Patents Examined by John P. Trimmings
  • Patent number: 7958438
    Abstract: Provided is a CAN system that can generate an error signal without requiring hardware for generating an error signal to be connected to a bus. A protocol processing part within a CAN controller incorporates error data into receive data or send data, based on error data information stored in a register.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Uemura, Yasuyuki Inoue
  • Patent number: 7954015
    Abstract: An apparatus for producing a word of a de-interleaved sequence of bits from a sequence of bits stored in a memory is described. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a read circuit for selecting bits of the stored sequence and forming the selected bits into a word, and a logic network arranged to produce the word of the de-interleaved sequence by concatenating sections of a plurality of words produced by the read circuit. The technique can also be used to achieve interleaving, rather than de-interleaving, of a data sequence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventor: Kulwinder Dhanoa
  • Patent number: 7949920
    Abstract: A technique for reducing the overhead of daisy chain test mode in divide-and-conquer testing using intermediate test modes that do not span all cores or all flip-flops in the core. The partial residual test mode spans across a subset of the cores and allows to bound the number of cores that a full residual test mode may span across. The interaction of the cores among one another at the top-level is analyzed and the minimum number of flip-flops in a core that must participate in a intermediate test mode is selected. Algorithms are devised to analyze the interactions among the cores and build data structures which are used for identifying intermediate test modes. Using a reconfigurable scan segment architecture, intermediate test modes are implemented that are designed to work with all known test compression solutions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Varadarajan R. Devanathan, Chennagiri P. Ravikumar
  • Patent number: 7949913
    Abstract: A method for storing a memory defect map is disclosed whereby a memory component is tested for defects at the time of manufacture and any memory defects detected are stored in a memory defect map and used to optimize the system performance. The memory defect map is updated and the system's remapping resources optimized as new memory defects are detected during operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Forrest E. Norrod, Jimmy D. Pike, Tom L. Newell
  • Patent number: 7949915
    Abstract: The present invention provides a new hardware description language for chip-level JTAG testing. This new hardware description language, referred to as New BSDL (NSDL), enables testing resources of a system-on-chip to be described, thereby enabling the system-on-chip to be described in a manner that facilitates testing of the system-on-chip. The present invention provides a bottom-up approach to describing a system-on-chip. The present invention supports algorithmic descriptions of each of the components of the system-on-chip, and supports an algorithmic description of interconnections between the components of the system-on-chip, thereby enabling generation of an algorithmic description of the entire system-on-chip or portions of the system-on-chip. The present invention supports parallel access to one or more system-on-chip devices, including methods for describing and using parallel access for testing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA Inc.
    Inventors: Tapan J. Chakraborty, Chen-Huan Chiang, Suresh Goyal, Michele Portolan, Bradford Gene Van Treuren
  • Patent number: 7949914
    Abstract: A system is described having a JTAG diagnostic unit and a serial wire diagnostic unit. A watcher unit is connected to a data connection shared between the diagnostic units. Special patterns detected upon the shared data connection serve to switch between diagnostic modes with respective ones of the diagnostic units becoming active.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: ARM Limited
    Inventors: Peter Logan Harrod, Edmond John Simon Ashfield, Thomas Sean Houlihane, Paul Kimelman, Simon John Craske, Michael John Williams
  • Patent number: 7949919
    Abstract: The present invention provides a microelectronic device with a circuit core and a boundary scan test interface sharing a number of pre-selected pins. In the mode of a boundary scan test, the boundary scan test interface manipulates the input and output of the test signal through the shared pins. Pins necessary for the microelectronic device are therefore reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Realtek Semiconductor Corp.
    Inventors: Hsiang-Huang Wu, Ming-Je Li, Jih-Nung Lee
  • Patent number: 7945824
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for a processor-memory unit for use in system-in-package (SiP) and system-in-package (SiP) integrated circuit devices. The apparatus includes a processing module, a memory module and a programmable system module. The programmable system module is configured to function as an interface between the memory module and the processing module, or as an interface between the memory module and a testing device. The invention facilitates integration and testing of processor-memory units including functional components having different communication protocols.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Adrian E. Ong, Naresh Baliga
  • Patent number: 7945822
    Abstract: Described herein are method and apparatus for storing data to a low-latency random read memory (LLRRM) device using non-aligned data striping, the LLRRM device being implemented on a storage system. The LLRRM device may comprise a bank comprising a plurality of memory chips, each chip being simultaneously accessible for storing data on a plurality of erase-units (EUs). A storage operating system may maintain, for each chip, a reserve data structure listing reserve EUs and a remapping data structure for tracking remappings between defective EUs to reserve EUs in the chip. A defective EU in a chip may be mapped to a reserve EU from the reserve data structure. Upon receiving a data block to be stored to the LLRRM device at the defective EU, the storage operating system may stripe the received data block across a plurality of chips in a non-aligned manner using the remapped reserve EU.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey S. Kimmel, Rajesh Sundaram, George Totolos, Jr., Michael W. J. Hordijk
  • Patent number: 7945831
    Abstract: Various apparatuses, methods and systems for dual JTAG controllers with shared pins disclosed herein. For example, some embodiments provide a boundary scan apparatus having a first boundary scan circuit with a first plurality of control inputs, a second boundary scan circuit with a second plurality of control inputs, and a plurality of boundary scan control signals connected to the first plurality of control inputs on the first boundary scan circuit and to the second plurality of control inputs on the second boundary scan circuit. At least two of the plurality of boundary scan control signals are connected between the first boundary scan circuit and the second boundary scan circuit in a crossover fashion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: Robert B. Wong
  • Patent number: 7930604
    Abstract: A system for receiving serial messages from a device under test includes a deserializer configured to i) receive the serial messages and, ii) based on the serial messages, form data frames. A frame sync module is configured to form Joint Task Action Group (JTAG) data bits based on the data frames. A plurality of virtual JTAG test access ports are configured to i) receive the JTAG data bits and ii) shift the JTAG data bits between the plurality of virtual JTAG test access ports.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Marvell International Ltd.
    Inventors: Saeed Azimi, Son Ho, Daniel Smathers
  • Patent number: 7930609
    Abstract: A circuit verifying method is provided for a logic circuit of a first sequential circuit which outputs a first data based on an input data in synchronization with a first clock signal, and a second sequential circuit which outputs a second data based on the first data in synchronization with a second clock signal with a period longer than that of a first clock signal. The circuit verifying method includes detecting a change of the input data in synchronization with the first clock signal; outputting a data indicating a meta stable state during a period longer than one period of the first clock signal based on the change of the input data as the first data; storing the changed input data in a storage unit based on the change of the input data; and outputting the changed input data which has been stored in the storage unit as the first data after stop the output of the data indicating the meta stable state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Tsuyoshi Inagawa
  • Patent number: 7930601
    Abstract: A method for implementing at speed bit fail mapping of an embedded memory system having ABIST (Array Built In Self Testing), comprises using a high speed multiplied clock which is a multiple of an external clock of an external tester to sequence ABIST bit fail testing of the embedded memory system. Collect store fail data during ABIST testing of the embedded memory system. Perform a predetermined number of ABIST runs before issuing a bypass order substituting the external clock for the high speed multiplied clock. Use the external clock of the tester to read bit fail data out to the external tester.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Joseph Eckelman, Donato O. Forlenza, Orazio P. Forlenza, William J. Hurley, Thomas J. Knips, Gary William Maier, Phong T. Tran
  • Patent number: 7925949
    Abstract: Electronic apparatus, systems, and methods of operating and constructing the electronic apparatus and/or systems include an embedded processor disposed in a logic chip to direct, among other functions, self-testing of an electronic device structure in conjunction with a pattern buffer disposed in the logic chip, when the electronic device structure is coupled to the logic chip. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Joe M. Jeddeloh
  • Patent number: 7925938
    Abstract: A structure and method for repairing SDRAM by generating a Slicing Table of Fault Distribution and using the size of SDRAM page as the partition basic block. The Slicing Table of Fault Distribution is generated at each booting or memory-testing, and the elemental range of the number of detected defects is formed. When the number of detected defects exceeds the elemental range, the limits of another partition block with a lower rate of defects are used to cure the defect. The repair bit is also encoded according to the Slicing Table of Fault Distribution, pointing to the remapping bit so that the access operation occurs at the remapping bit. As such, the cost of producing, testing and repairing SDRAM is greatly reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Geneticware Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Chien-Tzu Hou, Hsiu-Ying Hsu
  • Patent number: 7921346
    Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for testing the Design-For-Testability/Design-For-Diagnostics (DFT/DFD) and supporting BIST functions of a custom microcode array. Upon completion of the LSSD Flush and Scan tests, the ABIST program is applied to target the logic associated direct current (DC) and alternating current (AC) faults of ABIST array Design-For-Testability/Design-For-Diagnostics DFT/DFD functions that support the microcode array. A LSSD test of the DFT functional combinational logic is performed by applying generated LSSD deterministic test patterns targeting the ABIST design-for-test faults to determine if the DFT supporting the microcode array is functioning correctly. Additional tests may be terminated upon resulting failure of the applied ABIST DFT circuitry surrounding the arrays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Donato Orazio Forlenza, Orazio Pasquale Forlenza, Bryan J. Robbins, Phong T. Tran
  • Patent number: 7917823
    Abstract: A test architecture and method of testing are disclosed to allow multiple scan controllers, which control different scan chain designs in multiple logic blocks, to share a test access mechanism. During test mode, the test architecture is configured to decouple clock sources of the test access mechanism, the scan controllers and the scan chains.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: David Dehnert, Matthew Heath
  • Patent number: 7917825
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention include an apparatus to selectively provide information within a device to enable the device to perform a function. The apparatus comprises a generator unit to generate information for the device to perform the function, a receiver unit to receive information from a source and provide the received information for the device, and a storage unit. The storage unit selectively stores the information from the generator unit and the receiver unit for use by the device in accordance with an information selection signal and a mode signal indicating entry of the device into a particular device mode. Information from the receiver unit is stored in the storage unit in response to availability of information from the receiver unit and the mode signal indicating entry of the device into the particular device mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Inventor: Joo-Sang Lee
  • Patent number: 7917821
    Abstract: A system on chip (SOC) may include function blocks, and a scan chain in each of the function blocks, the scan chains being adapted to conduct scan test operations in sync with a respective one of a plurality of clock signals having a different phase relative to each other, wherein during an isolation mode, the scan chains test combination circuits of the function blocks, and during an interface mode, the scan chains of adjacent ones of the function blocks test combination circuits between the adjacent ones of the function blocks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hoi-Jin Lee
  • Patent number: 7913142
    Abstract: A method for testing at least two arithmetic units installed in a control unit includes: loading of first test data for testing a first arithmetic unit; saving the loaded first test data in a second memory unit of a second arithmetic unit; switching the first arithmetic unit to a test mode, in which a first scan chain of the first arithmetic unit is accessible; reading the first test data from the second memory unit; shifting the first test data which have been read through the first scan chain of the first arithmetic unit switched to the test mode for providing test result data for the first arithmetic unit; checking the provided test result data for plausibility for providing a test result for the first arithmetic unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Axel Aue