Abstract: A microprocessor is arranged to process instructions at least some of which contain at least one immediate value which forms an operand of the function, wherein said immediate value is represented in a format which achieves a greater power efficiency than two's complement when said instructions are processed.

Abstract: A method is provided for reducing the power consumption of a pipelined microprocessor system arranged to run a program stored in a memory. The method comprises duplicating at least one branch instruction so as to reduce the number of transitions on the bus between the microprocessor and the memory when the program is executed.

Abstract: A method of reducing the power consumption of microprocessor system is provided, wherein: said microprocessor system comprises a microprocessor (2) and a memory (4) connected by a bus (6); said memory (4) contains a plurality of data values, each represented by a number of bits, for transmission to said microprocessor (2) via the bus (6); and at least some of said data values contain unused bits; and wherein said method includes assigning values to said unused bits in such a way as to reduce the Hamming distance between successive data values by a greater extent than setting all of said unused bits to an arbitrary predetermined value.

Abstract: A method of reducing the power consumption of microprocessor system is provided, wherein: said microprocessor system comprises a microprocessor (2) and a memory (4) connected by a bus (6); said memory (4) contains a plurality of data values, each represented by a number of bits, for transmission to said microprocessor (2) via the bus (6); and at least some of said data values contain unused bits; and wherein said method includes assigning values to said unused bits in such a way as to reduce the Hamming distance between successive data values by a greater extent than setting all of said unused bits to an arbitrary predetermined value.

Abstract: A method is provided for reducing the power consumption of a pipelined microprocessor system arranged to run a program stored in a memory. The method comprises duplicating at least one branch instruction so as to reduce the number of transitions on the bus between the microprocessor and the memory when the program is executed.

Abstract: method of preventing an electronic file containing a computer virus from infecting a computer system using the Symbian™ operating system, the method comprising the steps of scanning files using an anti-virus application, and if an infected file is identified, maintaining the file in an open non-sharing state, whereby other applications running on the computer system may not operate on an infected file.

Abstract: Methods of reducing the power consumption of a microprocessor system, comprising a microprocessor and memory connected by a bus, are provided which involve optimising a program stored in the memory by rescheduling after linking, swapping equivalent instructions, or swapping the operands of commutative operations.

Abstract: method of preventing an electronic file containing a computer virus from infecting a computer system using the Symbian™ operating system, the method comprising the steps of scanning files using an anti-virus application, and if an infected file is identified, maintaining the file in an open non-sharing state, whereby other applications running on the computer system may not operate on an infected file.

Abstract: A method of reducing the power consumption of microprocessor system is provided, wherein: said microprocessor system comprises a microprocessor (2) and a memory (4) connected by a bus (6); said memory (4) contains a plurality of data values, each represented by a number of bits, for transmission to said microprocessor (2) via the bus (6); and at least some of said data values contain unused bits; and wherein said method includes assigning values to said unused bits in such a way as to reduce the Hamming distance between successive data values by a greater extent than settting all of said unused bits to an arbitrary predetermined value.

Abstract: Methods of reducing the power consumption of a microprocessor system, comprising a microprocessor and memory connected by a bus, are provided which involve optimising a program stored in the memory by rescheduling after linking, swapping equivalent instructions, or swapping the operands of commutative operations.