Abstract: A method for transmitting data advantageously reduces cross-talk in high-speed data transmission. The method comprises receiving an input data word, encoding the input data word into a code word, and driving the code word on to an interconnect for transmission. The code word is generating using a balanced coding scheme, and the interconnect is a single-ended, twisted-wire on-chip fly-over interconnect. A receiver circuit decodes the code word to generate an output data word.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention includes a method for rendering a geometry object in a computer-generated scene. A screen space associated with a display screen is divided into a set of regions. For each region; a first sampling factor in a horizontal dimension is computed that represents a horizontal sampling factor for pixels located in the region, a second sampling factor in a vertical dimension is computed that represents a vertical sampling factor for the pixels located in the region, a first offset in the horizontal dimension is computed that represents a horizontal position associated with the region, and a second offset in the vertical dimension is computed that represent a vertical position associated with the region. When the geometry object is determined to intersect more than one region, an instance of the geometry object is generated each region that the geometry object intersects.

Abstract: An embodiment of the invention sets forth a primary processing unit, a secondary processing unit coupled to the primary processing unit and accessible via a plurality of channels and a plurality of guest virtual machines executing on the primary processing unit. Each guest virtual machine includes a driver associated with the secondary processing unit, and a privileged virtual machine executing on the primary processing unit and configured to allocate a different set of channels of the plurality of channels to each of the drivers included in the guest virtual machines, where a first set of channels allocated to a first driver enables the first driver to access the secondary processing unit without conflicting with any of the other and with minimal performance overhead by directly accessing the secondary processing unit channels.

Abstract: A technique for simultaneously executing multiple tasks, each having an independent virtual address space, involves assigning an address space identifier (ASID) to each task and constructing each virtual memory access request to include both a virtual address and the ASID. During virtual to physical address translation, the ASID selects a corresponding page table, which includes virtual to physical address mappings for the ASID and associated task. Entries for a translation look-aside buffer (TLB) include both the virtual address and ASID to complete each mapping to a physical address. Deep scheduling of tasks sharing a virtual address space may be implemented to improve cache affinity for both TLB and data caches.

Abstract: A system for managing virtual memory. The system includes a first processing unit configured to execute a first operation that references a first virtual memory address. The system also includes a first memory management unit (MMU) associated with the first processing unit and configured to generate a first page fault upon determining that a first page table that is stored in a first memory unit associated with the first processing unit does not include a mapping corresponding to the first virtual memory address. The system further includes a first copy engine associated with the first processing unit. The first copy engine is configured to read a first command queue to determine a first mapping that corresponds to the first virtual memory address and is included in a first page state directory. The first copy engine is also configured to update the first page table to include the first mapping.

Abstract: A multi-stage amplifier circuit equalizes an input signal through multiple signal amplification paths. DC gain is kept substantially constant over frequency, while adjustable high-frequency gain provides equalization (e.g., peaking). Various embodiments include a common source topology, a common gate topology, differential signaling topologies, and a topology suitable for stabilizing a voltage supply against high-frequency transient loads. A system may include one or more integrated circuits that may each include one or more instances of the multi-stage amplifier.

Abstract: A receiver and method for estimating an available bandwidth of a data channel streaming video data are provided. In one embodiment, the receiver includes: (1) a physical interface configured to receive the video data from a network, (2) a packet memory configured to store frames of the video data, (3) a dispersed packet time calculator configured to calculate a total time for one of the frames to go through the data channel, and (4) a bandwidth estimator configured to determine the available bandwidth of the data channel based on a number of data units received for the one frame and the total time.

Abstract: A computer application streaming system includes an optimization unit coupled to a streaming device to determine streaming optimal playable settings for a remote user device corresponding to a selected computer application and a sending unit coupled to the optimization unit to manage streaming of the streaming optimal playable settings over a network connected to the remote user device. A receiving unit is coupled to the network to recover the streaming optimal playable settings for application to the remote user device when employing the selected computer application. An optional feedback unit is coupled to the remote user device to provide remote information over the network for modifying the streaming optimal playable settings, and an optional update unit is coupled to the streaming device to manage modification of the streaming optimal playable settings as directed by the remote information. A method of streaming a computer application is also provided.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are operable to communicate a list of important shaders and their current best-known compilations to remote client devices over a communications network. Client devices are allowed to produce modified shader compilations by varying optimizations. If a client device produces a modified compilation that beats an important shader's current best-known compilation, embodiments of the present invention can communicate this new best-known shader compilation back to a host computer system. Furthermore, embodiments of the present invention may periodically broadcast the new best-known shader compilation back to client devices for possible further optimization or for efficient rendering operations using the best-known shader compilation.

Abstract: Systems and methods for enhancing reliability are presented. In one embodiment, a system comprises a processor configured to execute program instructions and contemporaneously perform reliability enhancement operations (e.g., fault checking, error mitigation, etc.) incident to executing the program instructions. The fault checking can include: identifying functionality of a particular portion of the program instructions; speculatively executing multiple sets of operations contemporaneously; and comparing execution results from the multiple sets of operations. The multiple sets of operations are functional duplicates of the particular portion of the program instructions. If the execution results have a matching value, then the value can be made architecturally visible. If the execution results do not have a matching value, the system can be put in a safe mode. An error mitigation operation can be performed can include a corrective procedure. The corrective procedure can include rollback to a known valid state.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for handling a trap encountered in a thread that is part of a thread array that is being executed in a plurality of execution units. In these techniques, a data structure with an identifier associated with the thread is updated to indicate that the trap occurred during the execution of the thread array. Also in these techniques, the execution units execute a trap handling routine that includes a context switch. The execution units perform this context switch for at least one of the execution units as part of the trap handling routine while allowing the remaining execution units to exit the trap handling routine before the context switch. One advantage of the disclosed techniques is that the trap handling routine operates efficiently in parallel processors.

Abstract: System and methods for detecting blockages in images are described. A method may include receiving a plurality of images captured by a camera installed on a vehicle. The method may include identifying one or more candidate blocked regions in the plurality of images. Each of the candidate blocked regions may contain image data caused by blockages in the camera's field-of-view. The method may further include assigning blockage scores to the one or more candidate blocked regions based on region-associations among the one or more candidate blocked regions in the plurality of images. In response to a determination that one of the blockage scores is above a predetermined blockage threshold, the method may include transmitting a blockage alarm signal to the vehicle.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a test system comprises: a test partition configured to perform test operations; a centralized test controller for controlling testing by the test partition; and a test link interface controller configured to communicate between the centralized test controller and the test partition, wherein the test link interface controller controls dynamic changes to external pads associated with the test operations. The test link interface controller dynamically selects between an input direction and output direction for the external pads. The test link interface includes a pin direction controller that generates direction control signals based on the state of local test controller and communicates the desired direction to a boundary scan cell associated with the pin. The boundary scan cell programs the pad to either input or output direction depending on direction control signals. The input direction corresponds to driving test data and the output direction corresponds to observing test data.

Abstract: A communications system has a cellular structure including a base station that is located within a cell of the cellular structure and provides an elevation beamforming transmission based on a set of elevation precoding matrix indicator offsets in an elevation codebook. The communications system also includes user equipment that is located within the cell and coupled to the base station to receive the set of elevation precoding matrix indicator offsets and a set of reference signals to provide channel quality and inter-cell interference measurements, wherein a selected channel quality indicator is based on an increase in channel quality with respect to inter-cell interference at the user equipment and corresponds to one of the set of elevation precoding matrix indicator offsets. A method of operating a communications system having a cellular structure is also provided.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention includes a graphics subsystem that includes a tiling unit, a crossbar unit, and a screen-space pipeline. The crossbar unit is configured to transmit primitives interleaved with state change commands to the tiling unit. The tiling unit is configured to record an initial state associated with the primitives and to transmit to the screen-space pipeline one or more primitives in the primitives that overlap a first cache tile. The tiling unit is further configured to transmit the initial state to the screen-space pipeline and to transmit to the screen-space pipeline one or more primitives in the primitives that overlap a second cache tile. The tiling unit includes a state filter block configured to determine that a first state change in the state change commands is followed by a second state change, without an intervening primitive, and to forego transmitting the first state change in response.

Abstract: Decoder techniques in accordance with embodiment of the present technology include partially decoding a compressed file on a serial based processing unit to find offsets of each of a plurality of entropy data blocks. The compressed file and offset for each of the plurality of entropy encoded data blocks are transferred to a parallel based processing unit. Thereafter, the compressed file is at least partially decoded on the parallel based processing unit using the offset for each of the plurality of entropy encoded data blocks.

Abstract: A sound-activated control system includes an audio receiver and a command discriminator. The receiver is configured to receive an audio waveform and to produce a digital audio waveform therefrom. The command discriminator is configured to detect a temporally and/or spectrally compact nonphonetic audio command within the digital audio waveform and to control a voice-activated system an action in response to the nonphonetic command.

Abstract: A copy subsystem within a processor includes a set of logical copy engines and a set of physical copy engines. Each logical copy engine corresponds to a different command stream implemented by a device driver, and each logical copy engine is configured to receive copy commands via the corresponding command stream. When a logical copy engine receives a copy command, the logical copy engine distributes the command, or one or more subcommands derived from the command, to one or more of the physical copy engines. The physical copy engines can perform multiple copy operations in parallel with one another, thereby allowing the bandwidth of the communication link(s) to be saturated.

Abstract: Signaling touch screen enabled devices is disclosed. A capacitive stylus has a body suitable for being hand held as a writing instrument. The body has a tip for interfacing with a capacitive touch screen display panel of a computer system. The stylus has an insulator disposed near its tip, which insulates capacitance of the stylus body. A switch selectively couples the tip to the remaining parts of the stylus body. A controller controls the switch. A mode selector on the body is responsive to being pressed to signal the controller for selecting one of multiple modes. The controller is configured to enter the selected mode responsive to the mode selector and is configured to control the switch unit to switch according to different signal patterns depending on a mode entered by the controller.

Abstract: A method, a computer program, and a production renderer for accelerating a rendering process of an image are provided. In one embodiment, the method includes intercepting a first invocation of a function from a custom shader during a rendering process of an image, computing a result of the function employing a processor, and returning the result to the custom shader in response to a second invocation of the function during the rendering process.