Patents Examined by Yaima Campos
  • Patent number: 8255629
    Abstract: A storage apparatus receives a first and second access requests for accessing items in a same clock cycle. The apparatus includes two stores, each storing a subset of the plurality of items, the first access request being routed to a first store and the second access request to a second store; miss detecting circuitry for detecting a miss in the accessed store; item retrieving circuitry for retrieving an item whose access generated a miss from a further store; updating circuitry for selecting an item to overwrite in one of the two stores, the updating circuitry being responsive to the miss detecting circuitry detecting the miss in an access to the first or second store and to at least one further condition to update both of the two stores with the item retrieved from the further store by overwriting the selected items.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: ARM Limited
    Inventors: Paul Gilbert Meyer, David James Williamson, Simon John Craske
  • Patent number: 8250330
    Abstract: A memory controller includes ports and corresponding tables. Each port is receptive to one or more memory modules. Each table includes entries mapping memory addresses to the memory modules. Each entry corresponds to no more than one of the memory modules. The tables support asymmetric population of the memory modules within the ports; each port is capable of having a different number of memory modules relative to the other ports. The tables impose no restrictions on where the memory modules are to be inserted within the ports, both number-wise and position-wise. The tables are independently configurable; the configuration of each table is modifiable independently of the configurations of the other tables. Each table is dynamically configurable. The entries of a table are modifiable to reflect changes in the number and type of the memory modules connected, without restarting or temporarily halting the computer system containing the memory controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Eric N. Lais, Donald R. DeSota, Michael Grassi, Bruce M. Gilbert
  • Patent number: 8250304
    Abstract: A memory device comprising a cache memory with a predetermined amount of cache sets, each cache set comprising a predetermined amount of cache lines. Each cache line is operable to indicate a cache data injection into the particular cache line triggered by a bus-actor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Florian Alexander Auernhammer, Patricia Maria Sagmeister
  • Patent number: 8245010
    Abstract: A method for memory address arrangement is provided. Data of different Y coordinates is moved to operation units divided by different X coordinates, or data of different X coordinates is moved to operation units divided by different Y coordinates, so as to realize the function of simultaneously longitudinally and laterally reading and writing a plurality of batches of data, thereby preventing the limitation of only longitudinally or laterally reading and writing a plurality of batches of data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Novatek Microelectronics
    Inventor: Shang-I Liu
  • Patent number: 8245000
    Abstract: A computing device and method for managing security of a memory or storage device without the need for administer privileges. To access the secure memory, a host provides a data block containing a control command and authentication data to the memory device. The memory device includes a controller for controlling access to a secure memory in the memory device. The memory device identifies the control command in the data block, authenticates the control command based on the authentication data, and executes the control command to allow the host device to access the secure memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: STEC, Inc.
    Inventor: Mehran Ramezani
  • Patent number: 8244971
    Abstract: A memory circuit system and method are provided in the context of various embodiments. In one embodiment, an interface circuit remains in communication with a plurality of memory circuits and a system. The interface circuit is operable to interface the memory circuits and the system for performing various functionality (e.g. power management, simulation/emulation, etc.).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Suresh Natarajan Rajan, Keith R. Schakel, Michael John Sebastian Smith, David T. Wang, Frederick Daniel Weber
  • Patent number: 8239619
    Abstract: Techniques utilizing an erase-once, program-many progressive indexing structure manage data in a flash memory device which avoids the need to perform sector erase operations each time data stored in the flash memory device is updated. As a result, a large number of write operations can be performed before a sector erase operation is needed. Consequently, block-based flash memory can be used for high-speed byte access.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Macronix International Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chun-Hsiung Hung, Hsin-Yi Ho, Hsiang-Pang Li
  • Patent number: 8239646
    Abstract: A method for migrating a virtual machine disk (VM disk) from first physical storage to second physical storage while the virtual machine (VM) is running, the method comprising: (a) taking a snapshot of the VM disk as represented by a first parent VM disk stored on the first physical storage, whereby a first child VM disk is created on one of the first or second physical storage; (b) copying the first parent VM disk to the second physical storage as a second parent VM disk; (c) re-parenting the first VM child disk to the second parent VM disk; and (d) consolidating the first child VM disk and the second parent VM disk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: VMware, Inc.
    Inventors: Osten Kit Colbert, Gregory M. Hutchins, Robert Bosch, Jairam Ranganathan, Joel Baxter
  • Patent number: 8239612
    Abstract: The memory controller updates a count number based on a new assignment of a logical block to a physical block, and writes count information in the physical block to which the logical block is newly assigned. The count information is defined by the count number. The memory controller decides, based on the count number and the count information stored in each physical block, whether or not to transfer stored data in a physical block to another physical block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: TDK Corporation
    Inventors: Naoki Mukaida, Takashi Takahashi
  • Patent number: 8239608
    Abstract: Detailed herein are approaches to enabling a secure computing environment. In one approach, a computer system runs an operating system and a virtual machine management console. An input device is used to provide input to the operating system. The operating system is configured such that input received from the input device is directed to the virtual machine management console. The virtual machine management console, in turn, is configured to pass some or all of the input to a virtual machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: VMware, Inc.
    Inventor: Matt Ginzton
  • Patent number: 8234476
    Abstract: A instruction execution part of an information processing device outputs an access request including a first address information to specify an access destination based on an execution of an access command of an address space in a memory. The instruction execution part also outputs a check request including a second address information to specify a stack pointer point after extension based on an execution of a stack extension command to extend a stack included in the address space in the memory by updating a stack pointer. A protection violation detection section of the information processing device detects whether the access destination includes the plurality of the partial spaces by collating the first information with the memory protection information stored in the memory protection information storage section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Rika Ono, Hitoshi Suzuki, Junichi Sato
  • Patent number: 8230180
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for sharing multipath-accessible memory between a plurality of processors, the method including connecting the plurality of processors in read/write communication to a same shared memory region; connecting the plurality of processors in read communication to a same semaphore area; selectably connecting one of the plurality of processors in write communication to the same semaphore area; exchanging shared memory access command messages between two processors for negotiating access to the same shared memory region; and storing protected variables indicative of the currently negotiated access to the same shared memory region in the same semaphore area, wherein the shared memory region has a channel relative to each processor, each channel having at least one buffer disposed for transferring a plurality of data packets in a burst mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Young Lak Kim, Im Bum Oh, Kyoung Heon Jeong, Young Eun Park, Chul Min Jo, Sang Hyun Lee
  • Patent number: 8225036
    Abstract: A storage controller that can maintain its performance and reduce power consumption and thereby realize large capacity and low power consumption, and a method for controlling such a storage controller are provided. The storage controller includes a plurality of nonvolatile memory modules having a plurality of nonvolatile memory chips for storing data from a host computer, and a nonvolatile memory control unit for controlling data input to and output from the host computer by controlling a power source for the nonvolatile memory modules. When reading or writing data from or to a designated nonvolatile memory module at a specified time in response to a data read/write request from the host computer, the nonvolatile memory control unit controls the power source for only the designated nonvolatile memory module to be turned on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventor: Tsutomu Koga
  • Patent number: 8225297
    Abstract: Various technologies and techniques are disclosed for providing software accessible metadata on a cache of a central processing unit. A multiprocessor has at least one central processing unit. The central processing unit has a cache with cache lines that are augmented by cache metadata. The cache metadata includes software-controlled metadata identifiers that allow multiple logical processors to share the cache metadata. The metadata identifiers and cache metadata can then be used to accelerate various operations. For example, parallel computations can be accelerated using cache metadata and metadata identifiers. As another example, nested computations can be accelerated using metadata identifiers and cache metadata. As yet another example, transactional memory applications that include parallelism within transactions or that include nested transactions can be also accelerated using cache metadata and metadata identifiers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Jan Gray, Timothy L. Harris, James Larus, Burton Smith
  • Patent number: 8214601
    Abstract: The present invention provides a system with a cache that indicates which, if any, of its sections contain data having spent status. The invention also provides a method for identifying cache sections containing data having spent status and then purging without writing back to main memory a cache line having at least one section containing data having spent status. The invention further provides a program that specifies a cache-line section containing data that is to acquire “spent” status. “Spent” data, herein, is useless modified or unmodified data that was formerly at least potentially useful data when it was written to a cache. “Purging” encompasses both invalidating and overwriting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Dale Morris, Robert S. Schreiber
  • Patent number: 8209478
    Abstract: A system and method for resolving request collision in a single-port static random access memory (SRAM) are disclosed. A first SRAM part and a second SRAM part of the single-port SRAM are accessed in turn. When request collision occurs, data is temporarily stored in a first or second shadow bank associated with the first or the second SRAM part which is under access. The temporarily stored data is then transferred, at a later time, to an associated one of the first/second SRAM parts while the other one of the first/second SRAM parts is being accessed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Himax Technologies Limited
    Inventor: Chun-Yu Chiu
  • Patent number: 8209479
    Abstract: A memory circuit system and method are provided in the context of various embodiments. In one embodiment, an interface circuit remains in communication with a plurality of memory circuits and a system. The interface circuit is operable to interface the memory circuits and the system for performing various functionality (e.g. power management, simulation/emulation, etc.).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Suresh Natarajan Rajan, Keith R. Schakel, Michael John Sebastian Smith, David T. Wang, Frederick Daniel Weber
  • Patent number: 8209490
    Abstract: The present application is a protocol for maintaining cache coherency in a CMP. The CMP design contains multiple processor cores with each core having it own private cache. In addition, the CMP has a single on-ship shared cache. The processor cores and the shared cache may be connected together with a synchronous, unbuffered bidirectional ring interconnect. In the present protocol, a single INVALIDATEANDACKNOWLEDGE message is sent on the ring to invalidate a particular core and acknowledge a particular core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew Mattina, George Z. Chrysos
  • Patent number: 8205032
    Abstract: Embodiments of apparatuses, methods, and systems for decoding a virtual machine control structure identification are disclosed. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a virtual machine control structure to decode a virtual machine control structure identification data. The virtual machine control structure identification data is decoded into an address of a virtual machine control structure field and an offset. The offset is to help identify a micro-operation associated with a virtual machine architecture instruction to be executed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Sanjoy K. Mondal, Robert L. Farrell
  • Patent number: 8200913
    Abstract: An information processing system includes a plurality of PMM and data transmission paths for connection between the PMM and transmitting a value of a PMM to another PMM. A memory of each PMM holds a list of values of first items arranged in the ascending order or descending order without overlap and/or a list of values of the second item to be shared. A memory module of each PMM transmits a value contained in the value list to another PMM, receives a value contained in the value list from the another PMM, references the value list of the first item and the value list of the second item of the another PMM, and generates a list of common values considering the values contained in the value lists of the first item and the second item of all the other PMM.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Turbo Data Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: Shinji Furusho