DATA PROCESSING DEVICE

• US 20090119491A1
• Filed: 03/22/2007
• Published: 05/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Nishino, Kengo, Kajihara, Nobuki, Inuo, Takeshi
• Granted Patent: US 8,069,333 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 712/221
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/7867 with reconfigurable architecture

Abstract

A data processing device comprises a state manager for determining a logic number of configurational information to be used in a next state, the logic number representing information on a mutual relationship between items of configurational information included in an object code, based on a present operational state, a group of candidates for a state to transit to next, and an event signal issued from arithmetic units, a configuration number converter for outputting a real number corresponding to the logic number determined by the state manager, the configuration number converter having conversion information for converting the logic number into a real number representing a location where the corresponding configurational information is actually stored, and a configurational information storage for storing the configurational information and indicating configurational information corresponding to the real number output from the configuration number converter, to the arithmetic units and an interconnector.

Claims

1. A data processing device including a plurality of arithmetic units and an interconnector for changing connections between the arithmetic units, for reconfiguring a circuit for performing various processing operations according to an object code comprising at least one item of configurational information which includes arithmetic instructions for the arithmetic units and information representative of connections between the arithmetic units, said data processing device comprising:

a state manager for determining a logic number of configurational information to be used in a next state the logic number representing information on a mutual relationship between items of configurational information included in an object code, based on a present operational state, a group of candidates for a state to transit to next, and an event signal issued from the arithmetic units;

a configuration number converter for outputting a real number corresponding to the logic number determined by said state manager, said configuration number converter having conversion information for converting said logic number into a real number representing a location where the corresponding configurational information is actually stored; and

a configurational information storage for storing said configurational information and indicating configurational information corresponding to the real number output from said configuration number converter, to said arithmetic units and said interconnector.

2. The data processing device according to claim 1, further comprising an auxiliary controller inserted between said arithmetic units, said interconnector, and said state manager, for controlling transitions smaller in scale than transitions which can be controlled by said state manager.

3. The data processing device according to claim 1, further comprising a rewriting determiner for writing in said configurational information storage configurational information corresponding to a real number if there is not such a real number corresponding to the logic number determined by said state manager, and predicting configurational information required in a state subsequent to a state to transit to next.

4. The data processing device according to claim 1, further comprising a configuration rewriter for writing in said configurational information storage configurational information corresponding to a real number if there is not such a real number corresponding to the logic number determined by said state manager, and rewriting conversion information, held by said configuration number converter, for converting the logic number into a corresponding real number.

5. The data processing device according to claim 4, further comprising storage means for storing said configurational information, said storage means being independent of the data processing device;

wherein said configuration rewriter reads from said storage means configurational information corresponding to a real number if there is not such a real number corresponding to the logic number determined by said state manager.

6. The data processing device according to claim 4, wherein said configuration rewriter writes in said configurational information storage configurational information corresponding to a real number if there is not such a real number corresponding to the logic number determined by said state manager, and configurational information required in a state subsequent to a state to transit to next.

7. The data processing device according to claim 2, wherein said auxiliary controller stops operation of said arithmetic units with respect to a state transition controlled by said state manager, and resumes operation of said arithmetic units if the configurational information corresponding to the real number is output from said configurational information storage.

8. The data processing device according to claim 7, wherein said auxiliary controller stops operation of said arithmetic units by stopping supplying a clock to said arithmetic units.

9. The data processing device according to claim 7, wherein said auxiliary controller stops operation of said arithmetic units by inhibiting storage elements of said arithmetic units from being rewritten.

10. The data processing device according to claim 7, wherein said auxiliary controller stops operation of said arithmetic units by stopping data from being input from an external port for sending and receiving data between said arithmetic units and an external source.

11. The data processing device according to claim 1, wherein said arithmetic units comprise processor elements, said interconnector including switches.

12. The data processing device according to claim 7, wherein said auxiliary controller comprises a hardwired circuit.

13. The data processing device according to claim 6, wherein said auxiliary controller comprises a logic array.

14. The data processing device according to claim 1, wherein said arithmetic units and said auxiliary controller comprises a logic array.

15. The data processing device according to claim 6, wherein said configuration rewriter writes in said configurational information storage configurational information corresponding to a real number if there is not such a real number corresponding to the logic number requested by said arithmetic units, as configurational information required in a state subsequent to a state to transit to next.

16. The data processing device according to claim 6, wherein said configuration rewriter writes in said configurational information storage configurational information corresponding to a logic number requested by said arithmetic units, as configurational information required in a state subsequent to a state to transit to next.

17. The data processing device according to claim 2, wherein said state manager designates a state which starts to be controlled by said auxiliary controller.