

a second bus coupled to said memory and adapted for coupling to a second one of the data processors to make said second continually repeating sequence of memory location accesses available to the second data processor.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said first bus is adapted for coupling to a third one of the data processors to make said first continually repeating sequence of memory location accesses simultaneously available to the first data processor and the third data processor.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said second bus is adapted for coupling to a fourth one of the data processors to make said second continually repeating sequence of memory location accesses simultaneously available to the second data processor and the fourth data processor.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said memory controller produces said first and second continually repeating sequences of memory location accesses simultaneously, and wherein said first and second buses make said first and second continually repeating sequences of memory location accesses available respectively to the first and second data processors simultaneously.

23. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said second group is a subset of said first group.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein said first bus is adapted for coupling to a third one of the data processors to make said first continually repeating sequence of memory location accesses simultaneously available to the first data processor and the third data processor.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said second bus is adapted for coupling to a fourth one of the data processors to make said second continually repeating sequence of memory location accesses simultaneously available to the second data processor and the fourth data processor.

26. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein said memory controller is cooperable with said memory independently of the data processors for accessing a third group of the memory locations sequentially and repetitively to produce a third continually repeating sequence of memory location accesses, and including a third bus coupled to said memory and adapted for coupling to a third one of the data processors to make said third continually repeating sequence of memory location accesses available to the third data processor, wherein said third group is a subset of said second group.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein said first bus is adapted for coupling to a fourth one of the data processors to make said first continually repeating sequence of memory location accesses simultaneously available to the first data processor and the fourth data processor.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein said second bus is adapted for coupling to a fifth one of the data processors to make said second continually repeating sequence of memory location accesses simultaneously available to the second data processor and the fifth data processor.

29. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein said memory controller produces said first and second continually repeating sequences of memory location accesses simultaneously, and wherein said first and second buses make said first and second continually repeating sequences of memory location accesses available respectively to the first and second data processors simultaneously.

30. A data processing apparatus, comprising:

a data processor;

a memory having a plurality of memory locations;

a memory controller coupled to said memory and cooperable therewith independently of said data processor for accessing said memory locations sequentially and repetitively to produce a continually repeating sequence of memory location accesses; and

said memory coupled to said data processor to make said continually repeating sequence of memory location accesses available to said data processor.

31. A data processing apparatus, comprising:

first and second data processors;

a memory having a plurality of memory locations;

a memory controller coupled to said memory and cooperable therewith independently of said first and second data processors for

accessing a first group of the memory locations sequentially and repetitively to produce a first continually repeating sequence of memory location accesses, and

accessing a second group of the memory locations sequentially and repetitively to produce a second continually repeating sequence of memory location accesses;

said memory coupled to said first and second data processors to make said first and second continually repeating sequences of memory location accesses respectively available to said first and second data processors.

32. A data processing apparatus, comprising:

a data processor;

a memory having a plurality of memory locations;

a memory controller coupled to said memory and cooperable therewith independently of said data processor for accessing said memory locations sequentially and repetitively to produce a continually repeating sequence of memory location accesses;

said memory coupled to said data processor to make said continually repeating sequence of memory location accesses available to said data processor; and

a user interface coupled to said data processor to permit user access to said data processor.

33. A data processing apparatus, comprising:

first and second data processors;

a memory having a plurality of memory locations;

a memory controller coupled to said memory and cooperable therewith independently of said first and second data processors for

accessing a first group of the memory locations sequentially and repetitively to produce a first continually repeating sequence of memory location accesses, and

accessing a second group of the memory locations sequentially and repetitively to produce a second continually repeating sequence of memory location accesses;

said memory coupled to said first and second data processors to make said first and second continually repeating sequences of memory location a accesses respectively available to said first and second data processors; and

a user interface coupled to said first data processor to permit user access to said first data processor.

34. A data processing apparatus, comprising:

a data processing portion; and

a memory interface portion coupled to said data processing portion, said memory interface portion configured to interface with a memory apparatus that provides access to a plurality of memory locations in a continually repeating sequence of memory location accesses, and to make said continually repeating sequence of memory location accesses available to said data processing portion.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein said memory interface portion includes a timing controller configured for temporally tracking said continually repeating sequence of memory location accesses.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein said memory interface portion includes a cache memory coupled to said timing controller and said data processing portion.

37. A method of transferring first and second vectors from a memory apparatus to a data processing apparatus, wherein said first vector includes a first plurality of vector components respectively stored in a first plurality of memory locations in the memory apparatus, and wherein said second vector includes a second plurality of vector components respectively stored in a second plurality of memory locations in the memory apparatus, comprising:

independently of the data processing apparatus, accessing the first plurality of memory locations sequentially to provide the first plurality of vector components in a first sequence;

sequentially loading the first vector components of the first sequence into respective data processing elements of the data processing apparatus;

independently of the data processing apparatus, accessing the second plurality of memory locations sequentially to provide the second plurality of vector components in a second sequence; and

sequentially loading the second vector components of the second sequence respectively into said data processing elements of the data processing apparatus.

38. A memory apparatus, comprising:

a first memory unit including a first plurality of memory locations and a first memory controller coupled to said first plurality of memory locations, said first memory controller configured to produce access signaling associated with accesses of said first plurality of memory locations; and

a second memory unit including a second plurality of memory locations and a second memory controller coupled to said second plurality of memory locations, said second memory controller configured to produce access signaling associated with accesses of said second plurality of memory locations, said second memory controller coupled to said first memory controller and configured to produce access signaling associated with an access of one of said second plurality of memory locations in response to access signaling produced by said first memory controller and associated with an access of one of said first plurality of memory locations.

39. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein said first and second memory controllers are cooperable to sequentially access said memory locations of said first and second pluralities according to a predetermined access sequence, and wherein, within said predetermined access sequence, said access of said one memory location of said second plurality immediately follows said access of said one memory location of said first plurality.

40. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein said access signaling associated with said access of said one of said first plurality of memory locations consists of a single-bit digital signal.

41. A DRAM apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of DRAM cells;

an access controller coupled to said DRAM cells and cooperable therewith for executing a DRAM access operation to access said DRAM cells; and

a refresh controller coupled to said access controller and said DRAM cells for controlling refresh of said DRAM cells based on signaling that said access controller produces to implement said DRAM access operation.

42. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein said DRAM access operation accesses said DRAM cells sequentially and repetitively to produce a continually repeating sequence of DRAM cell accesses.

42-1. A method of controlling refresh of DRAM cells, comprising:

executing a DRAM cell access operation that accesses the DRAM cells; and

controlling refresh of the DRAM cells based on signaling that is used to implement said DRAM cell access operation.

43. A data processing apparatus, comprising:

a data processing portion that executes a data processing application;

a memory interface portion coupled to said data processing portion to interface said data processing portion to a memory apparatus that provides access to a plurality of memory locations in a continually repeating sequence of memory location accesses that occur during respectively corresponding, periodically repeating memory location access intervals; and

said data processing portion adapted to execute predetermined operations of said data processing application during predetermined ones of said memory location access intervals selected based on a characteristic of the information associated with said predetermined ones of said memory location access intervals.

44. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein said characteristic is time-critically with respect to execution of said data processing application.

45. A data processing method, comprising:

executing a data processing application;

accessing a plurality of memory locations sequentially and repetitively to produce a continually repeating sequence of memory location accesses that occur during respectively corresponding, periodically repeating memory location access intervals; and

said executing including executing predetermined operations of said data processing application during predetermined ones of said memory location access intervals selected based on a characteristic of the information associated with said predetermined ones of said memory location access intervals.