[54] DATA-FLOW PROCESSING SYSTEM
HAVING AN INPUT PACKET LIMITING
SECTION FOR PREVENTING PACKET
INPUT BASED UPON A THRESHOLD
VALUE INDICATIVE OF AN OPTIMUM
PIPELINE PROCESSING CAPACITY
[75] Inventors: Tetsuo Yamasaki; Kenji Shima; Shinji Komori; Koichi Munakata; Yoshie Inaoka, all of Hyogo, Japan
[73] Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, Japan
[21] Appl. No.: 12,624
[22] Filed: Feb. 2,1993
Related U.S. Application Data
[63] Continuation of Ser. No. 453,579, Dec. 20, 1989, abandoned.
[30] Foreign Application Priority Data
Dec. 20, 1988 [JP] Japan 63-323118
Feb. 13, 1989 [JP] Japan 1-33389
Apr. 17, 1989 [JP] Japan 1-97194
[51] Int. CI.* G06T 15/82
[52] U.S. CI 395/800; 395/250;
395/275; 364/231.8; 364/232.22; 364/239.1;
364/DIG. 1
[58] Field of Search 395/800, 325, 275, 250;
370/60, 61, 85.2, 94.1
[56] References Cited
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
4,041,461 8/1977 Kratz et al 395/775
4,149,240 4/1979 Misunas et al 395/800
4,433,374 2/1984 Hanson et al 395/425
4,480,307 10/1984 Budde et al 395/325
4,785,204 11/1988 Terada et al 307/451
4.814.978 3/1989 Dennis 395/375
4.814.979 3/1989 Neches 187/124
4,849,968 7/1989 Turner 370/94
4,881,196 11/1989 Terada et al 395/200
4,890,281 12/1989 Balboni et al 370/60
4,920,534 4/1990 Adelmann et al 370/94.1
4,928,234 5/1990 Kitamura et al 395/425
4,953,083 8/1990 Takata et al 395/250
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OTHER PUBLICATIONS
Masao Iwoshita, "Memory Writing Circuit", Japanese Patent Application Public Disclosure No.: 77242/85, May 1985.
Yasuhiro Fujino et al., "Priority Control System for Data-Flow Computer", Japanese Patent Application Public Disclosure No.: 256048/87, Jan., 1987. Masashi Fukui et al., "Fault Detection System", Japanese Patent Application Public Disclosure No.: 28731/89, Jan. 1989.
Primary Examiner—Alyssa H. Bowler
Assistant Examiner—Alpesh M. Shah
Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Wolf, Greenfield & Sacks
[57] ABSTRACT
A data-driven type computer system including an input limiting section for monitoring a current number of packets existing in the circular pipeline of the system while being processed. The input limiting section is adapted to control packets from being inputted from the external unit when the current number of packets exceeds a specified threshold value which is greater than a minimum packet number existing in the circular pipeline and which allows the attainment of the highest possible throughput of the system. The input limiting section further includes a predictive control unit to preliminarily analyze a current data flow graph to be processed in the system and also to take order in rank a possible rate of increase in the quantity of packets generated by a copying operation as well as a possible rate of reduction in the prior processing by the system. While being stored once for buffering by an input buffer, variation in the current quantity of deposited packets is predicted by the predictive control unit every time when packets are entered from an external source or from the output section, so that they are prevented from being entered by the input limiting section when the current quantity of deposited packets is in excess of the preset limit of the hardware.
12 Claims, 15 Drawing Sheets
