Patents Assigned to Sun Microsystems
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Patent number: 6952214Abstract: A graphics system comprising a plurality of rendering pipelines and a scheduling network. Each rendering pipeline couples to the scheduling network, and includes a media processor, a rendering unit and a memory. A communication bus may couple the scheduling network and the memory of each rendering pipeline. The media processor in each rendering pipeline may direct the saving of state information of the corresponding rendering pipeline to the corresponding memory in response to receiving a corresponding context switch indication. A first of the media processors initiates the transfer of a resume token to the scheduling network through the corresponding rendering pipeline if the context switch occurs during an ordered processing mode. The scheduling network unblocks one or more rendering pipelines other than the first rendering pipeline in response to receiving the resume token.Type: GrantFiled: July 12, 2002Date of Patent: October 4, 2005Assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.Inventors: Nathaniel David Naegle, William E. Sweeney, Jr., Wayne A. Morse
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Patent number: 6952349Abstract: There is described a motion control device for preventing free-fall of electronics modules during vertical movement into or out of a supporting structure. The system comprises a rotatable element on the module or structure engageable with surface on the structure or module, respectively, for rolling movement therealong. The rotatable element is provided with a clutch or brake to provide resistance to rotation at least when the module is moving downward relative to the structure. The rotatable element may be a gear engageable with a toothed rack, or a friction roller engageable with a friction surface.Type: GrantFiled: November 8, 2002Date of Patent: October 4, 2005Assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.Inventors: Gerald Ronald Gough, James Robert Kitchen, Jay K. Osborn, Stephen David Sparkes, Sean Conor Wrycraft
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Patent number: 6950838Abstract: A computer system providing hardware states for garbage collection including a plurality of processors, an object cache operatively connected to at least one of the plurality of processors, and a warden operatively connected to the object cache, wherein the warden broadcasts a non-local command to the object cache whenever the tagged cache line is evicted and crosses the garbage collection boundary and the modified-reference bit in the tagged cache line is set.Type: GrantFiled: April 17, 2002Date of Patent: September 27, 2005Assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.Inventors: Gregory M. Wright, Mario I. Wolczko, Matthew L. Seidl
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Patent number: 6951014Abstract: A JavaScript program may be represented in an intermediate form to be executed by a JavaScript interpreter. A browser may be configured to intercept JavaScript code and pass execution control to a Java-based interpreter engine. The instructions are converted by a representation generator component of the engine into an intermediate representation equivalent using the Java programming language. The representation scheme may be suitable for execution by a stack-machine implemented interpreter. The representation scheme may use Java classes and objects, and create logical commands representing the JavaScript program. The intermediate representation may be stored as Java objects in a stack data structure. The stack data structure may be constructed from an array of elements, where each element is either an operator or an operand, and where each element derives from an abstract Java class with generic functionality and each element contains data relating to the operator or data type it represents.Type: GrantFiled: November 15, 2000Date of Patent: September 27, 2005Assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.Inventor: Stepan B. Sokolov
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Patent number: 6950109Abstract: A system and method for performing color correction based on physical measurements (or estimations) of color component spectra (e.g. red, green, blue color component spectra). A color correction system may comprise a spectrum sensing device, a color calibration processor, and a calculation unit. The spectrum sensing device may be configured to measure color component power spectra for pixels generated by one or more display devices on a display surface. The color calibration processor may receive power spectra for a given pixel from the spectrum sensing device and compute a set of transformation parameters in response to the power spectra. The transformation parameters characterize a color correction transformation for the given pixel. The color calibration processor may compute such a transformation parameter set for selected pixels in the pixel array.Type: GrantFiled: September 12, 2001Date of Patent: September 27, 2005Assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.Inventor: Michael F. Deering
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Patent number: 6950872Abstract: Methods for establishing communication between computing entities are provided. In one example, a service model illustrates communication with a web server using a service proxy to manage a communication exchange. The service model includes a dispatcher within the service proxy to process the communication exchange. The processing of the communication exchange includes defining a request, defining a container in which to enclose the request, defining a post request event to dispatch the container with the request, and defining a response container for obtaining a response to the request. The container with the request is transmitted through the web server to a service for a responding entity. The service uses a delegate registry to map the request to a delegate which obtains a response from the responding entity. The response is formatted and transmitted through the web server to the service proxy which provides the response to the requesting entity.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2001Date of Patent: September 27, 2005Assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.Inventor: James W. Todd, II
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Patent number: 6950923Abstract: A memory architecture in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention improves the speed of method invocation. Specifically, method frames of method calls are stored in two different memory circuits. The first memory circuit stores the execution environment of each method call, and the second memory circuit stores parameters, variables or operands of the method calls. In one embodiment the execution environment includes a return program counter, a return frame, a return constant pool, a current method vector, and a current monitor address. In some embodiments, the memory circuits are stacks; therefore, the stack management unit to cache can be used to cache either or both memory circuits. The stack management unit can include a stack cache to accelerate data transfers between a stack-based computing system and the stacks. In one embodiment, the stack management unit includes a stack cache, a dribble manager unit, and a stack control unit.Type: GrantFiled: January 17, 2003Date of Patent: September 27, 2005Assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.Inventors: James Michael O'Connor, Marc Tremblay
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Patent number: 6949406Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates aligning a first semiconductor die with a second semiconductor die, wherein the first semiconductor die and the second semiconductor die are arranged active face to active face. Note that the active face contains circuitry for communicating between semiconductor dies. The system starts by generating light on an active face of the first semiconductor die. The system then collimates the light within the active face of the first semiconductor die to form a first beam of light which is projected onto the second semiconductor die. Next, the system receives the first beam of light on an active face of the second semiconductor die and determines a position of the first beam of light on the active face of the second semiconductor die. Finally, the system determines an alignment of the second semiconductor die relative to the first semiconductor die based on the determined position of the first beam of light.Type: GrantFiled: April 22, 2004Date of Patent: September 27, 2005Assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.Inventors: Robert J. Bosnyak, Robert J. Drost
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Patent number: 6950821Abstract: Systems and methods for resolving search queries to information providers in a distributing search network. In a network including nodes generating search requests and nodes providing information, a node may operate as hub to route search requests from requesting nodes to provider nodes. Providers may register with a network hub. Registration information may include address information and data indicating the queries or type of queries for which that provider may have relevant data. A hub may resolve search queries against provider registrations to determine a set of providers to which to route each search query. Several systems and methods of selecting some of the providers are described, including the use of bidding, ranking, and statistical data.Type: GrantFiled: March 26, 2002Date of Patent: September 27, 2005Assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.Inventors: Yaroslav Faybishenko, Gene H. Kan, Thomas J. Camarda, Sherif Botros, John Beatty, Douglass R. Cutting
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Patent number: 6950905Abstract: A method may involve: receiving a request to perform a block write to a target device and data associated with the block write; buffering the data associated with the block write prior to completing the block write to the target device; storing an indication identifying a block address range of the block write; receiving a request to perform a read to the target device; and determining whether an address of the read is within the block address range of the block write identified by the indication. In some embodiments, such a method may allow the read to complete ahead of the block write dependent on whether the address of the read is within the block address range of the block write identified by the indication.Type: GrantFiled: February 20, 2003Date of Patent: September 27, 2005Assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.Inventors: Chia Y. Wu, Walter T. Nixon, John D. Acton
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Patent number: 6950935Abstract: A system and method for authenticating users over a network. At least one pluggable authentication module (PAM) is used to authenticate users of network services. Each PAM includes a client-side authentication library and a server-side authentication library which may each be implemented in accordance with a specification expressed in an interface definition language (IDL), wherein the IDL is operable to define interfaces across a plurality of platforms and programming languages. The client-side authentication library is implemented for a particular client platform and deployed on the client computer system to provide a client-side interface to retrieve and encrypt a user profile. The server-side authentication library is implemented for a particular server platform and deployed on the server computer system to provide a server-side interface to receive the encrypted user profile from the client-side authentication library and decrypt the user profile to authenticate the user for network services.Type: GrantFiled: April 21, 2000Date of Patent: September 27, 2005Assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.Inventors: Sai V. Allavarpu, Anand J. Bhalerao
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Patent number: 6950907Abstract: A dirty memory subsystem includes storage operable to store redundant copies of dirty indicators. Each dirty indicator is associated with a respective block of main memory and is settable to a predetermined state to indicate that the block of main memory associated therewith has been dirtied. By providing redundant storage for the dirty indicators, any difference between the stored copies of the dirty indicators can be considered as indicative of memory corruption, for example as a result of a cosmic ray impact. As the different copies can be stored in different locations, it is unlikely that a cosmic ray impact would affect all copies equally. If a difference between the stored copies is detected, then the dirty indicator can be take as being unreliable and remedial action can be taken. For example, it can be assumed that a block of main memory has been dirtied if any of the copies of the dirty indicator has the predetermined state.Type: GrantFiled: August 24, 2001Date of Patent: September 27, 2005Assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.Inventors: Paul Jeffrey Garnett, Jeremy Graham Harris
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Patent number: 6950844Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that performs a procedure to solve a system of linear inequalities. During operation, the system receives a representation of the system of linear inequalities Ax?b, wherein Ax?b can be a linearized form of a system of nonlinear equations. Within this representation, A is an interval matrix with m rows corresponding to m inequalities, and with n columns corresponding to n variables, the vector x includes n variable components, and the vector b includes m scalar interval components. The system solves the system of linear inequalities Ax?b by performing a Gaussian elimination process using only positive multipliers so as not to change the sense of any inequality.Type: GrantFiled: March 11, 2002Date of Patent: September 27, 2005Assignee: Sun Microsystems, IncInventors: G. William Walster, Eldon R. Hansen
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Patent number: 6950875Abstract: Embodiments of a message conductor in a distributed computing environment are described. A message conductor may accept a data representation language schema that describes the ordering for messages that may be sent between a client and a service. This schema may specify user interface information. The schema may be parsed into an internal form and used to enforce message ordering. The conductor may prevent messages from being sent out of order. In some embodiments, a conductor may be linked to multiple gates. The message conductor may also provide a service interface that may interact with clients of the service to obtain all information to run a service, and then either display results of running the service or return information regarding the location of results. The service interface may be part of a message conductor or may be in addition to and work with the message conductor.Type: GrantFiled: October 19, 2000Date of Patent: September 27, 2005Assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.Inventors: Gregory L. Slaughter, Thomas E. Saulpaugh, Eric Pouyoul
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Patent number: 6951018Abstract: Methods and apparatus for enabling the association between a monitor and an object to be maintained when a garbage collection occurs during a wait action performed with respect to the object are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, a method for acquiring access to an object in a multi-threaded, object-based system includes associating a monitor with the object, and setting a pointer from a thread, which is arranged to execute on the object, to the object. The method also includes setting a reference substantially directly from the thread to the monitor. In one embodiment, setting the reference includes setting a boolean reference count. In another embodiment, setting the reference enables a garbage collector to determine whether the monitor is suitable for reclamation during a garbage collection process.Type: GrantFiled: March 8, 2001Date of Patent: September 27, 2005Assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.Inventors: Dean R. E. Long, Nedim Fresko
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Patent number: 6950847Abstract: A service provider system adapted for distributing services, including patch selection and delivery, in a distributed computing environment. The system includes a service manager linked to the communications network that functions to obtain and store client system information from the client systems during performance of the services. A service deployment tool registers service providers by storing service proxies from the service providers that are executable code and include an interface defining the methods implemented by the service. The tool functions to transfer service proxies to the client system in response to service requests. A service selection tool processes service requests to match service proxies to select appropriate available services for the client system. The client system includes a virtual service mechanism for registering as a recipient with the service manager, transmitting the service requests, and executing the service proxies received in response to the service requests.Type: GrantFiled: July 12, 2001Date of Patent: September 27, 2005Assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.Inventors: Carol L. Harrisville-Wolff, Jeffrey S. Demoff, Alan S. Wolff
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Patent number: 6950773Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that detects a thermal anomaly in a computer system. During operation, the system derives an estimated signal for a thermal sensor in the computer system, wherein the estimated signal is derived from correlations with other instrumentation signals in the computer system. Next, the system compares an actual signal from the thermal sensor with the estimated signal to determine whether a thermal anomaly exists in the computer system. If a thermal anomaly exists, the system generates an alarm.Type: GrantFiled: February 10, 2004Date of Patent: September 27, 2005Assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.Inventors: Kenny C. Gross, Peter L. Wargo
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Publication number: 20050210203Abstract: In one embodiment, a cache comprises a cache memory and a cache control circuit coupled to the cache memory. The cache memory is configured to store a plurality of cache blocks and a plurality of cache states. Each of the plurality of cache states corresponds to a respective one of the plurality of cache blocks. The cache control circuit is configured to implement a cache coherency protocol that includes a plurality of stable states and a transient state The transient state may be used in response to any request from a local consumer if completing the request includes a change between the plurality of stable states and making the change includes transmitting at least a first communication to maintain coherency on an interconnect.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 26, 2004Publication date: September 22, 2005Applicant: Sun Microsystems, Inc.Inventor: Per Stenstrom
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Patent number: 6948162Abstract: A method includes scheduling instructions within a trace disregarding data dependencies from off trace basic blocks. After scheduling, errors caused by instruction movement are corrected. By disregarding data dependencies from off trace basic blocks, more parallelism is exposed resulting in more instruction motion. In this manner, efficiency is maximized.Type: GrantFiled: January 9, 2002Date of Patent: September 20, 2005Assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.Inventor: Spiros Kalogeropulos
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Patent number: 6948156Abstract: Techniques for checking in JAVA™ computing environments are disclosed. The techniques can be used by a JAVA™ virtual machine to efficiently perform type checking. A JAVA™ class hierarchy which represents the hierarchical relationship of parent classes of JAVA™ class can be implemented as an array of class references. The array of class references can be used to efficiently perform type checking in JAVA™ computing environments. As a result, the performance of JAVA™ virtual machines, especially those operating with limited resources, is significantly enhanced.Type: GrantFiled: October 24, 2001Date of Patent: September 20, 2005Assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.Inventor: Stephan Sokolov