Translation Lookaside Buffer Spatial Locality Entry Merging

The patent segments the translation lookaside buffer into multiple sets, where each set contains a limited number of entries. This segmentation allows the system to maintain multiple smaller buffers instead of one large buffer, reducing the power consumption of any single buffer while collectively providing the same translation capacity. The processor can selectively activate only the necessary sets based on access patterns, further optimizing power usage.

The patent implements dynamic management of TLB entries through replacement policies that actively monitor and replace least recently used entries. This dynamic approach ensures that the TLB maintains only the most relevant translation entries, optimizing the use of limited buffer resources and reducing the overall buffer size needed, thereby lowering power consumption while maintaining translation speed.

By dividing the TLB into multiple smaller sets, the patent reduces the complexity of managing a single large buffer. Each set can be independently managed with simpler control logic, reducing the overall system complexity and cost. The segmented structure also allows for more efficient hardware implementation with reduced interconnect requirements.

The patent implements a partial action approach by maintaining only the necessary number of translation entries in the TLB at any given time, rather than provisioning for all possible translations. The replacement policy ensures that entries are kept only as long as they are needed, allowing the system to use a smaller, more cost-effective buffer size while still achieving fast translation for active memory accesses.