System for saving and restoring contents of a plurality of registers

• US 5,974,512 A
• Filed: 02/07/1997
• Issued: 10/26/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Chiba, Masakazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Cabeca, John W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Namazi, Mehdi
• Application Number:
  US08/796,057
• Time in Patent Office: 991 Days
• Field of Search: 711/161, 711/162, 711/160, 711/165, 711/144, 711/145, 711/156, 711/163, 395/182.03, 395/182.04, 395/185.05, 395/182.06
• US Class Current: 711/162
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/463 Program control block organisation

Abstract

A system for saving contents of a plurality of registers into a memory. The system has a bit sequence, wherein the value of each individual bit of the bit sequence is set to indicate a modification status of a corresponding register; and control means for saving contents of each of the registers indicated to have been modified at a predetermined address of the memory and for revising the predetermined address. In a preferred implementation, the system saves contents of a plurality of registers into a first area of a memory and for restores contents of the plurality of registers with contents previously saved in a second area of the memory. The system has the first bit sequence as above and control means for saving contents of the first bit sequence, for saving contents of each of the registers indicated to have been modified at a predetermined address of the first area of the memory and for revising the predetermined address, for restoring contents previously saved at a restoring address of the second area of the memory into each of the registers to be restored, for revising the restoring address, and for referring to a second bit sequence saved in the second area of the memory, wherein each bit of the second bit sequence is set to indicate a modification status of corresponding registers at the time when the contents to be restored are saved and each of the registers to be restored are indicated to have been modified.

Claims

1. A system for saving contents of a plurality of registers into a first area of a memory and for restoring contents of the plurality of registers with contents previously saved in a second area of the memory;

the system comprising;

a first bit sequence, wherein the value of each individual bit of the first bit sequence is set to indicate a modification status of a corresponding register; and

control means for saving contents of the first bit sequence, for saving contents of each of the registers indicated to have been modified at a predetermined address of the first area of the memory and for revising the predetermined address, for restoring contents previously saved at a restoring address of the second area of the memory into each of the registers to be restored, for revising the restoring address, and for referring to a second bit sequence saved in the second area of the memory, wherein each bit of the second bit sequence is set to indicate a modification status of corresponding registers at the time when the contents to be restored are saved and each of the registers to be restored are indicated to have been modified.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the second bit sequence is restored before the contents to be restored are restored and wherein each bit of the second bit sequence restored is reset after the contents to be restored are restored.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the second bit sequence is left shifted bit by bit each time LSB thereof substituted is set to `0` and carrying out a bit to be referred to.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein restoring of the contents to be restored is decided to be accomplished when logical sum of the second bit sequence is found to be set to `0`.