Storage buffers with reference counters to improve utilization

Details Storage buffers with reference counters to improve utilization Storage buffers with reference counters to improve utilization

2007-06-19

2007-06-19

Tung, Kee M. (Department: 2628)

Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system

Computer graphic processing system

Integrated circuit

Reexamination Certificate

active

10955779

ABSTRACT:
Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention provide circuits, methods, and apparatus that improve utilization of storage buffers by overwriting data in them as soon as the data is no longer needed. An exemplary embodiment employs a counter to add each time a particular unit of data is needed by a circuit. The counter also subtracts each time the data is actually used by the circuit. When the counter reaches zero, upstream circuitry is checked to see if a command allowing the particular data to be overwritten has been issued. If it has, the command is not waited for, rather the data may be overwritten immediately. Embodiments of the present invention may also make use of one level of indirection to mask physical storage buffer locations from upstream circuitry. In this way, utilization can be improved.

REFERENCES:
patent: 6268875 (2001-07-01), Duluk et al.
patent: 6437779 (2002-08-01), Saito et al.
patent: 6476808 (2002-11-01), Kuo et al.
patent: 6552723 (2003-04-01), Duluk et al.

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