# US 2012/0236010 A1 · Page Fault Handling Mechanism

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- Number: US 2012/0236010 A1
- Document ID: US20120236010A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/048,053
- Filed: 2011-03-15
- Published: 2012-09-20
- Earliest claimed: 2011-03-15
- Inventors: Boris Ginzburg; Esfir Natanzon; Ilya Osadchiy; Ronny Ronen; Eliezer Weissmann; Yoav Zach; Robert L. Farrell
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20120236010A1

## CPC

- G06F 12/08: in hierarchically structured memory systems, e.g. virtual memory systems
- G06F 2212/302: In image processor or graphics adapter
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

Page faults arising in a graphics processing unit may be handled by an operating system running on the central processing unit. In some embodiments, this means that unpinned memory can be used for the graphics processing unit. Using unpinned memory in the graphics processing unit may expand the capabilities of the graphics processing unit in some cases.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method comprising:
handling page faults, arising in a first processing unit, by an operating system running on a second processing unit.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 including handling page faults arising in a graphics processing unit using an operating system running on a central processing unit.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2 including using a thread running on the central processing unit to reproduce and handle a page fault on the graphics processing unit.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2 including using a graphics processing unit operating system to pass a page fault to a driver on the central processing unit.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 including using unpinned shared virtual memory.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5 including sharing said unpinned virtual memory between the first and second processing units.

### Claim 7

A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions to enable a first processor to:
handle page faults, arising in a second processor, using an operating system running on said first processor.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The medium of claim 7 further storing instructions to handle page faults arising in a graphics processing unit using an operating system running on a central processing unit.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The medium of claim 8 further storing instructions to use a thread running on the central processing unit to reproduce and handle a page fault on the graphics processing unit.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The medium of claim 8 further storing instructions to use a graphics processing unit operating system to pass a page fault to a driver on the central processing unit.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

The medium of claim 7 further storing instructions to use unpinned shared virtual memory.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The medium of claim 11 further storing instructions to share said unpinned virtual memory between said processors.

### Claim 13

An apparatus comprising:
a processor to handle page faults arising on another processor; and
a memory coupled to said processor.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said processor is a central processing unit.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The apparatus of claim 13 including another processor which incurs page faults and which transfers said page faults to said processor for handling.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said another processor is a graphics processing unit.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said processor uses a thread to reproduce and handle a page fault on said another processor.

### Claim 18 (depends on 13)

The apparatus of claim 13 including said processor and said another processor, wherein said another processor to pass a page fault to a driver on said central processing unit.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said another processor to use unpinned shared virtual memory.

### Claim 20 (depends on 20)

The apparatus of claim 20 wherein said processor and said another processor share said unpinned virtual memory.