IP Library Patent Application 12261264
Patent Application
App. No. 12/261,264

Method and Apparatus for Processing Data

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Patent No.
US None
App. No.
12/261,264
Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for processing data are provided. In one embodiment, a data processing operation which is assigned a predefined maximum duration is started. The progress of the data processing operation is checked at a predefined point in time and a priority of the data processing operation is changed on the basis of the progress of the data processing operation.

Claims (56)

1 . A method for processing data, comprising:

starting a data processing operation which is assigned a predefined maximum duration,

checking the progress of the data processing operation at a predefined point in time before the maximum duration expires, and

changing a priority of the data processing operation on the basis of the progress of the data processing operation.

2 . The method of claim 1 ,

wherein the data processing operation is selected from the group comprising a thread in a multithreading system, a process in a multiprocessor system and a task in a multiprocessor system.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein checking the progress of the data processing operation comprises comparing a number of executed instructions of the data processing operation with at least one predefined comparison value.

4 . The method of claim 3 ,

wherein the at least one predefined comparison value comprises a first comparison value,

the priority of the data processing operation being increased if the number of executed instructions is less than the first comparison value.

5 . The method of claim 3 ,

wherein the at least one predefined comparison value comprises a second comparison value,

the priority of the data processing operation being decreased if the number of executed instructions is greater than the second predefined comparison value.

6 . The method of claim 1 ,

wherein checking the progress comprising checking the progress at a plurality of predefined points in time before the maximum duration expires, and

wherein changing the priority of the data processing operation comprising changing the priority of the data processing operation at any predefined point in time on the basis of the progress of the data processing operation.

7 . The method of claim 1 ,

wherein the predefined point in time is a predefined period of time after the data processing operation has been started.

8 . A method for processing data, comprising:

executing a first data processing operation and a second data processing operation in parallel to the first data processing operation,

determining the progress of the first data processing operation and the progress of the second data processing operation, and

changing a priority of the first data processing operation and/or a priority of the second data processing operation depending on the progress of the first data processing operation and the progress of the second data processing operation.

9 . The method of claim 8 ,

wherein determining the progress comprising determining a number of executed instructions of the first data processing operation and a number of executed instructions of the second data processing operation.

10 . The method of claim 8 ,

wherein the priority of the first data processing operation and/or the priority of the second data processing operation are changed in such a manner that a function of the progress of the first data processing operation and of the progress of the second data processing operation is regulated to a predefined value.

11 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising

controlling access to a hardware component selected from the group comprising a cache memory, an external memory and a bus depending on the priority.

12 . An apparatus for processing data, comprising:

data processing circuitry, and

evaluation circuitry for checking the progress of a data processing operation being executed on the data processing circuitry, the evaluation circuitry being configured to check a progress of the data processing operation at a predefined point in time before a predefined maximum duration of the data processing operation expires and to change a priority of the data processing operation on the basis of the progress of the data processing operation.

13 . The apparatus of claim 12 ,

wherein the evaluation circuitry comprises a timer and an interrupt controller, the evaluation circuitry being configured such that the timer, after a predefined period of time following the start of the data processing operation has expired, drives the interrupt controller to trigger an interrupt on the data processing circuitry, whereupon the data processing circuitry checks the progress of the data processing operation.

14 . The apparatus of claim 12 ,

wherein the evaluation circuitry comprises an instruction counter for counting a number of executed instructions of the data processing operation, and

wherein the operation of checking the progress comprises comparing the number of executed instructions with a predefined comparison value.

15 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the evaluation circuitry is at least partially identical to the data processing circuitry.

16 . The apparatus of claim 12 ,

the evaluation circuitry being configured to directly change a priority of the data processing operation without using the data processing circuitry.

17 . The apparatus of claim 12 ,

wherein the evaluation circuitry comprises at least one separate module.

18 . The apparatus of claim 12 ,

wherein the data processing circuitry comprises a multithreading processor.

19 . The apparatus of claim 12 ,

wherein the data processing circuitry comprises at least two processor units,

the at least two processor units being configured to access shared hardware components on the basis of priorities of data processing operations running on the processor units.

20 . The apparatus of claim 12 ,

the apparatus being configured to process real-time data processing operations.

21 . An apparatus for processing data, comprising:

data processing circuitry for parallel execution of a first data processing operation and a second data processing operation, and

evaluation circuitry configured to determine a progress of the first data processing operation and of the second data processing operation and to change a priority of the first data processing operation and/or a priority of the second data processing operation on the basis of the progress of the first data processing operation and the progress of the second data processing operation.

22 . The apparatus of claim 21 ,

wherein the data processing circuitry comprises a multithreading processor.

23 . The apparatus of claim 21 ,

wherein the data processing circuitry comprises at least two processor units,

the at least two processor units being configured to access shared hardware components on the basis of priorities of data processing operations running on the processor units.

Assignments (7)
MERGER AND CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jan 17, 2018
From: LANTIQ DEUTSCHLAND GMBH; LANTIQ BETEILIGUNGS-GMBH & CO. KG
To: LANTIQ BETEILIGUNGS-GMBH & CO. KG
Reel/Frame 045085/0292 →
MERGER Recorded Dec 18, 2017
From: LANTIQ DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
To: LANTIQ BETEILIGUNGS-GMBH & CO. KG
Reel/Frame 044907/0045 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME 025413/0340 AND 025406/0677 Recorded Apr 17, 2015
From: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: LANTIQ BETEILIGUNGS-GMBH & CO. KG
Reel/Frame 035453/0712 →
GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN U.S. PATENTS Recorded Nov 29, 2010
From: LANTIQ DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
To: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 025406/0677 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 15, 2010
From: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES WIRELESS SOLUTIONS GMBH
To: LANTIQ DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
Reel/Frame 024529/0656 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 3, 2010
From: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AG
To: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES WIRELESS SOLUTIONS GMBH
Reel/Frame 024483/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 30, 2008
From: ZETTLER, THOMAS; FENZL, GUNTHER
To: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AG
Reel/Frame 021761/0604 →