Patents Examined by Clifford Knoll
  • Patent number: 8051235
    Abstract: Upon execution of an interrupt return (IRET) instruction when a second interrupt is pending, rather than popping a stack, obtaining processor state information, and then pushing the state information back onto the stack prior to vectoring off to a second interrupt service routine, direct vectoring is employed such that the stack is not pushed or popped but rather the processor vectors directly from the IRET instruction in the first interrupt service routine to the second interrupt service routine. A novel stored interrupt enable (SIE) bit stores whether maskable interrupts were enabled at the time the first interrupt service routine was entered. Execution of IRET automatically checks the SIE. If the SIE indicates interrupts were enabled, then direct vectoring occurs. If the SIE indicates that interrupts were disabled, then the second interrupt remains pending, and an interrupt return operation is performed by popping the stack and restoring the prior processor state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: IXYS CH GmbH
    Inventors: Gyle D. Yearsley, Joshua J. Nekl
  • Patent number: 8051236
    Abstract: A medical device system includes a portable medical device and a docking unit on which the medical device can be removably mounted. The docking unit is configured to communicate with a controller of the medical device when the medical device is mounted on the docking unit to instruct the controller to execute a selected program.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: Tyco Healthcare Group LP
    Inventors: Gary J. Waldhoff, Michael C. Dorsey
  • Patent number: 8046516
    Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention includes a switch device to be coupled between a first semiconductor component and a processor node by interconnects of a communication protocol that provides for cache coherent transactions and non-cache coherent transactions. The switch device includes logic to handle cache coherent transactions from the first semiconductor component to the processor node, while the first semiconductor component does not include such logic. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventor: Ramakrishna Saripalli
  • Patent number: 8046511
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for efficiently implementing signal processing cores as application specific processors. A signal processing core, such as a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) core or a Finite Impulse Response (FIR) core includes a data path and a control path. A control path is implemented using processor components to increase resource efficiency. Both the data path and the control path can be implemented using function units that are selected, parameterized, and interconnected. A variety of signal processing algorithms can be implemented on the same application specific processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: Robert Jackson, Sambuddhi Hettiaratchi
  • Patent number: 8046520
    Abstract: A resource management module of a management server for controlling a multi-root I/O manager connected to a PCI switch for connecting a plurality of I/O devices and a plurality of computers with each other includes: failure handling content information indicating, for each computer sharing a multi-root I/O device, a content of a failure handling at an occurrence of a failure in the multi-root I/O device; and failure handling availability status information indicating whether a hardware reset of the multi-root I/O device is possible and updates, upon reception of a notification of the occurrence of the failure in the multi-root I/O device, the failure handling availability status information, and instructs, based on the failure handling availability status information, the multi-root I/O manager to restrain or cancel the hardware reset of the multi-root I/O device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashige Baba, Keitaro Uehara, Yuji Tsushima
  • Patent number: 8041875
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for virtualizing resources including peripheral components and peripheral interfaces. Peripheral component such as hardware accelerators and peripheral interfaces such as port adapters are offloaded from individual servers onto a resource virtualization switch. Multiple servers are connected to the resource virtualization switch over an I/O bus fabric such as PCI Express or PCI-AS. The resource virtualization switch allows efficient access, sharing, management, and allocation of resources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Xsigo Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Shreyas Shah, Subramaniam Vinod, Ramalingam K. Anand, Ashok Krishnamurthi
  • Patent number: 8032685
    Abstract: According to one embodiment of the invention, a data modifying bus buffer generally includes a switch that is configured to selectively couple a first databus to a second databus. The switch is controlled by a buffer controller. The first databus and a second databus have a similar predetermined protocol. The buffer controller is operable to monitor the first databus for the presence of a particular sequence of the signals such that, when the particular sequence of the signals is found, the first switch may be selectively opened or closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventor: George Weber
  • Patent number: 8028185
    Abstract: A processor may comprise one or more cores, where each respective core may comprise one or more state registers, and non-volatile memory configured to store microcode instructions executed by the respective processor core. The processor may further comprise a power management controller (PMC) interfacing with each respective core, and a state monitor (SM) interfacing with the PMC. The PMC may be configured to communicate with each respective core, such that microcode executed by the respective processor core may recognize when a request is made to transition the respective core to a low-power state. The microcode may communicate the request to the PMC, which may in turn determine if the request is for the respective core to transition to a zero-power state. If it is, the PMC may communicate with the SM to determine whether to transition the respective processor core to the zero-power state, and initiate transition to the zero-power state if a determination to transition to the zero-power state is made.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2011
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander Branover, Rajen S. Ramchandani
  • Patent number: 7992025
    Abstract: A power control circuit for supplying power for a computer component of a computer includes first to sixth switches. In response to the computer changing to a normal work state, a power state signal changes from low level to high level and a motherboard state signal is at high level, the fourth switch is turned on, the fifth switch is turned off, and the sixth switch is turned on, and power of the computer component is stably supplied by a system power supply. The motherboard state signal and the power state signal are at low level in response to the computer changing to a sleep state, the second switch is turned off, the first and third switches are turned on, and power of the computer component is stably supplied by a standby power supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignees: Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (ShenZhen) Co., Ltd., Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hua Zou
  • Patent number: 7987312
    Abstract: A method for dynamically determining bit configuration for a host bridge. The method first obtains information of peripheral components coupled to the host bridge. Next, the method dynamically determines a bit configuration of a processor system bus connecting to the host bridge according to the obtained information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2011
    Assignee: Via Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Shih, Jing-Rung Wang
  • Patent number: 7461190
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a switch is configured to be coupled to an interconnect. The switch comprises a plurality of storage locations and an arbiter control circuit coupled to the plurality of storage locations. The plurality of storage locations are configured to store a plurality of requests transmitted by a plurality of agents. The arbiter control circuit is configured to arbitrate among the plurality of requests stored in the plurality of storage locations. A selected request is the winner of the arbitration, and the switch is configured to transmit the selected request from one of the plurality of storage locations onto the interconnect. In another embodiment, a system comprises a plurality of agents, an interconnect, and the switch coupled to the plurality of agents and the interconnect. In another embodiment, a method is contemplated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2008
    Assignee: P.A. Semi, Inc.
    Inventors: Sridhar P. Subramanian, James B. Keller, Ruchi Wadhawan, George Kong Yiu, Ramesh Gunna
  • Patent number: 7447817
    Abstract: Method and system for arbitrating between plural arbitration requests is provided. The system includes a plurality of first stage arbiters that receive plural arbitration requests and a signal that indicates a previously granted request, wherein the first stage arbiters assert a high priority request signal if a high priority request is pending and a low priority request signal is asserted, if a low priority request is pending; a second stage arbiter that arbitrates between high priority requests, when high priority requests are pending; wherein if a high priority request is not pending, then a low priority request is granted; and a data handler module that operates in parallel with the second stage arbiter to immediately move data associated with a request that is granted at any given time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2008
    Assignee: QLOGIC Corporation
    Inventor: Srinivas Sripada
  • Patent number: 7426597
    Abstract: A bus permits the number of active serial data lanes of a data link to be re-negotiated in response to changes in bus bandwidth requirements. In one embodiment, one of the bus interfaces triggers a re-negotiation of link width and places a constraint on link width during the re-negotiation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2008
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventors: William P. Tsu, Luc R. Bisson, Oren Rubinstein, Wei-Je Huang, Michael B. Diamond
  • Patent number: 7404023
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing channel bonding and clock correction arbitration in integrated circuits are disclosed. An arbitration device analyzes indicators to determine when clock correction request or a channel bonding request occur simultaneously. Then, the arbitration device determines whether to service the simultaneously occurring clock correction request first or a channel bonding request first based upon user selected arbitration logic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2008
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert J. Kaszynski
  • Patent number: 7380035
    Abstract: A programmable logic device, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, may comprise a bus and a plurality of programmable masters configurable to interface the bus. A first portion of a memory may include configuration data operable to configure masters of the plurality, while a second portion of the memory may include access patterns to control when the different masters of the plurality may access the bus. An injection rate controller may control when a given master is to send data on the bus based on the access pattern associated with the master. A master controller may be operable to write the access patterns for the masters to the second portion of the configuration memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2008
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventor: Adam P. Donlin
  • Patent number: 7380046
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method, apparatus, and computer program product are disclosed in a data processing environment that includes host computer systems that are coupled to adapters utilizing a switched fabric for routing packets between the host computer systems and the adapters. A unique destination identifier is assigned to one of the host computer systems. A portion of a standard format packet destination address is selected. Within a particular packet, the portion is set equal to the unique identifier that is assigned to the host computer system. The particular packet is then routed through the fabric to the host computer system using the unique destination identifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2008
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: William T. Boyd, Douglas M. Freimuth, William G. Holland, Steven W. Hunter, Renato J. Recio, Steven M. Thurber, Madeline Vega
  • Patent number: 7370127
    Abstract: An internal bus architecture capable of providing high speed inter-connection and inter-communication between modules connected in an integrated circuit such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The internal bus architecture includes multiple interface units for interfacing with the modules of the ASIC and at least one basic modular unit coupled to the interface units for allowing simultaneous data transfers between the interface units. Each of the basic modular units has an upload unit for transferring upstream data, and a download unit for transferring downstream data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2008
    Assignee: Broadlight Ltd
    Inventors: David Avishai, Eliezer Weitz, Yehiel Engel, Raanan Gewirtzman
  • Patent number: 7370124
    Abstract: In a method and system for transmitting messages over a data network, the communication task is used which is implemented on a transmitting microcontroller which determines, on the basis of a routing table, which communication system is used to forward the message to which adjacent microcontroller. A dual-ported RAM is provided between two microcontrollers as one type of communication system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2008
    Assignee: Oce Printing Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Jens Umlauf, Christian Fertl, Christian Wallis, Rainer Katterloher, Hermann Andresen, Stephan Pilsl
  • Patent number: 7366811
    Abstract: A circuit arrangement, program product and method for bus arbitration alters the sequence in which device requests are arbitrated with respect to each other and to a previous arbitration sequence. To this end, an arbiter grants access to a first group of devices according to a predetermined sequence. The arbiter then automatically alters the sequence for a second group of devices, granting access to the bus for the second group according to the altered sequence. These features allow the order in which the arbiter sequences through the groups to be automatically varied with respect to each other, diminishing the likelihood of lockout.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2008
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Richard Nicholas
  • Patent number: 7363411
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for optimization of multiprocessor synchronization and allocation of system management memory space is herein described. When a system management interrupt (SMI) is received, a first processor checks the state of a second processor, which may be done by checking a storage medium storing values representative of the second processor's state. The first processor handles the SMI or waits for the second processor dependent on the state of the second processor. Furthermore, system management memory is allocated where a first system management memory space assigned to a first processor overlaps a second system management memory space assigned to a second processor, leaving first and second non-overlapping region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2008
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Grant H. Kobayashi, Barnes Cooper