Patent ID: 6269419
Filing Date: 2001-07-31
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
An interrupt control method used in an information processing method, comprising:a first step that holds a plurality of flags indicative of interrupt factors with respect to the respective plural interrupt request inputs and also holds a plurality of interrupt levels representative of priority orders of said interrupt request inputs;a second step that judges such an interrupt level having a top priority order by checking said held interrupt levels to thereby hold such an interrupt factor having said judged interrupt level, and also outputs an interrupt request to a processor of an information processing apparatus;a third step that generates and holds an interrupt vector in response to said held interrupt factor; anda fourth step that outputs said held interrupt vector to said processor; wherein:said first to fourth steps are carried out in a pipeline processing manner so as to control the interrupt requests with respect to said processor, whereby when an interrupt request having a higher interrupt level than that of an interrupt request under process, having a lower interrupt level, is issued, said processor interrupts the interrupt process operation under execution and then executes an interrupt process operation for said higher interrupt level, whereas when said interrupt process operation for said higher interrupt level is accomplished, said processor clears the interrupt level held in said second step and then restarts the interrupt process operation for said lower interrupt level.