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  Method and system to disable the wide prefixUSPTO Application #: 20060026401Title: Method and system to disable the wide prefix Abstract: A method and related system to disable the “WIDE” prefix. At least some of the illustrative embodiments may be a method comprising disabling an ability of an opcode to act as a prefix for other opcodes. (end of abstract)
Agent: - , Inventor: Gerard Chauvel USPTO Applicaton #: 20060026401 - Class: 712226000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Electrical Computers And Digital Processing Systems: Processing Architectures And Instruction Processing (e.g., Processors), Processing Control, Instruction Modification Based On Condition The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060026401. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application claims the benefit of European Patent Application No. 04291918.3, filed Jul. 27, 2004, incorporated by reference herein as if reproduced in full below. This application is related to co-pending and commonly assigned application Ser. No. ______ [Attorney Docket TI-38599 (1962-24000)] entitled "Method and System of Using the `WIDE` Opcode as Other Than a Prefix." BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Technical Field of the Invention [0003] The present invention relates to processors and more particularly to processors that execute Java.TM. bytecodes. [0004] 2. Background Information [0005] Java.TM. is a programming language that, at the source code level, is similar to object oriented programming languages such as C++. Java.TM. language source code is compiled into an intermediate representation based on a plurality "bytecodes" that define specific tasks. In some implementations, the bytecodes are further compiled to machine language for a particular processor. Some processors, however, are designed to execute some of the Java.TM. bytecodes directly. [0006] An "opcode" is a single member of the group bytecodes, and one such opcode is known as "WIDE," having a value 0xC4 (hexadecimal value C4). In particular, when an opcode is immediately preceded by a WIDE opcode, the operand width is greater than if the WIDE opcode is not present. For example, a directly executed Java.TM. opcode "ILOAD" (integer load), when not preceded by WIDE, may fetch a 32 bit word into the local variable at the location indicated by an eight bit operand. When ILOAD is immediately preceded by a WIDE opcode, the ILOAD opcode may fetch a 32 bit word into the local variable at the location indicated by a sixteen bit operand. Thus, WIDE extends the number of available local variables to 65,536, though each local variable is 32 bits in width regardless of the presence or absence of a WIDE. When decoding and executing opcodes, the processor decodes the WIDE but does not execute a "WIDE" function; rather, the processor adjusts the operand width of a subsequent opcode based on the presence of the WIDE. [0007] Opcodes are each 8 bits in width, limiting the set of bytecodes to 256 possible opcodes. Thus, the WIDE opcode utilized as a prefix limits by one the functions that can be assigned specific opcodes. SUMMARY [0008] The problems noted above are solved in large part by a method and related system to disable the "WIDE" prefix. At least some of the illustrative embodiments may be a method comprising disabling an ability of an opcode to act as a prefix for other opcodes. Notation and Nomenclature [0009] Certain terms are used throughout the following description and claims to refer to particular system components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, semiconductor companies may refer to a component by different names. This document does not intend to distinguish between components that differ in name but not function. In the following discussion and in the claims, the terms "including" and "comprising" are used in an open-ended fashion, and thus should be interpreted to mean "including, but not limited to . . . ". Also, the term "couple" or "couples" is intended to mean either an indirect or direct connection. Thus, if a first device couples to a second device, that connection may be through a direct connection, or through an indirect connection via other devices and connections. [0010] The terms "asserted" and "not asserted" are used herein to refer to Boolean conditions. An asserted state need not necessarily be a logical 1 or a high voltage state, and thus could equally apply to an asserted being a logical 0 or a low voltage state. Thus, in some embodiments an asserted state may be a logical 1 and a not-asserted state may be a logical 0, with de-assertion changing the state from a logical 1 to a logical 0. Equivalently, an asserted state may be a logic 0 and a not-asserted state may a logical 1 with a de-assertion being a change from a logical 0 to a logical 1. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0011] For a more detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, wherein: [0012] FIG. 1 shows a diagram of a system in accordance with embodiments of the invention; [0013] FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of the JSM of FIG. 1 in accordance with embodiments of the invention; [0014] FIG. 3 shows various registers used in the JSM of FIGS. 1 and 2; [0015] FIG. 4 illustrates operation of the JSM to trigger "micro-sequences"; [0016] FIG. 5 illustrates a method in accordance with embodiments of the invention; and [0017] FIG. 6 depicts an illustrative embodiment of the system described herein. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS [0018] The following discussion is directed to various embodiments of the invention. Although one or more of these embodiments may be preferred, the embodiments disclosed should not be interpreted, or otherwise used, as limiting the scope of the disclosure, unless otherwise specified. In addition, one skilled in the art will understand that the following description has broad application, and the discussion of any embodiments is meant only to be exemplary of those embodiments, and not intended to intimate that the scope of the disclosure, is limited to those embodiments. Continue reading... Full patent description for Method and system to disable the wide prefix Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Method and system to disable the wide prefix patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Method and system to disable the wide prefix or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Method and system of using a wide opcode other than prefix Next Patent Application: Identifying code for compilation Industry Class: Electrical computers and digital processing systems: processing architectures and instruction processing (e.g., processors) ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Method and system to disable the wide prefix patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 0.40252 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Electronics: Semiconductor , Audio , Illumination , Connectors , Crypto , |
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