Patent ID: 7934063

Claim:
In a computer system including a cell processor having a first hardware processing element configured to service a particular function and a second hardware processing element, a method comprising: in response to said second hardware processing element of the cell processor initiating said particular function: allocating a parameter buffer in an open area of a local store (LS) memory within said second hardware processing element, wherein said LS memory comprises said open area accessible to said first hardware processing element and an isolated area inaccessible to said first hardware processing element; copying function parameters of said particular function to the parameter buffer within said open area of said LS memory; writing a message word to said open area of said LS memory, wherein said message word comprises an identification variable of said particular function and a location variable of said function parameters within said open area of said LS memory; and suspending execution of a current process on the second hardware processing element; while execution of the current process is suspended on said second hardware processing element of the cell processor, the first hardware processing element of the cell processor: reading said message word from the open area of the LS memory of the second hardware processing element into said first hardware processing element; executing said particular function identified by said message word within said first hardware processing element; and in response to completion of execution of the particular function by the first hardware processing element, the second hardware processing element resuming execution of said current process previously suspended on said second hardware processing element.