US 11,995,446 B2
Branch predictor storing encrypted information
Steven A. Myers, San Jose, CA (US); Jeffry E. Gonion, Campbell, CA (US); Yannick L. Sierra, San Francisco, CA (US); and Thomas Icart, Paris (FR)
Assigned to Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA (US)
Filed by Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA (US)
Filed on May 2, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/661,696.
Application 17/661,696 is a continuation of application No. 16/663,621, filed on Oct. 25, 2019, granted, now 11,321,095.
Application 16/663,621 is a continuation in part of application No. 16/220,488, filed on Dec. 14, 2018, granted, now 11,449,343.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/855,887, filed on May 31, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0326957 A1, Oct. 13, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G06F 9/38 (2018.01); G06F 9/30 (2018.01); G06F 9/455 (2018.01); G06F 21/60 (2013.01); G06F 21/52 (2013.01); G06F 21/62 (2013.01)
CPC G06F 9/3844 (2013.01) [G06F 9/30029 (2013.01); G06F 9/45558 (2013.01); G06F 21/602 (2013.01); G06F 21/52 (2013.01); G06F 21/6209 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An integrated circuit, comprising:
a branch prediction circuit including a table configured to maintain a plurality of entries that store encrypted branch prediction information for a plurality of branch instructions; and
wherein the branch prediction circuit is configured to:
receive machine context information for a branch instruction being predicted by the branch prediction circuit, wherein the machine context information includes a program counter associated with the branch instruction; and
use the machine context information to decrypt the encrypted branch prediction information stored in one of the plurality of entries.