Invention Grant
- Patent Title: Indirect branch predictor for dynamic indirect branches
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Application No.: US16778913Application Date: 2020-01-31
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Publication No.: US11294684B2Publication Date: 2022-04-05
- Inventor: Ian D. Kountanis
- Applicant: Apple Inc.
- Applicant Address: US CA Cupertino
- Assignee: Apple Inc.
- Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
- Current Assignee Address: US CA Cupertino
- Agency: Kowert, Hood, Munyon, Rankin & Goetzel, P.C.
- Agent Lawrence J. Merkel
- Main IPC: G06F9/38
- IPC: G06F9/38 ; G06F9/30

Abstract:
In an embodiment, an indirect branch predictor generates indirect branch predictions for indirect branch instructions. For relatively static branch instructions, the indirect branch predictor may be configured to use a PC corresponding to the indirect branch instruction to generate a target prediction. The indirect branch predictor may be configured to identify at least one dynamic indirect branch instruction and may use a different PC than the PC corresponding to the indirect branch instruction to generate the target prediction (e.g. the most recent previous PC associated with a taken branch (“the previous taken PC”). For some dynamic indirect branch instructions, the previous taken PC may disambiguate different target addresses (e.g. there may be a correlation between the previous taken PC and the target address of the indirect branch instruction).
Public/Granted literature
- US20210240476A1 Indirect Branch Predictor for Dynamic Indirect Branches Public/Granted day:2021-08-05
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