Combination storage and processing device
OwnerAaron Bradyinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A combination storage and processing device is disclosed. A large scale integrated circuit which incorporates both random access memory storage for individual data elements and circuits which process data elements according to a fixed set of instructions is disclosed. When directed by controlling software or hardware, a plurality of the individual data elements stored in the random access memory storage are pushed through the circuits which perform fixed operations upon the data elements and return them to random access memory storage. This allows operations to be performed on the plurality of data elements without sending them through a data bus to the central processing unit of a general purpose computing device, increasing efficiency and overall computing speed.
Claims9
A combination storage and processing device comprising:
- a) an integrated circuit, the integrated circuit containing a plurality of data storage elements and a plurality of in-line computation units;
- and,
- b) a plurality of transfer pathways connecting the plurality of data storage elements and the plurality of in-line computation units such that when a plurality of individual data values stored in the plurality of data storage elements are transferred through the plurality of transfer pathways into the plurality of in-line computation units, the plurality of in-line computation units will perform a computational operation on the plurality of individual data values and transfer a plurality of computed data values back to the plurality of data storage elements through the plurality of transfer pathways.
A general purpose computing device, the general purpose computing device comprising:
- a) A central processing unit;
- b) A persistent storage device operably connected to the central processing unit through a persistent storage bus, the persistent storage device storing a software program which can be executed by the central processing unit;
- and,
- c) A combination storage and processing device operably connected to the central processing unit through a front side bus, the combination storage and processing device comprising a plurality of data storage elements each capable of storing one of a plurality of individual data values, a plurality of in-line computation units each capable of performing a computation operation on the plurality of individual data values, and a plurality of transfer pathways connecting the in-line computation units to the data storage units such that the software program can issue a plurality of commands causing the central processing unit to transfer a plurality of specific data values to the plurality of data storage elements through the front side bus and the in-line computation units to perform the computation operation on the plurality of specific data values by transferring the plurality of specific data values from the plurality of data storage elements through the plurality of transfer pathways to the in-line computation units and the plurality of in-line computation units transferring a plurality of computed data values back to the plurality of data storage elements through the plurality of transfer pathways.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.