Reconfiguring Patents (Class 712/15)
  • Patent number: 8607031
    Abstract: A hardware device for concurrently processing a fixed set of predetermined tasks associated with an algorithm which includes a number of processes, some of the processes being dependent on binary decisions, includes a plurality of task units for processing data, making decisions and/or processing data and making decisions, including source task units and destination task units. A task interconnection logic means interconnect the task units for communicating actions from a source task unit to a destination task unit. Each of the task units includes a processor for executing only a particular single task of the fixed set of predetermined tasks associated with the algorithm in response to a received request action, and a status manager for handling the actions from the source task units and building the actions to be sent to the destination task units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Alain Benayoun, Jean-Francois Le Pennec, Patrick Michel, Claude Pin
  • Publication number: 20130326190
    Abstract: A coarse-grained reconfigurable processor having an improved code compression rate and a code decompression method thereof are provided to reduce a capacity of a configuration memory and reduce power consumption in a processor chip. The coarse-grained reconfigurable processor includes a configuration memory configured to store reconfiguration information including a header storing a compression mode indicator and a compressed code for each of a plurality of units and a body storing at least one uncompressed code, a decompressor configured to specify a code corresponding to each of the plurality of units among the at least one uncompressed code within the body based on the compression mode indicator and the compressed code within the header, and a reconfigurator including a plurality of PEs and configured to reconfigure data paths of the plurality of PEs based on the code corresponding to each unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2013
    Publication date: December 5, 2013
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Moo-Kyoung CHUNG, Yeon-Gon CHO, Soo-Jung RYU
  • Patent number: 8589660
    Abstract: The present invention concerns a new category of integrated circuitry and a new methodology for adaptive or reconfigurable computing. The exemplary IC embodiment 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. In response to configuration information, the interconnection network is operative in real-time to configure and reconfigure the plurality of heterogeneous computational elements for a plurality of different functional modes, including linear algorithmic operations, non-linear algorithmic operations, finite state machine operations, memory operations, and bit-level manipulations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: Robert T. Plunkett, Ghobad Heidari, Paul L. Master
  • Patent number: 8555032
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a microcontroller device having a microprocessor, programmable memory components, and programmable analog and digital blocks. The programmable analog and digital blocks are configurable based on programming information stored in the memory components. Programmable interconnect logic, also programmable from the memory components, is used to couple the programmable analog and digital blocks as needed. The advanced microcontroller design also includes programmable input/output blocks for coupling selected signals to external pins. The memory components also include user programs that the embedded microprocessor executes. These programs may include instructions for programming the digital and analog blocks “on-the-fly,” e.g., dynamically. In one implementation, there are a plurality of programmable digital blocks and a plurality of programmable analog blocks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventor: Warren Snyder
  • Patent number: 8555097
    Abstract: Described herein is a reconfigurable processor which uses a distributed configuration memory structure and an operation method thereof in which power consumption is reduced. A processing unit which configures the reconfigurable processor includes a functional unit, a distributed configuration memory, a no-operation (NOP) register, and a controller. The NOP register stores information which represents whether or not a NOP operation is performed at each clock cycle. The controller controls to deactivate the distributed configuration memory at a clock cycle at which a NOP operation is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Bernhard Egger, Soo-jung Ryu, Dong-hoon Yoo
  • Patent number: 8549258
    Abstract: A configurable processing apparatus includes a plurality of processing units, at least an instruction synchronization control circuit, and at least a configuration memory. Each processing apparatus has a stall-output signal generating circuit to output a stall-output signal, wherein the stall-output signal indicates that an unexpected stall is occurred in the processing unit. The processing unit has a stall-in signal, and an external circuit of the processing unit can control whether the processing unit is stalled according to the stall-in signal. The instruction synchronization control circuit generates the stall-in signals to the processing units in response to a content stored in the configuration memory and the stall-output signals of the processing units, so as to determine operation modes and instruction synchronization of the processing units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Tzu-Fang Lee, Chien-Hong Lin, Jing-Shan Liang, Chi-Lung Wang
  • Patent number: 8543795
    Abstract: The present invention concerns a new category of integrated circuitry and a new methodology for adaptive or reconfigurable computing. The preferred IC embodiment 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. In response to configuration information, the interconnection network is operative in real-time to configure and reconfigure the plurality of heterogeneous computational elements for a plurality of different functional modes, including linear algorithmic operations, non-linear algorithmic operations, finite state machine operations, memory operations, and bit-level manipulations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: Paul L. Master, Eugene Hogenauer, Walter J. Scheuermann
  • Patent number: 8543794
    Abstract: The present invention concerns a new category of integrated circuitry and a new methodology for adaptive or reconfigurable computing. The preferred IC embodiment 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. In response to configuration information, the interconnection network is operative in real-time to configure and reconfigure the plurality of heterogeneous computational elements for a plurality of different functional modes, including linear algorithmic operations, non-linear algorithmic operations, finite state machine operations, memory operations, and bit-level manipulations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: Paul L. Master, Eugene Hogenauer, Walter James Scheuermann
  • Publication number: 20130246735
    Abstract: A reconfigurable processor based on mini-cores (MCs) includes a plurality of MCs, each MC of the MCs including a group of function units (FUs), the group of FUs having a capability of executing a loop iteration independently. The MCs include a first MC configured to execute a first loop iteration, and a second MC configured to execute a second loop iteration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Publication date: September 19, 2013
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hae-Woo Park, Won-Sub Kim
  • Patent number: 8533431
    Abstract: The present invention concerns a new category of integrated circuitry and a new methodology for adaptive or reconfigurable computing. The preferred IC embodiment 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. In response to configuration information, the interconnection network is operative in real-time to configure and reconfigure the plurality of heterogeneous computational elements for a plurality of different functional modes, including linear algorithmic operations, non-linear algorithmic operations, finite state machine operations, memory operations, and bit-level manipulations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: Paul L. Master, Eugene Hogenauer, Walter James Scheuermann
  • Patent number: 8532288
    Abstract: A cryptographic engine for modulo N multiplication, which is structured as a plurality of almost identical, serially connected Processing Elements, is controlled so as to accept input in blocks that are smaller than the maximum capability of the engine in terms of bits multiplied at one time. The serially connected hardware is thus partitioned on the fly to process a variety of cryptographic key sizes while still maintaining all of the hardware in an active processing state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Camil Fayad, John K. Li, Siegfried K. H. Sutter, Phil C. Yeh
  • Patent number: 8516222
    Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a plurality of processor core. Processing instructions in the integrated circuit includes: managing a plurality of sets of processor cores, each set including one or more processor cores assigned to a function associated with executing instructions; and reconfiguring the number of processor cores assigned to at least one of the sets during execution based on characteristics associated with executing the instructions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Anant Agarwal, David Wentzlaff
  • Patent number: 8504661
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for configuration of adaptive integrated circuitry, to provide one or more operating modes or other functionality in a communication device, such as a cellular telephone, a GSM telephone, another type of mobile telephone or mobile station, or any other type of media communication device, including video, voice or radio, or other forms of multimedia. The adaptive integrated circuitry is configured and reconfigured for multiple tasks, such as channel acquisition, voice transmission, or multimedia and other data processing. In the preferred embodiment, the configuration and reconfiguration occurs to adaptively optimize the performance of the particular activity over time, such as to increase the speed of channel acquisition, increase throughput rates, increase perceived voice and media quality, and decrease the rate of dropped communication sessions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: Paul L. Master, Bohumir Uvacek
  • Patent number: 8504659
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for configuration of adaptive integrated circuitry, to provide one or more operating modes or other functionality in a communication device, such as a cellular telephone, a GSM telephone, another type of mobile telephone or mobile station, or any other type of media communication device, including video, voice or radio, or other forms of multimedia. The adaptive integrated circuitry is configured and reconfigured for multiple tasks, such as channel acquisition, voice transmission, or multimedia and other data processing. In the preferred embodiment, the configuration and reconfiguration occurs to adaptively optimize the performance of the particular activity over time, such as to increase the speed of channel acquisition, increase throughput rates, increase perceived voice and media quality, and decrease the rate of dropped communication sessions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: Paul L. Master, Bohumir Uvacek
  • Patent number: 8504662
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for configuration of adaptive integrated circuitry, to provide one or more operating modes or other functionality in a communication device, such as a cellular telephone, a GSM telephone, another type of mobile telephone or mobile station, or any other type of media communication device, including video, voice or radio, or other forms of multimedia. The adaptive integrated circuitry is configured and reconfigured for multiple tasks, such as channel acquisition, voice transmission, or multimedia and other data processing. In the preferred embodiment, the configuration and reconfiguration occurs to adaptively optimize the performance of the particular activity over time, such as to increase the speed of channel acquisition, increase throughput rates, increase perceived voice and media quality, and decrease the rate of dropped communication sessions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: Paul L. Master, Bohumir Uvacek
  • Patent number: 8495339
    Abstract: An apparatus controls a circuit having rewritable processor elements and includes an acquiring unit that acquires information concerning a first task under execution by the circuit; a reading unit that, when the information concerning the first task is acquired, reads from a memory, a completion time of the first task; a first calculating unit that calculates a deadline time using the read completion time; an identifying unit that refers to scheduling information in the memory and identifies for a second task, the quantity of processor elements to be rewritten by the deadline time; a second calculating unit that divides the identified quantity of the processor elements by the deadline time to calculate the quantity of processor elements to be rewritten per unit time; and an executing unit that causes the circuit to rewrite the processor elements for the second task, in the quantity per unit time calculated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventor: Tatsuya Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 8490066
    Abstract: A profiler which provides information to optimize an application specific architecture processor and a program for the processor is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Dong-Hoon Yoo, Soo-Jung Ryu, Jeong-Wook Kim, Hong-Seok Kim, Hee Seok Kim
  • Patent number: 8478964
    Abstract: A processing system includes processors and dynamically configurable communication elements (DCCs) coupled together in an interspersed arrangement. A source device may transfer a data item through an intermediate subset of the DCCs to a destination device. The source and destination devices may each correspond to different processors, DCCs, or input/output devices, or mixed combinations of these. In response to detecting a stall after the source device begins transfer of the data item to the destination device and prior to receipt of all of the data item at the destination device, a stalling device is operable to propagate stalling information through one or more of the intermediate subset towards the source device. In response to receiving the stalling information, at least one of the intermediate subset is operable to buffer all or part of the data item.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Coherent Logix, Incorporated
    Inventors: Michael B. Doerr, William H. Hallidy, David A. Gibson, Craig M. Chase
  • Patent number: 8473715
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for enabling usage of an accelerator device in a processor socket is herein described. A set of inter-processor messages is utilized to initialize a configuration/memory space of the accelerator device. As an example, a first set of inter-processor interrupts (IPIs) is sent to indicate a base address of a memory space and a second set of IPIs is sent to indicate a size of the memory space. Furthermore, similar methods and apparatus' are herein described for dynamic reconfiguration of an accelerator device in a processor socket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Paul M. Stillwell, Jr., Nagabhushan Chitlur, Dennis Bradford, Linda Rankin
  • Patent number: 8468335
    Abstract: A reconfigurable data processing platform is disclosed. The reconfigurable data processing platform includes a reconfigurable universal data processing module, a configuration memory, and a reconfiguration control unit. The reconfigurable universal data processing module contains a plurality of basic units each capable of being configured to perform a unit of at least one of a logic operation and an arithmetic operation. The configuration memory is coupled to the reconfigurable universal data processing module to provide configuration information to be used to configure the plurality of basic units. Further, the reconfiguration control unit is coupled to the reconfigurable universal data processing module and the configuration memory to provide control signals for configuration of the plurality of basic units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: Shanghai Xin Hao Micro Electronics Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenneth Chenghao Lin, Haoqi Ren, Zhongmin Zhao, Bingchun Zhang, Changchun Zheng
  • Patent number: 8442927
    Abstract: A coprocessor and method for processing convolutional neural networks includes a configurable input switch coupled to an input. A plurality of convolver elements are enabled in accordance with the input switch. An output switch is configured to receive outputs from the set of convolver elements to provide data to output branches. A controller is configured to provide control signals to the input switch and the output switch such that the set of convolver elements are rendered active and a number of output branches are selected for a given cycle in accordance with the control signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: NEC Laboratories America, Inc.
    Inventors: Srimat Chakradhar, Murugan Sankaradas, Venkata S. Jakkula, Srihari Cadambi
  • Patent number: 8438250
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally pertains to systems and methods for updating script images in wireless sensor networks. In one exemplary embodiment, a system has logic that is configured to display a list of nodes of a wireless sensor network. The logic is further configured to display a script source of a first script image stored at one of the nodes in response to a selection of the one node from the displayed list of nodes. The logic is also configured to modify the script source based on user input and to convert the modified script source to a second script image. The logic is configured to transmit at least one remote procedure call through the wireless sensor network to the one node. The one node is configured to write the second script image in memory of the one node in response to the at least one remote procedure call.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2013
    Assignee: Synapse Wireless, Inc.
    Inventor: David B. Ewing
  • Patent number: 8434144
    Abstract: A system for selectively enabling a microprocessor-based system is disclosed. State information that describes the operating conditions or circumstances under which a user intends to operate the system is obtained. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, a valid hash value is determined, preferably based on the state information and preferably by locating the valid hash value within a table of valid hash values indexed by the state information. Candidate authorization information is obtained from the user, and a candidate hash value is generated by applying a hashing algorithm to the candidate authorization information, the state information, or a combination of the candidate authorization information and state information. The candidate hash value and the valid hash value are then compared, and the microprocessor-based system is enabled if the candidate hash value matches the valid hash value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, LLC
    Inventors: W. Daniel Hillis, Bran Ferren
  • Patent number: 8429379
    Abstract: A processor, integrated with re-configurable logic and memory elements, is disclosed which is to be used as part of a shared memory, multiprocessor computer system. The invention utilizes the re-configurable elements to construct persistent finite state machines based on information decoded by the invention from sequences of CISC or RISC type processor machine instructions residing in memory. The invention implements the same algorithm represented by the sequence of encoded instructions, but executes the algorithm consuming significantly fewer clock cycles than would be consumed by the processor originally targeted to execute the sequence of encoded instructions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Inventor: Christopher J. Daffron
  • 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: 8417918
    Abstract: An interrupt handling technology and a reconfigurable processor are provided. The reconfigurable processor includes a plurality of processing elements, and some of the processing elements are designated for interrupt handling. When an interrupt request occurs while the reconfigurable processor is executing a loop operation, the designated processing elements may process the interrupt request. The interrupt handling technology allows the interrupt request and the loop operation to be processed in parallel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Bernhard Egger, Dong-hoon Yoo, Soo-jung Ryu, Il-hyun Park
  • Patent number: 8412915
    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: November 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: Paul L. Master, Stephen J. Smith, John Watson
  • Patent number: 8407451
    Abstract: An information handling system includes a processor with multiple hardware units that generate program application load, store, and I/O interface requests to system busses within the information handling system. The processor includes a resource allocation identifier (RAID) that links the processor hardware unit initiating a system bus request with a specific resource allocation group. The resource allocation group assigns a specific bandwidth allocation rate to the initiating processor. When a load, store, or I/O interface bus request reaches the I/O bus for execution, the resource allocation manager restricts the amount of bandwidth associated with each I/O request by assigning discrete amounts of bandwidth to each successive I/O requester. Successive stages of the instruction pipeline in the hardware unit contain the resource allocation identifiers (RAID) linked to the specific load, store, or I/O instruction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Gavin Balfour Meil, Steven Leonard Roberts, Christopher John Spandikow
  • Patent number: 8397054
    Abstract: Problem solution speed may be increased by dynamically changing processing device computational hardware configuration in concert with respective mathematical phases of an algorithm to match accuracy demands at various phases of computation. Smaller but faster hardware structures may be increased in size using real-time partial or full reconfiguration of a processing device to apply the smallest and fastest possible computational structure for the needed accuracy during each of multiple computational phases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignee: L-3 Communications Integrated Systems L.P.
    Inventors: Antone L. Kusmanoff, Matthew P. DeLaquil, Deepak Prasanna
  • Publication number: 20130046955
    Abstract: A system and methods for improving performance of an central processing unit. The central processing unit system includes: a pipeline configured to receive an instruction; and a register file partitioned into a one or more subarrays where (i) the register file includes one or more computation elements and (ii) the one or more computation elements are directly connected to one or more subarrays.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2011
    Publication date: February 21, 2013
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Pradip Bose, Alper Buyuktosunoglu, Jeffrey Haskell Derby, Michele Martino Franceschini, Robert Kevin Montoye, Augusto J. Vega
  • 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: 8368423
    Abstract: Systems and methods for partial reconfiguration of reconfigurable application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) devices that may employ an interconnection template to allow partial reconfiguration (PR) blocks of an ASIC device to be selectively and dynamically interconnected and/or disconnected in standardized fashion from communication with a packet router within the same ASIC device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: L-3 Communications Integrated Systems, L.P.
    Inventors: Jerry Yancey, Aya N. Bennett, Timothy M. Adams, Mathew A. Sanford
  • Patent number: 8359457
    Abstract: The semiconductor device includes a controller and a plurality of dynamically reconfigurable circuits connected to one another in series below the controller to perform operations in the manner of a pipeline. The controller inputs data and reconfiguration information to the first one of the dynamically reconfigurable circuits. Each of the dynamically reconfigurable circuits includes a processing unit that performs a data computation, an updating unit that updates the reconfiguration information, and a repetition controlling unit that determines whether to repeat the computation and controls the data and the reconfiguration information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Takashi Yoshikawa, Shigehiro Asano
  • Patent number: 8356161
    Abstract: The present invention concerns a new category of integrated circuitry and a new methodology for adaptive or reconfigurable computing. The preferred IC embodiment 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. In response to configuration information, the interconnection network is operative in real-time to configure and reconfigure the plurality of heterogeneous computational elements for a plurality of different functional modes, including linear algorithmic operations, non-linear algorithmic operations, finite state machine operations, memory operations, and bit-level manipulations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: QST Holdings LLC
    Inventors: Paul L. Master, Eugene Hogenauer, Walter James Scheuermann
  • Patent number: 8327126
    Abstract: A processor has multiple cores with each core having an associated function to support processor operations. The functions performed by the cores are selectively altered to improve processor operations by balancing the resources applied for each function. For example, each core comprises a field programmable array that is selectively and dynamically programmed to perform a function, such as a floating point function or a fixed point function, based on the number of operations that use each function. As another example, a processor is built with a greater number of cores than can be simultaneously powered, each core associated with a function, so that cores having functions with lower utilization are selectively powered down.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Robert H. Bell, Jr., Louis Bennie Capps, Jr., Thomas Edward Cook, Glenn G. Daves, Ronald Edward Newhart, Michael A. Paolini, Michael Jay Shapiro
  • Patent number: 8327113
    Abstract: A dynamic reconfiguration to include on-line addition, deletion, and replacement of individual modules of to support dynamic partitioning of a system, interconnect (link) reconfiguration, memory RAS to allow migration and mirroring without OS intervention, dynamic memory reinterleaving, CPU and socket migration, and support for global shared memory across partitions is described. To facilitate the on-line addition or deletion, the firmware is able to quiesce and de-quiesce the domain of interest so that many system resources, such as routing tables and address decoders, can be updated in what essentially appears to be an atomic operation to the software layer above the firmware.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Mani Ayyar, Eric Delano, Ioannis T. Schoinas, Akhilesh Kumar, Jay Jayasimha, Jose A. Vargas
  • Patent number: 8301866
    Abstract: An information delivery apparatus includes an encoding information collection unit which collects information used to encode content information, a generation unit which predicts decode processes of the content information based on the collected information, and generates configuration information used to configure data paths required to execute the decode processes, an embedding unit which embeds the configuration information in the content information, and a delivery unit which delivers the content information embedded with the configuration information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takahiro Kurosawa
  • Patent number: 8301815
    Abstract: In a logically partitioned host computer system comprising host processors (host CPUs) partitioned into a plurality of guest processors (guest CPUs) of a guest configuration, a perform topology function instruction is executed by a guest processor specifying a topology change of the guest configuration. The topology change preferably changes the polarization of quest CPUs, the polarization related to the amount of a host CPU resource is provided to a guest CPU.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Mark S Farrell, Charles W Gainey, Jeffrey P Kubala, Donald W Schmidt
  • Patent number: 8281108
    Abstract: A processor includes a reconfigurable field of data processing cells. A register is provided where the register has a data stream memory designed to store a data stream and/or parts thereon. The register may be a RAM PAE.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Inventors: Martin Vorbach, Volker Baumgarte
  • Publication number: 20120246444
    Abstract: Provided is an apparatus and method capable of processing code to which a software pipelining is not applicable, in a CGA mode. The apparatus may include a processing unit that has a very long instruction word (VLIW) mode and a coarse-grained array (CGA) mode, and an adjusting unit configured to detect a target region to which software pipelining is not applicable, in code to be executed by the processing unit. The adjusting unit may selectively map the detected target region to one of the VLIW mode and the CGA mode according to a schedule length of the detected target region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2012
    Publication date: September 27, 2012
    Inventors: Tai-Song Jin, Dong-Hoon Yoo, Min-Wook Ahn, Jin-Seok Lee
  • Patent number: 8275973
    Abstract: A reconfigurable device comprises a plurality of processing elements, a main memory unit that stores plural pieces of circuit configuration information, a cache unit that caches circuit configuration information forwarded to at least one of the processing elements from the main memory unit, and a cache control unit that controls forwarding of circuit configuration information from the cache unit to the processing element. The cache control unit selects circuit configuration information which must be forwarded to each processing element. When the selected circuit configuration information is not stored in the cache unit, the cache control unit reads out the circuit configuration information from the main memory unit, stores the read-out circuit configuration information in the cache unit, and sends forward the circuit configuration information to the processing element from the cache unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignees: NEC Corporation, Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Takao Toi, Toru Awashima, Taro Fujii, Toshiro Kitaoka, Koichiro Furuta, Masato Motomura
  • Patent number: 8261042
    Abstract: A signal processing device is adapted for simultaneous processing of at least two process threads in a multi-processing manner. The device comprises a plurality of functional units capable of executing word- or subword-level operations on data. The device further comprises means for interconnecting the plurality of functional units, the means for interconnecting supporting a plurality of dynamically switchable interconnect arrangements, and at least one of the interconnect arrangements interconnects the plurality of functional units into at least two non-overlapping processing units each with a pre-determined topology. The device further comprises at least two control modules each assigned to one of the processing units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignees: IMEC, Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Andreas Kanstein, Mladen Berekovic
  • Patent number: 8250339
    Abstract: The present invention concerns configuration of a new category of integrated circuitry for adaptive computing. The various embodiments provide an executable information module for an adaptive computing engine (ACE) integrated circuit and may include configuration information, operand data, and may also include routing and power control information. The ACE IC comprises 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. In response to configuration information, the interconnection network is operative to configure the plurality of heterogeneous computational elements for a plurality of different functional modes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: QST Holdings LLC
    Inventors: Paul L. Master, Stephen J. Smith, John Watson
  • Patent number: 8250338
    Abstract: A mechanism for broadcasting instructions/data to a plurality of processors in a multiprocessor device via aliasing is provided. In order to broadcast data to a plurality of processors, a control processor writes to the registers that store the identifiers of the processors and sets two or more of these registers to a same value. The control processor may write the desired data/instructions to be broadcast to a portion of memory corresponding to the starting address associated with the processor identifier of the two or more processors. When the two or more processors look for a starting address of their local store from which to read, the two or more processors will identify the same starting address, essentially aliasing the memory region. The two or more processors will read the instructions/data from the same aliased memory region starting at the identified starting address and process the same instructions/data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Adam P. Burns, Steven L. Roberts, Christopher J Spandikow, Todd E. Swanson
  • Publication number: 20120204001
    Abstract: Provided is a reconfigurable processor capable of reducing the routing processing time of routing nodes by driving the routing nodes at a greater frequency than a driving frequency of the processing elements. The reconfigurable processor includes one or more processing elements configured to be driven at a first driving frequency, and one or more routing nodes configured to be provided on paths that are formed between the processing elements, and to be driven at a second driving frequency that is greater than the first driving frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2011
    Publication date: August 9, 2012
    Inventors: Bernhard Egger, Taisong Jin, Won-Sub Kim
  • 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: 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: 8214618
    Abstract: A memory management method and apparatus based on an access time in a multi-core system. In the memory management method of the multi-core system, it is easy to estimate the execution time of a task to be performed by a processing core and it is possible to secure the same memory access time when a task is migrated between processing cores by setting a memory allocation order according to distances from the processing cores to the memories in correspondence with the processing cores, translating a logical address to be processed by one of the processing cores according to the set memory allocation order into a physical address of one of the memories, and allocating a memory corresponding to the translated physical address to the processing core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jae-yong Jeong
  • Patent number: 8214573
    Abstract: A method and system for handling a management interrupt, such as a system management interrupt (SMI) and/or a platform management interrupt (PMI), includes allocating two or more processor cores from a plurality of processor cores to form a group of management interrupt handling processor cores. Generated management interrupts are directed to this first group of processor cores and not to remaining processor cores, which form a second group. At least one of the processor cores in the first group handles the management interrupt without disrupting the current operation of the processor cores in the second group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Vincent J. Zimmer, Michael A. Rothman
  • 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