Processing system

• US 7,047,245 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2002
• Issued: 05/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: STMicroelectronics Limited (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: STMicroelectronics Limited (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: Jones, Andrew Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): ROBINSON, GRETA LEE
• Application Number:
  US10/158,396
• Publication Number:
  US 20030061224A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,447 Days
• Field of Search: 707/206, 707/205, 707/200, 707/8, 707/100
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/52 Program synchronisation; Mutual exclusion, e.g. by means of semaphores
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/546 Message passing systems or structures, e.g. queues

Abstract

A processing system which comprises means for storing a plurality of items defining a queue, pointer means having a first pointer and a second pointer associated with the beginning of said queue and a second pointer associated with the back of said queue; at least one writer for adding items to said queue; at least one reader for deleting items from said queue; and means for updating said second pointer when said at least one writer adds an item to said queue, said second pointer being updated by a swap operation.

Claims

1. A processing system comprising:

means for storing a plurality of items defining a queue,

pointer means having a first pointer associated with a beginning of said queue and a second pointer associated with a back of said queue;

at least one writer for adding items to said queue;

at least one reader for deleting items from said queue; and

means for updating said second pointer when said at least one writer adds an item to said queue, said second pointer being updated by a swap operation.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plurality of writers are provided.

3. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plurality of readers are provided.

4. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said system comprises a plurality of processors.

5. A system as claimed in claim 4, wherein each processor is arranged to execute a stream of instructions, at least one instruction of which performs a queue operation in respect of said queue.

6. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said system comprises a multiprocessor.

7. A system as claimed in claim 6, wherein said multiprocessor is arranged to execute a plurality of streams of instructions, at least one instruction of which performs a queue operation in respect of said queue.

8. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one item is arranged to point to the next item in said queue.

9. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one writer adds items to the back of said queue.

10. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one reader removes items from the beginning of said queue.

11. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the last item in said queue is arranged to have a null pointer indicating that said item is the last item in said queue.

12. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said the last item in said queue is arranged to have a done pointer if the item has been read.

13. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one item comprises data to be read.

14. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one item comprises a pointer.

15. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a further queue is provided.

16. A system as claimed in claim 15, wherein said further queue is arranged is arranged to store the identity of a reader for reading an item in the queue.

17. A system as claimed in claim 16, wherein a queue manager is arranged to manage said queue and said further queue.

18. A system as claimed in claim 17, wherein said queue manager is arranged to remove items from said queue and said further queue.

19. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said queue is able to have at least one of the following states:

initial state;

empty state; and

containing one or more items of data.

20. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of said front and back pointers is arranged to store the identify of the item at the beginning and end of said queue respectively.

21. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of said front and back pointers is arranged to store information on the status of said item.

22. A system as claimed in claim 21, wherein said status comprise information on if said item has been read.

23. A processing system comprising:

means for storing a plurality of items defining a first queue,

pointer means having a pointer associated with a back of said queue;

at least one writer for adding items to said queue;

means for updating said pointer when said at least one writer adds an item to said queue, said pointer being updated by a swap operation, and

said storing means being arranged to store a plurality of items defining a second queue, said items identifying which of the plurality of readers is associated with a corresponding item in said first queue.