Patents Assigned to NVidia
  • Publication number: 20150201219
    Abstract: A system for, and method of, pixel data compression and a smartphone incorporating the system or the method. In one embodiment, the system includes: (1) a differential pulse code modulation encoder operable differentially to compress the two pixel values losslessly to yield two losslessly compressed pixel values and (2) an entropy encoder coupled to the differential pulse code modulation encoder and configured to receive and entropy-encode the losslessly compressed pixel values using a tiered technique to yield entropy-encoded, losslessly compressed pixel values. values using a tiered technique to yield Huffman-encoded, losslessly compressed pixel values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2014
    Publication date: July 16, 2015
    Applicant: Nvidia Corporation
    Inventors: Joshua Wise, Stephen Lew
  • Patent number: 9082674
    Abstract: A microelectronic package includes larger diameter solder bumps and smaller diameter solder bumps for coupling an interposer to a packaging substrate. The larger diameter solder bumps are positioned on a peripheral surface of the interposer and the smaller diameter solder bumps are positioned on a center surface of the interposer. The solder bumps positioned in the peripheral region can more reliably withstand the higher mechanical stresses that occur in this peripheral region during operation of the microelectronic package.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventor: Leilei Zhang
  • Patent number: 9082180
    Abstract: A system, method, and computer program product for applying a spatially varying unsharp mask noise reduction filter is disclosed. The spatially varying unsharp mask noise reduction filter generates a low-pass filtered image by applying a low-pass filter to a digital image, generates a high-pass filtered image of the digital image, and generates an unsharp masked image based on the low-pass filtered image and the high-pass filtered image. The filter also blends the low-pass filtered image with the unsharp masked image based on a shaping function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventor: Brian K. Cabral
  • Patent number: 9083577
    Abstract: A sampler circuit for a decision feedback equalizer and a method of use thereof. One embodiment of the sampler circuit includes: (1) a first sampler portion including a series-coupled first master regeneration latch and first slave latch, (2) a second sampler portion including a series-coupled second master regeneration latch and second slave latch, and (3) a first feedback circuit coupled to a first node between the first master regeneration latch and the first slave latch and operable to provide a feedback signal to the second master regeneration latch to cause a bias charge to be built up therefor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: Nvidia Corporation
    Inventors: Sanjeev Maheshwari, Vishnu Balan, Arif Amin
  • Patent number: 9082212
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for dispatching pixel information in a graphics processing pipeline. A fragment processing unit in the graphics processing pipeline generates a pixel that includes multiple samples based on a portion of a graphics primitive received by a thread. The fragment processing unit calculates a set of source values, where each source value corresponds to a different sample of the pixel. The fragment processing unit retrieves a set of destination values from a render target, where each destination value corresponds to a different source value. The fragment processing unit blends each source value with a corresponding destination value to create a set of final values, and creates one or more dispatch messages to store the set of final values in a set of output registers. One advantage of the disclosed techniques is that pixel shader programs perform per-sample operations with increased efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventors: Jerome F. Duluk, Jr., Jesse David Hall
  • Patent number: 9084269
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for processing a signal using a recursive method for determining a plurality of frequency components of the signal, the signal being a chirp-like polyphase sequence, wherein a first frequency component of the plurality of frequency components is determined; a component factor is determined by accessing a factor table for use in determining a second frequency component of the plurality of frequency components; and the second frequency component is determined using the determined first frequency component and the determined component factor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: Nvidia Technology UK Limited
    Inventors: Tarik Tabet, Nallepilli Ramesh, Godfrey Costa
  • Patent number: 9081681
    Abstract: A method for compressing normal maps in a computer system. The method includes accessing a map of input normals. A memory block having a first portion and a second portion is defined. A table of indices is stored in the first portion of the memory block and a table of normals is stored in the second portion of the memory block. The indices of the first portion of the memory block reference the normals of the second portion. The normals in the second portion of the memory block are unit normals of a sphere defined to represent the map of input normals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: NVIDIA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Walter E. Donovan
  • Patent number: 9084362
    Abstract: Disclosed are a method and system to reduce impedance of printed circuit boards through an interconnecting of printed circuit boards using a square wave pattern of plated-through holes. A method of connecting a first printed circuit board to a second printed circuit board comprises forming a square wave pattern of the first printed circuit board and the second printed circuit board and adjoining the first printed circuit board and the second printed circuit board. The method also involves producing plated-through holes along the square wave pattern, a top section, and/or a bottom section of the adjoined first printed circuit board and second printed circuit board. The method further involves securing the top section and the bottom section using a first metal clip and a second metal clip, respectively, and connecting the first printed circuit board to the second printed circuit board by a wave soldering process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventor: Shuang Xu
  • Patent number: 9081535
    Abstract: Disclosed are methods, an apparatus and a system of automatic topology configuration through automatic profiles across multiple display units. A method of a display driver involves automatically identifying a hardware profile data associated with a plurality of display units, applying a logic function to the hardware profile data to create a set of automatic topology display settings when a match of the hardware profile data with a set of settings in a hardware profile lookup table is not found, and automatically applying the set of automatic topology display settings to simultaneously display a sequence of graphics signals across the plurality of display units. The method may also include automatically designating one display unit from the plurality of display units as a sample display unit and setting a scaling factor based on an automatic designation of the one display unit from the plurality of display units as the sample display unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventor: Abdeali H. Panvelwala
  • Publication number: 20150194128
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for generating a transparency effect for a computing device. The technique includes transmitting, to a camera, a synchronization signal associated with a refresh rate of a display. The technique further includes determining a line of sight of a user relative to the display, acquiring a first image based on the synchronization signal, and processing the first image based on the line of sight of the user to generate a first processed image. Finally, the technique includes compositing first visual information and the first processed image to generate a first composited image, and displaying the first composited image on the display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2014
    Publication date: July 9, 2015
    Applicant: NVIDIA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Gary D. HICOK
  • Publication number: 20150194136
    Abstract: A method for switching, including initializing an instantiation of an application and performing graphics rendering to generate a plurality of rendered frames through execution of the application in order to generate a first video stream comprising the plurality of rendered frames. The method includes sequentially loading the plurality of rendered frames into one or more frame buffers, and determining when a first bitmap of a frame that is loaded into a corresponding frame buffer matches an application signature comprising a derivative of a master bitmap associated with a keyframe of the first video stream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Publication date: July 9, 2015
    Applicant: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventors: Franck DIARD, Matt LAVOIE
  • Publication number: 20150195342
    Abstract: A method includes implementing a cluster computing system including a number of data processing devices coupled to one another in a daisy-chain configuration and communicatively coupled to a server, executing a process on the server and executing an instance of the process on each data processing device. The method also includes remotely configuring, through the server, one or more specific parameter(s) of a display unit associated with a first data processing device, a screen of the display unit, a processor thereof, a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, an algorithm executing thereon and/or a power supply of the first data processing device based on the execution of the process. Further, the method includes remotely configuring, through the server, a same one or more specific parameter(s) associated with a sequentially next data processing device of the cluster computing system based on the remote configuration associated with the first data processing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 3, 2014
    Publication date: July 9, 2015
    Applicant: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventors: Abdeali Panvelwala, Sasaank Botlaguduru
  • Publication number: 20150194111
    Abstract: A method for driving a display panel having a variable refresh rate is disclosed. The method comprises detecting a condition that results in a charge accumulation in the display panel using an accumulated difference in time duration between frames of positive polarity and frames of negative polarity received from an image source. The DC imbalance is a result of a frame pattern comprising alternating frames of differing polarities, wherein frames of positive polarity within the frame pattern are of a different time duration than frames of negative polarity, and wherein the frame pattern results in an accumulation of charge in pixels of the display panel. The method also comprises correcting for the charge accumulation by disrupting the frame pattern.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 3, 2014
    Publication date: July 9, 2015
    Applicant: NVIDIA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Gerrit SLAVENBURG, Robert SCHUTTEN, Tom VERBEURE
  • Publication number: 20150193203
    Abstract: A four cycle fused floating point multiply-add unit includes a radix 8 Booth encoder multiplier that is partitioned over two stages with the compression element allocated to the second stage. The unit further includes an improved shifter design. Processing logic analyzes the input operands, detects values of zero and one, and inhibits portions of the processing logic accordingly. When one of the multiplicand inputs has a value of zero or one, the required multiplication becomes trivial, and the unit inhibits the associated coding logic and data transfer to reduce power consumption. The unit then performs an add-only operation. When the addend input has a value of zero, the addition becomes trivial, and the unit inhibits the improved shifter and data transfer to further reduce power consumption. The unit then performs a multiply-only operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2014
    Publication date: July 9, 2015
    Applicant: NVIDIA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Srinivasan (Vasu) IYER, David Conrad TANNENBAUM, Stuart F. OBERMAN
  • Publication number: 20150193907
    Abstract: A surface cache stores pixel data on behalf of a pixel processing pipeline that is configured to generate screen tiles. The surface cache assigns hint levels to cache lines storing pixel data according to whether that pixel data is likely to be needed again. When the pixel data is needed to process a subsequent tile, the corresponding cache line is assigned a higher hint value. When the pixel data is not needed again, the corresponding cache line is assigned a lower hint value. The surface cache is configured to preferentially evict cache lines having a lower hint value, thereby preserving cache lines that store pixel data needed for future processing. In addition, a fetch controller is configured to throttle the rate at which fetch requests are issued to the surface cache to prevent situations where pixel data needed for future operations becomes prematurely evicted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2014
    Publication date: July 9, 2015
    Applicant: NVIDIA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mukesh Chand AGARWAL, Narendra Keshav RANE
  • Publication number: 20150193272
    Abstract: A system and apparatus are provided that include an implementation for decoupled pipelines. The apparatus includes a scheduler configured to issue instructions to one or more functional units and a functional unit coupled to a queue having a number of slots for storing instructions. The instructions issued to the functional unit are stored in the queue until the functional unit is available to process the instructions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 3, 2014
    Publication date: July 9, 2015
    Applicant: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventors: Olivier Giroux, Michael Alan Fetterman, Robert Ohannessian, JR., Shirish Gadre, Jack H. Choquette, Xiaogang Qiu, Jeffrey Scott Tuckey, Robert James Stoll
  • Publication number: 20150195482
    Abstract: An image capturer for reducing the effect of shutter shake of a digital camera in a smartphone, a method of capturing an image employing a digital camera, and a smartphone. In one embodiment, the image capturer includes: (1) a control interface configured to receive a command to photograph a scene and (2) a best shot determiner, coupled to the control interface and configured to select, after a focused image of the scene has been acquired and in response to receiving the command, a captured image of the scene based on sharpness metrics.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2014
    Publication date: July 9, 2015
    Applicant: Nvidia Corporation
    Inventor: Joshua Wise
  • Publication number: 20150192942
    Abstract: A voltage margin controller, an IC included the same and a method of controlling voltage margin for a voltage domain of an IC are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the voltage margin controller includes: (1) monitoring branches including circuit function indicators configured to indicate whether circuitry in the voltage domain could operate at corresponding candidate reduced voltage levels and (2) a voltage margin adjuster coupled to the monitoring branches and configured to develop a voltage margin adjustment for a voltage regulator of the voltage domain based upon an operating number of the circuit function indicators.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2014
    Publication date: July 9, 2015
    Applicant: Nvidia Corporation
    Inventors: Brian L. Smith, Stephen Felix, Jesse Max Guss, Tezaswi Raja
  • Publication number: 20150193062
    Abstract: A solution is proposed for processing input in a lower power user interface of touch-sensitive display panels. According to an embodiment, a mobile computing device is placed in the low power mode. During this mode, the sensor controller produces a raw event/interrupts on a detected touch. Upon detecting a touch, the sensor controller also automatically increases the scan rate of the touch sensor, while the triggered event or interrupt proceeds to wake the system into a higher power state. Subsequent touch data received while the system is booting into the higher power state is buffered by the timing controller, or by a bridge chipset, while the processor(s) in the power up. When awake, the processor(s) collect the touch samples from the buffer, and processes the touch samples, generating updated displays where necessary.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2014
    Publication date: July 9, 2015
    Applicant: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventor: David WYATT
  • Publication number: 20150195521
    Abstract: The present invention facilitates efficient and effective encoding and motion detection. A system and method can include: receiving graphics frame information; performing a motion vector analysis including candidate selection utilizing motion vectors that processing has previously been initiated for; and performing an encoding utilizing results of the motion vector analysis. A candidate motion vector is selected based upon balancing of performance and accuracy. The candidate motion vector can be associated with a macro-block that is spatially and temporally close to the left in the same row as the current macro-block. In one exemplary implementation, the candidate motion vector can be within 1 to 8 macro-blocks to the left of the current macro-block. A motion vector candidate selection process for a current macro-block can be performed in which a motion vector associated with another macro-block that has completed motion vector analysis is included as a candidate for the current macro-block.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2014
    Publication date: July 9, 2015
    Applicant: NVIDIA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Zenjun HU, Jianjun CHEN, Stefan ECKART