Array Processor Patents (Class 712/10)
  • Patent number: 8429667
    Abstract: Optimum load distribution processing is selected and executed based on settings made by a user in consideration of load changes caused by load distribution in a plurality of asymmetric cores, by using: a controller having a plurality of cores, and configured to extract, for each LU, a pattern showing the relationship between a core having an LU ownership and a candidate core as an LU ownership change destination based on LU ownership management information; to measure, for each LU, the usage of a plurality of resources; to predicate, for each LU based on the measurement results, a change in the usage of the plurality of resources and overhead to be generated by transfer processing itself; to select, based on the respective prediction results, a pattern that matches the user's setting information; and to transfer the LU ownership to the core belonging to the selected pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Junji Ogawa, Yusuke Nonaka, Yuko Matsui
  • Patent number: 8417762
    Abstract: A cooperative data stream processing system utilizing a plurality of independent, autonomous and heterogeneous sites in a cooperative arrangement process user-defined job requests over dynamic, continuous streams of data. A distributed plan is created that identifies the processing elements that constitute a job that is derived from user-defined inquiries. These processing elements are arranged into subjobs that are mapped to various sites within the system for execution. The jobs are executed across the plurality of distributed sites in accordance with the distributed plan. The distributed plan also includes requirements for monitoring and back-up of the execution sites in the event of a failure on one of those sites. Execution of the jobs in accordance with the distributed plan is facilitated by the identification of an owner site to which the distributed plan is communicated and which is responsible for driving the execution of the distributed plan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael J. Branson, Frederick Douglis, Fan Ye
  • Patent number: 8417917
    Abstract: A mechanism is provided for improving the performance and efficiency of multi-core processors. A system controller in a data processing system determines an operational function for each primary processor core in a set of primary processor cores in a primary processor core logic layer and for each secondary processor core in a set of secondary processor cores in a secondary processor core logic layer, thereby forming a set of determined operational functions. The system controller then generates an initial configuration, based on the set of determined operational functions, for initializing the set of primary processor cores and the set of secondary processor cores in the three-dimensional processor core architecture. The initial configuration indicates how at least one primary processor core of the set of primary processor cores collaborate with at least one secondary processor core of the set of secondary processor cores.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
  • Patent number: 8386752
    Abstract: A processor architecture includes a plurality of processing elements and a bus structure. Each element has at least one input port and at least one output port, each port having at least a data bus and a valid data signal line. The bus structure contains a plurality of switches arranged to connect an output port of any first processing element to the input port of any second processing element for a time interval. Each processing element sets a value on the valid data signal line of its output port to a first logic state when the associated data bus contains a transfer value and to a second logic state when it does not contain a transfer value. Each processing element enters a waiting state for a predetermined time interval when the value on the valid data signal line of the associated input port is in the second logic state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Mindspeed Technologies U.K., Limited
    Inventor: Anthony Peter John Claydon
  • Patent number: 8375395
    Abstract: A computing architecture comprises a plurality of processing elements to perform data processing calculations, a plurality of memory elements to store the data processing results, and a reconfigurable interconnect network to couple the processing elements to the memory elements. The reconfigurable interconnect network includes a switching element, a control element, a plurality of processor interface units, a plurality of memory interface units, and a plurality of application control units. In various embodiments, the processing elements and the interconnect network may be implemented in a field-programmable gate array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: L3 Communications Integrated Systems, L.P.
    Inventors: Deepak Prasanna, Matthew Pascal DeLaquil
  • Patent number: 8370844
    Abstract: Embodiments off the invention provide a mechanism for process migration on a massively parallel computer system. In particular, embodiments of the invention may be used to update process state data for a migrated compute node, such as MPI (or other communication library) state data, across a full collection of compute nodes present in a given parallel system executing a parallel task. Migrating a process form one compute node to another may be useful to address a variety of sub-optimal operating conditions. For example, one or more processes may be migrated to cure network congestion resulting from a poorly mapped task or when a compute node is predicted to experience a hardware failure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Charles Jens Archer, David L. Darrington, Patrick Joseph McCarthy, Amanda Peters, Albert Sidelnik
  • Patent number: 8359347
    Abstract: A cooperative data stream processing system is provided that utilizes a plurality of independent, autonomous and possibly heterogeneous sites in a cooperative arrangement to process user-defined job requests over dynamic, continuous streams of data. The sites negotiate peering relationships to share data and processing resources to handle the submitted job requests. These peering relationships can be cooperative or federated and can be expressed using common interest policies. Each site within the system runs an instance of a system architecture for processing job requests and is therefore a self-contained, fully functional instance of the cooperative data stream processing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael John Branson, Frederick Douglis, Bradley William Fawcett, Zhen Liu, William Waller, Fan Ye
  • Patent number: 8335909
    Abstract: A High Performance Computing (HPC) node comprises a motherboard, a switch comprising eight or more ports integrated on the motherboard, and at least two processors operable to execute an HPC job, with each processor communicably coupled to the integrated switch and integrated on the motherboard.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: James D. Ballew, Gary R. Early
  • Patent number: 8316190
    Abstract: Computers and other computing machines and information appliances having a modified computer architecture and program structure which enables the operation of an application program concurrently or simultaneously on a plurality of computers interconnected via a communications link or network using a special distributed runtime (DRT), and that provides for a redundant array of independent computing systems that include computer code distribution using code-striping onto the plurality of the computers or computing machines. A redundant array of independent computing systems operating in concert and code-striping features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Waratek Pty. Ltd.
    Inventor: John M. Holt
  • Patent number: 8281107
    Abstract: A method of sharing a coarse grained array and a processor using the method is provided. A processor includes a first processor core including a plurality of first functional units which execute a first instruction set, a second processor core including a plurality of second functional units which execute a second instruction set, and a coarse grained array including a plurality of third functional units which execute a portion of instructions of the first instruction set and/or the second instruction set, instead of the first processor core and/or the second processor core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yeon Gon Cho, Suk Jin Kim, Sang Suk Lee, Junhee Kim, Jeongwook Kim
  • Patent number: 8261085
    Abstract: According to some implementations methods, apparatus and systems are provided involving the use of processors having at least one core with a security component, the security component adapted to read and verify data within data blocks stored in a L1 instruction cache memory and to allow the execution of data block instructions in the core only upon the instructions being verified by the use of a cryptographic algorithm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Media Patents, S.L.
    Inventor: Álvaro Fernández Gutiérrez
  • Patent number: 8252607
    Abstract: The disclosure provides a simple and effective way of synthesizing robust organic-inorganic hybrid gels and ultra-thin films using vaporization of a gel precursor. The gels are synthesized at relatively low temperature allowing the activity of the immobilized species to be maintained. The disclosure provides robust, synthetic, selective, active and/or passive transport systems in the form of functional biologically active species and mechanisms for forming them. These systems allow selective and passive or active transport of ionic, molecular and biological species through the incorporation of functional biological molecules and biomolecular assemblies in a rigid matrix.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Inventors: Gautam Gupta, Gabriel Lopez, Plamen Atanassov
  • Patent number: 8244788
    Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit device, having a plurality of processing elements accommodated on a single semiconductor chip, has a latch circuit and a selecting circuit. The latch circuit is provided at an output of each of the processing elements. The selecting circuit selects an input source from a group consisting of upper, lower, left, and right processing elements and a zero signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Semiconductor Technology Academic Research Center
    Inventors: Masatoshi Ishikawa, Idaku Ishii, Takashi Komuro, Shingo Kagami
  • Patent number: 8244931
    Abstract: Techniques for providing improved data distribution to and collection from multiple memories are described. Such memories are often associated with and local to processing elements (PEs) within an array processor. Improved data transfer control within a data processing system provides support for radix 2, 4 and 8 fast Fourier transform (FFT) algorithms through data reordering or bit-reversed addressing across multiple PEs, carried out concurrently with FFT computation on a digital signal processor (DSP) array by a DMA unit. Parallel data distribution and collection through forms of multicast and packet-gather operations are also supported.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: Edwin Franklin Barry, Nikos P. Pitsianis, Kevin Coopman
  • Patent number: 8243083
    Abstract: A system, method, and computer program product are provided for converting a scan algorithm to a segmented scan algorithm in an operator independent manner. In operation, a scan algorithm and a limit index data structure are identified. Utilizing the limit index data structure, the scan algorithm is converted to a segmented scan algorithm in an operator-independent manner. Additionally, the segmented scan algorithm is performed to produce an output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventors: Michael J. Garland, Shubhabrata Sengupta
  • Patent number: 8225073
    Abstract: The present invention concerns configuration of a new category of integrated circuitry for adaptive or reconfigurable computing. The preferred adaptive computing engine (ACE) IC includes a plurality of heterogeneous computational elements coupled to an interconnection network. The plurality of heterogeneous computational elements include corresponding computational elements having fixed and differing architectures, such as fixed architectures for different functions such as memory, addition, multiplication, complex multiplication, subtraction, configuration, reconfiguration, control, input, output, and field programmability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: QST Holdings LLC
    Inventors: Paul L. Master, Stephen J. Smith, John Watson
  • Patent number: 8225315
    Abstract: A virtual core management system including a physical core and a first virtual core including a collection of logical states associated with execution of a first program. The first virtual core is mapped to the physical core. The virtual core management system further includes a second virtual core including a collection of logical states associated with execution of a second program, and a virtual core management component configured to unmap the first virtual core from the physical core and map the second virtual core to the physical core in response to the virtual core management component detecting that the physical core is idle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignees: Oracle America, Inc., Sun Microsystems Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Yu Qing Cheng, John Gregory Favor, Peter N. Glaskowsky, Laurent R. Moll, Carlos Puchol, Joseph Rowlands, Seungyoon Peter Song
  • Patent number: 8218911
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus which applies processes to input image data is disclosed. The image processing apparatus includes a first processing section which applies processes to the image data by a specific calculating device, and a second processing section which applies processes to the image data by a general-purpose calculating program. The input image data are multilevel image data. The first processing section includes an image data binarizing unit for forming binary image data from the multilevel image data, and a multilevel image data processing section for applying a calculation process to the multilevel image data. The second processing section includes a binary image data processing section for applying a calculation process to the binary image data formed by the image data binarizing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Makoto Odamaki
  • Patent number: 8195920
    Abstract: A command engine for an active memory receives high level tasks from a host and generates corresponding sets of either DCU commands to a DRAM control unit or ACU commands to a processing array control unit. The DCU commands include memory addresses, which are also generated by the command engine, and the ACU command include instruction memory addresses corresponding to an address in an array control unit where processing array instructions are stored.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Graham Kirsch
  • Patent number: 8190855
    Abstract: An integrated circuit comprises a plurality of tiles. Each tile comprises a processor, and a switch including switching circuitry to forward data received over data paths from other tiles to the processor and to switches of other tiles, and to forward data received from the processor to switches of other tiles. The integrated circuit further comprises one or more interface modules including circuitry to transfer data to and from a device external to the tiles; and a sub-port routing network including circuitry to route data between a port of a switch and a plurality of sub-ports coupled to one or more interface modules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: Tilera Corporation
    Inventors: Carl G. Ramey, David Wentzlaff, Anant Agarwal
  • Patent number: 8185719
    Abstract: Each possessor node in an array of nodes has a respective local node address, and each local node address comprises a plurality of components having an order of addressing significance from most to least significant. Each node comprises: mapping means configured to map each component of the local node address onto a respective routing direction, and a switch arranged to receive a message having a destination node address identifying a destination node. The switch comprises: means for comparing the local node address to the destination node address to identify a the most significant non-matching component; and means for routing the message to another node, on the condition that the local node address does not match the destination node address, in the direction mapped to the most significant non-matching component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: XMOS Limited
    Inventor: Michael David May
  • Patent number: 8176298
    Abstract: An advanced processor comprises a plurality of multithreaded processor cores each having a data cache and instruction cache. A data switch interconnect is coupled to each of the processor cores and configured to pass information among the processor cores. A messaging network is coupled to each of the processor cores and a plurality of communication ports. In one aspect of an embodiment of the invention, the data switch interconnect is coupled to each of the processor cores by its respective data cache, and the messaging network is coupled to each of the processor cores by its respective message station. Advantages of the invention include the ability to provide high bandwidth communications between computer systems and memory in an efficient and cost-effective manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: NetLogic Microsystems, Inc.
    Inventor: David T. Hass
  • Patent number: 8175015
    Abstract: A media access control (MAC) processor includes a programmable controller and a memory coupled to the programmable controller to store machine readable instructions for implementing MAC functions corresponding to data received by a communication device. A hardware processor is coupled to the programmable controller. The hardware processor includes a processing engine configured to implement MAC functions on the data received by the communication device. The hardware processor additionally includes a context memory coupled to the processing engine to store state information of the processing engine corresponding to one or more contexts, and context switch logic coupled to the processing to determine when the processing engine should switch contexts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Marvell International Ltd.
    Inventors: Bhaskar Chowdhuri, Srikanth Shubhakoti, Vinod Ananth, Hongyu Xie, Shui Cheong Lee
  • Patent number: 8169434
    Abstract: An octree GPU construction system and method for constructing a complete octree data structure on a graphics processing unit (GPU). Embodiments of the octree GPU construction system and method first defines a complete octree data structure as forming a complete partition of the 3-D space and including a vertex, edge, face, and node arrays, and neighborhood information. Embodiments of the octree GPU construction system and method input a point cloud and construct a node array. Next, neighboring nodes are computed for each of the nodes in the node arrays by using at least two pre-computed look-up tables (such as a parent look-up table and a child look-up table). Embodiments of the octree GPU construction system and method then use the neighboring nodes and neighborhood information to compute a vertex array, edge array, and face array are computed by determining owner information and self-ownership information based on the neighboring nodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Kun Zhou, Minmin Gong, Baining Guo
  • Patent number: 8169440
    Abstract: A method of processing data relating to geometrical primitives is disclosed. Each of the primitives has a plurality of vertices. The method uses a plurality of processing elements in parallel with one another, and comprises assigning respective vertex data to the processing elements, on each processing element, and in parallel with one another, performing at least one processing step on vertex data to produce processed vertex data, and transferring processed vertex data between processing elements so as to assemble primitive data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Dave Stuttard, Dave Williams, Eamon O'Dea, Gordon Faulds, John Rhoades, Ken Cameron, Phil Atkin, Paul Winser, Russell David, Ray McConnell, Tim Day, Trey Greer
  • Patent number: 8151088
    Abstract: A plurality of processor tiles are provided, each processor tile including a processor core. An interconnection network interconnects the processor cores and enables transfer of data among the processor cores. The interconnection network has a plurality of dimensions and is configurable to transmit data from an initial processor core or an input/output device to an intermediate processor core based on a first dimension ordering policy, and from the intermediate processor core to a destination processor core. The first dimension ordering policy specifies an ordering of the dimensions of the interconnection network when routing data through the interconnection network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: Tilera Corporation
    Inventors: Liewei Bao, Ian Rudolf Bratt
  • Patent number: 8146092
    Abstract: A controller having a plurality of cores extracts, for each logical unit (LU), a pattern showing the relationship between a core having an LU ownership and a candidate core as an LU ownership change destination based on LU ownership management information, measures, for each LU, the usage of a plurality of resources, predicates, for each LU based on the measurement results, a change in the usage of the plurality of resources and overhead to be generated by transfer processing itself, selects, based on the respective prediction results, a pattern that matches the user's setting information, and transfer the LU ownership to the core belonging to the selected pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Junji Ogawa, Yusuke Nonaka, Yuko Matsui
  • Patent number: 8145879
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a serial processor is configured to execute software instructions in a software program in serial. A serial memory is configured to store data for use by the serial processor in executing the software instructions in serial. A plurality of parallel processors are configured to execute software instructions in the software program in parallel. A plurality of partitioned memory modules are provided and configured to store data for use by the plurality of parallel processors in executing software instructions in parallel. Accordingly, a processor/memory structure is provided that allows serial programs to use quick local serial memories and parallel programs to use partitioned parallel memories. The system may switch between a serial mode and a parallel mode. The system may incorporate pre-fetching commands of several varieties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: XMTT Inc.
    Inventor: Uzi Y. Vishkin
  • Patent number: 8139864
    Abstract: A system for correcting image characteristic data from a plurality of pixels comprises at least one field programmable gate array (FPGA), a lookup table, and a correction module. The FPGA may include a plurality of configurable logic elements and a plurality of configurable storage elements. The lookup table may be accessible by the FPGA and may store a plurality of correction components associated with each pixel, including a gain value, an offset value, and a bad pixel value. The correction module may be formed from the configurable logic elements and configurable storage elements and may receive the characteristic data and the correction components. The correction module may generate corrected data for each characteristic data by utilizing the gain value, the offset value, and the bad pixel value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: L3 Communications Integrated Systems, L.P.
    Inventors: Matthew R. Standfield, Jim D. Allen, Michael O'Neal Fox, Deepak Prasanna, Matthew P. DeLaquil
  • Patent number: 8140780
    Abstract: Disclosed are methods and devices, among which is a method for configuring an electronic device. In one embodiment, an electronic device may include one or more memory locations having stored values representative of the capabilities of the device. According to an example configuration method, a configuring system may access the device capabilities from the one or more memory locations and configure the device based on the accessed device capabilities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Harold B Noyes
  • Patent number: 8127061
    Abstract: A processor chip includes data processing elements that each has dedicated to it a respective switch for dynamically establishing an interconnection between the data processing elements conditional upon verification of a validity of the interconnection, which verification is automatically performed by at least one of the data processing elements to be interconnected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Inventors: Martin Vorbach, Volker Baumgarte, Gerd Ehlers
  • Patent number: 8127111
    Abstract: An integrated circuit comprises a plurality of tiles. Each tile comprises a processor including a storage module, wherein the processor is configured to process multiple streams of instructions, a switch including switching circuitry to forward data received over data paths from other tiles to the processor and to switches of other tiles, and to forward data received from the processor to switches of other tiles, and coupling circuitry configured to couple data resulting from processing an instruction from at least one of the streams of instructions to the storage module and to the switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Tilera Corporation
    Inventors: David Wentzlaff, Anant Agarwal
  • Patent number: 8122269
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and design structures for providing power-regulated multi-core processing. The method includes determining a configuration of processing cores for optimal power consumption. The configuration of processing cores for optimal power consumption comprises a managing core and zero or more active processing cores wherein the active processing cores are selected from one or more available processing cores operatively coupled to the managing core. The managing core receives processing requests and processes them by dynamically retaining or distributing power to the configuration of processing cores. The managing core presents an appearance of a single core to an electronic system comprising the processing cores.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: John Richard Houlihan, Dilton Monroe McGowan, II
  • Patent number: 8086824
    Abstract: A stream processing system includes a stream processing module coupled to a memory module and operable so as to fetch stream elements from the memory module, to process the stream elements fetched thereby, and to store processed stream elements in the memory module. The stream processing module includes a number (N) of stream processing units, and the memory module is configured with a number (N) of memory bank units each corresponding to a respective one of the stream processing units. The memory module is reconfigurable based on a desired inter-level configuration so that each of the memory bank units is configured to have a memory size sufficient to meet processing requirement of the respective one of the stream processing units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: National Taiwan University
    Inventors: You-Ming Tsao, Liang-Gee Chen, Shao-Yi Chien
  • Patent number: 8082372
    Abstract: Techniques for providing improved data distribution to and collection from multiple memories are described. Such memories are often associated with and local to processing elements (PEs) within an array processor. Improved data transfer control within a data processing system provides support for radix 2, 4 and 8 fast Fourier transform (FFT) algorithms through data reordering or bit-reversed addressing across multiple PEs, carried out concurrently with FFT computation on a digital signal processor (DSP) array by a DMA unit. Parallel data distribution and collection through forms of multicast and packet-gather operations are also supported.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2011
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: Edwin Franklin Barry, Nikos P. Pitsianis, Kevin Coopman
  • Patent number: 8078830
    Abstract: An integrated circuit arrangement has a processor array (2) with processor elements (4) and a memory (6) with memory elements (8) arranged in rows (32) and columns (30). The columns (30) of memory elements (8) are addressed by respective processor elements (4). An input sequencer (14) and feedback path (24) cooperate to reorder input data in the memory (6) to carry out both block and line based processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventors: Richard P. Kleihorst, Antench A. Abbo, Vishal S. Choudhary
  • Patent number: 8078829
    Abstract: A system for implementing waveform processing in a software defined radio (SDR) includes a scaleable array processor having a plurality of micro-engines (MEs) interconnected by a two dimensional topology. Each micro-engine includes multiple FIFOs for interconnecting to each other in the two dimensional topology. One micro-engine communicates with another adjacent micro-engine by way of the respective FIFOs. The micro-engines are dedicated to predetermined algorithms. The two dimensional topology includes an array of N×M micro-engines interconnected by the multiple FIFOs. The N×M are integer numbers of rows and columns, respectively, in the array of micro-engines. The micro-engines are dedicated to baseband processing of data for RF transmission or RF reception.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: ITT Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventor: Patrick Arthur McCabe
  • Patent number: 8078831
    Abstract: Apparatus, system and methods are provided for performing speculative data prefetching in a chip multiprocessor (CMP). Data is prefetched by a helper thread that runs on one core of the CMP while a main program runs concurrently on another core of the CMP. Data prefetched by the helper thread is provided to the helper core. For one embodiment, the data prefetched by the helper thread is pushed to the main core. It may or may not be provided to the helper core as well. A push of prefetched data to the main core may occur during a broadcast of the data to all cores of an affinity group. For at least one other embodiment, the data prefetched by a helper thread is provided, upon request from the main core, to the main core from the helper core's local cache.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Hong Wang, Perry H. Wang, Jeffery A. Brown, Per Hammarlund, George Z. Chrysos, Doron Orenstein, Steve Shih-wei Liao, John P. Shen
  • Patent number: 8078839
    Abstract: An electronic processing element is disclosed for use in a system having a plurality of processing elements. The electronic processing element includes an input instruction memory, an operation unit, and an output instruction memory. The input instruction memory is configured to store and retrieve a plurality of operation codes and, for each operation code, an associated output instruction memory address. The operation unit is configured to generate an output datum defined by at least a selected operation code and an associated input datum. The output instruction memory is configured to receive the output instruction memory address and to retrieve an address for an input instruction memory of a second processing element. Upon selection of an input instruction memory address and presentation of an associated input datum, the processing element generates an output datum in association with a corresponding input instruction memory address of the second processing element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Wave Semiconductor
    Inventor: Karl Fant
  • Patent number: 8078835
    Abstract: A processor for performing floating-point operations includes an array of processing elements arranged to enable a floating-point operation. Each processing element includes an arithmetic logic unit to receive two input values and perform integer arithmetic on the received input values. The processing elements in the array are connected together in groups of two or more processing elements to enable floating-point operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Core Logic, Inc.
    Inventors: Hoon Mo Yang, Man Hwee Jo, Il Hyun Park, Ki Young Choi
  • Patent number: 8068109
    Abstract: Task and data management systems methods and apparatus are disclosed. A processor event that requires more memory space than is available in a local storage of a co-processor is divided into two or more segments. Each segment has a segment size that is less than or the same as an amount of memory space available in the local storage. The segments are processed with one or more co-processors to produce two or more corresponding outputs. The two or more outputs are associated into one or more groups. Each group is less than or equal to a target data size associated with a subsequent process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Richard B. Stenson, John P. Bates
  • Patent number: 8060726
    Abstract: A SIMD microprocessor, which can be included in an image processing apparatus using an image processing method used therein, includes a global processor and multiple processor elements controlled by the global processor. Each single processor element of the multiple processor elements includes multiple operation units. The global processor is configured to control the multiple processing elements to uniformly change a configuration of the multiple operation units in the single processor element to determine a number of data units of operation according to the multiple operation units either operated individually or in cooperation with each other in the single processor element and a width of data processed per data unit of operation performed in the single processor element. A processor element number is assigned per data unit of operation to the single processor element to use for executing an operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Tomoaki Ozaki
  • Patent number: 8060725
    Abstract: A processor architecture for multimedia applications includes processor clusters providing vectorial data processing capability. Processing elements in the processor clusters process both data with a bit length N and data with bit lengths N/2, N/4, and so on according to a Single Instruction Multiple Data (SIMD) function. A load unit loads into the processor clusters data to be processed according to a same instruction. An intercluster data path exchanges data between the processor clusters. The intercluster data path is scalable to activate selected processor clusters. The processor operates simultaneously on SIMD, scalar and vectorial data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignees: STMicroelectronics S.R.L., STMicroelectronics N.V.
    Inventors: Francesco Pappalardo, Giuseppe Notarangelo, Elena Salurso, Elio Guidetti
  • Patent number: 8055879
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and product for tracking network contention on links among compute nodes of an operational group in a point-to-point data communications network of a parallel computer are disclosed. In embodiments of the present invention, each compute node is connected to an adjacent compute node in the point-to-point data communications network through a link. Tracking network contention according to embodiments of the present invention includes maintaining, by a network contention module on each compute node in the operational group, a local contention counter for each compute node, each local contention counter representing network contention on links among the compute nodes originating from the compute node; and maintaining a global contention counter, the global contention counter representing network contention currently on all links among the compute nodes in the operational group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Charles J. Archer, Amanda Peters, Brian E. Smith, Brent A. Swartz
  • Patent number: 8055878
    Abstract: A method and structure of distributing elements of an array of data in a computer memory to a specific processor of a multi-dimensional mesh of parallel processors includes designating a distribution of elements of at least a portion of the array to be executed by specific processors in the multi-dimensional mesh of parallel processors. The pattern of the designating includes a cyclical repetitive pattern of the parallel processor mesh, as modified to have a skew in at least one dimension so that both a row of data in the array and a column of data in the array map to respective contiguous groupings of the processors such that a dimension of the contiguous groupings is greater than one.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Siddhartha Chatterjee, John A. Gunnels
  • Patent number: 8051305
    Abstract: A motherboard device includes a first connecting interface coupled to a first graphics card, a second connecting interface coupled to a second graphics card, a power source connected electrically to the first connecting interface for supplying electric power to the first graphics card via the first connecting interface, and a switch unit interconnecting electrically the power source and the second connecting interface, and operable so as to switch between an ON-state, where the power source supplies electric power to the second graphics card via the second connecting interface, and an OFF-state, where the electric power from the power source is not supplied to the second graphics card.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignees: Micro-Star International Co., Ltd., MSI Electronic (Kun Shan) Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Wen-Jie Zhu
  • Patent number: 8037283
    Abstract: In a multi-core stream processing system and scheduling method of the same, a scheduler is coupled to a number (N) of stream processing units and a number (N+1) of stream fetching units, where N?2. When the scheduler receives a stream element from a Pth stream fetching unit, the scheduler assigns a Pth stream processing unit as a target stream processing unit when the Pth stream processing unit does not encounter a bottleneck condition, assigns a Qth stream processing unit, which does not encounter the bottleneck condition, as the target stream processing unit when the Pth stream processing unit encounters the bottleneck condition, where 1?P?N, 1?Q?N, and P?Q, and dispatches the received stream element to the target stream processing unit such that the target stream processing unit processes the stream element dispatched from the scheduler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: National Taiwan University
    Inventors: You-Ming Tsao, Liang-Gee Chen, Shao-Yi Chien
  • Patent number: 8024549
    Abstract: A data processor apparatus comprises a plurality of data receiving means each for receiving data from a data source; a computational element coupleable to each of said data receiving means for performing an operation on said data; and a controller for controlling the flow of data from each data receiving means to the computational element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Mtekvision Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Malcolm Stewart
  • Patent number: 8024241
    Abstract: Computer-implemented systems and methods for analyzing costs associated with a cost flow model having components of relationships and entities. A system and method can be configured to receive data associated with the cost flow model that identifies the costs associated with the relationships among the entities. One or more matrices are created that are representative of the costs and the entity relationships. One or more sparse matrix operations are performed upon the created one or more matrices in order to determine cost contribution amounts from an entity to another entity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: SAS Institute Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher D. Bailey, Dmitry V. Golovashkin
  • Patent number: 8010917
    Abstract: Disclosed is an improved method and system for implementing parallelism for execution of electronic design automation (EDA) tools, such as layout processing tools. Examples of EDA layout processing tools are placement and routing tools. Efficient locking mechanism are described for facilitating parallel processing and to minimize blocking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: Cadence Design Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: David Cross, Eric Nequist