PREFETCHING BASED UPON RETURN ADDRESSES
First Claim
1. Apparatus for processing data in response to execution of a stream of program instructions including call instructions with respective associated return addresses, said apparatus comprising:
- signature generation circuitry configured to generate a signature value indicative of a current state of said apparatus in dependence upon a plurality of return addresses generated during execution of said stream; and
prefetch circuitry configured to perform one or more prefetch operations in dependence upon said signature value.
2 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for processing data includes signature generation circuitry 30, 32 for generating a signature value indicative of the current state of the apparatus in dependence upon a sequence of immediately preceding return addresses generating during execution of a stream of program instructions to reach that state of the apparatus. Prefetch circuitry 10 performs one or more prefetch operations in dependence upon the signature value that is generated. The signature value may be generated by a hashing operation (such as an XOR) performed upon return addresses stored within a return address stack 28.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. Apparatus for processing data in response to execution of a stream of program instructions including call instructions with respective associated return addresses, said apparatus comprising:
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signature generation circuitry configured to generate a signature value indicative of a current state of said apparatus in dependence upon a plurality of return addresses generated during execution of said stream; and prefetch circuitry configured to perform one or more prefetch operations in dependence upon said signature value. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. Apparatus for processing data in response to execution of a stream of program instructions including call instructions with respective associated return addresses, said apparatus comprising:
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signature generation means for generating a signature value indicative of a current state of said apparatus in dependence upon a plurality of return addresses generated during execution of said stream; and prefetch means for performing one or more prefetch operations in dependence upon said signature value.
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21. A method of processing data, using apparatus for processing data, in response to execution of a stream of program instructions including call instructions with respective associated return addresses, said method comprising the steps of:
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generating a signature value indicative of a current state of said apparatus in dependence upon a plurality of return addresses generated during execution of said stream; and performing one or more prefetch operations in dependence upon said signature value.
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Specification