Methods of and apparatus for allocating memory

A multi-core processing system comprising:

• plural processing cores for performing processing tasks, each processing core processing each task allocated to that processing core to produce a result for that task;
• a buffer comprising an allocated amount of memory for storing results that are produced by the plural processing cores;
• and
• a task allocator that allocates to the processing cores tasks to be processed, the task allocator indicating to the processing cores memory portions in the buffer for storing the results produced for the tasks;
• each processing core being configured to, when processing a particular task to be processed by that processing core:
• process the particular task to produce a particular result for the particular task;
• store the particular result in a particular memory portion of the allocated memory of the buffer indicated to the processing core by the task allocator;
• determine whether there is less than a threshold amount of memory remaining in the particular memory portion;
• and
• if there is less than the threshold amount of memory remaining in the particular memory portion, indicate to the task allocator that a new memory portion for the processing core is required;
• the task allocator being configured to, when a new memory portion is indicated as being required by a particular processing core:
• indicate a new memory portion to the particular processing core.

A computer readable storage medium storing computer software code which when executing on a processor performs a method of allocating memory to processing cores in a multi-core processing system, the system comprising:

• plural processing cores for performing processing tasks, each processing core processing each task allocated to that processing core to produce a result for that task;
• a buffer comprising an allocated amount of memory for storing results that are produced by the plural processing cores;
• and
• a task allocator that allocates to the processing cores tasks to be processed, the task allocator indicating to the processing cores memory portions in the buffer for storing the results produced for the tasks;
• the method comprising each processing core, when processing a particular task to be processed by that processing core:
• processing the particular task to produce a particular result for the particular task;
• storing the particular result in a particular memory portion of the allocated memory of the buffer indicated to the processing core by the task allocator;
• determining whether there is less than a threshold amount of memory remaining in the particular memory portion;
• and
• if there is less than the threshold amount of memory remaining in the particular memory portion, indicating to the task allocator that a new memory portion for the processing core is required;
• the method further comprising the task allocator, when a new memory portion is indicated as being required by a particular processing core:
• indicating a new memory portion to the particular processing core.