Patent ID: 9459829
Filing Date: 2016-10-04
CPC Classification: G06F

Claim Text:
1. A buffer comprising: a buffer input; a buffer output; a first sub-buffer; a second sub-buffer, the second sub-buffer having less storage capacity than the first sub-buffer, the second sub-buffer having a first sub-input and a second sub-input to receive data directly from the buffer input and the first sub-buffer, respectively, a latency of the second sub-buffer for transferring data being less than a latency of the first sub-buffer for transferring data; a fill counter configured to store a buffer fill count that indicates a total amount of data stored across the first sub-buffer and the second sub-buffer, the fill counter configured to increment the buffer fill count each time a data value is transmitted directly from the buffer input to the first sub-buffer, to increment the buffer fill count each time a data value is transmitted directly from the buffer input to the second sub-buffer, and to decrement the buffer fill count each time a data value is output through the buffer output; and a controller configured to access the buffer fill count and route data among the first sub-buffer and the second sub-buffer using the buffer fill count, the controller being configured to: