Patents by Inventor Dave Cutler

Dave Cutler has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Context switching method and apparatus for use in a vector processing system
    Patent number: 5008812
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and apparatus to minimize the time a data processing system spends on saving and restoring vector processor state data during a context switch. A context switch occurs when execution of an old process is suspended and execution of a current process is begun. The vector state data associated with the old process remains in the vector processor until the current process attempts to execute a vector instruction. When this occurs, the vector state data associated with the old process is saved and vector state data associated with the current process is restored, if the old process is not the same as the current process. If the old process is the same as the current process, there is no need to save and restore any vector state data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 1988
    Date of Patent: April 16, 1991
    Assignee: Digital Equipment Corporation
    Inventors: Dileep P. Bhandarkar, Dave Cutler, Wayne Cardoza, Rich Witek, Dave Orbits