Patents by Inventor Markus Althoff

Markus Althoff has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11822494
    Abstract: A network switch includes a data bus, a register, an endpoint controller and a direct memory access controller. The endpoint controller is configured to receive a descriptor generated by a device driver of a host system, store the descriptor in the register, and transfer data between a root complex controller of the host system and the data bus. The descriptor identifies an address of a buffer in a memory of the host system. The direct memory access controller is configured to receive the address of the buffer from the endpoint controller or the register and, based on the address and an indication generated by the device driver, independently control transfer of the data between the memory of the host system and a network device connected to the network switch. The direct memory access controller is a receive direct memory access controller or a transmit direct memory access controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: Marvell Asia Pte, Ltd.
    Inventors: Manfred Kunz, Markus Althoff, Xiongzhi Ning
  • Publication number: 20220342838
    Abstract: A network switch includes a data bus, a register, an endpoint controller and a direct memory access controller. The endpoint controller is configured to receive a descriptor generated by a device driver of a host system, store the descriptor in the register, and transfer data between a root complex controller of the host system and the data bus. The descriptor identifies an address of a buffer in a memory of the host system. The direct memory access controller is configured to receive the address of the buffer from the endpoint controller or the register and, based on the address and an indication generated by the device driver, independently control transfer of the data between the memory of the host system and a network device connected to the network switch. The direct memory access controller is a receive direct memory access controller or a transmit direct memory access controller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2022
    Publication date: October 27, 2022
    Inventors: Manfred KUNZ, Markus Althoff, Xiongzhi Ning
  • Patent number: 11386027
    Abstract: A network switch includes a data bus, a register, an endpoint controller and a direct memory access controller. The endpoint controller is configured to receive a descriptor generated by a device driver of a host system, store the descriptor in the register, and transfer data between a root complex controller of the host system and the data bus. The descriptor identifies an address of a buffer in a memory of the host system. The direct memory access controller is configured to receive the address of the buffer from the endpoint controller or the register and, based on the address and an indication generated by the device driver, independently control transfer of the data between the memory of the host system and a network device connected to the network switch. The direct memory access controller is a receive direct memory access controller or a transmit direct memory access controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: Marvell Asia Pte, Ltd.
    Inventors: Manfred Kunz, Markus Althoff, Xiongzhi Ning
  • Publication number: 20200167300
    Abstract: A network switch includes a data bus, a register, an endpoint controller and a direct memory access controller. The endpoint controller is configured to receive a descriptor generated by a device driver of a host system, store the descriptor in the register, and transfer data between a root complex controller of the host system and the data bus. The descriptor identifies an address of a buffer in a memory of the host system. The direct memory access controller is configured to receive the address of the buffer from the endpoint controller or the register and, based on the address and an indication generated by the device driver, independently control transfer of the data between the memory of the host system and a network device connected to the network switch. The direct memory access controller is a receive direct memory access controller or a transmit direct memory access controller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2019
    Publication date: May 28, 2020
    Inventors: Manfred KUNZ, Markus ALTHOFF, Xiongzhi NING
  • Patent number: 9128920
    Abstract: A bridge includes buses, a memory, a component module, an interface and an interrupt module. The component module transfers data between a host control module and a network device via the memory and the buses. The interface is connected between the memory and the network device and transmits status information to the memory via one of the buses. The status information indicates completion of a last data transfer between the network device and the host control module. An interrupt module, subsequent to the status information being transmitted to the memory, detects a first interrupt generated by the network device, and transmits an interrupt message to the component module via the memory and the one of the buses. The component module then generates a second interrupt detectable by the host control module. The second interrupt indicates completion of data transfer between the network device and the host control module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: Marvell World Trade Ltd.
    Inventors: Xiongzhi Ning, Steffen Dolling, Markus Althoff
  • Patent number: 8144606
    Abstract: Devices, systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with a network device for interfacing a host with a network are described. One example network device includes a transmit path, and a receive path. A loopback path connects the transmit path and the receive path. A frame detection logic is configured to monitor network traffic on the transmit path to identify loopback frames. When a loopback frame is detected, a loopback logic routes the identified loopback frame onto the loopback path and then to the receive path. The rerouted loopback frame may then be received by a host or an embedded client from the receive path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Marvell International Ltd.
    Inventors: Frank Viehweg, Markus Althoff, Peter Weber
  • Patent number: 7539694
    Abstract: An apparatus having corresponding methods and computer programs comprises a memory comprising a plurality of locations each to store a node for a binary tree comprising a plurality of the nodes; a classifier to search the tree, wherein the classifier requires one node processing interval to process one of the nodes; and a processor to modify the tree, wherein the processor (a) modifies a pointer that indicates a first one of the nodes to not indicate the first one of the nodes instead, wherein a second one of the nodes is a descendant of the first one of the nodes and is separated from the first one of the nodes by N pointers, (b) waits at least N+1 node processing intervals after (a), and (c) after (b), modifies a pointer that indicates the second one of the nodes to not indicate the second one of the nodes instead.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2009
    Assignee: Marvell International Ltd.
    Inventors: Markus Althoff, Devin Gharibian-Saki