Patents by Inventor Burton J. Smith

Burton J. Smith 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: 10763013
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for cooling superconducting signal lines disposed on an interconnect such as a flexible cable or a rigid substrate. The superconducting signal lines are cooled to a cryogenic temperature lower than the temperature at which at least some superconducting logic devices coupled to the interconnect are operated. In some examples, an airtight conduit, heat pipe, or thermally conduct of strap provided to cool the superconducting interconnect. In one example of the disclosed technology, a system includes at least two sets of superconducting logic devices, cooling apparatus adapted to cool the logic devices to a first operating temperature, and interconnect coupling the superconducting logic devices, and a cooling apparatus in thermal communication with the interconnect. The apparatus is adapted to cool superconducting signal lines on the interconnect to a lower operating temperature than the first operating temperature at which the superconducting logic devices operate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Burton J. Smith, David B. Tuckerman
  • Publication number: 20190341174
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for cooling superconducting signal lines disposed on an interconnect such as a flexible cable or a rigid substrate. The superconducting signal lines are cooled to a cryogenic temperature lower than the temperature at which at least some superconducting logic devices coupled to the interconnect are operated. In some examples, an airtight conduit, heat pipe, or thermally conduct of strap provided to cool the superconducting interconnect. In one example of the disclosed technology, a system includes at least two sets of superconducting logic devices, cooling apparatus adapted to cool the logic devices to a first operating temperature, and interconnect coupling the superconducting logic devices, and a cooling apparatus in thermal communication with the interconnect. The apparatus is adapted to cool superconducting signal lines on the interconnect to a lower operating temperature than the first operating temperature at which the superconducting logic devices operate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2019
    Publication date: November 7, 2019
    Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Burton J. Smith, David B. Tuckerman
  • Publication number: 20190341173
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for cooling superconducting signal lines disposed on an interconnect such as a flexible cable or a rigid substrate. The superconducting signal lines are cooled to a cryogenic temperature lower than the temperature at which at least some superconducting logic devices coupled to the interconnect are operated. In some examples, an airtight conduit, heat pipe, or thermally conduct of strap provided to cool the superconducting interconnect. In one example of the disclosed technology, a system includes at least two sets of superconducting logic devices, cooling apparatus adapted to cool the logic devices to a first operating temperature, and interconnect coupling the superconducting logic devices, and a cooling apparatus in thermal communication with the interconnect. The apparatus is adapted to cool superconducting signal lines on the interconnect to a lower operating temperature than the first operating temperature at which the superconducting logic devices operate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2018
    Publication date: November 7, 2019
    Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Burton J. Smith, David B. Tuckerman
  • Patent number: 10453592
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for cooling superconducting signal lines disposed on an interconnect such as a flexible cable or a rigid substrate. The superconducting signal lines are cooled to a cryogenic temperature lower than the temperature at which at least some superconducting logic devices coupled to the interconnect are operated. In some examples, an airtight conduit, heat pipe, or thermally conduct of strap provided to cool the superconducting interconnect. In one example of the disclosed technology, a system includes at least two sets of superconducting logic devices, cooling apparatus adapted to cool the logic devices to a first operating temperature, and interconnect coupling the superconducting logic devices, and a cooling apparatus in thermal communication with the interconnect. The apparatus is adapted to cool superconducting signal lines on the interconnect to a lower operating temperature than the first operating temperature at which the superconducting logic devices operate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC
    Inventors: Burton J. Smith, David B. Tuckerman
  • Patent number: 10185568
    Abstract: A processor having an instruction cache for storing a plurality of instructions is provided. The processor further includes annotation logic configured to determine a lookahead distance associated with an instruction and annotate the at least one instruction cache with the lookahead distance. The lookahead distance may correspond to a number of instructions that separates an instruction that references a register from the most recent register definition. The lookahead distance may indicate the shortest distance to a later instruction that references a register that this instruction defines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventor: Burton J. Smith
  • Patent number: 9997495
    Abstract: A non-contacting inductive interconnect of a three-dimensional integrated circuit includes a first silicon substrate having a first inductive loop. A first layer of high permeability material is deposited on the first silicon substrate that has the first inductive loop forming a first high permeability structure. The circuit further includes a second silicon substrate having a second inductive loop. A magnetic coupling is formed between the first inductive loop and the second inductive loop. The first high permeability structure can enhance the magnetic coupling between the first inductive loop and the second inductive loop. In some embodiments, a second layer of the high permeability material is deposited on the second silicon substrate that has the second inductive loop forming a second high permeability structure. The first high permeability structure and the second high permeability structure can form a magnetic circuit coupling the first inductive loop and the second inductive loop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: Elwha LLC
    Inventors: Douglas C. Burger, William Gates, Andrew F. Glew, Roderick A. Hyde, Muriel Y. Ishikawa, Jordin T. Kare, John L. Manferdelli, Thomas M. McWilliams, Craig J. Mundie, Nathan P. Myhrvold, Burton J. Smith, Clarence T. Tegreene, Thomas A. Weaver, Richard T. Witek, Lowell L. Wood, Jr., Victoria Y. H. Wood
  • Patent number: 9864005
    Abstract: One example embodiment includes a circuit system. The system includes a wave-pipelined combinational logic circuit comprising at least one logic gate between an input node and at least one output node and configured to perform logic operations on a data sequence received at the input node. The system also includes a scan path connected to the input node and comprising at least one delay element configured to propagate the data sequence from the input to a scan path output to capture values of the data sequence provided to the wave-pipelined combinational logic circuit as a serial data stream. The system also includes a scan point device configured to deliver one of input data and scan data as the data sequence to the wave-pipelined combinational logic circuit and to the scan path via the input node in a respective one of a normal operating mode and a scan mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Douglas Carmean, Burton J. Smith
  • Publication number: 20170308384
    Abstract: A processor having an instruction cache for storing a plurality of instructions is provided. The processor further includes annotation logic configured to determine a lookahead distance associated with an instruction and annotate the at least one instruction cache with the lookahead distance. The lookahead distance may correspond to a number of instructions that separates an instruction that references a register from the most recent register definition. The lookahead distance may indicate the shortest distance to a later instruction that references a register that this instruction defines.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2016
    Publication date: October 26, 2017
    Inventor: Burton J. Smith
  • Patent number: 9716548
    Abstract: A data center for executing a data processing application includes processing units, sub-units or servers. Each of the processing units, sub-units or servers can execute a part or all of the data processing application. The processing units, sub-units or servers are electrical disjoint with respect to data communications, but can communicate with each other over free space optical links.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: THE INVENTION SCIENCE FUND I, LLC
    Inventors: Howard Lee Davidson, James Robert Hamilton, Roderick A. Hyde, Arne Josefsberg, Edward K. Y. Jung, Jordin T. Kare, Robert W. Lord, Kenneth Lustig, William Henry Mangione-Smith, Michael J. Manos, Craig J. Mundie, Nathan P. Myhrvold, Richard F. Rashid, Burton J. Smith, Clarence T. Tegreene, Robert V. Welland, Charles Whitmer, Lowell L. Wood, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9412074
    Abstract: Operators such as unitary operators common in quantum mechanical applications may be approximated by a Trotter-like approximation. An operator may be decomposed and terms of the operator may be grouped, or assigned into levels. The levels may be scaled and applied at unique intervals of calculational steps. A quantum device may have circuitry for applying levels of the operator at the unique intervals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Matthias Troyer, David B. Wecker, Bryan Clark, Burton J. Smith
  • Publication number: 20160181227
    Abstract: A non-contacting inductive interconnect of a three-dimensional integrated circuit includes a first silicon substrate having a first inductive loop. A first layer of high permeability material is deposited on the first silicon substrate that has the first inductive loop forming a first high permeability structure. The circuit further includes a second silicon substrate having a second inductive loop. A magnetic coupling is formed between the first inductive loop and the second inductive loop. The first high permeability structure can enhance the magnetic coupling between the first inductive loop and the second inductive loop. In some embodiments, a second layer of the high permeability material is deposited on the second silicon substrate that has the second inductive loop forming a second high permeability structure. The first high permeability structure and the second high permeability structure can form a magnetic circuit coupling the first inductive loop and the second inductive loop.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2014
    Publication date: June 23, 2016
    Applicant: Elwha LLC
    Inventors: Douglas C. Burger, William Gates, Andrew F. Glew, Roderick A. Hyde, Muriel Y. Ishikawa, Jordin T. Kare, John L. Manferdelli, Thomas M. McWilliams, Craig J. Mundie, Nathan P. Myhrvold, Burton J. Smith, Clarence T. Tegreene, Thomas A. Weaver, Richard T. Witek, Lowell L. Wood,, JR., Victoria Y.H. Wood
  • Patent number: 9032244
    Abstract: The techniques discussed herein identify failed segments of memory in a memory region. The techniques may then manage the failed segments of memory by logically clustering the failed segments of memory at an outlying portion of the memory region using a remapping process. The remapping process may include creating and storing remapping metadata defining segment remapping entries for the memory region. Accordingly, the failure clustering logically eliminates or reduces the memory fragmentation so that a system can allocate larger portions of contiguous memory for object storage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Karin Strauss, Burton J. Smith, Kathryn S. McKinley
  • Publication number: 20150006597
    Abstract: Operators such as unitary operators common in quantum mechanical applications may be approximated by a Trotter-like approximation. An operator may be decomposed and terms of the operator may be grouped, or assigned into levels. The levels may be scaled and applied at unique intervals of calculational steps. A quantum device may have circuitry for applying levels of the operator at the unique intervals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2013
    Publication date: January 1, 2015
    Inventors: Matthias Troyer, David B. Wecker, Bryan Clark, Burton J. Smith
  • Publication number: 20140348510
    Abstract: A data center for executing a data processing application includes processing units, sub-units or servers. Each of the processing units, sub-units or servers can execute a part or all of the data processing application. The processing units, sub-units or servers are electrical disjoint with respect to data communications, but can communicate with each other over free space optical links.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2014
    Publication date: November 27, 2014
    Inventors: Howard Lee Davidson, James Robert Hamilton, Roderick A. Hyde, Arne Josefsberg, Edward K.Y. Jung, Jordin T. Kare, Robert W. Lord, Kenneth Lustig, William Henry Mangione-Smith, Michael J. Manos, Craig J. Mundie, Nathan P. Myhrvold, Richard F. Rashid, Burton J. Smith, Clarence T. Tegreene, Robert V. Welland, Charles Whitmer, Lowell L. Wood, JR.
  • Patent number: 8774637
    Abstract: A data center for executing a data processing application includes processing units, sub-units or servers. Each of the processing units, sub-units or servers can execute a part or all of the data processing application. The processing units, sub-units or servers are electrical disjoint with respect to data communications, but can communicate with each other over free space optical links.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, LLC
    Inventors: Howard Lee Davidson, James Robert Hamilton, Roderick A. Hyde, Arne Josefsberg, Edward K. Y. Jung, Jordin T. Kare, Robert W. Lord, Kenneth Lustig, William Henry Mangione-Smith, Michael Manos, Craig J. Mundie, Nathan P. Myhrvold, Richard F. Rashid, Burton J. Smith, Clarence T. Tegreene, Robert V. Welland, Charles Whitmer, Lowell L. Wood, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20140143593
    Abstract: The techniques discussed herein identify failed segments of memory in a memory region. The techniques may then manage the failed segments of memory by logically clustering the failed segments of memory at an outlying portion of the memory region using a remapping process. The remapping process may include creating and storing remapping metadata defining segment remapping entries for the memory region. Accordingly, the failure clustering logically eliminates or reduces the memory fragmentation so that a system can allocate larger portions of contiguous memory for object storage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2012
    Publication date: May 22, 2014
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Karin Strauss, Burton J. Smith, Kathryn S. McKinley
  • Patent number: 8527690
    Abstract: An exemplary method includes writing data to locations in non-volatile solid-state memory and deciding whether to move data written to one location in the memory to another location in the memory based on generation of the data and wear of the other location. Such a method may be used for non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM). Various other methods, devices, systems, etc., are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: James R Hamilton, Michael R Fortin, Mike Neil, Burton J Smith
  • Patent number: 8443370
    Abstract: An exemplary method includes hosting a service at a data center, the service relying on at least one software component developed according to a programming model and the data center comprising a corresponding programming model abstraction layer that abstracts resources of the data center; receiving a request for the service; and in response to the request, assigning at least some of the resources of the data center to the service to allow for fulfilling the request wherein the programming model abstraction layer performs the assigning based in part on reference to a resource class in the at least one software component, the resource class modifiable to account for changes in one or more resources of the data center. Various other devices, systems and methods are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Burton J Smith, James R Hamilton
  • Patent number: 8312463
    Abstract: This patent application pertains to urgency-based resource management in computing scenarios. One implementation can identify processes competing for resources on a system. The implementation can evaluate an urgency of individual competing processes. The implementation can also objectively allocate the resources among the competing processes in a manner that reduces a total of the urgencies of the competing processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Burton J. Smith, David Probert, Abhishek Singh, Douglas Burger, David Wecker
  • Patent number: 8195784
    Abstract: An exemplary method for performing work in a data center includes receiving a request for resources in a data center, solving a linear programming formulation that accounts for the request and at least some of the resources in the data center and performing work the request based at least in part on the solving of the linear programming formulation. Such a method can include a linear programming formulation that accounts for multi-core chips and DRAM systems. Various other method, devices, systems, etc., are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Burton J Smith, Heather E Warncke