Patents by Inventor Charles Gower

Charles Gower 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: 7707452
    Abstract: A system and method of recovering from errors in a data processing system. The data processing system includes one or more processor cores coupled to one or more memory controllers. The one or more memory controllers include at least a first memory interface coupled to a first memory and at least a second memory interface coupled to a second memory. In response to determining an error has been detected in the first memory, access to the first memory via the first memory interface is inhibited. Also, the first memory interface is locally restarted without restarting the second memory interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Edgar Rolando Cordero, James Stephen Fields, Jr., Kevin Charles Gower, Eric Eugene Retter, Scott Barnett Swaney
  • Publication number: 20080270821
    Abstract: A system and method of recovering from errors in a data processing system. The data processing system includes one or more processor cores coupled to one or more memory controllers. The one or more memory controllers include at least a first memory interface coupled to a first memory and at least a second memory interface coupled to a second memory. In response to determining an error has been detected in the first memory, access to the first memory via the first memory interface is inhibited. Also, the first memory interface is locally restarted without restarting the second memory interface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2008
    Publication date: October 30, 2008
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORP.
    Inventors: Edgar Rolando Cordero, James Stephen Fields, Kevin Charles Gower, Eric Eugene Retter, Scott Barnett Swaney
  • Patent number: 7409580
    Abstract: A system and method of recovering from errors in a data processing system. The data processing system includes one or more processor cores coupled to one or more memory controllers. The one or more memory controllers include at least a first memory interface coupled to a first memory and at least a second memory interface coupled to a second memory. In response to determining an error has been detected in the first memory, access to the first memory via the first memory interface is inhibited. Also, the first memory interface is locally restarted without restarting the second memory interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2008
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Edgar Rolando Cordero, James Stephen Fields, Jr., Kevin Charles Gower, Eric Eugene Retter, Scott Barnett Swaney
  • Patent number: 7206962
    Abstract: A memory subsystem comprising: a command register in operable communication with a plurality of memory devices via a plurality of command buses. The plurality of memory devices is arranged into symbol slices and each symbol slice is configured to be part of a single error correction code packet. Each command bus of the plurality of command buses is configured to interface between the command register and each memory device in a particular symbol slice. A method of command bus redundancy comprising: configuring a plurality of memory devices into symbol slices, each symbol slice configured to be part of a single error correction code packet; establishing a plurality of command buses, each command bus configured to interface with each memory device in a particular symbol slice; and configuring a command register with sufficient command bus drivers to support each command bus of the plurality of command buses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: John M. Deegan, Kevin Charles Gower
  • Patent number: 6762626
    Abstract: A phase detector for use in conjunction with a delay locked loop is provided. Programmable delay elements insert an adjustable delay in a received data stream. The programmable delays stress the setup and hold times of the incoming data. Phase detector sampling logic detects the phase difference between a nominal center of the data window, and the limits on the setup (early) edge of the data value window, and the hold time limit (late time) edge of the data valid window (“guardbands”). A data signal arriving earlier than an early guardband or later than a late guardband may not be correctly sampled, and a guardband failure may be said to have occurred. A state machine detects such guardband errors and provides corrective feedback signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2004
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel Mark Dreps, Frank David Ferraiolo, Kevin Charles Gower, Gary Alan Peterson, Robert James Reese
  • Patent number: 6671753
    Abstract: An elastic interface apparatus and method are implemented. The elastic interface includes a plurality of storage units for storing for storing a stream of data values, wherein each storage unit sequentially stores members of respective sets of data values. Each data value is stored for a predetermined number of periods of a local clock. Selection circuitry may be coupled to the storage units to select the respective data value from the data stream for storage in the corresponding storage unit. Data is sequentially output from each storage unit in synchrony with the local clock on a target cycle of the local clock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2003
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel Mark Dreps, Frank David Ferraiolo, Kevin Charles Gower
  • Patent number: 6654897
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for a dynamic wave-pipelined interface are implemented. Data signals received from a sending circuit delayed via a programmable delay device corresponding to each signal before being latched into the receiving device. The programmable delay in each delay device is set according to an initialization procedure whereby each signal is deskewed to a latest arriving signal. Additionally, a phase of an input/output (I/O) clock controlling the latching of the data signals is adjusted so that a latching transition is substantially centered in a data valid window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2003
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel Mark Dreps, Frank David Ferraiolo, Kevin Charles Gower
  • Patent number: 6576869
    Abstract: This invention relates to using mid-infrared high-power pulsed laser radiation sources for drilling high-quality microvia interconnection holes in printed circuit (wiring) boards and other electrical circuit packages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2003
    Assignees: Excellon Automation Co., Exitech Limited
    Inventors: Malcolm Charles Gower, Philip Thomas Rumsby, Dafydd Wyn Thomas
  • Patent number: 6571346
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for communicating between a master and slave device. A sequence of data sets and a clock signal (“Bus clock”) are sent from the master to the slave, wherein the successive sets are asserted by the master at a certain frequency, each set being asserted for a certain time interval. The data and Bus clock are received by the slave, including capturing the data by the slave, responsive to the received Bus clock. The slave generates, from the received Bus clock, a clock (“Local clock”) for clocking operations on the slave. The sequence of the received data sets is held in a sequence of latches in the slave, each set being held for a time interval that is longer than the certain time interval for which the set was asserted by the master.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2003
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel Mark Dreps, Frank David Ferraiolo, Kevin Charles Gower, Bradley McCredie, Paul Coteus
  • Patent number: 6542999
    Abstract: An elastic interface apparatus and method are implemented. The elastic interface includes a plurality of storage units for storing for storing a stream of data values, wherein each storage unit sequentially stores members of respective sets of data values. Each data value is stored for a predetermined number of periods of a local clock. Selection circuitry may be coupled to the storage units to select the respective data value from the data stream for storage in the corresponding storage unit. Data is sequentially output from each storage unit in synchrony with the local clock on a target cycle of the local clock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2003
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corp.
    Inventors: Daniel Mark Dreps, Kevin Charles Gower, Frank David Ferraiolo
  • Patent number: 6442223
    Abstract: A method and system for increasing speeds of transferring data in a data transfer system which includes a data source and data sink. Both the data source and data sink include clocks which are synchronized to a common clock frequency. A buffer is provided at the data sink and this buffer is utilized to received data from the data source. A control circuit is provided at the data sink and this control circuit receives a bus clock signal from the data source. An N segment dynamic shift register is provided within the data sink which includes at least two segments. A selectable shift control is provided for passing the data through an M segment subset of the N segment shift register, where M is less than N. Additionally, the length of the M segment subset is determined by the phase of a clock within the data sink at the time which the bus clock signal from the data source is received at the data sink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2002
    Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation, Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Daniel Mark Dreps, Frank David Ferraiolo, Kevin Charles Gower, Toru Kobayashi, Bradley David McCredie, Hideo Sawamoto
  • Patent number: 6434731
    Abstract: An automated method for designing a signal distribution network in an integrated circuit confines the circuits relating to a particular signal, such as a clock signal, to multiple areas equally distributed over the integrated circuit. Each of the multiple areas have tightly-coupled logic connected to a root driver circuit in which the root driver circuit is connected to the signal input. Within the areas of tightly-coupled logic, user-defined placement circuits or groups such as a programmable clock delay having gates, delays, and splitters are connected to the root driver circuit in accordance with wire capacitance targets and input pin load balancing among all the multiple areas. The input pin load balancing and the wire capacitance targets of the user-defined placement groups connected to the root driver circuit in one of the multiple areas matches the input pin load balancing and the wire capacitance targets of other groups connected to other root driver circuits in other multiple areas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas Charles Brennan, Kevin Charles Gower, Daniel John Kolor, Erik Victor Kusko
  • Patent number: 6421784
    Abstract: A programmable delay element having a fine delay circuit with fractional units of delay. The fine delay circuit has a fine delay circuit with a plurality of selectable delay paths, each delay path having an associated delay interval. The fine delay element is electrically-coupled to a data terminal for receiving and delaying an input signal. A control circuit is electrically-coupled to the fine delay circuit to select the delay path for the input signal. In a further aspect of the invention, the fine delay circuit is electrically-coupled to a coarse delay circuit having a plurality of selectable delay blocks in a repetitive block configuration. The coarse delay circuit is electrically-coupled to a second data terminal for receiving and inserting a second signal through said fine delay circuit. The control circuit is electrically-coupled to the selective delay path of the fine delay circuit and the coarse delay circuit such that either a fine delay, a coarse delay, or a coarse and a fine delay can be selected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2002
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Albert Manhee Chu, Daniel Mark Dreps, Frank David Ferraiolo, Kevin Charles Gower, Roger Paul Gregor
  • Publication number: 20020013875
    Abstract: An elastic interface apparatus and method are implemented. The elastic interface includes a plurality of storage units for storing for storing a stream of data values, wherein each storage unit sequentially stores members of respective sets of data values. Each data value is stored for a predetermined number of periods of a local clock. Selection circuitry may be coupled to the storage units to select the respective data value from the data stream for storage in the corresponding storage unit. Data is sequentially output from each storage unit in synchrony with the local clock on a target cycle of the local clock.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2001
    Publication date: January 31, 2002
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel Mark Dreps, Frank David Ferraiolo, Kevin Charles Gower
  • Patent number: 6334163
    Abstract: An elastic interface apparatus and method are implemented. The elastic interface includes a plurality of storage units for storing for storing a stream of data values, wherein each storage unit sequentially stores members of respective sets of data values. Each data value is stored for a predetermined number of periods of a local clock. Selection circuitry may be coupled to the storage units to select the respective data value from the data stream for storage in the corresponding storage unit. Data is sequentially output from each storage unit in synchrony with the local clock on a target cycle of the local clock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corp.
    Inventors: Daniel Mark Dreps, Frank David Ferraiolo, Kevin Charles Gower
  • Patent number: 6125777
    Abstract: A sewing machine for attaching tapes to a web includes a web feed station, a sewing station and a transfer mechanism to transfer the web from the sewing station to a collection zone. The sewing station includes a sewing head that moves across the web to sew the tape. The tape has hooks periodically spaced along the tape and movement of the sewing head is initiated by sensing one of the hooks at a predetermined locator. Successive tapes may then be sewn with the hooks aligned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2000
    Inventors: Richard Vollebregt, John Vollebregt, Milan Badovinac, Charles Gower, Roy James Clark, Dietmar Jeske, Brendan Conlon