Patents Examined by Brandon Kinsey
  • Patent number: 9477288
    Abstract: A universal serial bus (USB) host includes a power unit and a USB interface unit. The power unit includes a battery and a charging module configured to control the battery. The USB interface unit is configured to interface with a first USB device, and is configured to be controlled based on a remaining amount of power of the battery. The USB interface unit is further configured to maintain a data connection between the USB interface unit and the first USB device when a power supply connection between the USB interface unit and the first USB device is disconnected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Seung-Soo Yang
  • Patent number: 9471784
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described for managing computing resources. In one embodiment, data representative of an abstracted firmware framework is maintained. The data may comprise computing firmware settings and determined based on standardized associations between vendor-specific firmware settings and abstracted firmware settings that are independent of the vendor-specific firmware settings. In response to receiving a request for a computing firmware setting, the requested computing firmware setting is translated to one or more vendor-specific firmware settings based on the data. A computing resource capable of implementing the one or more vendor-specific firmware settings is identified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael David Marr, Anirudh Balachandra Aithal, Matthew David Klein
  • Patent number: 9471536
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described for managing computing resources. In one embodiment, groupings of computer resources having common firmware settings are maintained based on an abstraction firmware framework representing associations between vendor-specific firmware settings and abstracted firmware settings that provide a degree of independence from specific vendor-specific firmware settings. In response to a request for a computer resource with a specified abstracted firmware configuration, it is determined which of the groupings can support the specified abstracted firmware configuration based on at least one criterion for managing the computer resources in accordance with the abstraction firmware framework.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael David Marr, Anirudh Balachandra Aithal, Matthew David Klein
  • Patent number: 9461887
    Abstract: Techniques are provided herein for optimizing boot order for devices in a data center environment. These techniques may be embodied as a method, apparatus and instructions in a computer-readable storage media to perform the method. A computing apparatus having connectivity to a network receives instructions from a management device in the network. The instructions comprise attributes that are associated with boot devices hosted by the computing apparatus. The attributes are analyzed to determine a priority order for the boot devices. One or more boot devices hosted by the computing apparatus is removed from an initialization process when the one or more boot devices do not match the attributes in the instructions. The remaining boot devices, other than the one or more boot device removed from the initialization process, are initialized in accordance with the priority order.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Venkatramani SriSai Ganesh, Gururaja A. Nittur, Raghu Krishnamurthy, Kumar Sidhartha
  • Patent number: 9405339
    Abstract: A closed-loop controller of an apparatus in an example operates a set of switches to dynamically configure power rails to an industry-standard socket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP
    Inventors: Ricardo Ernesto Espinoza-Ibarra, Michael Bozich Calhoun, Dennis Carr, Teddy Lee, Lidia Warnes
  • Patent number: 9400544
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for reducing leakage power in a system cache within a memory controller. The system cache is divided into multiple sections, and each section is supplied with power from one of two supply voltages. When a section is not being accessed, the voltage supplied to the section is reduced to a voltage sufficient for retention of data but not for access. The cache utilizes a maximum allowed active section policy to limit the number of sections that are active at any given time to reduce leakage power. Each section includes a corresponding idle timer and break-even timer. The idle timer keeps track of how long the section has been idle and the break-even timer is used to periodically wake the section up from retention mode to check if there is a pending request that targets the section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Wolfgang H. Klingauf, Rong Zhang Hu, Sukalpa Biswas, Shinye Shiu
  • Patent number: 9401848
    Abstract: Techniques are provided herein for optimizing boot order for devices in a data center environment. These techniques may be embodied as a method, apparatus and instructions in a computer-readable storage media to perform the method. A computing apparatus having connectivity to a network receives a service profile boot policy from a management device in the network. The service profile boot policy includes attributes identifying boot devices hosted by the computing apparatus. Data representing the service profile boot policy is stored and an order of boot devices hosted by the computing apparatus is generated. The order is generated according to the attributes of the service profile boot policy. Boot devices are excluded from the order according to the attributes of the service profile boot policy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Gururaja A. Nittur, Dmitry Barsky, Matthew Eli Lazarowitz
  • Patent number: 9317095
    Abstract: A voltage scaling system can scale a supply voltage while preventing a processor from communicating with first system components that are rendered unstable from the scaling. On the other hand, the voltage scaling system allows second system components that are stable during the scaling to communicate with the processor. A processor scales a system supply voltage to a target supply voltage. The processor halts operations of the first system components and executes the instruction. When the first system components are halted, the processor cannot access the first system components. The second system components can continue operating during the scaling. A controller that saves power can configure a voltage regulator to scale the system supply voltage to the target supply voltage. Once the target supply voltage is reached, the voltage regulator sends an indication to a power management unit, after which the first system components continue to operate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: Atmel Corporation
    Inventors: Sebastien Jouin, Romain Oddoart, Patrice Menard, Mickael Le Dily, Thierry Gourbilleau
  • Patent number: 9311010
    Abstract: Intended is improvement in reliability of a disk array unit formed of a plurality of nodes at the time of start-up and stop. The disk array unit formed of a plurality of nodes, which includes a control unit which executes power source control of other node based on power source control information set at one of the nodes by inter-node communication executed through a common signal line which connects each node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: NEC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Ryo Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9298479
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for updating configuration settings, updating an OS image, and booting an alternate OS on a portable data reader including a reading engine for reading data from an object. Configuration settings of a portable data reader may be updated by detecting whether a storage device having a set of updated configuration settings stored thereon has been coupled to the portable data reader and, if so, updating one or more configuration settings on the portable data reader with one or more of the updated configuration settings from the storage device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Datalogic ADC, Inc.
    Inventor: Gary S. Anson
  • Patent number: 9285856
    Abstract: A method and system for managing sleep states of a portable computing device are described. They include maintaining a sleep set of resource states and an active set of resource states in memory. A request may be issued for a processor to enter into a sleep state. This causes a controller to review a trigger set to determine if a shut down condition for the processor matches one or more conditions listed in the trigger set. Each trigger set may comprise a “trigger event” that may allow a controller to select a specific resource set which is desired by a particular processor based on a trigger event detected by a system power manager. If a trigger set matches a shut down condition, then switching states of one or more resources in accordance with the sleep set may be made by the controller without using a software handshake.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Andrew J. Frantz, Dianne D. Horn, Joshua H. Stubbs
  • Patent number: 9268385
    Abstract: In some embodiments, a method comprises hosting a virtual universe in which one or more avatars interact with one or more virtual objects. The method can also include presenting energy conservation options that reduce amounts of power consumed in rendering the avatars and virtual objects in the virtual universe, detecting a selection of the energy conservation options, and configuring logic for rendering the avatars and virtual objects according to the selected energy conservation options. The method can also comprise rendering, according to the selection of energy conservation options, the avatars and virtual objects in the virtual universe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Rick A. Hamilton, II, John P. Karidis, Clifford A. Pickover, Robert Wisniewski
  • Patent number: 9235257
    Abstract: Systems and methods provide control of operating states of an electronic device. A first exemplary electronic device detects a consumer electronic control (CEC) communication sent from a second electronic device to a third electronic device, the CEC communication communicated over high-definition multimedia (HDMI) connectors communicatively coupling the first electronic device, the second electronic device and the third electronic device; determines, based on information in the CEC communication, whether the CEC communication is one of a first kind of CEC communication or a second kind of CEC communication; in response to determining that the CEC communication is one of the first kind of CEC communication, transitions the first electronic device to a predefined operating state; and in response to determining that the CEC communication is one of the second kind of CEC communication, maintains the first electronic device in a current operating state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: EchoStar Technologies L.L.C.
    Inventor: Jon Richardson
  • Patent number: 9235249
    Abstract: There is disclosed a method and a device connected to a serial bus, said method comprising transmitting a message that indicates a power requirement for a suspended mode of said serial bus; in response to a received authorization message, setting a first or a second operating state; entering said suspended mode; drawing a current in accordance with said indicated power requirement that may exceed a predetermined current limit if said operating state is said first state, and drawing a current at or below said predetermined current limit if said operating state is said second state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy
    Inventors: Daniel Bencak, Thomas Block, Sten Carlsen, Jani Heikkinen
  • Patent number: 9229519
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a serial interface transmitting method utilized in a serial interface for connecting between a master controller and a peripheral device. The serial interface transmitting method comprises receiving a saving power signal from the master controller, a peripheral clock source and a serial interface clock source for generating a clock source selection result, switching an operational mode of the peripheral device according to the clock source selection result, and transmitting a datum to a peripheral-device register or a serial interface register according to the saving power signal and the operational mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: NOVATEK Microelectronics Corp.
    Inventors: Hui-Hung Chang, Chun-Ching Huang, Shih-Ming Lin
  • Patent number: 9223367
    Abstract: In accordance with some embodiments, margining routines to determine acceptable voltage command values for specific CPU implementations at one or more different operating levels may be provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Son H. Lam, Henry W. Koertzen, Joseph T. Dibene, II, Steven D. Patzer
  • Patent number: 9222430
    Abstract: A multicore processor according to the invention has a plurality of cores. The plurality of cores are configured to operate at an operation clock with a frequency varying periodically with the same period, and a variation phase of a frequency of the operation clock of each core of the plurality of cores is shifted by a predetermined amount among the plurality of cores.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tetsuaki Wakabayashi, Soichiro Arai
  • Patent number: 9215666
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are described including receiving, by a transmitter, a report from an associated client, setting and using a downlink transmit power level responsive to the report for data transmissions to the associated client, determining a downlink data loss rate and adjusting the downlink transmit power level responsive to the downlink data loss rate, wherein said report includes received signal strength, client transmit power level and one of link margin and receiver sensitivity. Also described are a method and apparatus including receiving, by a receiver, a request for a report, transmitting the requested report, receiving an instruction to use an uplink transmit power level, setting and using the uplink transmit power level, determining an uplink data loss rate and adjusting the uplink transmit power level responsive to the uplink data loss rate, wherein said report includes said received signal strength, client transmit power level and one of said link margin and said receiver sensitivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: THOMSON LICENSING
    Inventors: Hang Liu, Ishan Mandrekar, Mingquan Wu, Ramkumar Perumanam, Saurabh Mathur
  • Patent number: 9207734
    Abstract: A rack system for a server includes a number of server units, which includes first to the third sets of server units, voltage converter, first to third power supply circuits. The voltage converter receives and converters a three-phase alternating current (AC) power signal to provide first to third single-phase power signals. The first to the third sets of power supply circuits respectively provides first to third direct current (DC) power signals according to the first to the third single-phase power signals. The first set to the third set of server units is respectively powered by first to the third DC power signals or respectively powered by first part, second part, and third part of the first to the third DC power signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: Quanta Computer Inc.
    Inventors: Tzu-Hung Wang, Chao-Jung Chen, Chih-Ming Chen, Wei-Yi Chu
  • Patent number: 9189057
    Abstract: An apparatus, method, and program product for optimizing core performance and power in a multi-core processor. The apparatus includes a multi-core processor coupled to a clock source providing a clock frequency to one or more cores, an independent power supply coupled to each core for providing a supply voltage to each core and a Phase-Locked Loop (PLL) circuit coupled to each core for dynamically adjusting the clock frequency provided to each core. The apparatus further includes a controller coupled to each core and being configured to collect performance data and power consumption data measured for each core and to adjust, using the PLL circuit, a supply voltage provided to a core, such that, the operational core frequency of the core is greater than a specification core frequency preset for the core and, such that, core performance and power consumption is optimized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Daeik Kim, Jonghae Kim, Moon J. Kim, James R. Moulic