Patents by Inventor Todd C. Mowry

Todd C. Mowry 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).

  • Prefetching hints
    Patent number: 7386701
    Abstract: A processor capable of executing prefetching instructions containing hint fields is provided. The hint fields contain a first portion which enables the selection of a destination indicator for refill operations, and a second portion which identifies a destination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2008
    Assignee: MIPS Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Todd C. Mowry
  • Prefetching hints
    Patent number: 7127586
    Abstract: A processor capable of executing prefetching instructions containing hint fields is provided. The hint fields contain a first portion which enables the selection of a destination indicator for refill operations, and a second portion which identifies a destination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2006
    Assignee: MIPS Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Todd C. Mowry
  • System and method for improving index performance through prefetching
    Patent number: 6772179
    Abstract: The present invention provides a prefetch system for use with a cache memory associated with a database employing indices. In one embodiment, the prefetch system includes a search subsystem configured to prefetch cache lines containing an index of a node of a tree structure associated with the database. Additionally, the prefetch system also includes a scan subsystem configured to prefetch cache lines based on an index prefetch distance between first and second leaf nodes of the tree structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2004
    Assignee: Lucent Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Shimin Chen, Phillip B. Gibbons, Todd C. Mowry
  • System and method for improving index performance through prefetching
    Publication number: 20030126116
    Abstract: The present invention provides a prefetch system for use with a cache memory associated with a database employing indices. In one embodiment, the prefetch system includes a search subsystem configured to prefetch cache lines containing an index of a node of a tree structure associated with the database. Additionally, the prefetch system also includes a scan subsystem configured to prefetch cache lines based on an index prefetch distance between first and second leaf nodes of the tree structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2001
    Publication date: July 3, 2003
    Applicant: Lucent Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Shimin Chen, Phillip B. Gibbons, Todd C. Mowry
  • Prefetching hints
    Publication number: 20020010838
    Abstract: A processor capable of executing prefetching instructions containing hint fields is provided. The hint fields contain a first portion which enables the selection of a destination indicator for refill operations, and a second portion which identifies a destination.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2001
    Publication date: January 24, 2002
    Inventor: Todd C. Mowry
  • Prefetching hints
    Patent number: 6240488
    Abstract: A processor capable of executing prefetching instructions containing hint fields is provided. The hint fields contain a first portion which enables the selection of a destination indicator for refill operations, and a second portion which identifies a destination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2001
    Assignee: MIPS Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Todd C. Mowry
  • Consistently specifying way destinations through prefetching hints
    Patent number: 5732242
    Abstract: A processor capable of executing prefetching instructions containing hint fields is provided. The hint fields contain a first portion which enables the selection of a destination indicator for refill operations, and a second portion which identifies a destination. The portion of the hint field identifying a destination may be applied to consistently direct streamed and retained data to select portions of a cache. As a result, one type of data (e.g., retained) is lees likely to be replaced by another type of data (e.g., streamed) and vice versa.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 24, 1998
    Assignee: Silicon Graphics, Inc.
    Inventor: Todd C. Mowry
  • Method and apparatus for reducing delays following the execution of a branch instruction in an instruction pipeline
    Patent number: 5696958
    Abstract: A pipeline processor, when processing a branch instruction, initiates fetching of both the target and fall-through streams prior to execution of the branch instruction such that the number of pipeline cycles between completion of execution of the branch instruction and initiation of processing of the head instruction of the target or fall-through stream is less than the minimum number of pipeline cycles between fetching of an instruction and the execution of the instruction. At least one otherwise wasted pipeline cycle is saved by early instruction fetching and storing in a prefetch register. In some cases, two or more otherwise wasted cycles can be saved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 9, 1997
    Assignee: Silicon Graphics, Inc.
    Inventors: Todd C. Mowry, Earl A. Killian