Establishing an operating mode in a processor

Electrical computers and digital processing systems: processing – Processing control – Mode switch or change

Reexamination Certificate

Rate now

  [ 0.00 ] – not rated yet Voters 0   Comments 0

Details

C712S043000

Reexamination Certificate

active

07124286

ABSTRACT:
A processor supports a processing mode in which the address size is greater than 32 bits and the operand size may be 32 or 64 bits. The address size may be nominally indicated as 64 bits, although various embodiments of the processor may implement any address size which exceeds 32 bits, up to and including 64 bits, in the processing mode. The processing mode may be established by placing an enable indication in a control register into an enabled state and by setting a first operating mode indication and a second operating mode indication in a segment descriptor to predefined states. Other combinations of the first operating mode indication and the second operating mode indication may be used to provide compatibility modes for 32 bit and 16 bit processing compatible with the x86 processor architecture (with the enable indication remaining in the enabled state).

REFERENCES:
patent: 4620274 (1986-10-01), Boothroyd et al.
patent: 4682284 (1987-07-01), Schrofer
patent: 4701946 (1987-10-01), Oliva et al.
patent: 4868740 (1989-09-01), Kagimasa et al.
patent: 5381537 (1995-01-01), Baum et al.
patent: 5479627 (1995-12-01), Khalidi et al.
patent: 5481684 (1996-01-01), Richter et al.
patent: 5517651 (1996-05-01), Huck et al.
patent: 5617554 (1997-04-01), Alpert et al.
patent: 5644755 (1997-07-01), Wooten
patent: 5692167 (1997-11-01), Grochowski et al.
patent: 5758116 (1998-05-01), Lee et al.
patent: 5774686 (1998-06-01), Hammond et al.
patent: 5784638 (1998-07-01), Goetz et al.
patent: 5787495 (1998-07-01), Henry et al.
patent: 5826074 (1998-10-01), Blomgren
patent: 6021484 (2000-02-01), Park
patent: 6031992 (2000-02-01), Cmelik et al.
patent: 6086623 (2000-07-01), Broome et al.
patent: 6418524 (2002-07-01), Van Dyke et al.
Turley, James L. Advanced 80386 Programming Techniques. Berkely, California: 1988. Chapters 1, 4, 5, 8, and Appendix C.
Rosenberg, Jerry M. Dictionary of Computers, Information Processing, and Telecommunications. Second Edition. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. © 1987. pp. 256, 377, 526, and 592.
Hennessy, John L. and Patterson, David A. Computer Architecture A Quantitative Approach. Second Edition. San Francisco, CA: Morgan Kaufmann Publishers, Inc. © 1996. pp. 89-96.
Intel, “Intel Architecture Software Developer's Manual, vol. 1: Basic Architecture,” 1997, pp. 3-1-3-15.
Intel, “Pentium Pro Family Developer's Manual, vol. 3: Operating System Writer's Guide,” 1996, pp. 2-1-2-21, 3-1-3-33, and 4-1-4-29.
The Technology Behind Crusoe™ Processors, Low-Power x86-Compatible Processors Implemented with Code Morphing™ Software, Transmeta Corporation, Jan. 2000, pp. 1-18.
Alpha Learns to Do Windows; Digital's FX!32 is The Key To Running Win32 Software on Alpha/Windows NT., Selinda Chiquoine, BYTE, Aug. 4, 1998, 4 pages.
Awards Stack Up for Digital FX!32 Windows Compatibility Software for Alpha, Digital Press Releases, Dec. 11, 1997, 7 pages.
Digital FX!32; White Paper: How Digital FX!32 Works, Digital Semiconductor, Jan. 26, 1998, 4 pages.
An Alpha in PC Clothing; Digital Equipment's New x86 Emulator Technology Makes An Alpha System a Fast x86 Clone, Tom Thompson, BYTE, Aug. 4, 1998, 7 pages.
AMD 64-Bit Technology; The AMD x86 Architecture Programmers Overview, AMD, Publication #24108 Rev: A, Aug. 2000, pp. 1-106.
AMD 64-Bit Technology; The AMD x86-64 Architecture Programmers Overview, AMD, Publication #24108 Rev: C, Jan. 2001, pp. 1-128.
“Pentium Processor Family Developers Manual,” vol. 3, Architecture and Programming Manual, Intel, 1995, pp. 3-1 to 3-24, 10-1 to 10-13, 11-1 to 11-25.
“Advanced 80386 Programming Techniques,” James L. Turley, Osborne McGraw-Hill, Berkeley, CA, 1988. pp. 45-84 and 283-315.
Turley, James L., “Advanced 80386 Programming Techniques,” Berkely, California, 19888, Chapters 1, 4, 5 and 8.

LandOfFree

Say what you really think

Search LandOfFree.com for the USA inventors and patents. Rate them and share your experience with other people.

Rating

Establishing an operating mode in a processor does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Establishing an operating mode in a processor, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Establishing an operating mode in a processor will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

     

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3618130

  Search
All data on this website is collected from public sources. Our data reflects the most accurate information available at the time of publication.