Patents Examined by Scott Sun
  • Data access formatter
    Patent number: 8972631
    Abstract: The defined architecture allows for format-efficient data storage on bit-patterned media, while allowing for typical variations in the drive, such as reader to writer gap variations. The defined BPM architecture relaxes some timing requirements on real-time signaling from the formatter to the channel, while enabling bit-accurate alignment between data accesses and the media.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Jimmie Ray Shaver, Barmeshwar Vikramaditya
  • Storage device and memory accessing method for a storage device
    Patent number: 8966137
    Abstract: A storage device and memory accessing method configure two separate memory units, each with dedicated I/O channel, accessible by two controllers, each corresponding to an interface connected to a host, and allows the storage device to establish at least two connections to the different hosts. As more than one connection is established between the storage device and the hosts at the same time, a first controller has both read and write accessibility to a first memory unit and a second controller has both read and write accessibility to a second memory unit, while the first controller has read-only accessibility to the second memory unit and the second controller has read-only accessibility to the second memory unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Transcend Information, Inc.
    Inventor: Ren-Wei Chen
  • Method for controlling storages and storage control apparatus
    Patent number: 8966143
    Abstract: A method, executed by a computer, for controlling storages includes obtaining time elapsed since data to be moved in a source storage in three or more storages whose performance for response to an access request is different is accessed in accordance with the access request, identifying, from the storages, a destination storage that meets condition under which the data to be moved in the source storage is moved, based on the obtained elapsed time by referring to a storage unit that stores the condition under which data is moved to each of the storages, and moving the data to be moved in the source storage to the identified destination storage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventor: Akira Satou
  • Detection system for detecting button being pressed and method thereof
    Patent number: 8959258
    Abstract: Method for detecting presses on buttons of an electronic device with a reduced number of General Purpose In/Out (GPI/O) ports includes a number of the GPI/O ports The number of the buttons is greater than the number of the GPI/O ports. A proportion of the buttons are each coupled between one of the I/O ports and ground, and the remaining proportion of the buttons are each coupled between any two of the I/O ports. The GPI/O ports are set to work in a first working state or in a second state to provide a first signal or second signal respectively. When a signal provided by a GPI/O port working at the first working mode changes, the method determines which one of the buttons has been pressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignees: Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (ShenZhen) Co., Ltd., Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ya-Guo Wang, Chun-Ching Chen
  • Dynamic priority control based on latency tolerance
    Patent number: 8959266
    Abstract: A dynamic priority controller monitors a level of data in a display engine buffer and compares the level of data in the display engine buffer to a plurality of thresholds including a first threshold and a second threshold. When the level of data in the display engine buffer is less than or equal to the first threshold, the dynamic priority controller increases a priority for processing display engine data in a communication channel. When the level of data in the display engine buffer is greater than or equal to the second threshold, the dynamic priority controller decreases the priority for processing the display engine data in the communication channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Nadav Bonen, Todd M. Witter, Eran Shifer, Tomer Levy, Zvika Greenfield, Anant V. Nori
  • Electronic device and method for fabricating the same
    Patent number: 8959250
    Abstract: An electronic device including a semiconductor memory is provided. The semiconductor memory includes an interlayer dielectric layer disposed over a substrate, and having a recess which exposes a portion of the substrate; a bottom contact partially filling the recess; and a resistance variable element including a bottom layer which fills at least a remaining space of the recess over the bottom contact, and a remaining layer which is disposed over the bottom layer and protrudes out of the interlayer dielectric layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventors: Min-Suk Lee, Chan-Sik Park, Jae-Heon Kim, Choi-Dong Kim
  • State-based auxiliary display operation
    Patent number: 8959259
    Abstract: Described is a technology by which the operation of an auxiliary computing device, comprising a display and/or actuator set, may be automatically modified based on detected state data. For example, user input may be routed from the actuator set to the host computer system when the host computer system is in an online state, or to the auxiliary computing device when the host computer system is offline. State may be determined based on one or more various criteria, such as online or offline, laptop lid position, display orientation, current communication and/or other criteria. The auxiliary display and/or actuator set may be embedded in the host computer system, or each may be separable from it or standalone, such as a remote control or cellular phone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Andrew J. Fuller, Niels van Dongen, Michael George Lenahan
  • Communications cable for a storage device
    Patent number: 8954637
    Abstract: A communications cable including a first communications interface configured to be connected to a storage device, a second communications interface configured to receive data and power, a wireless access module configured to be powered by the power received by the second communications interface and to enable wireless access of the storage device, and a cable unit including one or more cables and configured to connect the wireless access module to the first communications interface and the second communications interface, and the first communications interface to the second communications interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: David W. Chew
  • Automatic attachment and detachment for hub and peripheral devices
    Patent number: 8949484
    Abstract: A device comprises circuitry configured for being communicatively coupled to a transceiver. In operation, the device is configured to receive a first message from another device to support at least one aspect of attachment of the device and the another device and to send, to the another device, a second message after the first message and prior to attachment. In operation, the device is further configured to receive, from the another device, a third message that is sent after the second message and prior to attachment and send, directly to the another device, data utilizing at least one channel for data transfer utilizing a second one of the addresses for identification in association with the device on the shared wireless communication medium, for data transfer after attachment in connection with a group that is controlled by the another device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Tri-County Excelsior Foundation
    Inventor: Robert J Donaghey
  • Processing input/output requests using proxy and owner storage systems
    Patent number: 8938564
    Abstract: A first storage system is configured as a proxy for a logical volume stored on a second storage system. The first computer system receives an I/O request from a host computer for the logical volume, the host computer, and identifies a port on the second storage system for the I/O request. In some embodiments, the second storage system has multiple SCSI ports, and the identified port comprises a least busy SCSI port. A probe request verifying availability of the logical volume is conveyed to the identified port, and upon receiving a response from the second storage system verifying the availability of the logical volume for the I/O request, the I/O request is conveyed to the identified port, a result of the I/O request is received from the identified port, the result is conveyed to the host computer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Oren Li-On, Orit Nissan-Messing, Eyal Perek
  • Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same
    Patent number: 8938570
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a controller chip, a plurality of semiconductor chips operatively connected to the controller chip, wherein at least one of the plurality of semiconductor chips is operatively supplied with a pulse signal from the controller chip, and operatively supplied identification information, wherein each of the plurality of semiconductor chips is configured to store the identification information in response to the pulse signal received from the controller chip, and wherein each of the plurality of semiconductor chips is configured to block transmission of the pulse signal to a following semiconductor chip in a signal path among the plurality of semiconductor chips until identification information is stored therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: PS4 Luxco S.a.r.l.
    Inventor: Yoshiro Riho
  • Electronic device and data control method thereof
    Patent number: 8935442
    Abstract: An electronic device and data control method are provided. The electronic device includes a connector which is connected to an external storage medium storing media data therein; an identification unit which identifies a storage identifier (ID) of the external storage medium connected to the connector; and a controller which performs a media function corresponding to the media data stored in the external storage medium whose storage ID is identified by the identification unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hyeon-ji Lee, Chang-soo Lee, Sang-hee Lee, Dong-heon Lee, Joon-ho Phang, Yeo-ri Yoon
  • USB 3.0 device and control method thereof
    Patent number: 8935441
    Abstract: A control method for a USB 3.0 (USB: Universal Serial Bus) device includes controlling the USB 3.0 device that has entered an SS.Disabled state to transition to an Rx.Detect state when a USB 2.0 connection is not established with a USB host even after a predetermined time, the USB 2.0 connection including any one of an HS (High Speed) connection, an FS (Full Speed) connection, and an LS (Low Speed) connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Masao Manabe
  • System and method for transmitting control signals over HDMI
    Patent number: 8930610
    Abstract: A device for transmitting multiple control formats from an audio/video source to an audio/video monitor receiver. The device includes a high definition multimedia interface cable that has a plurality of communication channels, including a consumer electronic control channel. Furthermore, a pair of plugs are coupled to the respective ends of the high definition multimedia interface cable and can be coupled to audio/video sources and receivers. A pair of interface ports are further coupled to the high definition multimedia interface cable and communicatively coupled to the consumer electronic control channel. The device transmits a first control format on the consumer electronic control channel when the input port is not coupled to a switching device and transmits a second control format on the consumer electronic control channel when the input port is coupled to a switching device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Key Digital Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Mikhail Tsinberg, Leon G. Tsinberg, Ilsoo Yu
  • Programmable universal IO interface
    Patent number: 8924600
    Abstract: A system is provided that includes a controller that is configured to enable communication between one or more sensors and a processor. The controller includes a plurality of input-output (IO) ports each configured to couple to the one or more sensors. Moreover, each of the IO ports is configured to couple to a plurality of sensor types such that each IO port is configured to couple more than one sensor type. The controller also includes an interface configured to receive a selection of a selected mode from a plurality of modes each corresponding to a sensor type. Furthermore, the controller includes a switch block having a plurality of switches each configured to toggle a connection in the switch block according to the selected mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Daniel Milton Alley, Naresh Kesavan Rao, Alan Paul Mathason, Feng Chen, Stephen Emerson Douthit
  • Facilitating transport mode data transfer between a channel subsystem and input/output devices
    Patent number: 8918542
    Abstract: A computer program product is provided for performing an input/output (I/O) operation initiated by an I/O operation instruction at a host computer system configured for communication with a control unit. The computer program product includes a tangible storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing: receiving, by the control unit, a transport mode command message from a channel subsystem of the host computer system, the command message include a command for data to be transferred between the host computer system and an I/O device controlled by the control unit; and sending a command retry message to the channel subsystem, the command retry message including a request that the command message be re-sent to the control unit and a reason code indicating a reason for the request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Scott M. Carlson, Daniel F. Casper, John R. Flanagan, Roger G. Hathorn, Matthew J. Kalos, Louis W. Ricci, Gustav E. Sittmann, III
  • Semiconductor integrated circuit
    Patent number: 8914561
    Abstract: A power consumption of a semiconductor integrated circuit is reduced. A semiconductor integrated circuit comprises a first path P1 for performing data processing in a data processing circuit and a second path P2 for bypassing the data processing circuit or for performing data processing in a simplified circuit. The semiconductor integrated circuit exclusively selects the first path and the second path depending on an operational mode, and stops a data input into a path that is not selected, resulting in a reduction of the power consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masateru Nishimoto
  • Method and apparatus for buffer initialization
    Patent number: 8914562
    Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer program product are provided herein to enable buffer initialization and/or clearance to occur on, for example, a mobile terminal. In some example embodiments, a method is provided that comprises receiving an indication that a buffer has been initialized by a host. The method of this embodiment may also include receiving source code from the host. In some example embodiments, the source code is received from a program running on the host and is configured to cause the buffer that has been initialized by the host to be cleared. The method of this embodiment may also include executing the source code such that the buffer that has been initialized by the host is cleared.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Nokia Corporation
    Inventors: Eero Aho, Tomi Aarnio, Kimmo Kuusilinna
  • Detecting accessories on an audio or video jack
    Patent number: 8914552
    Abstract: A detection circuit can be configured to receive a digital value from an identification register and to determine a resistance at a conducting terminal of an audio or video jack plug using the digital value. The detection circuit can include a current source that outputs a current according to the digital value from the identification register and a comparator that compares a reference voltage to a voltage created by the current source across the resistance at the conducting terminal of the audio or video jack plug. A control logic circuit can be configured to store the digital value in the identification register, generate an interrupt signal to cause a processor to read the digital value, and identify a function of an accessory device including the audio or video jack plug, when the detection circuit determines the resistance at the conducting terminal of the audio or video jack plug.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Peter Chadbourne, Gregory A. Maher, James A. Siulinski
  • Peripheral component interconnect express switch apparatus and method of controlling connection thereof
    Patent number: 8909843
    Abstract: A peripheral component interconnect (PCI) express switch apparatus and a method of controlling a connection thereof are provided. In this apparatus, a first virtual bridge is connected to a computer system through a first PCI express port to perform data transmission and reception according to a PCI method with an external device, and a second virtual bridge is connected to an external device through the first virtual bridge and a second PCI express port and enables the external device to perform data transmission and reception with the computer system and according to the PCI method by cooperating with the first virtual bridge. A first cable matching device is connected to the first virtual bridge. Further, a second cable matching device is connected to the second virtual bridge and is connected to the first cable matching device through a PCI cable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventor: Yongseok Choi