Patents Examined by Herng-der Day
  • Patent number: 7526418
    Abstract: A fully-parallelized, highly-efficient compositional implicit hydrocarbon reservoir simulator is provided. The simulator is capable of solving giant reservoir models, of the type frequently encountered in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world, with fast turnaround time. The simulator may be implemented in a variety of computer platforms ranging from shared-memory and distributed-memory supercomputers to commercial and self-made clusters of personal computers. The performance capabilities enable analysis of reservoir models in full detail, using both fine geological characterization and detailed individual definition of the hydrocarbon components present in the reservoir fluids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2009
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Jorge A. Pita, James C. T. Tan, Larry S. Fung, Ali H. Dogru
  • Patent number: 7505887
    Abstract: Methods and systems for building a simulation for verifying a design block, including efficient coordination of the control and validation of the operation of a first and second bus of the design block, with the first bus being an interface bus of a processor. An interface description is determined for a bus functional model of the interface bus of the processor. The interface description includes a synchronization bus for coordinating the bus functional model and a hardware description language (HDL) testbench. A hardware specification is generated that couples the first bus of the design block with the interface description, and couples the HDL testbench with the second bus of the design block and with the synchronization bus of the interface description. The simulation for verifying the design block is automatically generated from the bus functional model and the hardware specification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2009
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventors: John A. Canaris, Jorge Ernesto Carrillo, Lester S. Sanders, Yong Zhu
  • Patent number: 7490031
    Abstract: The invention models software as a physical device with causality. It develops interaction between software and user in a software dynamic system that connects software or modeled software with a software controller. The software is modeled with its input/output behavior on a discrete sampling domain and is controlled by the controller in a modeling software dynamic system while its behavior is observed real-time to identify its model. The modeled software is controlled by the same controller in a simulation software dynamic system, which can be augmented programmatically. Augmentations integrated with the controller construct a software amplifier coupling the modeled software and user interactively and automatically. The modeled software represents domain knowledge simulated in the augmented system as software intelligence. A software-2 including the modeled software, the software controller, and augmentations is created.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2009
    Inventor: Gang Qiu
  • Patent number: 7454325
    Abstract: According to one method of simulation processing, a count event counter for a count event is created within instrumentation of a hardware description language (HDL) simulation model of a design and a threshold greater than 1 is established for the count event counter. The design is then simulated utilizing the HDL simulation model, and occurrences of the count event are accumulated in the count event counter to obtain a count event value. Thereafter, an indication of whether the count event value of the count event exceeds the threshold is recorded within a data storage subsystem.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2008
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Lee Behm, Carol Ivash Gabele, Wolfgang Roesner, Derek Edward Williams
  • Patent number: 7433814
    Abstract: A network emulator provides both per-connection and non-connection-based emulation. The emulator includes a host computer, and a kernel-mode emulator driver and user-mode application component running on the host computer. The application component supplies configuration parameters to the driver. The driver includes a packet filter list that filters a captured packet, a virtual network link that receives the packet from the packet filter list, a link group list that applies an emulation procedure to the packet, a timer management component that manages a timer associated with the emulation procedure, and a packet dispatcher component that sends out the packet. A connection pool component facilitates per-connection emulation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2008
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Yunxin Liu, Zheng Ni, Jian Wang, Qian Zhang, Wenwu Zhu
  • Patent number: 7433808
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a computer-implemented method for modeling a system using a finite state machine representation is presented. An event-driven temporal logic operator may be associated with a first, active state in the finite state machine representation. A value of the temporal logic operator may be determined by a number of occurrences of an event during an existing activation of the first state associated with the temporal logic operator. A state transition from the first state to a second state may be executed based on the value of the temporal logic operator. The second state may be set as the active state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2008
    Assignee: The MathWorks, Inc.
    Inventors: Vijay Raghavan, Ebrahim Mehran Mestchian
  • Patent number: 7433809
    Abstract: A computer-implemented system and method of non-linear modeling in a computer system having a limited precision processor is provided. A non-linear model is initialized by forming an objective function having one or more functional components and a marginal variance matrix. The model is then iteratively solved using the computer processor until it has converged to a feasible solution. In doing so, the feasibility of computing the objective function is evaluated by determining if the marginal variance matrix is positive definite, thereby indicating whether or not the computer processor is capable of calculating a feasible solution to the non-linear model. If the marginal variance matrix is positive definite, then the objective function and its gradient are computed using the marginal variance matrix.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2008
    Assignee: SAS Institute Inc.
    Inventor: Georges H. Guirguis
  • Patent number: 7426455
    Abstract: Performing Boolean operations among two regions; regions and results represented as vector tuples. Establish indexing cells about regions and classify by type of interaction between regions, e.g., (boundary, boundary). For each (boundary, boundary) cell, define pseudo-points at each boundary entrance/exit. Categorize each (boundary, boundary) cell on relationship of its pseudo-points. Identify starting points along boundaries based on: categorization, operation, and interior convention. Accumulate results cycling from a starting point, along region boundary. Upon encountering each intersection, proceed along the other region boundary. Upon encountering a cell edge, proceed along the cell edge in the direction consistent with the interior convention. Where a starting point or intersection between region boundaries remains untraversed, accumulate results in tracing a similar cycle along untraced boundaries. Discard duplicate/cell-edge only tuples.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2008
    Assignee: Science Applications International Corporation
    Inventor: Richard T. Antony
  • Patent number: 7412369
    Abstract: There is disclosed an apparatus for designing and optimizing a memory for use in an embedded processing system. The apparatus comprises: 1) a simulation controller for simulating execution of a test program to be executed by the embedded processing system; 2) a memory access monitor for monitoring memory accesses to a simulated memory space during the simulated execution of the test program, wherein the memory access monitor generates memory usage statistical data associated with the monitored memory accesses; and 3) a memory optimization controller for comparing the memory usage statistical data and one or more predetermined design criteria associated with the embedded processing system and, in response to the comparison, determining at least one memory configuration capable of satisfying the one or more predetermined design criteria.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2008
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Vidyabhusan Gupta
  • Patent number: 7412357
    Abstract: A process for designing dump bodies which more accurately takes into account field loading/haulage conditions is provided. The process includes gathering data from actual field environments including material density, front, rear and side angles of material repose and corner void information. From this data, a three dimensional model of the load is generated. This three dimensional load model is then used to design the truck body in an iterative process until the volume of the truck body and the distribution of weight of the three dimensional load model on the truck chassis is substantially the same as the desired volume and the distribution of weight on the truck chassis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2008
    Assignee: Philippi-Hagenbuch, Inc.
    Inventors: LeRoy G. Hagenbuch, Philip T. Brinkman
  • Patent number: 7392163
    Abstract: Hourglass deformations due to zero-energy or hourglass modes in rank-deficient solid elements must be effectively controlled, or the deformations may grow large and produce an unrealistic deformed geometry. Traditional methods of hourglass control allow error to accumulate by measuring hourglass deformation with incremental terms throughout a solution, which may produce inaccurate results due to unrealistic hourglass deformations. The present invention discloses a new method to control hourglass deformation without any incremental accumulations. Instead the nodal forces to resist hourglass deformations are calculated basing on the initial nodal coordinates and current nodal coordinates at each cycle. The present invention is implemented in a finite element software product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2008
    Assignee: Livermore Software Technology Corporation
    Inventor: Lee Bindeman
  • Patent number: 7389212
    Abstract: A system and method for interactive design of a product includes the steps of identifying an ideal design solution by identifying an unnecessary design parameter having a predetermined significant influence on a variable design response and fixing a predetermined nominal value of the identified unnecessary design parameter at which the variable design response is a minimum and the product design is an uncoupled design or a decoupled design. The method also includes the steps of selecting a most robust ideal design solution from the identified ideal design solution that is the most uncoupled design or the most decoupled design. The method further includes the steps of optimizing the most robust ideal design solution to obtain a pareto-optimal design solution for use in the design of the product that includes a design parameter having an independent design response.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2008
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: Liem Ferryanto, Mahesh Vora, Agus Sudjianto
  • Patent number: 7386426
    Abstract: An NSET method and apparatus for modeling and monitoring the status of a system is disclosed. The NSET employs a nonlinear similarity operator in place of linear matrix multiplication, to estimate a set of sensor data based on learned reference data, responsive to receiving a set of actual sensor data. Regularization is used in the generation of the estimate. The estimated data values and the actual sensor data are differenced to produce residuals, which are statistically tested with a SPRT to detect anomalies. Cluster centers may be used to represent learned reference data. The detection of anomalies can be used advantageously for sensor calibration verification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2008
    Assignee: Smartsignal Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher L. Black, J. Wesley Hines
  • Patent number: 7383166
    Abstract: A method of checking correctness of scheduling of a circuit where a schedule for the circuit is obtained from a behavioral description. The method comprising extracting loop invariants to determine a sufficient set of acyclic threads when loops are present, performing symbolic simulation to extract the above loop invariants, and proving equivalence of the acyclic threads. Systems, computer systems and computer program products that incorporate the techniques of verification and correctness checking according to the present invention have also been disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2008
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Pranav Ashar, Anand Raghunathan, Subhrajit Bhattacharya
  • Patent number: 7349832
    Abstract: Realistic sprays for simulated fluids are created by adding a set of spray particles to a boundary region just below the fluid surface. The fluid surface is determined by solving a level set equation for a zero level corresponding to the fluid surface. Additionally, the boundary region is determined by solving the level set equation for a non-zero level corresponding to a surface at the specified depth from the fluid surface. The set of spray particles inherit an initial state, for example a velocity, from the fluid simulation. Subsequent motion of the spray particles is determined according to a ballistic simulation, rather than a fluid simulation, thereby substantially reducing the computational burden required to animate the fluid. Spray particles that sink below a specified depth from the fluid surface are removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2008
    Assignee: Pixar
    Inventor: John Anderson
  • Patent number: 7328143
    Abstract: A method for building a hierarchical representation of a circuit for simulation includes 1) receiving a source file containing SPICE-like netlist descriptions of the circuit in a flattened representation; 2) generating a primitive database using the source file, where the primitive database includes a geometries-describing section for storing a plurality of primitive subcircuit blocks; 3) generating an instance database using the geometries-describing section, where the instances database includes instance subcircuit blocks corresponding to explicitly-expressed primitive subcircuit blocks with predefined geometric values; 4) generating a simulation database using the instance database, where the simulation database includes simulation subcircuit blocks corresponding to fully-flattened instance subcircuit blocks; and 5) simulating the circuit using the simulation database, the instance database, and the primitive database.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2008
    Assignee: Cadence Design Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Bruce W. McGaughy
  • Patent number: 7324929
    Abstract: The invention is a method for simulating one or more characteristics of a multi-component, hydrocarbon-bearing formation into which a displacement fluid having at least one component is injected to displace formation hydrocarbons. The first step of the method is to equate at least part of the formation to a multiplicity of gridcells. Each gridcell is then divided into two regions, a first region representing a portion of each gridcell swept by the displacement fluid and a second region representing a portion of each gridcell essentially unswept by the displacement fluid. The distribution of components in each region is assumed to be essentially uniform. A model is constructed that is representative of fluid properties within each region, fluid flow between gridcells using principles of percolation theory, and component transport between the regions. The model is then used in a simulator to simulate one or more characteristics of the formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2008
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: Chun Huh, Gary F. Teletzke, Sriram S. Nivarthi
  • Patent number: 7313511
    Abstract: Virtual Real Time (VRT) provides high fidelity timing for software simulator environment running in a workstation. VRT is scalable and controllable. VRT provides flight and simulation software synchronization mechanism. This feature guarantees that the causality effect between flight software when interacting with simulated devices is the same as running flight software in a real test-bed environment. VRT provides high-resolution timing, which facilitates monitoring and detection of timing related faults while running the simulation software system on a workstation. VRT is modularized, such that the switchover from virtual clock to real clock is a trivial task. Running the system on a workstation using VRT behaves exactly like a real system, with the added benefits of user controllable features such as start, stop, monitor and time-scale. Performance of systems running with VRT is generally very good, equal to or better than the hardware, as the software runs natively on a faster workstation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2007
    Assignee: California Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Mohammad Shahabuddin, William K. Reinholtz
  • Patent number: 7305333
    Abstract: A process and method for projection beam lithography which utilizes an estimator, such as a Kalman filter to control electron beam placement. The Kalman filter receives predictive information from a model and measurement information from a projection electron beam lithography tool and compensates for factors which cause beam placement error such as wafer heating and beam drift. The process and method may also utilize an adaptive Kalman filter to control electron beam placement. The adaptive Kalman filter receives predictive information from a number of models and measurement information from a projection electron beam lithography tool and compensates for factors which cause beam placement error such as heating and beam drift. The Kalman filter may be implemented such that real-time process control may be achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2007
    Assignee: Agere Systems Inc.
    Inventor: Stuart T. Stanton
  • Patent number: 7299170
    Abstract: A high precision floating point emulator and associated method for emulating subject program code on a target machine where the subject machine base operands possess a different precision than the target machine. The high precision floating point emulator is provided for the emulation of subject program code instructions having a higher precision than that supported by the target machine architecture by utilizing intermediate calculations having values with a higher precision than that supported by the target machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Transitive Limited
    Inventor: Paul Walker