Patents by Inventor STEVEN J. BATTLE

STEVEN J. BATTLE 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: 11941398
    Abstract: A method for restoring a mapper of a processor core includes saving first information in a staging latch. The first information represents a newly dispatched first instruction of the processor core and is saved in an entry latch of a save-and-restore buffer. In response to reception of a flush command of the processor core, the restoration of the mapper is begun with the first information from the staging latch without waiting for a comparison of a flush tag of the flush command with the entry latch of the save-and-restore buffer. A processor core configured to perform the method described above is also provided. A processor core is also provided that includes a dispatch, a mapper, a save-and-restore buffer that includes entry latches and is connected to the mapper via at least one pipeline, and a register disposed in the at least one pipeline.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Brian D. Barrick, Steven J. Battle, Dung Q. Nguyen, Susan E. Eisen, Cliff Kucharski, Salma Ayub
  • Patent number: 11868773
    Abstract: A system, processor, programming product and/or method including: an instruction dispatch unit configured to dispatch instructions of a compare immediate-conditional branch instruction sequence; and a compare register having at least one entry to hold information in a plurality of fields. Operations include: writing information from a first instruction of the compare immediate-conditional branch instruction sequence into one or more of the plurality of fields in an entry in the compare register; writing an immediate field and the ITAG of a compare immediate instruction into the entry in the compare register; writing, in response to dispatching a conditional branch instruction, an inferred compare result value into the entry in the compare register; comparing a computed compare result value to the inferred compare result value stored in the entry in the compare register; and not execute the compare immediate instruction or the conditional branch instruction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Steven J. Battle, Brian D. Barrick, Dung Q. Nguyen, Richard J. Eickemeyer, John B. Griswell, Jr., Balaram Sinharoy, Brian W. Thompto, Tu-An T. Nguyen
  • Patent number: 11768684
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for rebalancing blocks of a register file. The method comprises allocating a first set of entries in a first register file to a first hardware thread of a processor core. The method further comprises allocating a second set of entries in a second register file to a second hardware thread of the processor core. The register tags in the first and second register files are compacted such that register tags associated with the first hardware thread are compacted into the first set of entries, and register tags associated with the second hardware thread are compacted into the second set of entries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Steven J. Battle, Dung Q. Nguyen, Albert J. Van Norstrand, Jr., Tu-An T. Nguyen, Cliff Kucharski
  • Patent number: 11709676
    Abstract: Aspects of the invention include includes determining a first instruction in a processing pipeline, wherein the first instruction includes a compare instruction, determining a second instruction in the processing pipeline, wherein the second instruction includes a conditional branch instruction relying on the compare instruction, determining a predicted result of the compare instruction, and completing the conditional branch instruction using the predicted result prior to executing the compare instruction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Steven J. Battle, Brian D. Barrick, Dung Q. Nguyen, Richard J. Eickemeyer, John B. Griswell, Jr., Balaram Sinharoy, Brian W. Thompto, Tu-An T. Nguyen
  • Publication number: 20230214218
    Abstract: A system, processor, programming product and/or method including: an instruction dispatch unit configured to dispatch instructions of a compare immediate-conditional branch instruction sequence; and a compare register having at least one entry to hold information in a plurality of fields. Operations include: writing information from a first instruction of the compare immediate-conditional branch instruction sequence into one or more of the plurality of fields in an entry in the compare register; writing an immediate field and the ITAG of a compare immediate instruction into the entry in the compare register; writing, in response to dispatching a conditional branch instruction, an inferred compare result value into the entry in the compare register; comparing a computed compare result value to the inferred compare result value stored in the entry in the compare register; and not execute the compare immediate instruction or the conditional branch instruction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2022
    Publication date: July 6, 2023
    Inventors: Steven J. Battle, Brian D. Barrick, Dung Q. Nguyen, Richard J. Eickemeyer, John B. Griswell, JR., Balaram Sinharoy, Brian W. Thompto, Tu-An T. Nguyen
  • Publication number: 20230077629
    Abstract: Provided is a method for assigning register tags to instructions at issue time. The method comprises receiving an instruction for execution by a microprocessor. The method further comprises dispatching the instruction to an issue queue without assigning a register tag to the instruction. The method further comprises determining that the instruction is ready to issue. In response to determining that the instruction is ready to issue, the method comprises assigning an available register tag to the instruction. The method further comprises issuing the instruction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2022
    Publication date: March 16, 2023
    Inventors: Steven J. Battle, Jentje Leenstra, Brian D. Barrick, Dung Q. Nguyen, Brian W. Thompto
  • Publication number: 20230053981
    Abstract: Aspects of the invention include includes determining a first instruction in a processing pipeline, wherein the first instruction includes a compare instruction, determining a second instruction in the processing pipeline, wherein the second instruction includes a conditional branch instruction relying on the compare instruction, determining a predicted result of the compare instruction, and completing the conditional branch instruction using the predicted result prior to executing the compare instruction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2021
    Publication date: February 23, 2023
    Inventors: Steven J. Battle, Brian D. Barrick, Dung Q. Nguyen, Richard J. Eickemeyer, John B. Griswell, JR., Balaram Sinharoy, Brian W. Thompto, Tu-An T. Nguyen
  • Patent number: 11561794
    Abstract: A computer system, processor, programming instructions and/or method of processing data that includes a main register file having a plurality of entries for storing data; an accumulator register file having a plurality of entries for storing data wherein multiple main register file entries are mapped to one accumulator register file entry in the at least one accumulator register file; a logical register mapper to track and map logical registers to main register file entries, and a history buffer. Processing wide data width instructions includes evicting and restoring information from a single primary entry in the logical register mapper through a single read or write port in the logical register mapper without evicting or restoring the remaining other multiple main register file entries mapped in the accumulator register.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Steven J. Battle, Brian W. Thompto, Dung Q. Nguyen, Cliff Kucharski, Susan E. Eisen, Salma Ayub
  • Publication number: 20220382549
    Abstract: A computer system, processor, programming instructions and/or method of processing data that includes a main register file having a plurality of entries for storing data; an accumulator register file having a plurality of entries for storing data wherein multiple main register file entries are mapped to one accumulator register file entry in the at least one accumulator register file; a logical register mapper to track and map logical registers to main register file entries, and a history buffer. Processing wide data width instructions includes evicting and restoring information from a single primary entry in the logical register mapper through a single read or write port in the logical register mapper without evicting or restoring the remaining other multiple main register file entries mapped in the accumulator register.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2021
    Publication date: December 1, 2022
    Inventors: Steven J. Battle, Brian W. Thompto, Dung Q. Nguyen, Cliff Kucharski, Susan E. Eisen, Salma Ayub
  • Patent number: 11500642
    Abstract: Provided is a method for assigning register tags to instructions at issue time. The method comprises receiving an instruction for execution by a microprocessor. The method further comprises dispatching the instruction to an issue queue without assigning a register tag to the instruction. The method further comprises determining that the instruction is ready to issue. In response to determining that the instruction is ready to issue, the method comprises assigning an available register tag to the instruction. The method further comprises issuing the instruction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: International Busines Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Steven J. Battle, Jentje Leenstra, Brian D. Barrick, Dung Q. Nguyen, Brian W. Thompto
  • Patent number: 11403109
    Abstract: A computer system, processor, and method for processing information is disclosed that includes reading out a plurality of entries in a history buffer prior to initiating a flush recovery process; initiating the flush recovery process; determining which of the history buffer entries read out of the history buffer should be recovered; and sending information associated with the history buffer entries to be recovered to one or more history buffer recovery ports. In one or more embodiments, the history buffer entries are continually read out in response to a processor and history buffer entries read out from the history buffer are directed to a specific history buffer recovery port associated with a mapper of a specific logical register.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Steven J. Battle, Khandker Nabil Adeeb, Brian D. Barrick, Joshua W. Bowman, Susan E. Eisen, Brandon Goddard, Jamory Hawkins, Dung Q. Nguyen
  • Patent number: 11360779
    Abstract: A computer system, processor, and method for processing information is disclosed that includes partitioning a logical register in the processor into a plurality of ranges of logical register entries based upon the logical register entry, assigning at least one recovery port of a history buffer to each range of logical register entries, initiating a flush recovery process for the processor, and directing history buffer entries to the assigned recovery port based upon the logical register entry associated with the history buffer entry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Steven J. Battle, Salma Ayub, Brian D. Barrick, Joshua W. Bowman, Susan E. Eisen, Brandon Goddard, Christopher M. Mueller, Dung Q. Nguyen
  • Publication number: 20220147359
    Abstract: Provided is a method for assigning register tags to instructions at issue time. The method comprises receiving an instruction for execution by a microprocessor. The method further comprises dispatching the instruction to an issue queue without assigning a register tag to the instruction. The method further comprises determining that the instruction is ready to issue. In response to determining that the instruction is ready to issue, the method comprises assigning an available register tag to the instruction. The method further comprises issuing the instruction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2020
    Publication date: May 12, 2022
    Inventors: Steven J. Battle, Jentje Leenstra, Brian D. Barrick, Dung Q. Nguyen, Brian W. Thompto
  • Patent number: 11327757
    Abstract: In at least one embodiment, a processor includes architected and non-architected register files for buffering operands. The processor additionally includes an instruction fetch unit that fetches instructions to be executed and at least one execution unit. The at least one execution unit is configured to execute a first class of instructions that access operands in the architected register file and a second class of instructions that access operands in the non-architected register file. The processor also includes a mapper circuit that assigns physical registers to the instructions for buffering of operands. The processor additionally includes a dispatch circuit configured, based on detection of an instruction in one of the first and second classes of instructions for which correct operands do not reside in a respective one of the architected and non-architected register files, to automatically initiate transfer of operands between the architected and non-architected register files.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Steven J. Battle, Kurt A. Feiste, Susan E. Eisen, Dung Q. Nguyen, Christian Gerhard Zoellin, Kent Li, Brian W. Thompto, Dhivya Jeganathan, Kenneth L. Ward, Brian D. Barrick
  • Patent number: 11301254
    Abstract: A method, system, and/or processor for processing data is disclosed that includes processing a parent stream, detecting a branch instruction in the parent stream, activating an additional child stream, copying the content of a parent mapper copy of the parent stream to an additional child mapper copy, dispatching instructions for the parent stream and the additional child stream, and executing the parent stream and the additional child stream on different execution slices. In an aspect, a first parent mapper copy is associated and used in connection with executing the parent stream and a second different child mapper copy is associated and used in connection with executing the additional child stream. The method in an aspect includes processing one or more streams and/or one or more threads of execution on one or more execution slices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Steven J. Battle, Joshua W. Bowman, Hung Q. Le, Dung Q. Nguyen, Brian W. Thompto
  • Publication number: 20220066830
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for rebalancing blocks of a register file. The method comprises allocating a first set of entries in a first register file to a first hardware thread of a processor core. The method further comprises allocating a second set of entries in a second register file to a second hardware thread of the processor core. The register tags in the first and second register files are compacted such that register tags associated with the first hardware thread are compacted into the first set of entries, and register tags associated with the second hardware thread are compacted into the second set of entries.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2020
    Publication date: March 3, 2022
    Inventors: Steven J. Battle, Dung Q. Nguyen, Albert J. Van Norstrand, JR., Tu-An T. Nguyen, Cliff Kucharski
  • Patent number: 11194578
    Abstract: A computer system, processor, and method for processing information is disclosed that includes at least one computer processor, a register file associated with the at least one processor, preferably a condition register that stores status information, the register file having multiple locations for storing data, multiple ports to write data to and read data from the register file. The system or processor includes an execution area, and the processor is configured to read from all the read ports in a first cycle, and to read from all the read ports in a second cycle. In an embodiment, the execution area includes a staging latch to store data from a first cycle read operation, and in an aspect the computer system is configured to combine the data stored in the staging latch during a first read cycle with the data read from the second cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Steven J. Battle, Brian D. Barrick, Joshua W. Bowman, Susan E. Eisen, Brandon Goddard, Cliff Kucharski, Dung Q. Nguyen, David S. Walder
  • Patent number: 11188332
    Abstract: A method, processor and/or system for processing data is disclosed that in an aspect includes providing a physical register file with one or more register file entries for storing data; identifying each physical register file entry with a row identifier to identify the entry row in the physical register file; enabling one or more columns within a target entry row of the physical register file; and revising data in the columns enabled within the target entry row of the physical register file. In an aspect, each physical register file entry is partitioned into a plurality of columns having a bit width and a column mask preferably is used to enable the one or more columns within the target row of the physical register file, and data is revised in only the columns enabled by the column mask.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Steven J. Battle, Salma Ayub, Brian D. Barrick, Joshua W. Bowman, Susan E. Eisen, Brandon Goddard, Cliff Kucharski, Dung Q. Nguyen
  • Publication number: 20210342150
    Abstract: In at least one embodiment, a processor includes architected register file and non-architected register files for buffering operands. The processor additionally includes an instruction fetch unit that fetches instructions to be executed and at least one execution unit. The at least one execution unit is configured to execute a first class of instructions that access operands in the architected register file and a second class of instructions that access operands in the non-architected register file. The processor also includes a mapper circuit that assigns physical registers to the instructions for buffering of operands. The processor additionally includes a dispatch circuit configured, based on detection of an instruction in one of the first and second classes of instructions for which correct operands do not reside in a respective one of the architected and non-architected register files, to automatically initiate transfer of operands between the architected and non-architected register files.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2020
    Publication date: November 4, 2021
    Inventors: Steven J. Battle, Kurt A. Feiste, Susan E. Eisen, Dung Q. Nguyen, Christian Gerhard Zoellin, Kent Li, Brian W. Thompto, Dhivya Jeganathan, Kenneth L. Ward, Brian D. Barrick
  • Patent number: 11163568
    Abstract: An approach is provided in which a system writes a set of data into a register file entry that includes a first memory array and a second memory array. The register file entry also includes a set of first write ports corresponding to the first memory array and a set of second write ports corresponding to the second memory array. The system configures a selection bit based on determining that a selected one of the set of first write ports is utilized to store the set of data in the first memory array. In turn, the system reads the set of data out of the first memory array based on the configured selection bit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Saiful Islam, Sam G. Chu, Dung Q. Nguyen, Binglong Zhang, Howard Levy, David R. Terry, Steven J. Battle