Parallel processing system runtime state reload

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10802929-B2
Application number	US-201815979771-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 15, 2018
Priority date	Jan 3, 2018
Publication date	Oct 13, 2020
Grant date	Oct 13, 2020

Abstract

A parallel processing system includes at least three processors operating in parallel, state monitoring circuitry, and state reload circuitry. The state monitoring circuitry couples to the at least three parallel processors and is configured to monitor runtime states of the at least three parallel processors and identify a first processor of the at least three parallel processors having at least one runtime state error. The state reload circuitry couples to the at least three parallel processors and is configured to select a second processor of the at least three parallel processors for state reload, access a runtime state of the second processor, and load the runtime state of the second processor into the first processor. Monitoring and reload may be performed only on sub-systems of the at least three parallel processors. During reload, clocks and supply voltages of the processors may be altered. The state reload may relate to sub-systems.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A parallel processing system comprising:
at least three processors operating in parallel;
state monitoring circuitry coupled to the at least three parallel processors, the state monitoring circuitry configured to:
monitor runtime states of the at least three parallel processors; and
identify a first processor of the at least three parallel processors having at least one runtime state error; and

state reload circuitry coupled to the at least three parallel processors, the state reload circuitry configured to:
select a second processor of the at least three parallel processors for state reload;
access a runtime state of the second processor; and
load the runtime state of the second processor into the first processor,
wherein loading of the runtime state of the second processor into the first processor includes at least one of:
invalidating memory data of the first processor,
invalidating memory data of the three processors,
determining that invalidation of memory data is not required, or
repairing memory data using Error Correction Codes.

2. The parallel processing system of claim 1 , wherein the runtime states of the at least three parallel processors correspond to respective sub-systems of the at least three parallel processors.

3. The parallel processing system of claim 2 , wherein:
the parallel processing system supports autonomous driving; and
the respective sub-systems of the at least three parallel processors are safety sub-systems that determine whether autonomous driving is to be enabled.

4. The parallel processing system of claim 1 , wherein the state reload circuitry is configured to:
use a modified scan chain of the second processor to access the runtime state of the second processor; and
use a modified scan chain of the first processor to load the runtime state of the second processor into the first processor.

5. The parallel processing system of claim 1 , wherein:
accessing the runtime state of the second processor includes accessing a plurality of pipeline states of the second processor; and
loading the runtime state of the second processor into the first processor includes loading the plurality of pipeline states into the first processor.

6. The parallel processing system of claim 1 , wherein, during loading of the runtime state of the second processor into the first processor the state reload circuitry is further configured to alter at least one clock input of the first processor and at least one clock input of the second processor.

7. The parallel processing system of claim 1 , wherein, during loading of the runtime state of the second processor into the first processor the state reload circuitry is further configured to alter a supply voltage of at least one of the first processor and the second processor.

8. The parallel processing system of claim 1 , wherein loading of the runtime state of the second processor into the first processor includes invalidating memory data of the first processor.

9. A runtime state reload system of a parallel processing system that includes at least three parallel processors, the runtime state reload system comprising:
state monitoring circuitry coupled to respective sub-systems of the at least three parallel processors, the state monitoring circuitry configured to:
monitor runtime states of the respective sub-systems; and
identify a first sub-system of the respective sub-systems having at least one runtime state error; and

state reload circuitry coupled to the respective sub-systems, the state reload circuitry configured to:
select a second sub-system of the respective sub-systems;
access a runtime state of the second sub-system; and
load the runtime state of the second sub-system into the first sub-system,
wherein loading of the runtime state of the second sub-system into the first sub-system includes at least one of:
invalidating memory data of the first sub-system;
invalidating memory data of a plurality of the sub-systems;
determining that invalidation of memory data is not required; or
repairing memory data using Error Correction Codes.

10. The runtime state reload system of claim 9 , wherein the respective sub-systems are safety sub-systems of an autonomous driving system that determine whether autonomous driving is to be enabled.

11. The runtime state reload system of claim 9 , wherein the state reload circuitry is configured to:
use a modified scan chain of the second sub-system to access the runtime state of the second sub-system; and
use a modified scan chain of the first sub-system to load the runtime state of the second sub-system into the first sub-system.

12. The runtime state reload system of claim 9 , wherein:
accessing the runtime state of the second sub-system includes accessing a plurality of pipeline states of the second sub-system; and
loading the runtime state of the second sub-system into the first sub-system includes loading the plurality of pipeline states into the first sub-system.

13. The runtime state reload system of claim 9 , wherein, during loading of the runtime state of the second sub-system into the first sub-system the state reload circuitry is further configured to alter at least one clock input of the first sub-system and at least one clock input of the second sub-system.

14. The runtime state reload system of claim 9 , wherein, during loading of the runtime state of the second sub-system into the first sub-system the state reload circuitry is further configured to alter a supply voltage of at least one of the first sub-system and the second sub-system.

15. A method for operating a parallel processing system having at least three parallel processors, the method comprising:
monitoring runtime states of the at least three parallel processors;
identifying a first processor of the at least three parallel processors having at least one runtime state error;
selecting a second processor of the at least three parallel processors for state reload;
accessing a runtime state of the second processor;
invalidating local memory of the first processor; and
loading the runtime state of the second processor into the first processor.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the runtime states of the at least three parallel processors correspond to respective sub-systems of the at least three parallel processors.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
using a scan chain of the second processor to access the runtime state of the second processor; and
using a scan chain of the first processor to load the runtime state of the second processor into the first processor.

18. The method of claim 15 , further comprising altering at least one clock input of the first processor and at least one clock input of the second processor.

Assignees

• Tesla Inc

Inventors

• Bailey Daniel William
• Glasco David

Classifications

• G06F11/0724 Primary

  in a multiprocessor or a multi-core unit (multiprocessors per se G06F15/80) · CPC title

• G06F11/3013

  where the computing system is an embedded system, i.e. a combination of hardware and software dedicated to perform a certain function in mobile devices, printers, automotive or aircraft systems (testing or monitoring of control systems or parts thereof G05B23/02) · CPC title

• G06F11/267

  Reconfiguring circuits for testing, e.g. LSSD, partitioning · CPC title

• G06F11/183

  by voting, the voting not being performed by the redundant components · CPC title

• G06F11/181

  Eliminating the failing redundant component · CPC title