Patents Assigned to ATI Technologies
  • Publication number: 20140143885
    Abstract: A device receives a request to use a software program, determines a comparison indicator based on receiving the request, and determines whether a license for the software program is valid based on a license validity indicator, stored in a secure environment, and the comparison indicator. The device permits execution of secure code stored in the secure environment when the license is determined to be valid, and prevents execution of the secure code stored in the secure environment when the license is determined to be invalid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2012
    Publication date: May 22, 2014
    Applicant: ATI Technologies ULC
    Inventors: Sergey BLOTSKY, Kathirkamanathan Nadarajah, Jianfei Ye, Xing Yue Zhang
  • Patent number: 8732415
    Abstract: In various embodiments, dedicated mask pins are eliminated by sending a data mask on address lines of the interface. A memory controller receives a request for a memory write operation from a memory client and determines the granularity of the write data from a write data mask sent by the client. Granularity, as used herein, indicates a quantity of write data to which each bit of the received write data mask applies. In an embodiment, the memory controller generates a particular write command and a particular write data mask based on the granularity of the write data. The write command generated is typically the most efficient of several write commands available, but embodiments are not so limited. The write command is transmitted on command lines of the interface, and the write data mask is transmitted on address lines of the interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: ATI Technologies ULC
    Inventors: Xiaoling Xu, Warren Kruger
  • Patent number: 8731335
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for correcting a rotation of a video frame are described. According to a method, an amount of the rotation of the video frame with respect to a reference is determined. The rotation of the video frame is corrected based at least in part on the detected amount of the rotation of the video frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: ATI Technologies ULC
    Inventors: Yubao Zheng, Philip L. Swan
  • Patent number: 8723551
    Abstract: Level shifting circuitry and corresponding enable signal generating circuitry provides improved leakage current control while eliminating the need for supplying reference voltage input in the enable signal generator. The level shifting circuitry is a type of cascode free level shifting circuit that does not include cascode transistors as in the prior art but instead utilizes cross coupled logic to provide level shifting while also utilizing enable signal controlled transistors to control leakage current through the cross coupled logic during power up sequencing. The level shifting circuitry provides improved leakage current limiting structure for power up sequencing whether a lower level supply voltage ramps up faster than the higher level supply voltage or vice a versa.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: ATI Technologies ULC
    Inventor: Junho Cho
  • Patent number: 8724674
    Abstract: A device may generate a clock signal using spread-spectrum clocking. The spread-spectrum clocking may modulate a frequency of the clock signal to produce a plurality of frequencies for the clock signal during a modulation cycle. The device may receive an instruction to disable the spread-spectrum clocking, and may disable the spread spectrum clocking at the end of the modulation cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignees: ATI Technologies ULC, Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael R. Foxcroft, Shirley Pui Shan Lam, George A. W. Guthrie, Alexander Shternshain, Mihir Doctor, Krishna Sitaraman, Jeff Herman
  • Publication number: 20140126612
    Abstract: A transmitting interconnect interface inserts clock mismatch compensation symbols into a transmitted data stream so as to allow the receiving interconnect interface to compensate for clock frequency mismatch between transmit-side and receive-side clocks. The transmitting interconnect interface adjusts the rate of insertion of these symbols based on a determination of the clock frequency mismatch. The transmitting interconnect interface can incrementally adjust the insertion rate to change substantially proportionally with changes in the clock frequency mismatch. Alternatively, the transmitting interconnect interface can set the insertion rate to one of two levels. By adapting the insertion rate to the current measured clock frequency mismatch, the bandwidth penalty incurred by transmitting clock mismatch compensation symbols in excess of that necessary to permit receiver clock tolerance compensation can be reduced, thereby permitting more transmit bandwidth to be used for transmitting data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2012
    Publication date: May 8, 2014
    Applicant: ATI Technologies ULC
    Inventors: Michael Tresidder, Gordon F. Caruk
  • Publication number: 20140129738
    Abstract: Systems and methods are used to configure a communication channel. A source device can dynamically map Display Port lanes to support both display devices and USB3.0 devices. A method for configuring a communication channel includes detecting a device connection event indicating a change to a configuration of the communication channel in response to a branch device of the communication channel satisfying a dynamic configuration capability criteria indicating that the communication channel is reconfigurable. Configuration parameters of a sink device in the communication channel are identified. The communication channel is reconfigured to carry a source data stream to the sink device based on the configuration parameters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2012
    Publication date: May 8, 2014
    Applicant: ATI Technologies ULC
    Inventor: Syed Athar Hussain
  • Publication number: 20140126665
    Abstract: A system adjusts a voltage swing of an output driver based on a supply voltage. A supply voltage monitor generates a digital code indicating the difference between the supply voltage and nominal voltage representing a preferred level for the supply voltage. An impedance controller sets the voltage swing for the output driver based on the digital code, thereby keeping the voltage swing of the output driver output signal within specified limits while maintaining an impedance match with a load coupled to the output driver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2012
    Publication date: May 8, 2014
    Applicant: ATI Technologies ULC
    Inventor: Chihou Lee
  • Patent number: 8718366
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for detecting moving text in video comprising receiving consecutive frames from a video stream, extracting a sequence of pixels from the consecutive frames, categorizing the pixels, thinning the pixels, correlating corresponding thinned pixels in the frames, identifying the peaks that are equal to or exceed a threshold, and performing further processing on the peaks to determine if the peaks contain moving text.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: ATI Technologies ULC
    Inventor: Gordon F. Wredenhagen
  • Patent number: 8698812
    Abstract: A video graphics chip includes a graphics module configured to process incoming video information in accordance with different modes to produce a video output signal and to transmit the video output signal toward a display screen for rendering of video corresponding to the video information, and a display mode module coupled to the graphics module configured to analyze the incoming video information to determine a type of video associated with the incoming video information and to send a video mode indication of a preferred video processing mode for the incoming video information to the graphics module, where the graphics module is configured to process the incoming video information in accordance with a selected mode from the plurality of different modes based on the video mode indication received from the display module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: ATI Technologies ULC
    Inventors: Edward G. Callway, David Glen, Andrew Gruber, Gaurav Arora, Philip Swan
  • Publication number: 20140098296
    Abstract: A method and apparatus provides for changing a perspective of a video such as a display perspective of an object displayed in the video. In one example, the method and apparatus changes the display perspective of an object displayed in the video based on information indicating an orientation and/or position of the recording device that captures the object on the video. To do so, the method and apparatus may determine a current display perspective for an object displayed in the video based on information indicating an orientation and/or position of the recording device. By comparing the current display perspective to a desired display perspective for the object, the method and apparatus determines an amount of display perspective adjustment for the object and selects appropriate perspective adjustment methods to carry out the adjustment. Accordingly, the display perspective adjustment is made to the video automatically for the object displayed in the video without user intervention.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2012
    Publication date: April 10, 2014
    Applicant: ATI Technologies ULC
    Inventors: Jitesh Arora, Cheng He, Jianfei Ye, Mir Ahsan
  • Publication number: 20140098849
    Abstract: A method and device for providing synchronized data output is provided. The method includes generating two data streams sending data to be presented in synchronization. Both streams are generated by the same processor-based device. The first data stream follows a first protocol and the second data stream follows a second (different) protocol. The processor of the processor-based device adjusts a data rate of the second data stream to cause a reduction in any timing offset between the streams.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2012
    Publication date: April 10, 2014
    Applicant: ATI Technologies, ULC
    Inventors: Alexander Panich, Syed Athar Hussain
  • Patent number: 8691626
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing is provided that includes placing a removable cover on a surface of a substrate. The substrate includes a first semiconductor chip positioned on the surface. The first semiconductor chip includes a first sidewall. The removable cover includes a second sidewall positioned opposite the first sidewall. A first underfill is placed between the first semiconductor chip and the surface wherein the second sidewall provides a barrier to flow of the first underfill. Various apparatus are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignees: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., ATI Technologies ULC
    Inventors: Michael Z. Su, Lei Fu, Gamal Refai-Ahmed, Bryan Black
  • Patent number: 8692594
    Abstract: A method and a phase-locked loop (PLL) for generating output clock signals with desired frequencies are described. The PLL is equipped with a ramp generator that increments or decrements a feedback divider value before providing it to a modulator. The modulator modulates the feedback divider value and provides the modulated value to a feedback divider of the PLL for performing frequency division.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignees: ATI Technologies ULC, Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael R. Foxcroft, Shirley Pui Shan Lam, George A. W. Guthrie, Alexander Shternshain, Jeffrey Herman, Mihir S. Doctor, Krishna Sitaraman
  • Publication number: 20140093003
    Abstract: A method and system is provided for allowing signals across electrical domains. The method includes applying a clock signal (of at least 1 GHz) to an electronic element in a location having first electrical properties. Data is output from the first electronic element; and received at a second electronic element located in a location having second electrical properties. The first and second electrical properties are different by either voltage and clock frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2012
    Publication date: April 3, 2014
    Applicant: ATI Technologies ULC
    Inventors: Andy Sung, Leon Lai, Daniel Wang
  • Patent number: 8680648
    Abstract: Embodiments of present invention provide methods and apparatuses for connecting and/or disconnecting nodes in a semiconductor device. Embodiments of the apparatus may include a plurality of metal layers formed above a substrate and an interconnect structure formed between first and second nodes in the plurality of metal layers. The interconnect structure includes one or more metal lines formed in each of the metal layers. The metal lines are connected by a plurality of vias. Modifying one of the metal lines in any one of the metal layers changes an electrical connection between the first and second nodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: ATI Technologies ULC
    Inventors: Omid Rowhani, Victor M. Ma
  • Patent number: 8681170
    Abstract: A method and apparatus provides pixel information for one or more displays by producing for output on a single link, packet based pixel component multi-stream information on two or more streams. A first stream may include a portion of per-pixel component values, such as RGB pixel component values, whereas the second stream of the multi-stream may include a remaining portion of the per-pixel component values, such as a corresponding alpha value. Hence, multi-streams are employed to communicate, for example, an extended pixel component format for output to one or more displays. The multi-streams are synchronized to provide the pixel component values at a proper time for the receiving display or plurality of displays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: ATI Technologies ULC
    Inventor: David I. J. Glen
  • Patent number: 8681160
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for processing data. The systems and methods include multiple processors that each couple to receive commands and data, where the commands and/or data correspond to frames of video that include multiple pixels. Additionally, an interlink module is coupled to receive processed data corresponding to the frames from each of the multiple processors. The interlink module controls a phase alignment between the processors. The interlink module selects pixels of the frames from the processed data of one of the processors based on a predetermined pixel characteristic and outputs the frames that include the selected pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: ATI Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Syed Athar Hussain, James Hunkins, Jacques Vallieres
  • Patent number: 8682100
    Abstract: A field sequence detector determines the field sequence of a series of fields of video by assessing the vertical frequency content of hypothetical de-interlaced images. Hypothetical images are formed from a currently processed field and an adjacent (e.g. previous or next) field. If the vertical frequency content is relatively high (e.g. above ½ the Nyquist frequency for the image), the hypothetical image is assessed to be formed of improperly interlaced fields, belonging to different frames. If the frequency content is relatively low, the hypothetical image is assessed to be properly assembled from fields of the same frame. The field sequence in the series of fields may be detected from the assessed frequency content for several of said series of fields. Known field sequence, such as 3:2 pull-down, 2:2 pull down, and more generally m:n:l:k pull-down sequences.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: ATI Technologies ULC
    Inventor: Daniel Doswald
  • Publication number: 20140082389
    Abstract: A system, method and a computer program product for processing media content on a media player having direct access to hardware are provided in exemplary embodiments. When the media player is initialized, an operating system is placed into a stand-by mode that decreases power consumption on an electronic device. Instead of the operating system, a hardware pipeline processes media content. A hardware pipeline is dedicated to process a media content based on the media content type. The media content is processed using the dedicated hardware pipeline to reduce the power consumption during processing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Publication date: March 20, 2014
    Applicants: ATI Technologies ULC, Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Greg Sadowski, Gabor Sines