Read/modify/write registers
AssigneeLSI Logic Corporation
InventorRay Brown
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention may provide a digital memory circuit comprising a plurality of multi-bit registers, a memory circuit interface, and a logic circuit. The memory circuit interface may be configured to access a selected one of the registers. The logic circuit may be coupled to the plurality of multi-bit registers and responsive to data received through the interface for selectively writing a predetermined logic state to at least one first bit of the selected register while leaving at least one second bit in the selected register with an unmodified state.
Claims20
A digital memory circuit comprising:
- a plurality of multi-bit registers;
- a memory circuit interface for accessing a selected one of said registers;
- a logic circuit coupled to said plurality of multi-bit registers and responsive to data received through said memory circuit interface for writing a new bit value to at least one first bit of said selected register while leaving at least one second bit in said selected register with an unmodified value.
An integrated circuit comprising:
- a processor;
- a bus coupled to said processor;
- a digital memory circuit, coupled to said bus and comprising:
- a plurality of multi-bit registers;
- and
- a logic circuit coupled to said plurality of multi-bit registers and responsive to data received through from said bus to write a new bit value to at least one first bit of a selected one of said multi-bit registers while leaving at least one second bit in said selected multi-bit register with an unmodified state.
A method of operation in a digital memory circuit comprising a plurality of multi-bit registers, a memory circuit interface, and logic circuitry coupled between said registers and said interface, said method comprising the steps of:
- (A) receiving data from said memory circuit interface;
- (B) transferring current bit-values from a selected register to said logic circuitry;
- (C) combining, at said logic circuitry, said received data and said current-bit values to write, in accordance with said received data, a new bit value to at least one first bit position while leaving at least one second bit position with an unmodified bit value;
- and
- (D) transferring said bit-values from said control logic to said selected register.
A digital memory circuit comprising:
- means for storing a plurality of multi-bit values;
- means for accessing a selected multi-bit value from said plurality of multi-bit values;
- means for modifying a bit value coupled between said storage means and said accessing means, wherein a selected one of said multi-bit values is combined with data received from a bus, to selectively write a new bit value to at least one first bit from said selected multi-bit value while leaving at least one second bit from said selected multi-bit value with an unmodified state.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.