Patent ID: RE45078

Claim:
A method of operating a cache memory comprising the steps of: storing a set of data in a first space in the cache memory, the set of data associated with a set of tags , the set of data in the first space in the cache memory being comprised of a first plurality of cache lines, each cache line in the first plurality of cache lines being associated with a valid indicator indicative as to whether data associated with the cache line is valid; maintaining a first pointer to a location in the first space in the cache memory, the first pointer referencing a first cache line in the first space in the cache memory; maintaining a second pointer to a location in the first space in the cache memory, the second pointer referencing a second cache line in the first space in the cache memory ; storing a subset of the set of data in a second space in the cache memory and associated with a tag, the tag associated with the subset of data and being a subset of the set of tags , the set of data in the second space in the cache memory being comprised of a second plurality of cache lines, each cache line in the second plurality of cache lines being associated with a valid indicator indicative as to whether data associated with the cache line is valid; wherein one of the second plurality of the cache lines is associated with the tag associated with the subset of data ; comparing a tag portion of an address with the tag associated with the subset of data in the second space in the cache memory; reading the subset of data in the second space when the tag portion of the address and the tag associated with the subset of data match; comparing the tag portion of the address with the set of tags associated with the set of data in the first space in the cache memory; and reading the set of data in the first space when the tag portion of the address matches one of the set of tags associated with the set of data in the first space and the tag portion of the address and the tag associated with the subset of data in the second space do not match.