Distributed Event Selection Circuitry for Multi-Source Counting

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Solution Overview

Problem

In data processing apparatuses with multiple event sources, existing solutions face significant 'wiring cost' and connectivity issues as the number of event sources increases, requiring extensive connections between event sources and shared event selection units, which can be costly and inefficient.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of dedicated event selection circuitry for each event source, combined with summation circuitry to reduce bandwidth requirements, allows for efficient counting of event occurrences across multiple sources by minimizing the distance and bandwidth needed for signal transmission, thereby reducing implementation costs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If a shared event selection unit is used for multiple event sources, then device complexity is reduced, but wiring cost and connectivity requirements increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveevent selection unit complexityVSAvoidsignal transmission distance

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the centralized event selection unit into distributed event selection circuitries, with each event source having its own dedicated selection circuitry. This segmentation reduces the wiring distance and connectivity requirements between event sources and the selection unit, while maintaining functional integration through the standardized count signal interface.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Device complexity

If a shared event selection unit is used for multiple event sources, then device complexity is reduced, but wiring cost and connectivity requirements increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveevent selection unit complexityVSAvoidwiring cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Length of moving object

If dedicated event selection circuitry is provided for each event source, then connectivity costs are reduced, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesignal transmission distanceVSAvoidevent selection circuitry quantity

Core Design Contradiction:

Length of moving objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Each event source is equipped with local event selection circuitry that is optimized for its specific event types and characteristics. This local quality approach allows each circuitry to be tailored to its event source while maintaining a standardized interface (count signal) that enables integration with the common counter, balancing complexity reduction with connectivity efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

4Length of moving object

If dedicated event selection circuitry is provided for each event source, then connectivity costs are reduced, but the number of components increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesignal transmission distanceVSAvoidnumber of event selection circuitries

Core Design Contradiction:

Length of moving objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent designs the event selection circuitries to perform the same core function of selecting and generating count signals for their respective event sources. This universality allows the system to scale by simply adding more identical circuitry modules rather than designing custom solutions for each event source, thereby reducing the practical impact of increased component quantity while maintaining connectivity efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS10691511B2Counting events from multiple sources

Publication Date: 2020.06.23 ARM LTD

AI summary

A first event source generates a first indication of a first event which has occurred in the first event source, the first indication being one of a predefined set of indications corresponding to a plurality of event types. A second event source generates a second indication of a second event which has occurred in the second event source, the second indication being one of the predefined set of indications corresponding to the plurality of event types. First event selection circuitry responds to the first indication matching a selected event type of the plurality of event types to generate a first count signal and second event selection circuitry responds to the second indication matching the selected event type of the plurality of event types to generate a second count signal. Count circuitry increments a counter in response to either the first count signal or the second count signal.