Patents by Inventor Benedict R. Gaster

Benedict R. Gaster 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: 11231962
    Abstract: With the success of programming models such as OpenCL and CUDA, heterogeneous computing platforms are becoming mainstream. However, these heterogeneous systems are low-level, not composable, and their behavior is often implementation defined even for standardized programming models. In contrast, the method and system embodiments for the heterogeneous parallel primitives (HPP) programming model disclosed herein provide a flexible and composable programming platform that guarantees behavior even in the case of developing high-performance code.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Benedict R. Gaster, Lee W. Howes
  • Patent number: 10467013
    Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product synchronize a group of workitems executing an instruction stream on a processor. The processor is yielded by a first workitem responsive to a synchronization instruction in the instruction stream. A first one of a plurality of program counters is updated to point to a next instruction following the synchronization instruction in the instruction stream to be executed by the first workitem. A second workitem is run on the processor after the yielding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Lee W. Howes, Benedict R. Gaster, Michael C. Houston
  • Patent number: 10360652
    Abstract: A processor comprising hardware logic configured to execute of a first wavefront in a hardware resource and stop execution of the first wavefront before the first wavefront completes. The processor schedules a second wavefront for execution in the hardware resource.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Marc S. Orr, Bradford M. Beckmann, Benedict R. Gaster, Steven K. Reinhardt, David A. Wood
  • Publication number: 20190146799
    Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product synchronize a group of workitems executing an instruction stream on a processor. The processor is yielded by a first workitem responsive to a synchronization instruction in the instruction stream. A first one of a plurality of program counters is updated to point to a next instruction following the synchronization instruction in the instruction stream to be executed by the first workitem. A second workitem is run on the processor after the yielding.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2018
    Publication date: May 16, 2019
    Applicant: ADVANCED MICRO DEVICES, INC.
    Inventors: Lee W. HOWES, Benedict R. GASTER, Michael C. HOUSTON
  • Patent number: 10235220
    Abstract: A system, method, and computer program product are provided for improving resource utilization of multithreaded applications. Rather than requiring threads to block while waiting for data from a channel or requiring context switching to minimize blocking, the techniques disclosed herein provide an event-driven approach to launch kernels only when needed to perform operations on channel data, and then terminate in order to free resources. These operations are handled efficiently in hardware, but are flexible enough to be implemented in all manner of programming models.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Lee W. Howes, Benedict R. Gaster, Michael Clair Houston, Michael Mantor
  • Patent number: 10146549
    Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product synchronize a group of workitems executing an instruction stream on a processor. The processor is yielded by a first workitem responsive to a synchronization instruction in the instruction stream. A first one of a plurality of program counters is updated to point to a next instruction following the synchronization instruction in the instruction stream to be executed by the first workitem. A second workitem is run on the processor after the yielding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Lee W. Howes, Benedict R. Gaster, Michael C. Houston
  • Publication number: 20180129504
    Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product synchronize a group of workitems executing an instruction stream on a processor. The processor is yielded by a first workitem responsive to a synchronization instruction in the instruction stream. A first one of a plurality of program counters is updated to point to a next instruction following the synchronization instruction in the instruction stream to be executed by the first workitem. A second workitem is run on the processor after the yielding.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2017
    Publication date: May 10, 2018
    Applicant: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Lee W. Howes, Benedict R. Gaster, Michael C. Houston
  • Publication number: 20180060124
    Abstract: With the success of programming models such as OpenCL and CUDA, heterogeneous computing platforms are becoming mainstream. However, these heterogeneous systems are low-level, not composable, and their behavior is often implementation defined even for standardized programming models. In contrast, the method and system embodiments for the heterogeneous parallel primitives (HPP) programming model disclosed herein provide a flexible and composable programming platform that guarantees behavior even in the case of developing high-performance code.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2017
    Publication date: March 1, 2018
    Applicant: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Benedict R. Gaster, Lee W. Howes
  • Patent number: 9811343
    Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product synchronize a group of workitems executing an instruction stream on a processor. The processor is yielded by a first workitem responsive to a synchronization instruction in the instruction stream. A first one of a plurality of program counters is updated to point to a next instruction following the synchronization instruction in the instruction stream to be executed by the first workitem. A second workitem is run on the processor after the yielding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Lee W. Howes, Benedict R. Gaster, Michael C. Houston
  • Publication number: 20170262289
    Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product synchronize a group of workitems executing an instruction stream on a processor. The processor is yielded by a first workitem responsive to a synchronization instruction in the instruction stream. A first one of a plurality of program counters is updated to point to a next instruction following the synchronization instruction in the instruction stream to be executed by the first workitem. A second workitem is run on the processor after the yielding.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2017
    Publication date: September 14, 2017
    Applicant: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Lee W. Howes, Benedict R. Gaster, Michael C. Houston
  • Patent number: 9697003
    Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product synchronize a group of workitems executing an instruction stream on a processor. The processor is yielded by a first workitem responsive to a synchronization instruction in the instruction stream. A first one of a plurality of program counters is updated to point to a next instruction following the synchronization instruction in the instruction stream to be executed by the first workitem. A second workitem is run on the processor after the yielding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Lee W. Howes, Benedict R. Gaster, Michael C. Houston
  • Patent number: 9424009
    Abstract: Some embodiments include a processing subsystem that compiles program code to generate compiled program code. In these embodiments, while compiling the program code, the processing subsystem first identifies a pointer in the program code that points to an unspecified address space. The processing subsystem then analyzes at least a portion of the program code to determine one or more address spaces to which the pointer may point. Next, the processor updates metadata for the pointer to indicate the one or more address spaces to which the pointer may point, the metadata enabling a determination of an address space to which the pointer points during subsequent execution of the compiled program code.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: ADVANCED MICRO DEVICES, INC.
    Inventor: Benedict R. Gaster
  • Patent number: 9424099
    Abstract: Disclosed methods, systems, and computer program products embodiments include synchronizing a group of workitems on a processor by storing a respective program counter associated with each of the workitems, selecting at least one first workitem from the group for execution, and executing the selected at least one first workitem on the processor. The selecting is based upon the respective stored program counter associated with the at least one first workitem.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael C. Houston, Benedict R. Gaster, Lee W. Howes, Michael Mantor, Dominik Behr
  • Patent number: 9361118
    Abstract: A method, computer program product, and system is described that determines the correctness of using memory operations in a computing device with heterogeneous computer components. Embodiments include an optimizer based on the characteristics of a Sequential Consistency for Heterogeneous-Race-Free (SC for HRF) model that analyzes a program and determines the correctness of the ordering of events in the program. HRF models include combinations of the properties: scope order, scope inclusion, and scope transitivity. The optimizer can determine when a program is heterogeneous-race-free in accordance with an SC for HRF memory consistency model. For example, the optimizer can analyze a portion of program code, respect the properties of the SC for HRF model, and determine whether a value produced by a store memory event will be a candidate for a value observed by a load memory event. In addition, the optimizer can determine whether reordering of events is possible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: ADVANCED MICRO DEVICES, INC.
    Inventors: Derek R. Hower, Mark D. Hill, David Wood, Steven K. Reinhardt, Benedict R. Gaster, Blake A. Hechtman, Bradford M. Beckmann
  • Patent number: 9244828
    Abstract: In a computing system, memory may be managed by using a distributed array, which is a global set of local memory regions. A segment in the distributed array is allocated and is bound to a physical memory region. The segment is used by a workgroup in a dispatched data parallel kernel, wherein a workgroup includes one or more work items. When the distributed array is declared, parameters of the distributed array may be defined. The parameters may include an indication whether the distributed array is persistent (data written to the distributed array during one parallel dispatch is accessible by work items in a subsequent dispatch) or an indication whether the distributed array is shared (nested kernels may access the distributed array). The segment may be deallocated after it has been used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: ADVANCED MICRO DEVICES, INC.
    Inventors: Benedict R. Gaster, Lee W. Howes
  • Publication number: 20150363903
    Abstract: A processor comprising hardware logic configured to execute of a first wavefront in a hardware resource and stop execution of the first wavefront before the first wavefront completes. The processor schedules a second wavefront for execution in the hardware resource.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2014
    Publication date: December 17, 2015
    Inventors: Marc S. Orr, Bradford M. Beckmann, Benedict R. Gaster, Steven K. Reinhardt, David A. Wood
  • Publication number: 20150261511
    Abstract: Some embodiments include a processing subsystem that compiles program code to generate compiled program code. In these embodiments, while compiling the program code, the processing subsystem first identifies a pointer in the program code that points to an unspecified address space. The processing subsystem then analyzes at least a portion of the program code to determine one or more address spaces to which the pointer may point. Next, the processor updates metadata for the pointer to indicate the one or more address spaces to which the pointer may point, the metadata enabling a determination of an address space to which the pointer points during subsequent execution of the compiled program code.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2015
    Publication date: September 17, 2015
    Inventor: Benedict R. Gaster
  • Patent number: 9058192
    Abstract: Some embodiments include a processing subsystem that compiles program code to generate compiled program code. In these embodiments, while compiling the program code, the processing subsystem first identifies a pointer in the program code that points to an unspecified address space. The processing subsystem then analyzes at least a portion of the program code to determine one or more address spaces to which the pointer may point. Next, the processor updates metadata for the pointer to indicate the one or more address spaces to which the pointer may point, the metadata enabling a determination of an address space to which the pointer points during subsequent execution of the compiled program code.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignee: ADVANCED MICRO DEVICES, INC.
    Inventor: Benedict R. Gaster
  • Patent number: 8966461
    Abstract: A medium, method, and apparatus are disclosed for eliding superfluous function invocations in a vector-processing environment. A compiler receives program code comprising a width-contingent invocation of a function. The compiler creates a width-specific executable version of the program code by determining a vector width of a target computer system and omitting the function from the width-specific executable if the vector width meets one or more criteria. For example, the compiler may omit the function call if the vector width is greater than a minimum size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Benedict R. Gaster, Lee W. Howes, Mark D. Hummel
  • Publication number: 20140365752
    Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product synchronize a group of workitems executing an instruction stream on a processor. The processor is yielded by a first workitem responsive to a synchronization instruction in the instruction stream. A first one of a plurality of program counters is updated to point to a next instruction following the synchronization instruction in the instruction stream to be executed by the first workitem. A second workitem is run on the processor after the yielding.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2013
    Publication date: December 11, 2014
    Inventors: Lee W. HOWES, Benedict R. GASTER, Michael C. HOUSTON