Patents Assigned to Transmeta Corporation
  • Patent number: 7562233
    Abstract: Adaptive control of operating and body bias voltages. In accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention, a desirable operating frequency for the microprocessor is determined. Information stored within and specific to the microprocessor is accessed. The information can comprise coefficients of a quadratic approximation of a frequency-voltage characteristic of the microprocessor for a set of body biasing conditions. An efficient voltage for operating the microprocessor at the desirable operating frequency is computed. The microprocessor is operated at the efficient voltage and the set of body biasing conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2009
    Assignee: Transmeta Corporation
    Inventors: Eric Chen-Li Sheng, Matthew Robert Ward
  • Patent number: 7509504
    Abstract: Systems and methods for control of integrated circuits comprising body-biasing systems. In accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention, a desirable power condition of a computer system comprising a microprocessor is determined. Body biasing voltage information corresponding to the power condition is accessed. A voltage supply coupled to a body terminal of the microprocessor is commanded to generate a voltage corresponding to the body biasing voltage information corresponding to the power condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2009
    Assignee: Transmeta Corporation
    Inventors: Kleanthes G. Koniaris, Stephen Lee, Mark Hennecke
  • Patent number: 7498846
    Abstract: A power efficient multiplexer. In accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention, a power efficient multiplexer comprises a transmission gate structure for selectively passing one of a plurality of input signals and a stacked inverter circuit for inverting the one of a plurality of input signals. Both the stacked inverter and the transmission gate provide beneficial reductions in static power consumption in comparison to conventional multiplexer designs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2009
    Assignee: Transmeta Corporation
    Inventor: Robert Paul Masleid
  • Patent number: 7495466
    Abstract: A triple latch flip flop system and method are disclosed. In one embodiment, triple latch flip-flop system includes a pull up latch, a pull down latch, a primary latch and an output. The pull up latch drives a pull up node. The pull down latch driving a pull down node. The primary latch records state of the triple latch flip-flop system. The output for outputting a logic value based upon outputs of the pull up latch, pull down latch and the primary latch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2009
    Assignee: Transmeta Corporation
    Inventors: Scott Pitkethly, Robert P. Masleid
  • Patent number: 7496868
    Abstract: A computer implemented method and system for converting schematic diagrams. The method includes accessing a first set of schematic diagrams, wherein the schematic diagrams represent an integrated circuit design to be realized in physical form. A plurality of a first type of circuit elements in the first set are converted into a second type of circuit elements. The conversion is implemented in accordance with a set of conversion rules. A second set of schematic diagrams representing the integrated circuit design and including the second type of circuit elements are then output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2009
    Assignee: Transmeta Corporation
    Inventor: Steven T. Stoiber
  • Patent number: 7496727
    Abstract: A secure memory access system and method for providing secure access to Hyper Management Mode memory ranges is presented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2009
    Assignee: Transmeta Corporation
    Inventors: Christian Ludloff, Kurt Daverman, Andrew Morgan
  • Patent number: 7495497
    Abstract: A method and system of temperature compensated integrated circuits. Operating characteristics of integrated circuitry are enhanced by application of temperature compensation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2009
    Assignee: Transmeta Corporation
    Inventor: Robert Fu
  • Patent number: 7478226
    Abstract: A processing bypass directory system and method are disclosed. In one embodiment, a bypass directory tracking process includes setting bits in a bypass directory when a corresponding architectural register is written. The bits are selectively cleared in the bypass directory each cycle. The configuration of the bits is utilized to determine which stage of a bypass path processing information is at.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2009
    Assignee: Transmeta Corporation
    Inventors: Alexander Klaiber, Guillermo Rozas
  • Patent number: 7472033
    Abstract: Apparatus including functional components of circuitry defined on a semiconductor chip, the functional components including a component having modifiable operating characteristics, a performance measuring circuit providing an output indicative of operating characteristics of the circuitry defined on the semiconductor chip during operation of the circuitry, and computer implemented software means for controlling a value for an operating characteristic of the component having modifiable operating characteristics in response to the output provided by the performance measuring circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Transmeta Corporation
    Inventors: Godfrey P. D'Souza, Keith Klayman
  • Patent number: 7463050
    Abstract: Systems and methods for reducing temperature dissipation during burn-in testing are described. Devices under test are each subject to a body bias voltage. The body bias voltage can be used to control junction temperature (e.g., temperature measured at the device under test). The body bias voltage applied to each device under test can be adjusted device-by-device to achieve essentially the same junction temperature at each device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2008
    Assignee: Transmeta Corporation
    Inventors: Eric Chen-Li Sheng, David H. Hoffman, John Laurence Niven
  • Patent number: 7456628
    Abstract: An integrated circuit, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, includes a first device under test (DUT), a first ring oscillator, a second DUT and a second ring oscillator. The first DUT is biased such that interface traps are generated during a first mode. The generated interface traps result in a decrease in a first drive current of the first DUT. The second device under test is biased to maintain a reference drive current during the first mode. The operating frequency of the first ring oscillator, during a second mode, is a function of the first drive current. The operating frequency of the second ring oscillator, during the second mode, is a function of the reference drive current. The integrated circuit may also include a comparator for generating an output signal as a function of a difference between the operating frequency of the first and second ring oscillator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2008
    Assignee: Transmeta Corporation
    Inventor: Shingo Suzuki
  • Patent number: 7451300
    Abstract: Described are methods and systems that allow partial speculation (e.g., speculation within constraints). With partial speculation, after a fault is detected for example, speculation remains enabled for processor registers and other memories private to a microprocessor, while speculation normally permitted for certain other operations is suspended. Accordingly, while the fault is dispatched, some speculation is permitted as opposed to suspending all speculation. As such, microcode that makes use of speculation can be written.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2008
    Assignee: Transmeta Corporation
    Inventors: H. Peter Anvin, David Dunn
  • Patent number: 7444471
    Abstract: A method and system for using external storage to amortize CPU cycle utilization, wherein translated instructions are stored in a storage medium and subsequently accessed on a subsequent execution of a non-native application in order to amortize CPU cycles used in generating the translated instructions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2008
    Assignee: Transmeta Corporation
    Inventors: Brian O'Clair, Dean Gaudet
  • Publication number: 20080218215
    Abstract: An advanced repeater utilizing signal distribution delay. In accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention, such an advanced repeater circuit comprises an output stage for driving an output signal line responsive to an input signal and a feedback loop coupled to said output signal line for changing state of said output stage subsequent to a delay after a transition of said output signal. The delay is due to transmission line effects of said output signal line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2008
    Publication date: September 11, 2008
    Applicant: Transmeta Corporation
    Inventors: Scott Pitkethly, Robert Paul Masleid
  • Patent number: 7414485
    Abstract: A dynamic oscillating ring circuit is described, which has multiple non-inverting domino circuits, each having a signal input, a trigger input, inputs for charge state clock and clocked cutoff and an output inverter. A number of the domino circuits are coupled in series, the output of one feeding the input of the next, to form a chain, which form stages of the ring. A number of the stages are coupled in series, the output of one feeding the input of the next, to form the ring. The first domino circuit of said chain receives a logic signal input and a single trigger input for the chain. Within the ring, the output of each stage feeds the input signal to the next stage and is fed back to clock an earlier stage to allow the ring to oscillate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2008
    Assignee: Transmeta Corporation
    Inventor: Robert P. Masleid
  • Patent number: 7405597
    Abstract: An advanced repeater with duty cycle adjustment. In accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention, an advanced repeater includes an output stage for driving an output signal line responsive to an input signal and a plurality of active devices for selectably adjusting a duty cycle of the signal. The advanced repeater may further include circuitry for producing a delayed version of the signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2008
    Assignee: TRANSMETA Corporation
    Inventor: Scott Pitkethly
  • Patent number: 7404181
    Abstract: A method of translating instructions from a target instruction set to a host instruction set. In one embodiment, a plurality of first target instructions is translated into a plurality of first host instructions. After the translation, it is determined whether the plurality of first target instructions has changed. A copy of a second plurality of target instructions is stored and compared with the plurality of first target instructions if the determining slows the operation of the computer system. After comparing, the plurality of first host instructions is invalidated if there is a mismatch. According to one embodiment, the storing, the comparing and the invaliding is initiated when the determining indicates that a page contains at least one change to the plurality of first target instructions. In one embodiment, the determining is by examining a bit indicator associated with a memory location of the plurality of first target instructions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2008
    Assignee: Transmeta Corporation
    Inventors: John Banning, H. Peter Anvin, Robert Bedichek, Guillermo J. Rozas, Andrew Shaw, Linus Torvalds, Jason Wilson
  • Publication number: 20080162880
    Abstract: A system and method for extracting complex, variable length computer instructions from a stream of complex instructions each subdivided into a variable number of instructions bytes, and aligning instruction bytes of individual ones of the complex instructions. The system receives a portion of the stream of complex instructions and extracts a first set of instruction bytes starting with the first instruction bytes, using an extract shifter. The set of instruction bytes are then passed to an align latch where they are aligned and output to a next instruction detector. The next instruction detector determines the end of the first instruction based on said set of instruction bytes. An extract shifter is used to extract and provide the next set of instruction bytes to an align shifter which aligns and outputs the next instruction. The process is then repeated for the remaining instruction bytes in the stream of complex instructions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2008
    Publication date: July 3, 2008
    Applicant: Transmeta Corporation
    Inventors: Brett Coon, Yoshiyuki Miyayama, Le Trong Nguyen, Johannes Wang
  • Patent number: 7394681
    Abstract: A column select multiplexer circuit for a domino random access memory array including a plurality of column selector circuits for selecting a column from a plurality of columns of static random access memory cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2008
    Assignee: Transmeta Corporation
    Inventor: Robert P. Masleid
  • Patent number: 7388260
    Abstract: Structures for spanning gap in body-bias voltage routing structure. In an embodiment, a structure is comprised of at least one metal wire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2008
    Assignee: Transmeta Corporation
    Inventors: Robert P. Masleid, James B. Burr, Michael Pelham