Patents by Inventor MICHAEL T. HUFFER

MICHAEL T. HUFFER 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).

  • Patent number: 9996354
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for tracing instruction streams for a multi-threaded processor are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a last thread register configured to store a thread index that indicates a last executed thread, a tracing memory configured to store, within each of a plurality of storage locations, state information corresponding to a dispatch cycle for a multi-threaded processor, and a tracing control module configured to provide the state information to the tracing memory. The state information includes instruction information and a previous thread index. The state information may also include a flip bit that is used to determine a current insertion point within the tracing memory. A corresponding method is also disclosed herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Lee E. Eisen, Lisa C. Heller, Michael T. Huffer, Eric M. Schwarz
  • Patent number: 9766896
    Abstract: Embodiments include optimizing the grouping of instructions in a microprocessor. Aspects include receiving a first clump of instructions from a streaming buffer, pre-decoding each of instructions for select information and sending the instructions to an instruction queue. Aspects further include storing initial grouping information for the instructions in a local register, wherein the initial grouping information is based on the select information. Aspects further include updating the initial group information stored in the local register when additional pre-decode information becomes available and grouping the instructions that are ready to be dispatched into a dispatch group based on the grouping information stored in the local register. Aspects further include dispatching the dispatch group to an issue unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Fadi Y. Busaba, Michael T. Huffer, David S. Hutton, Edward T. Malley, John G. Rell, Jr., Eric M. Schwarz, Aaron Tsai
  • Patent number: 9710278
    Abstract: Embodiments include optimizing the grouping of instructions in a microprocessor. Aspects include receiving a first clump of instructions from a streaming buffer, pre-decoding each of instructions for select information and sending the instructions to an instruction queue. Aspects further include storing initial grouping information for the instructions in a local register, wherein the initial grouping information is based on the select information. Aspects further include updating the initial group information stored in the local register when additional pre-decode information becomes available and grouping the instructions that are ready to be dispatched into a dispatch group based on the grouping information stored in the local register. Aspects further include dispatching the dispatch group to an issue unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Fadi Y. Busaba, Michael T. Huffer, David S. Hutton, Edward T. Malley, John G. Rell, Jr., Eric M. Schwarz, Aaron Tsai
  • Patent number: 9594561
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for tracing instruction streams for a multi-threaded processor are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a last thread register configured to store a thread index that indicates a last executed thread, a tracing memory configured to store, within each of a plurality of storage locations, state information corresponding to a dispatch cycle for a multi-threaded processor, and a tracing control module configured to provide the state information to the tracing memory. The state information includes instruction information and a previous thread index. The state information may also include a flip bit that is used to determine a current insertion point within the tracing memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Lee E. Eisen, Lisa C. Heller, Michael T. Huffer, Eric M. Schwarz
  • Publication number: 20160202993
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for tracing instruction streams for a multi-threaded processor are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a last thread register configured to store a thread index that indicates a last executed thread, a tracing memory configured to store, within each of a plurality of storage locations, state information corresponding to a dispatch cycle for a multi-threaded processor, and a tracing control module configured to provide the state information to the tracing memory. The state information includes instruction information and a previous thread index. The state information may also include a flip bit that is used to determine a current insertion point within the tracing memory. A corresponding method is also disclosed herein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2015
    Publication date: July 14, 2016
    Inventors: Lee E. Eisen, Lisa C. Heller, Michael T. Huffer, Eric M. Schwarz
  • Publication number: 20160203073
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for tracing instruction streams for a multi-threaded processor are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a last thread register configured to store a thread index that indicates a last executed thread, a tracing memory configured to store, within each of a plurality of storage locations, state information corresponding to a dispatch cycle for a multi-threaded processor, and a tracing control module configured to provide the state information to the tracing memory. The state information includes instruction information and a previous thread index. The state information may also include a flip bit that is used to determine a current insertion point within the tracing memory. A corresponding method is also disclosed herein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2015
    Publication date: July 14, 2016
    Inventors: Lee E. Eisen, Lisa C. Heller, Michael T. Huffer, Eric M. Schwarz
  • Publication number: 20160092216
    Abstract: Embodiments include optimizing the grouping of instructions in a microprocessor. Aspects include receiving a first clump of instructions from a streaming buffer, pre-decoding each of instructions for select information and sending the instructions to an instruction queue. Aspects further include storing initial grouping information for the instructions in a local register, wherein the initial grouping information is based on the select information. Aspects further include updating the initial group information stored in the local register when additional pre-decode information becomes available and grouping the instructions that are ready to be dispatched into a dispatch group based on the grouping information stored in the local register. Aspects further include dispatching the dispatch group to an issue unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2015
    Publication date: March 31, 2016
    Inventors: FADI Y. BUSABA, MICHAEL T. HUFFER, DAVID S. HUTTON, EDWARD T. MALLEY, JOHN G. RELL, JR., ERIC M. SCHWARZ, AARON TSAI
  • Publication number: 20160092214
    Abstract: Embodiments include optimizing the grouping of instructions in a microprocessor. Aspects include receiving a first clump of instructions from a streaming buffer, pre-decoding each of instructions for select information and sending the instructions to an instruction queue. Aspects further include storing initial grouping information for the instructions in a local register, wherein the initial grouping information is based on the select information. Aspects further include updating the initial group information stored in the local register when additional pre-decode information becomes available and grouping the instructions that are ready to be dispatched into a dispatch group based on the grouping information stored in the local register. Aspects further include dispatching the dispatch group to an issue unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Publication date: March 31, 2016
    Inventors: FADI Y. BUSABA, MICHAEL T. HUFFER, DAVID S. HUTTON, EDWARD T. MALLEY, JOHN G. RELL, Jr., ERIC M. SCHWARZ, AARON TSAI