Patents by Inventor Agha Zaigham Ahsan

Agha Zaigham Ahsan 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: 7389365
    Abstract: Systems for servicing the data and memory requirements of system devices. A DMA engine that includes a data reservoir is provided that manages and arbitrates the data requests from the system devices. An arbitration unit is provided that only allows eligible devices to make a data request in any given cycle to ensure that all devices will be serviced within a programmable time period. The data reservoir contains the data buffers for each channel of each device. A memory interface ensures that sufficient data for each channel is present in the data reservoir by making requests to a system's memory based on an analysis of each channel. Based on this analysis, a request is either made to the system's main memory, or the channel waits until it is evaluated again in the future. Each channel is thereby guaranteed a response time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2008
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Donald M. Gray, III, Agha Zaigham Ahsan
  • Patent number: 7089336
    Abstract: Systems for servicing the data and memory requirements of system devices. A DMA engine that includes a data reservoir is provided that manages and arbitrates the data requests from the system devices. An arbitration unit is provided that only allows eligible devices to make a data request in any given cycle to ensure that all devices will be serviced within a programmable time period. The data reservoir contains the data buffers for each channel of each device. A memory interface ensures that sufficient data for each channel is present in the data reservoir by making requests to a system's memory based on an analysis of each channel. Based on this analysis, a request is either made to the system's main memory, or the channel waits until it is evaluated again in the future. Each channel is thereby guaranteed a response time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2006
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Donald M. Gray, III, Agha Zaigham Ahsan
  • Patent number: 6976098
    Abstract: Systems for servicing the data and memory requirements of system devices. A DMA engine that includes a data reservoir is provided that manages and arbitrates, the data requests from the system devices. An arbitration unit is provided that only allows eligible devices to make a data request in any given cycle to ensure that all devices will be serviced within a programmable time period. The data reservoir contains the data buffers for each channel of each device. A memory interface ensures that sufficient data for each channel is present in the data reservoir by making requests to a system's memory based on an analysis of each channel. Based on this analysis, a request is either made to the system's main memory, or the channel waits until it is evaluated again in the future. Each channel is thereby guaranteed a response time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2005
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Donald M. Gray, Agha Zaigham Ahsan
  • Patent number: 6816923
    Abstract: Systems and methods for servicing the data and memory requirements of system devices. A DMA engine that includes a data reservoir for reducing or eliminating device buffers is provided that manages and arbitrates the data requests from the system devices. An arbitration unit is provided that only allows eligible devices to make a data request in any given cycle to ensure that all devices will be serviced within a programmable time period. The data reservoir contains the data buffers for each channel of each device. A memory interface ensures that sufficient data for each channel is present in the data reservoir by making requests to a system's memory based on an analysis of each channel. Analysis factors include how much data is remaining in the data reservoir, how long will that data last, and how long until the channel will be analyzed again. Based on this analysis, a request is either made to the system's main memory, or the channel waits until it is evaluated again in the future.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2004
    Assignee: Webtv Networks, Inc.
    Inventors: Donald M. Gray, Agha Zaigham Ahsan
  • Patent number: 6795875
    Abstract: Systems for servicing the data and memory requirements of system devices. A DMA engine that includes a data reservoir is provided that manages and arbitrates the data requests from the system devices. An arbitration unit is provided that only allows eligible devices to make a data request in any given cycle to ensure that all devices will be serviced within a programmable time period. The data reservoir contains the data buffers for each channel of each device. A memory interface ensures that sufficient data for each channel is present in the data reservoir by making requests to a system's memory based on an analysis of each channel. Based on this analysis, a request is either made to the system's main memory, or the channel waits until it is evaluated again in the future. Each channel is thereby guaranteed a response time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2004
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Donald M. Gray, Agha Zaigham Ahsan
  • Publication number: 20020016873
    Abstract: Systems for servicing the data and memory requirements of system devices. A DMA engine that includes a data reservoir is provided that manages and arbitrates the data requests from the system devices. An arbitration unit is provided that only allows eligible devices to make a data request in any given cycle to ensure that all devices will be serviced within a programmable time period. The data reservoir contains the data buffers for each channel of each device. A memory interface ensures that sufficient data for each channel is present in the data reservoir by making requests to a system's memory based on an analysis of each channel. Based on this analysis, a request is either made to the system's main memory, or the channel waits until it is evaluated again in the future. Each channel is thereby guaranteed a response time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2001
    Publication date: February 7, 2002
    Inventors: Donald M. Gray, Agha Zaigham Ahsan