Patent US5115507A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
← Back to Patent Explorer
US5115507A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

System for management of the priorities of access to a memory and its application

Assignee: US Philips Corp
•
Filing: 1991-03-25
•
Granted: 1992-05-19
•
Expires: 2011-03-25
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract The management of the priorities of access to a memory is characterized in that each request generator module (DP,GP) separately formulates the requests for access to a single word (DPREQ1, GPREQ1) and the requests for access to a plurality of words (DPREQN, GPREQN); differing priorities (REGA, REGB, REGC, REGD) may then be allocated (VALREG) to each type of request. Advantageously the requests for a single word are arbitrated by a first module which transmits a selected request to a second module.

Inventors

  • 👤 Jean-Michel Callemyn

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-01 20:43
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F13/00; G06F13/14; G06F13/16; G06F13/18; G06F13/36; G06F13/362

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim 197 words
System for management of access to a memory, the system comprising: a) at least one request generator module including means for emitting requests for access, and b) an arbitration module to arbitrate between the requests for access and thus to elect a request for access o be executed with priority, wherein c) at least one request generator module includes: i) first means for emitting requests for access to a single word of the memory; and ii) second means for emitting requests for access to a plurality of consecutive words of the memory, said first means for emitting being separate from said second means for emitting, and d) the arbitration module includes arbitration means, first receiving means for receiving requests from the first means for emitting, second receiving means for receiving requests from the second means for emitting, and means for detecting if a request originates from the first or second receiving means, whereby the requests for access to a single word are directly assigned priorities which are distinct from the priorities of the requests for access to a plurality of consecutive words, without decoding the requests, even if the requests emanate from the same request generator module.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 197 words
System for management of access to a memory, the system comprising: a) at least one request generator module including means for emitting requests for access, and b) an arbitration module to arbitrate between the requests for access and thus to elect a request for access o be executed with priority, wherein c) at least one request generator module includes: i) first means for emitting requests for access to a single word of the memory; and ii) second means for emitting requests for access to a plurality of consecutive words of the memory, said first means for emitting being separate from said second means for emitting, and d) the arbitration module includes arbitration means, first receiving means for receiving requests from the first means for emitting, second receiving means for receiving requests from the second means for emitting, and means for detecting if a request originates from the first or second receiving means, whereby the requests for access to a single word are directly assigned priorities which are distinct from the priorities of the requests for access to a plurality of consecutive words, without decoding the requests, even if the requests emanate from the same request generator module.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 19 words
System for management according to claim 1, wherein the distinct priorities are modifiable during the operation of the system.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 19 words
System for management according to claim 1, wherein the distinct priorities are non-modifiable during the operation of the system.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 66 words
System for management according to claims 1, 2 or 3, wherein the arbitration means comprises, a first module to arbitrate the requests for access to a single word and thus to preselect such a request, and a second module to arbitrate between the preselected request and the requests for access to a plurality of words and thus to elect a request for access to be executed.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 52 words
System for management according to claim 1, 2, or 3, wherein: a) the memory is a DRAM requiring periodic refreshes, and b) the arbitration module further comprises means for receiving and arbitrating a refresh request, which refresh request is arbitrated as being a request for access to a plurality of consecutive words.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 87 words
The system for management according to claim 5 wherein: a) the system is part of a graphics system; and b) the at least one request generator module comprises a display processor arranged to emit: i) requests for access to a single word, and ii) requests for access to a plurality of consecutive words, each said request for access to a single word being utilized to prepare a next reading of pixels, which reading is the subject of a request for access to a plurality of consecutive words.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 48 words
System for management according to claim 4, wherein: a) the memory is a DRAM requiring periodic refreshes, and b) the arbitration module further comprises means for receiving and arbitrating a refresh request, which refresh request is arbitrated as being a request for access to a plurality of words.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 87 words
The system for management according to claim 7 wherein: a) the system is part of a graphics system; and b) the at least one request generator module comprises a display processor arranged to emit: i) requests for access to a single word, and ii) requests for access to a plurality of consecutive words, each said request for access to a single word being utilized to prepare a next reading of pixels, which reading is the subject of a request for access to a plurality of consecutive words.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 45 words
The system of claim 4, wherein: the first arbitration module arbitrates the requests for access to a single word from all request generator modules; and the second arbitration module arbitrates the requests for access to a plurality of consecutive words form all request generator modules.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

GB1269301A Cited
US3925766A Cited
FR2231050A1 Cited
US4443848A Cited
US4755938A Cited
US4493036A Cited
FR2593304A1 Cited
US4788640A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1995-05-19 1995-11-18 1996-05-19 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1999-05-19 1999-11-18 2000-05-19 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2003-05-19 2003-11-18 2004-05-19 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag