| They should.
All floating point operations are handled by the hardware FPU
unit, introduced as the optional
8087 processor in 1980, and later integrated into the core CPU with the
80487DX line of processors. To my knowledge there is no x86 processor without a
hardware FPU on the main silicon die. As a consequence, none of the floating
point operations are done is software, in any mainstream Linux distribution
except for perhaps some embedded processors for micro-controllers that lack that
physical hardware.
GCC on the other hand can be forced to use floating point emulation, but
that is not the default. One would only resort to that if there is no support
hardware, or that hardware was insufficient to perform the required operations.
Bottom line, if you have such a patent, sue Intel. But you will have a real
hard time proving there is no prior art here. What's more, you need to prove
that the registers in that CPU/emulation-layer carry out the required operations
down to the number of bits specified in the patent for each sub-register, for
each step, binary test, or comparison found in the said algorithm. Look at the
patent diagrams to see how specific those bit alignments are in the patent.
Whether implemented in hardware or software, you can't make a bit test or
comparison if you don't store the information that needs to be tested.
What
really bothers me about some of these patents, is they include specific
information (e.g. diagrams) in the patent that are in turn are completely
ignored when it comes to the claims section. Which is it? Do you use 'registers'
the way they are depicted in the diagrams or don't you? If so, SAY that in the
claims section, exactly how is is done! If the claims are over-broad, such that
the patent can be applied where it was not intended, then the patent should be
rejected as a consequence. If you have a diagram it should be supported *in* the
claims, not just pretty pictures to fill up space.
---
The
Investors IP Law: The future health of a Corporation is measured as the inverse
of the number of IP lawsuits they are currently litigating. [ Reply to This | Parent | # ]
| 
