Patents by Inventor Robert A. Alfieri

Robert A. Alfieri 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: 8789006
    Abstract: A system, method, and computer program product are provided for testing a circuit representation. A command line input is received at a command line interface. The command line input is translated into one or more test conditions. Additionally, a test environment configured to simulate the circuit representation and verify the one or more test conditions is generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventor: Robert Alfieri
  • Publication number: 20140184268
    Abstract: A multiplexer tree operable to control an output a sequence of data stored in a plurality of storage units in accordance with a non-linear address sequence that has less bit transition counts than a linear address sequence. The non-linear address sequence is provided to the selection inputs of the multiplexer tree and causes the levels having greater numbers of multiplexers to toggle less frequently than the levels having smaller numbers of multiplexers. The non-linear address sequence may comprise a Gray code sequence where every two adjacent addresses differ by a single bit. The non-linear address sequence may be optimized to minimize transistor switching in the multiplexer tree.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2012
    Publication date: July 3, 2014
    Applicant: NVIDIA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Robert A. Alfieri, Kelvin Kwok-Cheung Ng
  • Publication number: 20140164655
    Abstract: Synthesizable code representing first-in-first out (FIFO) memories may be used to produce FIFO memories in a hardware element or system. To more efficiently use a memory element that stores the data in a FIFO, a code generator may generate a wrapper that enables the FIFO to use a memory element with different dimension (i.e., depth and width) than the FIFO's dimensions. For example, the wrapper enables a 128 deep, 1 bit wide FIFO to store data in a memory element with 16 rows that store 8 bits each. To any system communicating with the FIFO, the FIFO behaves like a 128×1 FIFO even though the FIFO is implemented using a 16×8 memory element. To do so, the code generator may generate a wrapper which enables the folded memory element to behave like a memory element that was not folded.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2012
    Publication date: June 12, 2014
    Applicant: NVIDIA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Robert A. ALFIERI
  • Publication number: 20140153341
    Abstract: A synchronous sequential latch array generated by an automated system for generating master-slave latch structures is disclosed. A master-slave latch structure includes N/2 rows of master-slave latch pairs, an N/2-to-1 multiplexer and control logic. N is equal to the number of latches that are included in the latch array.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2012
    Publication date: June 5, 2014
    Applicant: NVIDIA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Robert A. Alfieri
  • Publication number: 20140129745
    Abstract: A First-in First-out (FIFO) memory comprising a latch array and a RAM array, the latch array being assigned higher priority to receive data than the RAM array. Incoming data are pushed into the latch array while the latch array has vacancies. Upon the latch array becoming empty, incoming data are pushed into the RAM array during a spill-over period. The RAM array may comprise two spill regions with only one active to receive data at a spill-over period. The allocation of data among the latch array and the spill regions of the RAM array can be transparent to external logic.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2012
    Publication date: May 8, 2014
    Applicant: NVIDIA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Robert A. Alfieri
  • Publication number: 20140123090
    Abstract: A system, method, and computer program product are provided for testing a circuit representation. A command line input is received at a command line interface. The command line input is translated into one or more test conditions. Additionally, a test environment configured to simulate the circuit representation and verify the one or more test conditions is generated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2012
    Publication date: May 1, 2014
    Applicant: NVIDIA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Robert Alfieri
  • Publication number: 20130343441
    Abstract: One embodiment sets forth a technique for deterministic synchronization of signals that are transmitted between different clock domains. The relative phase difference between a source clock domain and a destination clock domain is characterized and the source clock and/or the destination clock are delayed as needed to generate phase-shifted versions of the source and destination clocks for use during a deterministic operating mode. The phase-shifted versions of the source and destination clocks are non-overlapping, meaning that the rising edge of the destination clock does not occur when the source clock is asserted. The non-overlapping source and destination clocks are used by a deterministic synchronization unit to ensure that signals being transmitting from the source clock domain to the destination clock domain are not sampled within a metastability window.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2012
    Publication date: December 26, 2013
    Inventor: Robert A. ALFIERI
  • Patent number: 8429661
    Abstract: Systems and methods storing data for multi-threaded processing permit multiple execution threads to store data in a single first-in first-out (FIFO) memory. Threads are assigned to classes, with each class including one or more threads. Each class may be allocated dedicated entries in the FIFO memory. A class may also be allocated shared entries in the FIFO memory. The shared entries may be used by any thread. Data for a first thread may be stored in the FIFO memory while data for a second thread is read from the FIFO memory, even when the first thread and the second thread are not in the same class. The FIFO memory is shared between the threads to conserve die area, however each thread may be executed independently, as if each thread has a dedicated FIFO memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Nvidia Corporation
    Inventors: Robert A. Alfieri, Marcio T. Oliveira
  • Patent number: 8427495
    Abstract: Write operations to a unit of compressible memory, known as a compression tile, are examined to see if data blocks to be written completely cover a single compression tile. If the data blocks completely cover a single compression tile, the write operations are coalesced into a single write operation and the single compression tile is overwritten with the data blocks. Coalescing multiple write operations into a single write operation improves performance, because it avoids the read-modify-write operations that would otherwise be needed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventors: John H. Edmondson, Robert A. Alfieri, Michael F. Harris, Steven E. Molnar
  • Patent number: 8201172
    Abstract: Systems and methods storing data for multi-threaded processing permit multiple execution threads to store data in a single first-in first-out (FIFO) memory. Threads are assigned to classes, with each class including one or more threads. Each class may be allocated dedicated entries in the FIFO memory. A class may also be allocated shared entries in the FIFO memory. The shared entries may be used by any thread. Data for a first thread may be stored in the FIFO memory while data for a second thread is read from the FIFO memory, even when the first thread and the second thread are not in the same class. The FIFO memory may include a speculative read and a speculative write capability. The FIFO memory is shared between the threads to conserve die area, however each thread may be executed independently, as if each thread has a dedicated FIFO memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventors: Marcio T. Oliveira, Robert A. Alfieri
  • Patent number: 8094670
    Abstract: A novel network architecture that integrates the functions of an internet protocol (IP) router into a network processing unit (NPU) that resides in a host computer's chipset such that the host computer's resources are perceived as separate network appliances. The NPU appears logically separate from the host computer even though, in one embodiment, it is sharing the same chip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventors: Robert A. Alfieri, Gary D. Hicok, Paul J. Sidenblad, Mark A. Parris
  • Patent number: 8051126
    Abstract: A novel network architecture that integrates the functions of an internet protocol (IP) router into a network processing unit (NPU) that resides in a host computer's chipset such that the host computer's resources are perceived as separate network appliances. The NPU appears logically separate from the host computer even though, in one embodiment, it is sharing the same chip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventors: Gary D. Hicok, Jr., Robert A. Alfieri
  • Patent number: 7961733
    Abstract: A novel network architecture that integrates the functions of an internet protocol (IP) router into a network processing unit (NPU) that resides in a host computer's chipset such that the host computer's resources are perceived as separate network appliances. The NPU appears logically separate from the host computer even though, in one embodiment, it is sharing the same chip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventors: Robert A. Alfieri, Gary D. Hicok, Paul J. Sidenblad, Mark A. Parris
  • Patent number: 7961178
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a method and system for reordering a plurality of pixel data returned by a frame buffer in a display system. The method includes the steps of recording the order of a plurality of requests for pixel data arriving at the frame buffer as a first sequence, wherein the plurality of requests is further associated with a first request stream, associating each pixel data returned by a frame buffer partition in the frame buffer in response to the plurality of requests with an independently operating data thread, wherein each of the data threads is further associated with the first request stream and the frame buffer partition, and retrieving the pixel data for display in a same sequence as the first sequence from the data threads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventors: Robert A. Alfieri, Patrick R. Marchand
  • Patent number: 7924868
    Abstract: A novel network architecture that integrates the functions of an Internet protocol (IP) router into a network processing unit (NPU) that resides in a host computer's chipset such that the host computer's resources are perceived as separate network appliances. The NPU appears logically separate from the host computer even though, in one embodiment, it is sharing the same chip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventors: Robert A. Alfieri, Gary D. Hicok, Paul J. Sidenblad, Mark A. Parris
  • Patent number: 7870524
    Abstract: A method and system for automating unit performance testing in integrated circuit design is disclosed. One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a method, which includes the steps of generating a first performance data for the unit to operate on a workload, embedding the first performance data in the workload for a register transfer level (RTL) implementation of the unit to operate on, and determining whether the expected performance of the unit is achieved based on the comparison between the first performance data and a second performance data, wherein the second performance data is generated after the RTL implementation of the unit operates on the workload.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventors: Robert A. Alfieri, Rajeshwaran Selvanesan, Prasad Gharpure, John Douglas Tynefield, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7756148
    Abstract: Systems and methods for generating synthesizable code representing first-in first-out (FIFO) memories may be used to produce FIFO memories for multi-threaded processing. A single FIFO memory is shared between the threads to conserve die area, however each thread may be executed independently, as if each thread has a dedicated FIFO memory. A synthesizable code generator produces synthesizable code for a sender interface, storage, receiver interface, and other features that are specified by a programmer. The other features may reduce power consumption or improve timing. The code generator is used to efficiently produce different variations of FIFO memories.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventors: Marcio T. Oliveira, Robert A. Alfieri
  • Patent number: 7685371
    Abstract: A data processing system can establish or maintain data coherency by issuing a data flush operation. The data processing system can be configured as a host executing one or more independent processes using one or more lower level devices. The lower level devices can be viewed as peer devices. Any of the host or the plurality of peer devices can be configured to initiate the flush operation. A device can determine whether the initiator of a flush operation is the host or a peer device. The device can perform a flush limited to local memory, or a subset of all available memory, if a peer device initiates the flush operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventors: Samuel Hammond Duncan, Robert A. Alfieri, John H. Edmondson, David William Nuechterlein, Michael A. Woodmansee
  • Publication number: 20100049780
    Abstract: A novel network architecture that integrates the functions of an internet protocol (IP) router into a network processing unit (NPU) that resides in a host computer's chipset such that the host computer's resources are perceived as separate network appliances. The NPU appears logically separate from the host computer even though, in one embodiment, it is sharing the same chip.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2009
    Publication date: February 25, 2010
    Applicant: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventors: Gary D. Hicok, Robert A. Alfieri
  • Patent number: 7631152
    Abstract: A memory flush is processed in accordance with a state machine that keeps track of the flush states of a memory target. A memory target is not flushed if it has not been written to, or if a memory flush has already been completed for that memory target. A memory target is flushed if the memory partition is in a flush needed state or a flush pending state. Each memory target has an associated state machine, but only one state machine is maintained per memory target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2009
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventors: Robert A. Alfieri, Michael Woodmansee