Patents Represented by Attorney W. Eric Webostad
  • Patent number: 8146045
    Abstract: A method for optimizing a high-level circuit architecture for an integrated circuit is described. Descriptions of components of the circuit architecture and optimization goals for the components are received. At least one stopping criterion for the cost functions is received. Implementations for the components are iteratively generated to provide a system from a combination of the implementations. The implementations of the components are iteratively optimized until the at least one stopping criterion is satisfied. The optimizing includes obtaining estimation models for determining cost estimates for the implementations and iteratively optimizing the implementations responsive to the cost estimates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventor: Tim Tuan
  • Patent number: 8145877
    Abstract: For address generation, a block size and a skip value are obtained, and at least one address, at least one increment value, and a step value are initialized. For a count index not in excess of a block size, iteratively performed are: selection of an output address for output from at least one phase responsive to at least the at least one address; first update of the at least one address as being equal to summation of the at least one increment and the at least one address modulo the block size; and second update of the at least one increment as being equal to summation of the at least one increment and the step value modulo the block size. The selection and the first and second updates are iteratively repeated responsive to increments of the count index to output a sequence of addresses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventors: Ben J. Jones, Colin Stirling
  • Patent number: 8136075
    Abstract: A multilevel shared database for routing for an integrated circuit is described. An aspect relates generally to a database comprising routing edges defined by tile templates. The routing edges are associated with a plurality of wire length segmentations. The tile templates are associated with tiles of an integrated circuit. The tiles are repeated circuit blocks forming an array. A portion of the tile templates are shared among a portion of the tiles such that the tile templates are less in number than the tiles. The tile templates are associated with pointers for pointing to wire templates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventors: Satyaki Das, Christopher H. Kingsley
  • Patent number: 8134418
    Abstract: A varactor circuit and voltage-controlled oscillation are described. The varactor circuit includes a first varactor, a second varactor, a third varactor, and a fourth varactor. A first source-drain node of the first varactor and a second source-drain node of the second varactor are coupled to a first input node. A first gate node for the first varactor is coupled to a first output node. A second gate node for the second varactor is coupled to a second output node. A third gate node for the third varactor and a fourth gate node for the fourth varactor are coupled to a second input node. A third source-drain node of the third varactor is coupled to the first output node. A fourth source-drain node of the fourth varactor is coupled to the second output node. In other embodiments, varactor circuits block and re-center VCO output CML.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventor: Xuewen Jiang
  • Patent number: 8136073
    Abstract: Circuit design fitting for an integrated circuit is described. A mapped design for the circuit design is obtained. A first placement of the mapped design in association with an integrated circuit is performed. Circuit blocks are marked associated with the integrated circuit with control set identifiers. A circuit object is associated with a control set identifier. A site for placement of the first circuit object is located. The site is associated with a circuit resource block, which is associated with circuit resource blocks of the integrated circuit. Nearest neighbor circuit resource blocks with respect to the circuit resource block are acquired. The nearest neighbor circuit resource blocks of the circuit resource block are categorized in response to statuses. The circuit object is placed in a nearest neighbor of the nearest neighbor circuit resource blocks of the circuit resource block for a second placement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventors: Sankaranarayanan Srinivasan, Damon McCormick
  • Patent number: 8131788
    Abstract: Determining a sum of absolute differences using a circuit is described. Pairs of inputs, including a respective current value and a respective previous value, are obtained. The previous value is subtracted from the current value for each of the pairs of inputs to provide differences and associated carries. Inverted carries are applied to the differences to pass a first portion of the differences associated with positive absolute differences and to invert and then pass a second portion of the differences associated with negative absolute differences. The inverted carries are summed. The first portion and the second portion are provided to an adder tree to generate an interim sum of absolute differences. The sum of inverted carries obtained over a number of clock cycles is added to the interim sum of absolute differences obtained over the number of clock cycles to generate a sum of absolute difference result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventor: Toader-Adrian Chirila-Rus
  • Patent number: 8116372
    Abstract: A data structure and method of use thereof for encoding video information are described. Macroblock parameters are initialized, and it is determined whether an operating point is selected. If the operating point is selected, then the following occurs: each quad of nodes of a first node level are obtained and a check for merger is done on them; each quad of nodes of a second node level is obtained and a check for merger is done on them; nodes of a third node level are obtained and check for merger is done on them; nodes of a fourth node level are obtained and a check for merger is done on them; and modes are assigned responsive to cost of combinations of encoding modes associated with possible mergers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventors: Ihab Amer, Toader-Adrian Chirila-Rus, Robert D. Turney, Wilson C. Chung, Wael Badawy
  • Patent number: 8099625
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for self-checking and self-correcting memory states of a programmable resource is described. Programmable resource of an integrated circuit has a first core and a second core instantiated therein. A first internal configuration port and a second internal configuration port of the integrated circuit are respectively connected to the first core and the second core. The second core is coupled to the first core for monitoring operation of the first core with the second core, and the second core is configured to obtain control responsive to a failure of the first core or the first internal configuration port for a self-correcting mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: XILINX, Inc.
    Inventors: Chen Wei Tseng, Weiguang Lu, Matthew P. Baker
  • Patent number: 8090755
    Abstract: A method for accumulation of information is described. The information is separated into first portions of MSBs and second portions of LSBs. The first and second portions are respectively input to a first adder and a second adder to provide first and second sums. The first and second sums are output from a first and a second storage device for feedback input respectively to the first and second adder to provide the first and second sums. A carry bit output from the second storage device is generated responsive to each wrap condition associated with the storing of the second sums in the second storage device. The carry bit is fed back to the first adder and fed forward for subsequent consolidation with the first sums respectively output from the first storage device. The first sums and the second sums are respectively accumulated as numbers represented in a redundant number system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventor: Gordon Old
  • Patent number: 8090037
    Abstract: Reducing peak-to-average power ratio (“PAPR”) for modulation and demodulation is described. Complex sample values are obtained in a time domain for orthogonal frequency division multiplexed (“OFDM”) signaling. The complex sample values are transformed into a frequency domain. The set of spectral samples is multiplied with a filter spectrum to shape the set of spectral samples to provide spectral products.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventors: Fredric J. Harris, Christopher Dick
  • Patent number: 8077776
    Abstract: Motion estimation is described. A first portion of a predicted frame is obtained. The first portion is for a first predicted value. A first subset of a reference frame is obtained. The first subset is for a first reference value. Twice the first predicted value is subtracted from the first reference value. The outcome of the subtracting is multiplied by the first reference value to produce a partial result. The partial result is used for indication of a degree of difference between the first portion and the first subset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventor: Mankit Lo
  • Patent number: 8068004
    Abstract: An embedded inductor and a method for forming an inductor are described. Spaced apart first stripes are formed substantially parallel with respect to one another as part of a first metal layer. First contacts, second contacts, and third contacts in respective combination provide at least portions of posts. Spaced apart second stripes substantially parallel with respect to one another and to the first stripes are formed as part of a second metal layer located between the first metal layer and the second metal layer. The first stripes, the posts, and the second stripes in combination provide turns of a coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventors: Nui Chong, Hong-Tsz Pan
  • Patent number: 8042079
    Abstract: Design synchronization for a High-Level Modeling System (“HLMS”) of an integrated circuit device (“IC”) is described. In a method for generating a netlist, a description of a first circuit block of a user design is input to a programmed computer system programmed with a computer-aided modeling system. The description includes output port information of the first circuit block and synchronization signal information. The computer-aided modeling system selects a circuit core for the first circuit block responsive to output port information and the synchronization signal information, the circuit core including port metadata. The computer-aided modeling system selects at least one macro responsive to the port metadata for generation of the netlist. The macro is for rate synchronized coupling of the first circuit block to a second circuit block of the user design. The computer-aided modeling system outputs the netlist including the macro.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventors: Arvind Sundararajan, Haibing Ma, Andrew Dow, Singh Vinay Jitendra
  • Patent number: 8024688
    Abstract: A method for detecting reverse engineering of a configuration bitstream for an integrated circuit is described. A user design is obtained. It is determined if the user design is a degenerate design. If the user design is a degenerate design, it is determined if a trip point for bitstream generation has been tripped. If the trip point for the bitstream generation has not been tripped, deterrence information is updated and the bitstream generation is allowed to take place. If the trip point for the bitstream generation has been tripped, at least one reverse engineering countermeasure is initiated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen M. Trimberger
  • Patent number: 8019950
    Abstract: A method for address acknowledgement is described. A memory controller interface is embedded as part of an embedded core in a host integrated circuit. Access to the memory controller interface is arbitrated with an arbiter. An accept signal is sent from the memory controller interface to the arbiter to indicate whether the memory controller interface is ready to receive a transaction. Access to the memory controller interface is requested by a master device for passing the transaction to a memory controller via the arbiter. The arbiter is a proxy for the memory controller interface responsive to the accept signal being asserted. An acknowledgement signal is sent from the arbiter as a proxy for the memory controller interface responsive to receipt of the transaction and the accept signal being asserted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventors: Alex S. Warshofsky, Ahmad R. Ansari
  • Patent number: 8018250
    Abstract: An embodiment of a method for operation of an input/output block is disclosed. For this embodiment of the method, a first attribute is set for a first disable signal for an input driver. A first tri-state condition is removed from an output driver. In response to the removing of the first tri-state condition, the input driver is placed in a second tri-state condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew H. Klein, Jian Tan, Ketan Sodha, Madan M. Patra
  • Patent number: 8006068
    Abstract: Access to data storage is described. A general-purpose processor and an auxiliary processing unit (APU) interface coupled to the general-purpose processor are provided. Data storage coupled to the general-purpose processor via the APU interface is provided for a fixed or low variable read latency access and a fixed write latency access to the data storage. A first instruction is passed to the general-purpose processor and to the APU interface. The first instruction is identified as part of a set of instructions accessible by the APU interface. The first instruction is used to write data into the data storage. A second instruction is passed to the general-purpose processor and to the APU interface. The second instruction is identified as part of the set of instructions accessible by the APU interface. The second instruction is used to read the data from the data storage, and the data is then output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventor: Glenn C. Steiner
  • Patent number: 8005881
    Abstract: A rank order filter and instantiation thereof in programmable logic is described. A maximum filter core frequency is determined for an input sampling frequency, a filter window height, and a number of input samples. The maximum filter core frequency is greater than the sampling frequency. The maximum filter core frequency may be insufficient for a word serial instantiation of the rank order filter in the programmable logic. The size of a fully parallel instantiation of the rank order filter may be excessive in programmable logic. Thus, a partially parallel filter core is instantiated for the rank order filter with overclocking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter Szántó, Gabor Szedo, Béla Fehér, Wilson C. Chung
  • Patent number: 8006021
    Abstract: A processor local bus bridge for a processor block ASIC core for embedding in an IC is described. A core logic-to-core logic bridge includes a slave processor local bus interface, a crossbar switch coupled to the slave processor local bus interface and a master processor local bus interface coupled to the crossbar switch. The slave processor local bus interface and the master processor local bus interface are coupled to one another via the crossbar switch for bidirectional communication between a first and a second portion of core logic. The bridge provides rate adaptation for bridging for use of a frequency of operation associated with the crossbar switch which has substantially greater frequencies of operation than those associated with the core logic sides of the master and slave processor local bus interfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventors: Kam-Wing Li, Jeffery H. Appelbaum, Ahmad R. Ansari
  • Patent number: 8001171
    Abstract: A pipeline Fast Fourier Transform (“FFT”) architecture for a programmable device is described. A first Radix-2 butterfly stage is coupled to receive a first input, configured to provide a first output responsive thereto, and configured to truncate at least one Least Significant Bit of the first output. A delay and swap stage is coupled to receive the first output and configured to provide a second output. A second Radix-2 butterfly stage is coupled to receive the second output and a second input, configured to provide a third output responsive thereto, and configured to truncate at least one Most Significant Bit of the third output. The first Radix-2 butterfly stage and the second Radix-2 butterfly stage are implemented in digital signal processing slices of a programmable device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventors: James M. Simkins, Vasisht Mantra Vadi, Helen Hai-Jo Tarn