Patent ID: 7254699
Filing Date: 2007-08-07
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method for accessing a first datum stored in a memory, the first datum comprising a plurality of first bytes and a plurality of second bytes, wherein a word boundary separates the first bytes from the second bytes, the first bytes including one or more first desired bytes and one or more first undesired bytes, the second bytes including one or more second desired bytes and one or more second undesired bytes, the method comprising: performing a first memory access to read out the first bytes, the first bytes residing on a first side of the word boundary; performing a first rotation operation on the first bytes to produce first rotated datum so that the first rotation operation isolates the first desired bytes from the first undesired bytes, thereby removing the first undesired bytes; performing a masking operation on a portion of the first rotated datum, thereby replacing the first undesired bytes with zeroes; storing the first rotated datum to a first data register; performing a second memory access to read out the second bytes, the second bytes residing on a second side of the word boundary, the second side being different than the first side; performing a second rotation operation on the second bytes to produce second rotated datum so that the second rotation operation isolates the second desired bytes from the second undesired bytes, thereby removing the second undesired bytes; performing a zero extension operation on a portion of the second rotated datum; thereby replacing the second undesired bytes with zeroes; storing the second rotated datum to a second data register; performing an OR operation on the content of the first data register and the second data register to produce a loaded first datum; and storing the loaded first datum to a third data register.