Memory control apparatus and memory control method
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsMakoto Fujiwara, Wataru Ochiai
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Abstract
Memory accesses to a memory device that is in a power saving mode depend on the order of the issuance thereof. Thus, a period of time during which the memory is placed in the power saving mode is sometimes shortened, resulting in less effective power savings. A memory control apparatus, which is connected with a plurality of masters and a plurality of memories having a power saving mode, arbitrates memory accesses from the plurality of the masters, monitors whether each of the plurality of the memories is in the power saving state, and determines the priorities of the memory accesses according to the result of the detection of the power saving mode.
Claims11
A memory control apparatus connected with a plurality of masters and a plurality of memories capable of making a transition to a power saving state, the memory control apparatus comprising:
- an arbitration unit configured to arbitrate memory accesses from the plurality of the masters and grant a memory access request from one of the plurality of the masters;
- and
- a monitoring unit configured to monitor whether each of the plurality of the memories is in the power saving state,
- wherein according to a detection result obtained by the monitoring unit, the arbitration unit preferentially selects a memory access request to a memory that is not in the power saving state.
A memory control apparatus connected with a plurality of masters and a plurality of memories capable of making a transition to a power saving state, the memory control apparatus comprising:
- an access storing unit configured to retain a plurality of access requests to the memories;
- a monitoring unit configured to monitor whether each of the plurality of the memories is in the power saving state;
- and
- a command generation unit configured to preferentially output from the access storing unit a memory access request to a memory that is not in the power saving state, according to a detection result obtained by the monitoring unit.
A memory control apparatus connected with a plurality of masters and a plurality of memories capable of making a transition to a power saving state, the memory control apparatus comprising:
- a queue configured to store a plurality of access requests to the memories;
- a monitoring unit configured to monitor whether each of the plurality of the memories is in the power saving state;
- and
- a reorder unit configured to reorder the access request stored in the queue according to a detection result obtained by the monitoring unit so that a memory access request to a memory that is not in the power saving state is issued first.
A method for controlling a memory in a memory control apparatus connected with a plurality of masters and a plurality of memories capable of making a transition to a power saving state, the method comprising:
- arbitrating memory accesses from the plurality of the masters and grant a memory access request from one of the plurality of the masters;
- and
- monitoring whether each of the plurality of the memories is in the power saving state;
- and
- according to a detection result obtained by the monitoring, preferentially selecting a memory access request to a memory that is not in the power saving state.
A method for controlling a memory in a memory control apparatus connected with a plurality of masters and a plurality of memories capable of making a transition to a power saving state, and including an access storing unit configured to retain a plurality of access requests to the memories, the method comprising:
- monitoring whether each of the plurality of the memories is in the power saving state;
- and
- according to a detection result obtained by the monitoring, preferentially outputting from the access storing unit a memory access request to a memory that is not in the power saving state.
A method for controlling a memory in a memory control apparatus connected with a plurality of masters and a plurality of memories capable of making a transition to a power saving state, and including a queue configured to store a plurality of access requests to the memories, the method comprising:
- monitoring whether each of the plurality of the memories is in the power saving state;
- and
- according to a detection result obtained by the monitoring, reordering the access request stored in the queue so that a memory access request to a memory that is not in the power saving state is issued first.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.