Abstract: A method and apparatus for cooling chips on a computer memory module. The apparatus includes a primary and secondary heat spreaders, at least a first heatpipe coupled to the primary heat spreader and having a remote portion spaced apart from the primary heat spreader and thermally contacting the secondary heat spreader, and a coolant within the first heatpipe and the primary heat spreader so as to absorb heat from the primary heat spreader and conduct the heat to the secondary heat spreader. The primary heat spreader has at least two panels configured to engage the memory module therebetween, with facing contact surfaces of the panels adapted for thermal contact with the module chips. The secondary heat spreader is configured to increase surface dissipation of heat from the first heatpipe into the environment. The coolant has a boiling point at or below a maximum preselected operating temperature of the module chips.

Abstract: A mass storage device having at least one flash memory device and DRAM or SRAM-based cache within a package, and which comprises a co-processor within the package for performing compression and decompression of cached data before writing the cached data to the flash memory device.

Abstract: A flash drive and method of transferring data from a system to a flash drive. The flash drive includes a casing, a plurality of flash memory devices within the casing, each of the flash memory devices having multilevel cells, an IEEE 1394 interface controller within the casing, coupled to the flash memory devices, and interfacing with the flash memory devices for interleaved multichannel access to and from at least two of the flash memory devices, and at least one IEEE 1394 interface connector projecting from the casing for interfacing the flash memory devices with a system through the controller. The method entails coupling a plurality of multilevel cell flash memory devices to a system through an IEEE 1394 interface controller and at least one IEEE 1394 interface connector, and performing interleaved multichannel access to and from at least two of the flash memory devices.

Abstract: A system (10) and method for monitoring power consumption of a computer system component, such as a central processing unit (CPU), of a desktop computer system. The component is supplied with supply power from a power supply unit (22) of the computer through a power supply cable (14). A coupling (12) is disposed between the power supply unit (22) and a substrate (e.g., motherboard) on which the component is mounted, and is electrically connected to at least one power supply line (18) of the power supply cable (14) and a power supply connector (24) on the substrate (20). The power supply line (18) carries a supply voltage, and one or more devices (26,34,36,46) associated with the coupling (12) determine current flow through the power supply line (18) and provide a power consumption reading for the component based on the supply voltage and the current flow through the power supply line (18).

Abstract: A gaming headset adapted for precise delivery of chemical substances capable of olfactory stimulation, such as odorants, fragrances, pheromones, etc. The headset includes at least one earpiece containing a speaker, a feature for securing the earpiece to the person's head while positioning the speaker over one of the person's ears when the headset is worn, an armature disposed relative to the earpiece so as to extend toward the person's mouth, a microphone located on the armature so as to be located in front of the person's mouth, and a feature supported by and extending along the armature for delivering at least one chemical substance to the person's nostril's when the headset is worn.

Abstract: An apparatus for buffering power transients in a supply power for expansion cards inserted into expansion slots on a computer motherboard. The apparatus comprises a printed circuit board, a connector on the printed circuit board, and at least one capacitor on the printed circuit board. The connector is configured to fit into one of the expansion slots on the motherboard, and comprises at least one power pin and at least one ground pin. The at least one capacitor is connected to the power and ground pins of the connector and has sufficient capacitance to buffer power transients within the supply power to the expansion slots.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing power to a memory array of a computer's memory subsystem, and more particularly power at a level greater than that available through the computer motherboard so as to boost memory performance and operational stability. The apparatus includes a supply device for supplying an input voltage to the memory subsystem at a level that is higher than the power level provided to the memory subsystem by the motherboard. The method entails electrically connecting the supply device to the memory subsystem, and then electrically connecting a power source to the device to deliver the input voltage to the memory subsystem. The additional input voltage supplied to the memory subsystem causes memory chips on memory modules of the memory subsystem to run at higher frequencies, such that the various internal operations of the memory, such as reading and writing, occur more quickly.

Abstract: A heat spreader and method for thermal management of a computer memory module by promoting natural convection cooling of the memory module. The heat spreader includes a frame surrounding a planar body adapted to be mounted to a memory module of a computer, and a grid defined in the planar body by a plurality of uniformly distributed perforations. The perforations extend through the planar body to allow natural convention between an interior space beneath the planar body and an exterior space above the planar body.

Abstract: A memory module having at least one random access memory device and a memory bus on a substrate. The memory module further comprises an SRAM cache interfaced with the random access memory device through an ASIC associated with the SRAM cache and operable as a prefetch controller for the SRAM cache. The ASIC and SRAM cache cooperate to enable data to be prefetched and cached during idle cycles of the memory device, thereby increasing the overall operating speed of the memory circuit by minimizing latencies should the prefetched data be requested. The ASIC can be programmed to prefetch not only data from the originally accessed row during a read operation, but also to speculatively prefetch data from logically coherent rows in order to anticipate and counteract a page miss and the associated latencies based on the locality of data.

Abstract: A mass storage device having at least one flash memory device and DRAM or SRAM-based cache within a package, and which comprises co-processor means within the package for performing compression and decompression of cached data before writing the cached data to the flash memory device.

Abstract: A memory module adapted for installation in an open memory socket on a mainboard of a computer. The memory module includes a substrate with an edge connector comprising pins along an edge of the substrate, and at least one memory package mounted to the substrate and containing a memory die electrically connected to input/output leads located along the perimeter of the memory package and through which data signals are transmitted to and from the memory die. Data signal lines electrically connect a plurality of the input/output leads of the memory package to a plurality of the pins of the edge connector. Termination resistors individually electrically connect each of the data signal lines to ground, a supply voltage, or a reference voltage of the memory package so as to reduce noise and signal reflections through the data signal lines.

Abstract: An apparatus for buffering power transients in a supply power for expansion cards inserted into expansion slots on a computer motherboard. The apparatus comprises a printed circuit board, a connector on the printed circuit board, and at least one capacitor on the printed circuit board. The connector is configured to fit into one of the expansion slots on the motherboard, and comprises at least one power pin and at least one ground pin. The at least one capacitor is connected to the power and ground pins of the connector and has sufficient capacitance to buffer power transients within the supply power to the expansion slots.