Patents Examined by Kris Rhu
  • Patent number: 8386675
    Abstract: There is disclosed a data transmitting apparatus for transmitting data including a plurality of data elements, each of which is a bit sequence of a plurality of bits. At least one bit in the bit sequence of a first one of the kinds of data elements that most frequently occurs has the same value as a bit at a corresponding place in the bit sequence of a second one of the kinds of data elements that second most frequently occurs. The data-block generating portion generates a data block, by rearranging the bit sequences of the data elements of the raw data such that bits at the same place in the respective bit sequences as each of the at least one bit are arranged in a series in the data block. The data compressing portion creates a compressed file. The transmitting portion transmits the compressed file.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroshi Murashima
  • Patent number: 8364861
    Abstract: A technique for automatically establishing device IDs for devices in a daisy chain cascade arrangement. For each device, a write ID operation is initiated at the device to cause the device to enter a generate/write ID mode. While in this mode, a first value is input to the device. The device generates a second value from the first value. The device outputs the generated second value from the device to a next device in the daisy chain cascade which uses the second value as a first value for the next device. The device then establishes its ID from the first value. The process is repeated for all devices in the daisy chain cascade arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Mosaid Technologies Incorporated
    Inventor: Hong Beom Pyeon
  • Patent number: 8352652
    Abstract: Methods and systems for communicating information through a USB device with A/D converters are presented. Active components which provide analog signals to the A/D converters are switched off to cause spikes in the analog signals/channels. The spikes are digitized by the A/D converters and sent to the host through a USB interface. The active components are switched on and off in a pattern corresponding to a message, such that the host can determine the message from the resulting spikes. If multiple active components and A/D converters are used, then multiple ‘bits’ can be transmitted simultaneously using the different channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
    Inventor: Xiaodong Mao
  • Patent number: 8346995
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for managing the flow of IO jobs from a client to a hardware device such that resource starvation is reduced without significantly impacting throughput. Each flow can be assigned an amount of time that a hardware device can deplete completing IO jobs from the client. When the allocated amount of time is used IO jobs associated with the client can be stored in a queue until the client obtains more time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Dustin L. Green, Yau Ning Chin, Bruce L. Worthington
  • Patent number: 8335868
    Abstract: A method or apparatus operates a multitude of devices in a serial interconnection configuration to establish a device identifier (ID) for each device. An input signal is transmitted through a serial interconnection to a first device using inputs that are also used by the first device to input other information thereto (e.g., data, commands, control signals). A generating circuit generates a device ID in response to the input signal. A transfer circuit then transfers an output signal associated with the device ID to a second device through a serial output of the first device. The serial output is also used by the first device to output other information (e.g., signals, data) to another device in the serial interconnection configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Mosaid Technologies Incorporated
    Inventors: Hong Beom Pyeon, HakJune Oh, Jin-Ki Kim
  • Patent number: 8331361
    Abstract: A plurality of memory devices of mixed type (e.g., DRAMs, SRAMs, MRAMs, and NAND-, NOR- and AND-type Flash memories) are serially interconnected. Each device has device type information on its device type. A specific device type (DT) and a device identifier (ID) contained in a serial input (SI) as a packet are fed to one device of the serial interconnection. The device determines whether the fed DT matches the DT of the device. In a case of match, a calculator included in the device performs calculation to generate an ID for another device and the fed ID is latched in a register of the device. In a case of no-match, the ID generation is skipped and no ID is generated for another device. The DT is combined with the generated or the received ID depending on the device type match determination. The combined DT and ID is as a packet transferred to a next device. Such a device type match determination and ID generation or skip are performed in all devices of the serial interconnection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: MOSAID Technologies Incorporated
    Inventors: Hong Beom Pyeon, HakJune Oh, Jin-Ki Kim, Shuji Sumi
  • Patent number: 8327048
    Abstract: Methods and systems for communicating information through a USB device using suspend/resume states are presented. A USB host stops transmitting Start-of-Frame (SOF) packets to a USB device, causing the USB device to enter a sleep/suspend state. The USB host then restarts the transmission of SOF packets to trigger the USB device back into a normal/resume state. The USB host repeats this process in a temporal pattern corresponding to a message, such that a circuit monitoring the USB device can determine the message.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
    Inventor: Xiaodong Mao
  • Patent number: 8327043
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a table holds buffer transfer information for managing data transfer, specified by each data transfer command, between a transmission FIFO and a buffer or between a reception FIFO and the buffer via a intermediate FIFO. A first sequencer activates buffer transfer for data transfer specified by a data transfer command from the host in units of at least one frame on the basis of corresponding buffer transfer information held in the table. The buffer transfer includes data transfer in sectors between the buffer and the intermediate FIFO. A second sequencer transfers data in frames between the transmission FIFO and the intermediate FIFO or between the reception FIFO and the intermediate FIFO in accordance with the activation of the buffer transfer. A third sequencer transfers data in sectors between the intermediate FIFO and the buffer in accordance with the activation of the buffer transfer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Noritsugu Yoshimura
  • Patent number: 8316165
    Abstract: A device has a controller and a function module configured to be in communication with the controller as a result of the controller receiving a pass-through vendor specific command. In some embodiments, the controller is configured to receive the pass-through vendor specific command from an application software module of a host through an interface that is configured in accordance with a standard that does not allow communication to occur between the controller and the function module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Anson Ba Phan, Jerrold Allen Beckmann
  • Patent number: 8312184
    Abstract: The storage unit of a peripheral device has a first storage area and a second storage area. The first storage area stores a plurality of control programs corresponding to a plurality of operating systems of different types. The second storage area is a storage area which is recognized by an information processing apparatus as an external storage device and in which at least one control program is replicated from the first storage area. The information processing apparatus reads out the control program from the second storage recognized by it as the external storage device, and executes the program. The information processing apparatus thus controls the peripheral device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Denshi Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Ito, Hirokazu Higuchi, Ayaka Sato, Yuuki Taguchi
  • Patent number: 8301831
    Abstract: An extended Universal-Serial-Bus (USB) connector plug and socket each have a pin substrate with one surface that supports the four metal contact pins for the standard USB interface. An extension of the pin substrate carries another 8 extension metal contact pins that mate when both the connector plug and socket are extended. The extension can be an increased length of the plug's and socket's pin substrate or a reverse side of the substrate. Standard USB connectors do not make contact with the extension metal contacts that are recessed, retracted by a mechanical switch, or on the extension of the socket's pin substrate that a standard USB connector cannot reach. Standard USB sockets do not make contact with the extension metal contacts because the extended connector's extension contacts are recessed, or on the extension of the connector pin substrate that does not fit inside a standard USB socket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Super Talent Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Jim Chin-Nan Ni, David Q. Chow, Frank I-Kang Yu, Abraham C. Ma, Ming-Shiang Shen
  • Patent number: 8296486
    Abstract: An apparatus comprising a single memory device providing data storage, a controller for controlling data transfer to and from the data storage, and first and second bus connector plugs, wherein each plug has contacts for connecting with the power, ground, and data contacts of a port of a host system. The power and ground contacts of the first and second plugs are coupled together to provide power to the apparatus through either or both plugs. Data from either or both plugs is communicated with the controller depending upon which plugs are coupled to a port. The controller is responsible for controlling the read and write operations of the data storage. The apparatus may be any type of external memory device, such as a flash drive, or a peripheral device having a high data transfer rate, such as a digital video camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Shreyas Abhay Kale, Julie Morris, Justin Monroe Pierce, Richard W. Vanderpool, III
  • Patent number: 8285882
    Abstract: An output apparatus includes an IP-address setting unit, a setting change detection unit, and a notification information creation unit. The IP-address setting unit sets an IP address of the output apparatus. The setting change detection unit detects a change in the setting of the IP-address setting unit. The notification information creation unit creates information that will be notified to a device that satisfies predetermined conditions upon detection of the setting change by the setting change detection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Eiji Takagi
  • Patent number: 8281043
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, system, and computer program product for enabling out-of-band access to storage devices through port-sharing hardware. Providing out-of-band access to storage devices enables system management functions to be performed when an operating system is non-functional as well as when the operating system is active. Storage commands originating with a management service can be interleaved with storage commands issued by the host operating system. The host operating system maintains ownership and control over its storage devices, but management activities can be performed while the host operating system is operational.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: David A. Edwards, Eng Hun Ooi, Venkat R. Gokulrangan, Hormuzd M. Khosravi, Chai Huat Gan
  • Patent number: 8271706
    Abstract: The present invention provides a computer implemented method and apparatus to revising logical unit ownership in a host. A host receives an error message from a storage subsystem having at least two storage controllers and at least one logical unit coupled to at least one of the storage controllers. The host suspends I/O from the host to the storage subsystem. The host transmits a verification of logical unit ownership query to the storage subsystem. The host determines that ownership between a host and a logical unit on the at least one of the storage controllers has changed from a mapping table of the host. Responsive to a determination that ownership has changed, the host updates ownership in a mapping table of the host to reflect the ownership between the host and the logical unit. The host resumes I/O from the host to the storage subsystem, wherein the host routinely exchanges I/O with the storage subsystem.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: John L. Neemidge, Nishant B. Shah, Stephen M. Tee, Teerasit Tinnakul
  • Patent number: 8266335
    Abstract: A video display device includes: connectors to which cables transmitting video signals are connected; a display panel displaying video by the video signal inputted to the connector from an external device through the cable; a display control unit displaying connector indications indicating the connectors on the display panel; a cable detection unit outputting a step waveform signal to the connector and detecting connection/disconnection of the cable to the connector based on a reflected signal of the step waveform signal, and wherein the display control unit changes the appearance of the connector indications displayed on the display panel according to a detection output of the cable detection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Masaki Kitano, Hidekazu Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 8250256
    Abstract: Methods, system and computer products for user-managed multi-path performance in balanced or unbalanced fabric configurations. Exemplary embodiments include a path priority selection method, including selecting a first I/O data path to be a highest priority path in a storage area network system, selecting a second I/O data path to be a low priority path, selecting an I/O threshold value, the I/O threshold value indicating that I/O data load is excessive, directing the load balance of I/O traffic to the first I/O data path, thereby placing the second I/O data path in a standby state, monitoring the first I/O data path, determining if the first I/O data path has reached the threshold value and performing a controlled failover of the first I/O data path to the second I/O data path when an I/O data load on the first data path has reached the threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Vishal V. Ghosalkar, Che Lui Shum, Stanley Y. Wu
  • Patent number: 8244933
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for inter-IC communication are described. In some examples, an integrated circuit (IC) includes core circuitry configured to process input data and provide output data; input/output (IO) circuitry configured to receive the input data, and transmit the output data; a control circuit configured to provide a selection signal; and an inter-IC communication port coupled between the core circuitry and the IO circuitry and configured to pass the input data and the output data, the inter-IC communication port having a memory interface and a memory controller, the inter-IC communication port configured to selectively couple either the memory interface or the memory controller between the core circuitry and the IO circuitry responsive to the selection signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventor: Bernard J. New
  • Patent number: 8230132
    Abstract: A management device for managing a device has: a control unit including: a status acquiring unit that acquires a status of the device; and a notifying unit that, if the device is in a specific status, notifies information about the specific status to another device; and a first management screen supply unit supplying first management screen data to a display unit, wherein the control unit determines whether a notifying function of the notifying unit is valid or invalid, if the notifying function is valid, the control unit controls the status acquiring unit to periodically acquire the status of the device regardless of whether the first management screen supply unit starts up, and if the notifying function is invalid, the control unit controls the status acquiring unit to acquire the status of the device when the first management screen supply unit starts up in response to an instruction from a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tomomi Shiraki
  • Patent number: 8214553
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for simultaneously supporting multiple hosts with a single communication port; each host may host multiple functions. The input/output device comprises multiple buffers; each buffer stores packets for one host, but can be dynamically reallocated to a different host. Multiple buffers may simultaneously support the same host and all of its functions. After a packet is received and classified, it is stored in at least one buffer, along with control information for processing the packet upon egress from the buffer. Egress managers for each buffer extract packets and transfer them to destination host/functions, by speculatively moving the packets forward even while DMA engines perform their processing to facilitate their transfer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Oracle America, Inc.
    Inventor: Arvind Srinivasan