Patents Examined by Fadi A. Stephan
  • Patent number: 5588130
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device comprises a DRAM memory cell array comprising a plurality of dynamic type memory cells arranged in a plurality of rows and columns, and an SRAM memory cell array comprising static type memory cells arranged in a plurality of rows and columns. The DRAM memory cell array is divided into a plurality of blocks each comprising a plurality of columns. The SRAM memory cell array is divided into a plurality of blocks each comprising a plurality of columns, corresponding to the plurality of blocks in the DRAM memory cell array. The SRAM memory cell array is used as a cache memory. At the time of cache hit, data is accessed to the SRAM memory cell array. At the time of cache miss, data is accessed to the DRAM memory cell array. On this occasion, data corresponding to one row in each of the blocks in the DRAM memory cell array is transferred to one row in the corresponding block in the SRAM memory cell array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 24, 1996
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuyasu Fujishima, Yoshio Matsuda, Mikio Asakura
  • Patent number: 5566321
    Abstract: A method of managing distributed memory in which a local memory is partitioned into a shared heap segment, a shared stack segment, a private heap segment and a private stack segment. One of the segments starts at a fixed address and grows upward. A second segment starts at a fixed address and grows downward. A third segment starts at a relocatable segment wall and grows downward and a fourth segment starts at a relocatable segment wall and grows upward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 15, 1996
    Assignee: Cray Research, Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas M. Pase, Dave Wagner
  • Patent number: 5553257
    Abstract: An address generating circuit having a two-dimensional coding table which has respective coded words corresponding to a combination of x and y where the value of event A is determined as x and the value of event B as y (x and y are positive integers) between two events A and B, and stores the coded words in an address corresponding to each combination of x and y; coincidence detectors which input the values x and y of the events A and B and detect whether these values coincide with the integer of 1 to S (S is the maximum number among the integers satisfying S+log.sub.2 S<P and P is a positive integer); comparators which examine whether the inputted y satisfies x+log.sub.2 y.ltoreq.P for each integral number of x, and examine whether the inputted x satisfies y+log.sub.2 x.ltoreq.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 3, 1996
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Hideo Ishida, Yasushi Ooi
  • Patent number: 5546553
    Abstract: A multifunction access circuit for use with first and second digital computers each having an address bus for supplying addresses and a data bus for supplying data. The access circuit has an address decoder with inputs for the address bus from the first computer, and an address translator circuit having address inputs for addresses supplied by the address bus of the first computer and outputs for translated addresses to the address bus of the second computer. The address translator circuit also has registers selectable by the address decoder and data inputs to program the registers so selected with data from the data bus from the first computer. Also in the access circuit is a port circuit with registers controlled by the address decoder for entry of address information from the data bus of the first computer and assertion of the address information on the address bus of the second computer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 13, 1996
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Iain C. Robertson, Jeffrey L. Nye, Michael D. Asal, Graham B. Short, Richard D. Simpson, James G. Littleton
  • Patent number: 5546554
    Abstract: In a processor, an instruction unit that issues a plurality of instructions is coupled to a mapping unit. Each instruction contains at least one "virtual" address corresponding to a user-addressable register as defined by an instruction set architecture. A register file having a number of physical register addresses in excess of the user addressable virtual register address is also coupled to the mapping unit. The mapping unit receives instructions from the instruction unit and generates a map value for each virtual register address. The mapping unit also maintains a status value for each physical register address. Maintaining the status value provides for out-of-order completion and in-order retirement. A new mapping is generated each time a virtual register address is used as a destination register address of an instruction. This insures that no physical register address will be overwritten before all older instructions have been resolved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 13, 1996
    Assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Yung, Greg Williams, Huoy-Ming Yeh
  • Patent number: 5530834
    Abstract: A cache memory contains a number of RAMs. The RAMs are addressed by independent hashing functions, so as to access a set of locations, one in each RAM. If the required data item is resident in the addressed set, it is accessed. Otherwise, the least-recently used location in the set is selected for overwriting with data from main memory. The contents of the RAM location that is about to be overwritten are saved, and then used to access the memory again in order to address a further set of locations. If any of this further set of locations is less recently used than the saved contents, the saved contents are loaded back into that location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 25, 1996
    Assignee: International Computers Limited
    Inventors: Ian G. Colloff, Albert S. Hilditch