Patents by Inventor Abraham B. de Waal

Abraham B. de Waal has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7598967
    Abstract: A transform engine is configured to rotate, and/or rotate and translate, one or more polygons in response to screen orientation. Thus, when texture data obtained from a pre-rotated image is applied to a rotated polygon from an image, a rotated version of the image is generated in response to screen orientation. Alternatively, a user may select a rotation to re-orient the image to a screen view position. Batch processing of data changes is utilized to render a plurality of changes together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2009
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventor: Abraham B. de Waal
  • Patent number: 7593025
    Abstract: A transform engine is configured to rotate, and/or rotate and translate, one or more polygons in response to screen orientation. Thus, when texture, obtained from a pre-rotated image is applied to a rotated polygon used to render such an image, a rotated version of such an image is generated in response to screen orientation. Alternatively, a user may select a rotation to re-orient an image to a screen view position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2009
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corp.
    Inventor: Abraham B. De Waal
  • Patent number: 7590815
    Abstract: A method for managing host system power consumption is provided. The host system includes host memory and external memory. The method initiates with providing a processor in communication with a memory chip over a bus. The memory chip is external memory. Then, a usage measurement of the external memory is determined. If the usage measurement is below a threshold value, the method includes copying data from the memory chip to the host memory and terminating power to the memory chip. In one embodiment, the power is terminated to at least one bank of memory in the memory chip. In another embodiment, an amount of reduction of the external memory can be determined rather than a usage measurement. In yet another embodiment, an address map is reconfigured in order to maintain a contiguous configuration. A graphical user interface and a memory chip are provided also.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2009
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventor: Abraham B. de Waal
  • Patent number: 7587032
    Abstract: An apparatus, method and computer program product are provided for deferring the answering of a phone call. Initially, a phone call is received from a caller. As a function of an input from a receiver of the phone call, the phone call is placed on hold and a message is played back to the caller. After the phone call is placed on hold, communication is allowed between the caller and the receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2009
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventor: Abraham B. de Waal
  • Patent number: 7583277
    Abstract: A transform engine is configured to rotate, and/or rotate and translate, one or more polygons in response to screen orientation. Thus, when texture, obtained from a pre-rotated image is applied to a rotated polygon used to render such an image, a rotated version of such an image is generated in response to screen orientation. Alternatively, a user may select a rotation to re-orient an image to a screen view position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2009
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventor: Abraham B. De Waal
  • Patent number: 7580046
    Abstract: A transform engine is configured to rotate, and/or rotate and translate, one or more polygons in response to screen orientation. Thus, when texture, obtained from a pre-rotated image is applied to a rotated polygon used to render such an image, a rotated version of such an image is generated in response to screen orientation. Alternatively, a user may select a rotation to re-orient an image to a screen view position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2009
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventor: Abraham B. De Waal
  • Patent number: 7576745
    Abstract: A system and method for providing a dedicated interface between two or more graphics adapters installed on a motherboard. Surplus signals within an interface conforming to an interface specification are used to create the dedicated interface. The dedicated interface may connect the two or more graphics adapters using connectors via an interface device. Alternatively the dedicated interface may directly connect the two or more graphics adapters using dedicated connectors or a portion of the connectors coupled through conductive traces integrated onto the motherboard.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2009
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventors: Abraham B. de Waal, Anthony M. Tamasi, Ross F. Jatou, Ludger Mimberg
  • Patent number: 7573490
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for a graphics pipeline is described. More particularly, a transform engine is configured to rotate, and/or rotate and translate, one or more polygons in response to screen orientation. Thus, when texture, obtained from a pre-rotated image is applied to a rotated polygon used to render such an image, a rotated version of such an image is generated in response to screen orientation. Alternatively, a user may select a rotation to re-orient an image to a screen view position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2009
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventor: Abraham B. de Waal
  • Patent number: 7570273
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for a graphics pipeline is described. More particularly, a transform engine is configured to rotate, and/or rotate and translate, one or more polygons in response to screen orientation. Thus, when texture, obtained from a pre-rotated image is applied to a rotated polygon used to render such an image, a rotated version of such an image is generated in response to screen orientation. Alternatively, a user may select a rotation to re-orient an image to a screen view position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2009
    Assignee: Nvidia Corporation
    Inventor: Abraham B. de Waal
  • Publication number: 20090177864
    Abstract: Heterogeneous processors can cooperate for distributed processing tasks in a multiprocessor computing system. Each processor is operable in a “compatible” mode, in which all processors within a family accept the same baseline command set and produce identical results upon executing any command in the baseline command set. The processors also have a “native” mode of operation in which the command set and/or results may differ in at least some respects from the baseline command set and results. Heterogeneous processors with a compatible mode defined by reference to the same baseline can be used cooperatively for distributed processing by configuring each processor to operate in the compatible mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2009
    Publication date: July 9, 2009
    Applicant: Nvidia Corporation
    Inventors: Henry Packard Moreton, Abraham B. de Waal
  • Patent number: 7516301
    Abstract: Heterogeneous processors can cooperate for distributed processing tasks in a multiprocessor computing system. Each processor is operable in a “compatible” mode, in which all processors within a family accept the same baseline command set and produce identical results upon executing any command in the baseline command set. The processors also have a “native” mode of operation in which the command set and/or results may differ in at least some respects from the baseline command set and results. Heterogeneous processors with a compatible mode defined by reference to the same baseline can be used cooperatively for distributed processing by configuring each processor to operate in the compatible mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2009
    Assignee: Nvidia Corporation
    Inventors: Henry Packard Moreton, Abraham B. de Waal
  • Patent number: 7516412
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for content based dynamic rendering of user interfaces. The present invention provides a system that receives an unformatted stream of content, and then considers the physical dimensions of its controlled screen area and dynamically lays out the content to fit in this screen area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2009
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventors: Abraham B. de Waal, Kenneth L. Hurley
  • Patent number: 7508398
    Abstract: A system and method for providing antialiased memory access includes receiving a request to access a memory address. The memory address is examined to determine if the memory address is within a virtual frame buffer. If the memory address is within a virtual frame buffer then the memory address is transformed into one or more physical addresses within a frame buffer that is utilized for antialiasing. The frame buffer may be a single memory space containing subpixel information corresponding to pixels of the virtual frame buffer. Subpixels located at the physical addresses within the frame buffer are then accessed. The disclosed invention provides for direct access by a software application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2009
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventors: John S. Montrym, Brian D. Hutsell, Steven E. Molnar, Gary M. Tarolli, Christopher T. Cheng, Emmett M. Kilgariff, Abraham B. de Waal
  • Patent number: 7477205
    Abstract: A computer system including a processor, a display, and a graphics unit coupled between the processor and the display, in which the processor is configured to perform multi-display operations which generate multiple frames of display data for simultaneous display, and a graphics unit for use in such a system. Typically, the graphics unit includes graphics memory that includes at least two frame buffers, and the processor operates as if it were independently asserting multiple streams of display data to multiple frame buffers for driving multiple displays independently. Another aspect of the invention is a system that displays data from a frame buffer on a screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2009
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventors: Abraham B. de Waal, Walter E. Donovan
  • Patent number: 7340734
    Abstract: Method and apparatus to make code more difficult to reverse engineer is described. Inert instructions are inserted between instructions within a program. The inert instructions may perform logic operations with the net effect of not changing an argument. Furthermore, the inserted inert instructions may be repositioned within the program to further obfuscate the desired function of the program, making the code more difficult to reverse engineer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2008
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventor: Abraham B. de Waal
  • Patent number: 7142192
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention generally provide methods, systems, and articles of manufacture for locating a cursor displayed on one of a set of one or more monitors. According to some embodiments, in response to receiving specified user input, visual indication of the location of the cursor may be provided on one or more monitors not containing the cursor. Visual indication of the location of the cursor may also be provided on the monitoring containing the cursor. The specified user input may include any type of suitable user input, such as mouse movements, keystroke sequences (e.g., hot keys,) and/or audio input (e.g., voice commands). For some embodiments, parameters used for locating the cursor (e.g., the specified user input, sensitivity to mouse movements, etc.) may be specified by a user, for example, via a graphical user interface (GUI) screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventor: Abraham B. De Waal
  • Patent number: 7100013
    Abstract: A method for managing host system power consumption is provided. The host system includes host memory and external memory. The method initiates with providing a processor in communication with a memory chip over a bus. The memory chip is external memory. Then, a usage measurement of the external memory is determined. If the usage measurement is below a threshold value, the method includes copying data from the memory chip to the host memory and terminating power to the memory chip. In one embodiment, the power is terminated to at least one bank of memory in the memory chip. In another embodiment, an amount of reduction of the external memory can be determined rather than a usage measurement. In yet another embodiment, an address map is reconfigured in order to maintain a contiguous configuration. A graphical user interface and a memory chip are provided also.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2006
    Assignee: nVidia Corporation
    Inventor: Abraham B. de Waal
  • Patent number: 6963348
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for display image adjustment is described. More particularly, handles associated with polygon vertices of a polygon rendered image are provided as a graphical user interface (GUI). These handles may be selected and moved by a user with a cursor pointing device to adjust a displayed image for keystoning, among other types of distortion. This GUI allows a user to adjust a projected image for position of a projector with respect to imaging surface, as well as for imaging surface contour, where such contour may be at least substantially planar, cylindrical, or spherical and where such contour may comprise multiple imaging surfaces. This advantageously may be done without special optics or special equipment. An original image is used as texture for rendering polygons, where the image is applied to the rendered polygons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2005
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventors: Michael B. Diamond, David R. Morey, Abraham B. de Waal
  • Publication number: 20040113888
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention generally provide methods, systems, and articles of manufacture for locating a cursor displayed on one of a set of one or more monitors. According to some embodiments, in response to receiving specified user input, visual indication of the location of the cursor may be provided on one or more monitors not containing the cursor. Visual indication of the location of the cursor may also be provided on the monitoring containing the cursor. The specified user input may include any type of suitable user input, such as mouse movements, keystroke sequences (e.g., hot keys,) and/or audio input (e.g., voice commands). For some embodiments, parameters used for locating the cursor (e.g., the specified user input, sensitivity to mouse movements, etc.) may be specified by a user, for example, via a graphical user interface (GUI) screen.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2002
    Publication date: June 17, 2004
    Applicant: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventor: Abraham B. De Waal
  • Publication number: 20030222892
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for display image adjustment is described. More particularly, handles associated with polygon vertices of a polygon rendered image are provided as a graphical user interface (GUI). These handles may be selected and moved by a user with a cursor pointing device to adjust a displayed image for keystoning, among other types of distortion. This GUI allows a user to adjust a projected image for position of a projector with respect to imaging surface, as well as for imaging surface contour, where such contour may be at least substantially planar, cylindrical, or spherical and where such contour may comprise multiple imaging surfaces. This advantageously may be done without special optics or special equipment. An original image is used as texture for rendering polygons, where the image is applied to the rendered polygons.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2002
    Publication date: December 4, 2003
    Inventors: Michael B. Diamond, David R. Morey, Abraham B. de Waal