IP Library Granted Patent US 7,444,471
Granted Patent B1
US 7,444,471 · App. 10/335,405 · Granted Oct 28, 2008

Method and system for using external storage to amortize CPU cycle utilization

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,444,471
App. No.
10/335,405
Granted
Oct 28, 2008
Kind
B1
Abstract

A method and system for using external storage to amortize CPU cycle utilization, wherein translated instructions are stored in a storage medium and subsequently accessed on a subsequent execution of a non-native application in order to amortize CPU cycles used in generating the translated instructions.

Claims (31)

1. A method for using external storage to amortize CPU cycle utilization, comprising:

generating microarchitecture instructions for execution by a CPU microarchitecture by using an instruction decoder within a processor environment, the microarchitecture instructions generated during an initial execution of a non-native application, wherein the microarchitecture instructions comprise pipeline instructions for the CPU hardware;

storing the microarchitecture instructions in a storage medium external to the processor environment; and

accessing the microarchitecture instructions in the storage medium to execute on the CPU hardware of the processor environment, wherein the microarchitecture instructions are accessed on a subsequent execution of the non-native application.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

storing the microarchitecture instructions in a cache memory for the initial execution of the non-native application.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the pipeline instructions comprise very long instruction word (VLIW) instructions.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the microarchitecture instructions comprise a micro-architecture state of the processor environment.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the microarchitecture instructions comprise branch prediction information.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the non-native instructions comprise x86 instructions and the non-native application comprises an x86 application.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the microarchitecture instructions are accessed on the subsequent execution of the non-native application to amortize CPU style utilization required to generate the microarchitecture instructions.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the amortization of CPU cycle utilization is configured to conserve power for the subsequent execution of the non-native application in comparison to the initial execution of the non-native application.

9. A system for using external storage to amortize CPU cycle utilization, comprising:

an instruction decoder for generating microarchitecture instructions for execution by a processor microarchitecture within a processor environment, the microarchitecture instructions generated during an initial execution of a target application;

an external storage medium external to the processor environment, the storage medium coupled to receive the microarchitecture instructions and store the microarchitecture instructions; and

CPU hardware configured to access the microarchitecture instructions and to execute the microarchitecture instructions, wherein the microarchitecture instructions are accessed on a subsequent execution of the target application, and wherein the microarchitecture instructions comprise pipeline instructions for the CPU hardware.

10. The system of claim 9 further comprising: a cache memory configured to store the microarchitecture instructions for the initial execution of the target application.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the pipeline instructions comprise very long instruction word (VLIW) instructions.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein the microarchitecture instructions comprise a micro-architecture state of the processor environment.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein the microarchitecture instructions comprise branch prediction information.

14. The system of claim 9 wherein the target instructions comprise x86 instructions and the target application comprises an x86 application.

15. The system of claim 9 wherein the microarchitecture instructions are accessed on the subsequent execution of the target application to amortize CPU cycle utilization required to generate the translated instructions.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the amortization of CPU cycle utilization is configured to conserve power for the subsequent execution of the target application in comparison to the initial execution of the target application.

17. A computer readable storage media for implementing external storage to amortize CPU cycle utilization, the media storing computer readable code which when executed by a processor causes the processor to implement a method comprising:

generating microarchitecture instructions by using an instruction decoder for execution by a processor microarchitecture within a processor environment, the microarchitecture instructions generated during an initial execution of a target application, wherein the microarchitecture instructions comprise pipeline instructions for the CPU hardware;

storing the microarchitecture instructions in a storage medium external to the processor environment; and

accessing the microarchitecture instructions in the storage medium to execute on the CPU hardware of the processor environment, wherein the microarchitecture instructions are accessed on a subsequent execution of the target application.

18. The computer readable media of claim 17 further comprising: storing the microarchitecture instructions in a cache memory for the initial execution of the target application.

19. The computer readable media of claim 17 wherein the pipeline instructions comprise very long instruction word (VLIW) instruction.

20. The computer readable media of claim 17 wherein the microarchitecture instructions comprise a schedule for using a plurality of pipelines of the CPU hardware.

21. The computer readable media of claim 17 wherein the microarchitecture instructions include optimizations including speculation, loop controlling, or operation reordering.

Assignments (4)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ASSIGNOR'S NAME PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 036711 FRAME: 0160. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE MERGER. Recorded Oct 6, 2015
From: INTELLECTUAL VENTURES FUNDING LLC
To: INTELLECTUAL VENTURES HOLDING 81 LLC
Reel/Frame 036797/0356 →
MERGER Recorded Sep 29, 2015
From: INTELLECTUAL VENTURE FUNDING LLC
To: INTELLECTUAL VENTURES HOLDING 81 LLC
Reel/Frame 036711/0160 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 22, 2009
From: TRANSMETA LLC
To: INTELLECTUAL VENTURE FUNDING LLC
Reel/Frame 023268/0771 →
MERGER Recorded Mar 26, 2009
From: TRANSMETA CORPORATION
To: TRANSMETA LLC
Reel/Frame 022454/0522 →