Patent ID: 11899940
Assignee: ARM LIMITED
Field: Computer technology (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC G | IPC G

Claim 15:
16. Apparatus to perform data processing operations, the data processing operations comprising loading data items from a memory system, the apparatus comprising:
means for generating addresses for load requests;
means for buffering the load requests prior to means for handling loads carrying out the load requests to retrieve data items using the addresses of the load requests;
means for forwarding to the means for handling loads a load request buffered in the means for buffering a load request to retrieve from the memory system a series of data items comprising the data item identified by the load request, wherein the means for handling loads is responsive to the load request, to retrieve from the memory system the series of data items comprising the data item identified by the load request;
means for determining for a set of one or more subsequent load requests buffered in the means for buffering whether an address proximity condition is satisfied, wherein the address proximity condition is satisfied when all data items identified by the set of one or more subsequent load requests are comprised within the series of data items,
means for suppressing, responsive to the address proximity condition being satisfied, forwarding of the set of one or more subsequent load requests to the means for handling loads,
means for receiving the series of data items retrieved and for returning as the result of the load request the data item identified by the load request; and
means for returning, in response to the address proximity condition being satisfied, for each of the subsequent load requests in the set of one or more subsequent load requests, one or more further data items identified by the one or more subsequent load requests from the series of data items as the results of the one or more subsequent load requests.