Granted Patent B2

US 7,356,670 · App. 10/498,293 · Granted Apr 8, 2008

Abstract

Claims (11)

1. A data processing system comprising a memory; at least a first and a second processor connected to the memory, both arranged to process a stream of data objects, the first processor being arranged to pass successive data objects from the stream to the second processor by storing the data objects in logically successive locations in the memory, wherein each of the processors comprises an administration unit and a computational unit, the administration unit of the first processor maintaining information defining a section in the memory which is free for storing data objects for readout by the other processor, the administration unit of the second processor maintaining information defining a section in the memory in which the first processor has written completed data for the data objects, a processor synchronization channel, and each of the processors being arranged to signal a message to the other processor via the processor synchronization channel for updating the information in the administration unit of said other processor, and each of the processors being arranged to suspend processing the stream of data objects when a location which it needs to access is outside the section defined by its administration unit.

2. A data processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the first processor is arranged to send a message that it makes available an amount of data objects in the memory and that the second processor is arranged to send a message that it no longer needs to access an amount of data objects.

3. A data processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the first processor is arranged to send a message that it requires an amount of memory for writing data objects and that the second processor is arranged to send a message that it requires an amount of data objects.

4. A data processing system according to claim 2 , wherein the computational unit of the first processor is arranged to issue a command to its functional unit to indicate whether an amount of memory is available in its section for writing new data objects and in that the computational unit of the second processor is arranged to issue a command to its functional unit to indicate whether an amount of data objects is available in the section of said second processor.

5. A data processing system according to claim 1 , wherein said second processor is a multi-tasking processor, capable of interleaved processing of at least a first and a second task, wherein said at least first and second task process streams of data objects.

6. A data processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the second processor is a function-specific dedicated coprocessor for performing a range of stream processing tasks.

7. A data processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the processors are arranged to perform read and/or write operations enabling to randomly access locations within the section in said memory defined by its administration unit.

8. A data processing system according to claim 5 , wherein the further processing of a group of data objects of a first task is temporarily prevented, when the processing of said group of data objects is interrupted, wherein processing of data objects of a second task is carried out when processing of said group of data elements of said first task is interrupted.

9. A data processing system according to claim 8 , wherein after the interruption of a task the actual task state of the partial processing of the group of data objects is discarded and a commit operation of the partial group of data objects is prevented.

10. A data processing system according to claim 9 , wherein after resumption of the interrupted task, the processor restarts the processing of the group of data objects, whereby previous processing on said group is discarded.

11. A data processing system according to claim 1 , wherein intermediate data are temporarily stored in said memory.

Assignments (7)