Patents Examined by Christopher B. Shin
  • Secure external computer hub
    Patent number: 8140733
    Abstract: Secure external hubs for coupling peripheral devices to host computers are disclosed. Each peripheral device includes device identification (ID). Peripheral devices may be securely coupled to a host computer by designating authorized device IDs in response to an administrator input received via an administrator port of a hub, authorizing the peripheral devices connected to the hub based on the designated authorized device IDs, and enabling communication between authorized peripheral devices connected to the hub and a communication cable and preventing communication between unauthorized peripheral devices connected to the hub and the communication cable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Emcon Emanation Control Ltd.
    Inventors: Michael Howard Wong, Bradley Clare Ritchie
  • Digital I/O signal scheduler
    Patent number: 8140723
    Abstract: An apparatus and method of scheduling signals. In one embodiment, the method includes a first circuit receiving a first plurality of reference values. The first circuit selects a reference value from the first plurality according to a first reference identifier (ID) that is stored in memory. The first circuit compares the selected reference value to a first match value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics America Inc.
    Inventors: Samuel J. Guido, Jeremy W. Brodt, Jeffrey T. Sieber
  • Systems and methods for segmenting and protecting a storage subsystem
    Patent number: 8127048
    Abstract: A storage subsystem comprises a set of zone definitions that uses physical block addresses to divide a memory array in the storage subsystem into zones or segments. A set of zone parameters defines user access modes and security levels for each of the segments. Defining zones for the memory array provide flexibility and increased protection for data stored in the memory array. For example, data of one zone can be quickly erased without affecting data stored in other zones and critical data can be stored in read-only zones to prevent inadvertent overwrite.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: SiliconSystems, Inc.
    Inventors: David E. Merry, Mark S. Diggs, Gary A. Drossel, Michael J. Hajeck
  • Polling in a virtualized information handling system
    Patent number: 8122167
    Abstract: A software thread is dispatched for causing the system to poll a device for determining whether a condition has occurred. Subsequently, the software thread is undispatched and, in response thereto, an interrupt is enabled on the device, so that the device is enabled to generate the interrupt in response to an occurrence of the condition, and so that the system ceases polling the device for determining whether the condition has occurred. Eventually, the software thread is redispatched and, in response thereto, the interrupt is disabled on the device, so that the system resumes polling the device for determining whether the condition has occurred.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Vaijayanthimala K. Anand, Ronen Grosman, Michael E. Lyons, Bret R. Olszewski
  • System core for transferring data between an external device and memory
    Patent number: 8117357
    Abstract: Details of a highly cost effective and efficient implementation of a manifold array (ManArray) architecture and instruction syntax for use therewith are described herein. Various aspects of this approach include the regularity of the syntax, the relative ease with which the instruction set can be represented in database form, the ready ability with which tools can be created, the ready generation of self-checking codes and parameterized test cases. Parameterizations can be fairly easily mapped and system maintenance is significantly simplified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: Gerald George Pechanek, David Carl Strube, Edwin Frank Barry, Charles W. Kurak, Jr., Carl Donald Busboom, Dale Edward Schneider, Nikos P. Pitsianis, Grayson Morris, Edward A. Wolff, Patrick R. Marchand, Ricardo E. Rodriguez, Marco C. Jacobs
  • Communication between a processor and a controller
    Patent number: 8103803
    Abstract: According to an aspect of the present invention, the communication between processors and peripheral controllers is provided using packets. In an embodiment, the access requests are specified according to a common format such that all the information required for performing each access request is included in a single packet and sent to the peripheral controller. The peripheral controller performs the access request on the external device and generates a response. According to another aspect, the packet format enables the peripheral controller to send responses, requests originating from the external devices and interrupt requests. According to yet another aspect, the packets from processors are first stored in a random access memory (RAM) and a DMA controller retrieves the packets and delivered to the respective peripheral controllers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventors: Sreenivas Reddy, John George Mathieson
  • Enhancements to data-driven media management within an electronic device
    Patent number: 8095694
    Abstract: A centralized resource manager manages the routing of audio or visual information within a device, including a handheld device such as a smartphone. The resource manager evaluates data-driven policies to determine how to route audio or visual information to or from various input or output components connected to the device, including headphones, built-in speakers, microphones, bluetooth headsets, cameras, and so on. Among the data considered in the policies are connection status data, indicating if a device is connected, routing status data, indicating if a device is permitted to route information to or from a component, and grouping data, indicating logical relationships between various components. Components may be considered inherently routable, automatically routable, or optionally routable. Numerous other uses exist for such data, including providing simpler and more logical management interfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Rostaing, Anthony J. Guetta, Greg Chapman
  • Apparatus and method for playing multimedia data
    Patent number: 8090970
    Abstract: A multimedia data reproducing device is provided which includes: a codec converting digital data into an analog signal by a predetermined method and reproducing the analog signal; and a control unit including a core generating a reproduction block by decoding multimedia data and outputting the generated reproduction block to a main memory in an activated state and an interface transmitting the reproduction block stored in the main memory as the digital data to the codec and transmitting the multimedia data stored in an auxiliary memory to the core in an activated state. Accordingly, it is possible to efficiently reproduce multimedia data to reduce the power consumption of a battery by alternately turning on and off a power source of blocks other than the interface in the control unit periodically or depending on a predetermined situation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Mtekvision Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hyo-June Kim, Chul-Min Park, Sung-Yeob Cho
  • Filter driver to enumerate smartcard nodes for plug and play
    Patent number: 8086778
    Abstract: Described herein is a filter driver in a smartcardreader class that recognizes the presence of a smartcard in a smartcard reader and creates a device node (devnode).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Eirik Herskedal, Doron J. Holan, Eliyas Yakub
  • Transferable component that effectuates plug-and-play
    Patent number: 8086772
    Abstract: A plug-and-play system comprises an agent component that includes instructions for enabling a first device and a mobile device to be compatible upon detecting a connection between the first device and the mobile device. A transfer component pushes the agent component from the mobile device to the first device, and the agent component executes upon reaching the first device. For example, the mobile device can be a mobile phone, a PDA, a personal organizer, and the like, and the first device can be a personal computer, a laptop computer, or a mobile device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Igor B. Peev, Zeke Koch
  • Software install automation
    Patent number: 8073997
    Abstract: Method and peripheral device to facilitate the installation of software on a host device to allow communication between that host device and a peripheral device. On connection to a host device a peripheral device presents in a first mode. In the first mode the device identifies itself as a Human Interaction Device and transmits information to the host device to facilitate the installation of the software. Subsequently the peripheral device operates in a second mode in which it identifies itself according to its real function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: Cambridge Silicon Radio Limited
    Inventors: Chris Lowe, James Digby Yarlet Collier, Noel Andrew Bainbridge
  • Methods and systems for automatic configuration of peripherals
    Patent number: 8073980
    Abstract: Peripherals and data processing systems are disclosed which can be configured to interact based upon sensor data. In one embodiment, a peripheral, which is configured to be used with a data processing system, includes an interface to couple the peripheral to the data processing system, and at least one sensor, such as a proximity sensor, to sense a user of the peripheral, and a processor coupled to the interface and to the at least one sensor, wherein the processor configures the peripheral in response to data from the at least one sensor. The peripheral may communicate sensor data from its sensors to the data processing system, which may be a wireless PDA, and the data processing system analyzes the sensor data from its sensors and from the peripheral's sensors to decide how to configure the peripheral and/or the data processing system based on the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Nicholas Kalayjian, Stanley Rabu, Jeffrey Terlizzi
  • Connection device restriction program and device
    Patent number: 8069281
    Abstract: A connection device restriction program for preventing use of uncalled-for connection devices. A permission list setting unit sets a connection permission list holding information defining connection devices whose connection is to be permitted, and a list memory stores the connection permission list. When a connection device is connected to one of first to third connection ports, a connection restriction unit acquires device information from the connection device, and collates the device information with the connection permission list to determine whether or not the connection device corresponds to any one of the connection-permitted devices. If the connection device corresponds to any one of the connection-permitted devices, connection of the device is permitted; if not, connection of the device is forbidden.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventor: Kazuo Ikemoto
  • Efficient handling of queued-direct I/O requests and completions
    Patent number: 8055817
    Abstract: Computer program products and methods for efficient handling of queued-direct input/output (QDIO) requests and completions at an adapter in communication with an I/O device are provided. A method includes accessing a queue with one or more storage block address lists (SBALs), where each SBAL includes a plurality of storage block address list entries (SBALEs) and is associated with an SLSB. The method further includes reading an SBAL count in one of the SBALEs, where the SBAL count indicates a number of the SBALs forming an I/O request to the I/O device. In response to determining that the SBAL count is greater than one, a number of the SBALs from the queue and associated SLSBs equivalent to the SBAL count are prefetched without waiting for a notification of completion of each of the SBALs forming the I/O request, and states of the associated SLSBs transition from adapter-owned to program-owned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Raymond Higgs, George P. Kuch, Bruce H. Ratcliff, Gustav E. Sittmann, III, Jerry W. Stevens
  • Data storage system with shared cache address space
    Patent number: 8055804
    Abstract: An apparatus for a node of a peer-to-peer network having a plurality of nodes comprises one or more I/O adapters; a cache component; one or more inter-node routing components; a memory mapping component for presenting to the I/O adapters a single address space mapped across a plurality of memory elements each associated with the cache component; and a direct memory access component for performing a memory operation on the memory elements via the memory mapping component on behalf of the I/O adapters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Ian D. Judd
  • Information processor
    Patent number: 8055819
    Abstract: An information processor (program processing unit 1) for managing a data sequence in a fixed order comprises a direction array (reference data storage section 2) for storing a reference to each data item of the data sequence in an element of the index associated with the key to the data, and means (CPU 3) for changing all data keys referenced by elements within an arbitrary range of indexes in the direction array by the same amount, where memory contents within the range of the direction array are shifted by the number of indexes corresponding to the changed amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Tsuneo Nakata
  • Method and integrated circuit for providing enclosure management services utilizing multiple interfaces and protocols
    Patent number: 8051216
    Abstract: A method and integrated circuit for providing enclosure management services compatible with a multitude of physical interfaces and protocols for exchanging enclosure management data between an HBA and an enclosure management backplane is provided. According to one method, two or more interfaces utilized for exchanging enclosure management data may be monitored to determine whether one of the interfaces is actively being utilized by an HBA to transmit enclosure management data. If one of the interfaces is identified as being active, a determination is then made as to which of a plurality of protocols for transferring enclosure management data is being utilized on the active interface. In particular, a determination may be made as to whether a protocol defined by one HBA manufacturer is being utilized or whether another protocol defined by another HBA manufacturer is being utilized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: American Megatrends, Inc.
    Inventor: Clas Gerhard Sivertsen
  • USB isochronous data transfer for a host based laser printer
    Patent number: 8046518
    Abstract: A system, method, and processor executable instructions to isochronously communicate in standard USB mode laser printer scan data from a host computer to a laser printer. The host computer transmits a data stream that includes data packets having laser printer scan data, error detection information, and correction packets such as parity packets for use to reconstruct packets having an error. The laser printer receives the data stream, processes the error detection information, data packets and parity packets, and provides a continuous stream of laser printer scan data for printing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Marvell International Ltd.
    Inventor: Douglas G. Keithley
  • Storage router and method for providing virtual local storage
    Patent number: 8046515
    Abstract: A storage router (56) and storage network (50) provide virtual local storage on remote SCSI storage devices (60, 62, 64) to Fiber Channel devices. A plurality of Fiber Channel devices, such as workstations (58), are connected to a Fiber Channel transport medium (52), and a plurality of SCSI storage devices (60, 62, 64) are connected to a SCSI bus transport medium (54) The storage router (56) interfaces between the Fiber Channel transport medium (52) and the SCSI bus transport medium (54). The storage router (56) maps between the workstations (58) and the SCSI storage devices (60, 62, 64) and implements access controls for storage space on the SCSI storage devices (60, 62, 64). The storage router (56) then allows access from the workstations (58) to the SCSI storage devices (60, 62, 64) using native low level, block protocol in accordance with the mapping and the access controls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Crossroads Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Geoffrey B. Hoese, Jeffry T. Russell
  • Dynamic A-MSDU enabling
    Patent number: 8041857
    Abstract: A dynamic A-MSDU enabling method is disclosed. The method enables the recipient of an aggregate MAC service data unit (A-MSDU) under a block ACK agreement to reject the A-MSDU. The method thus distinguishes between A-MSDU outside of the block ACK agreement, which is mandatory, from A-MSDU under the block ACK agreement, which is optional. The method thus complies with the 802.11n specification while enabling the recipient to intelligently allocate memory during block ACK operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventor: Solomon Trainin