US 11,720,365 B2
Path prediction method used for instruction cache, access control unit, and instruction processing apparatus
Dongqi Liu, Hangzhou (CN); Tao Jiang, Hangzhou (CN); and Chen Chen, Shanghai (CN)
Assigned to Alibaba Group Holding Limited, Grand Cayman (KY)
Filed by Alibaba Group Holding Limited, Grand Cafyman (KY)
Filed on Sep. 10, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/17,047.
Claims priority of application No. 201910912797.5 (CN), filed on Sep. 25, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0089314 A1, Mar. 25, 2021
Int. Cl. G06F 9/38 (2018.01); G06F 12/0875 (2016.01); G06F 12/0864 (2016.01)
CPC G06F 9/3806 (2013.01) [G06F 12/0864 (2013.01); G06F 12/0875 (2013.01); G06F 2212/452 (2013.01); Y02D 10/00 (2018.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An instruction processing apparatus, comprising:
an instruction fetch unit, adapted to obtain an instruction based on an instruction address of a program counter;
an execution unit, coupled to the instruction fetch unit, and adapted to execute the instruction;
an instruction cache, adapted to store instruction content accessed by using the instruction address, wherein the instruction cache maps data blocks in a memory based on a multi-way set-associative structure and comprises a plurality of cache lines; and
an access control unit, coupled between the instruction fetch unit and the instruction cache, and adapted to read the plurality of cache lines respectively by using a plurality of data channels, and select a cache line from the plurality of cache lines by using a plurality of selection channels, to obtain the instruction, wherein
the access control unit comprises a path prediction unit, wherein the path prediction unit is enabled based on a signal indicating that energy in the instruction processing apparatus is below a critical point, and wherein the path prediction unit is adapted to:
determine a type of the instruction,
obtain, based on the determined type of the instruction, path prediction information corresponding to the instruction address, and
enable at least one data channel and/or at least one selection channel based on the path prediction information.