Patents by Inventor Bruce E. Talley

Bruce E. Talley 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: 8001511
    Abstract: A method of modeling two IC dies using the same software model, although the two dies include physical differences. A first programmable logic device (PLD) die includes first and second portions, and is encoded to render the first portion operational and the second portion non-operational. At a boundary between the two portions, interconnect lines traversing the boundary include a first section in the first portion and a second section in the second portion. The second PLD die includes the first portion of the first PLD die, while omitting the second portion. The interconnect lines extending to the edge of the second die are coupled together in pairs. A software model for both die includes a termination model that omits the pair coupling, adds an RC load compensating for the omitted connection, and (for bidirectional interconnect lines) flags one interconnect line in each pair as being invalid for use by routing software.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventors: Trevor J. Bauer, Jeffrey V. Lindholm, F. Erich Goetting, Bruce E. Talley, Ramakrishna K. Tanikella, Steven P. Young
  • Patent number: 7498192
    Abstract: Methods of manufacturing a family of packaged integrated circuits (ICs) having at least two different logic capacities. A first IC die includes two different portions, of which at least one portion can be deliberately rendered non-operational in some manner (e.g., non-functional, inaccessible, and/or non-programmable) within the package. A first set of the first IC dies are packaged such that both portions of the dies are operational. A second set of the first IC dies are packaged such that only the first portion of each die is operational. Once the first and second sets are packaged and the second set of ICs has been evaluated, a decision is made whether or not to manufacture a second IC die that includes the first portion of the first die, while excluding the second portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2009
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventors: F. Erich Goetting, Trevor J. Bauer, Patrick J. McGuire, Bruce E. Talley, Paul Ying-Fung Wu, Steven P. Young
  • Patent number: 7491576
    Abstract: An integrated circuit die (e.g., a programmable logic device (PLD) die) is manufactured that has the capability of being configured as at least two differently-sized family members. The IC die is tested prior to packaging. If a first portion of the IC die is fully functional, but a second portion includes a localized defect, then the IC die is packaged with a product selection code that configures the IC die to operate as only the first portion of the die. The second portion of the die is deliberately rendered non-operational. Therefore, the IC die can still be sold as a fully functional packaged IC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2009
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven P. Young, Trevor J. Bauer, F. Erich Goetting, P. Hugo Lamarche, Patrick J. McGuire, Kwansuhk Oh, Raymond C. Pang, Bruce E. Talley, Paul Ying-Fung Wu
  • Patent number: 7451421
    Abstract: A method of modeling two IC dies using the same software model, although the two dies include physical differences. A first programmable logic device (PLD) die includes first and second portions, and is encoded to render the first portion operational and the second portion non-operational. At a boundary between the two portions, interconnect lines traversing the boundary include a first section in the first portion and a second section in the second portion. The second PLD die includes the first portion of the first PLD die, while omitting the second portion. The interconnect lines extending to the edge of the second die are coupled together in pairs. A software model for both die includes a termination model that omits the pair coupling, adds an RC load compensating for the omitted connection, and (for bidirectional interconnect lines) flags one interconnect line in each pair as being invalid for use by routing software.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2008
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventors: Trevor J. Bauer, Jeffrey V. Lindholm, F. Erich Goetting, Bruce E. Talley, Ramakrishna K. Tanikella, Steven P. Young
  • Patent number: 7402443
    Abstract: A method of providing a family of integrated circuits (ICs) includes applying a first product selection code (PSC) to a first IC die, applying a second PSC to a second IC die, and providing a third packaged IC die. The first IC die includes first and second portions, both of which are operational based on the first PSC. The second IC die is a duplicate of the first die, but the second portion is rendered non-operational by the second PSC. The third IC die is substantially similar to the first portion of the first die. The second and third packages can be the same and the packaged dies can be interchangeable in a system. When the dies are programmable logic device (PLD) dies, the second and third dies use the same configuration bit stream, which may be smaller than the configuration bit stream for the first IC die.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2008
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventors: Raymond C. Pang, Trevor J. Bauer, F. Erich Goetting, Bruce E. Talley, Steven P. Young
  • Patent number: 7345507
    Abstract: A multi-product integrated circuit die includes at least two different portions, of which at least one portion can be deliberately rendered non-operational in some manner (e.g., non-functional, inaccessible, and/or non-programmable) within the package. A selection code storage circuit stores a product selection code. A first value of the product selection code selects the option where both the first and second portions of the first die are operational. A second value of the product selection code selects the option where only the first portion of the first die is operational. The selection code storage circuit can include non-volatile memory or a fuse structure, or the product selection code can be configured as a package bonding option. The product selection code can also enable boundary scan for the operational portion of the die, and omit from the boundary scan chain any portions of the die that are deliberately rendered non-operational.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2008
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven P. Young, Trevor J. Bauer, F. Erich Goetting, P. Hugo Lamarche, Patrick J. McGuire, Kwansuhk Oh, Raymond C. Pang, Bruce E. Talley, Paul Ying-Fung Wu
  • Patent number: 6817005
    Abstract: In modular design flow, logic designers are able to partition a top-level logic design for a PLD into modules and implement any module independently from other modules. Modules are mapped, placed, and routed using selected information derived at the time the top-level logic design is partitioned. Finally, the modules are integrated into the top-level logic design using a guided process. Specifically, the information generated during the partitioning of the top-level design and the implementation of each module is used to guide the implementation of the associated logic in the top-level design. In this manner, the implementation of all modules can proceed in any order or in parallel and the integration of the modules into the top-level design can be done quickly and in any order.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2004
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey M. Mason, Steve E. Lass, Bruce E. Talley, David W. Bennett
  • Publication number: 20010047509
    Abstract: In modular design flow, logic designers are able to partition a top-level logic design for a PLD into modules and implement any module independently from other modules. Modules are mapped, placed, and routed using selected information derived at the time the top-level logic design is partitioned. Finally, the modules are integrated into the top-level logic design using a guided process. Specifically, the information generated during the partitioning of the top-level design and the implementation of each module is used to guide the implementation of the associated logic in the top-level design. In this manner, the implementation of all modules can proceed in any order or in parallel and the integration of the modules into the top-level design can be done quickly and in any order.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2001
    Publication date: November 29, 2001
    Inventors: Jeffrey M. Mason, Steve E. Lass, Bruce E. Talley, David W. Bennett