Abstract: In one embodiment, a processor comprises a prefetch unit coupled to a data cache. The prefetch unit is configured to concurrently maintain a plurality of separate, active prefetch streams. Each prefetch stream is either software initiated via execution by the processor of a dedicated prefetch instruction or hardware initiated via detection of a data cache miss by one or more load/store memory operations. The prefetch unit is further configured to generate prefetch requests responsive to the plurality of prefetch streams to prefetch data in to the data cache.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a direct memory access (DMA) controller comprises a transmit circuit and a data flow control circuit coupled to the transmit circuit. The transmit circuit is configured to perform DMA transfers, each DMA transfer described by a DMA descriptor stored in a data structure in memory. There is a data structure for each DMA channel that is in use. The data flow control circuit is configured to control the transmit circuit's processing of DMA descriptors for each DMA channel responsive to data flow control data in the DMA descriptors in the corresponding data structure.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a processor comprises a prefetch unit coupled to a data cache. The prefetch unit is configured to concurrently maintain a plurality of separate, active prefetch streams. Each prefetch stream is either software initiated via execution by the processor of a dedicated prefetch instruction or hardware initiated via detection of a data cache miss by one or more load/store memory operations. The prefetch unit is further configured to generate prefetch requests responsive to the plurality of prefetch streams to prefetch data in to the data cache.

Abstract: A change and update system for network-based knowledgebase (KB) sales and service facilities has a user interface (UI) system for accessing the facility over the network, software at the facility for negotiating with the user interface, and a state component at the facility storing state data for a configured order or service at the facility, the state data including a summary of the order or service and information regarding allowable alterations and effects of alterations. A user communicates through the user interface with the software at the facility, which negotiates changes to an existing order or service configuration using data from the state component, and the software, as a result of the negotiation, updates the configured order or service configuration with the negotiated changes.

Abstract: A change and update system for network-based knowledgebase (KB) sales and service facilities has a user interface (UI) system for accessing the facility over the network, software at the facility for negotiating with the user interface, and a state component at the facility storing state data for a configured order or service at the facility, the state data including a summary of the order or service and information regarding allowable alterations and effects of alterations. A user communicates through the user interface with the software at the facility, which negotiates changes to an existing order or service configuration using data from the state component, and the software, as a result of the negotiation, updates the configured order or service configuration with the negotiated changes.

Abstract: A portable audio player stores a large amount of compressed audio data on an internal disk drive, and loads a portion of this into an internal random access memory (RAM) which requires less power and less time to access. The audio player plays the data stored in RAM and monitors the amount of unplayed data. When the amount of unplayed data falls below a threshold, additional data is copied from the disk drive into RAM. Because the time necessary to copy a block of data from the disk drive to RAM is much less than the amount of time it takes to play the same block of audio data from RAM, this approach minimizes the amount of time that the disk drive must be operated, and thus minimizes the amount of power consumed by the system.

Abstract: A change and update system for network-based knowledgebase (KB) sales and service facilities has a user interface (UI) system for accessing the facility over the network, software at the facility for negotiating with the user interface, and a state component at the facility storing state data for a configured order or service at the facility, the state data including a summary of the order or service and information regarding allowable alterations and effects of alterations. A user communicates through the user interface with the software at the facility, which negotiates changes to an existing order or service configuration using data from the state component, and the software, as a result of the negotiation, updates the configured order or service configuration with the negotiated changes.

Abstract: A server computer is provided for representing and navigating the connectivity of Web pages. The Web pages include links to other Web pages. The links and Web page s have associated names (URLs). The names of the Web pages are sorted in a memory of the connectivity server. The sorted names are delta encoded while periodically storing full names as checkpoints in the memory. Each delta encoded name and checkpoint has a unique identification. A list of pairs of identifications representing existent links is sorted twice, first according to the first identification of each pair to produce an inlist, and second according to the second identification of each pair to produce an outlist. An array of elements is stored in the memory, there is one array element for each Web page. Each element includes a first pointer to one of the checkpoints, a second pointer to an associated inlist of the Web page, and a third pointer to an associated outlist of the Web page.