Patents by Inventor Christopher D. McBride

Christopher D. McBride 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: 7017068
    Abstract: The preferred embodiments of the present invention are directed to the selective phase lag and time delay of clock signals within a computer system to compensate for additional parasitic capacitance that may be added to that system because of its open architecture. More particularly, the preferred embodiments are directed to clock signal path circuits where each circuit has multiple signal paths of varying lengths. By allowing the clock signals to propagate along a particular path, phase lag or time delay is added to those clock signals. Selection of a particular path for the clock signal is made by activating electrically controlled switches which themselves are activated or deactivated by software programs that run during power-up of the computer system that determine required phase lag or time delay of those clock signals as a function of parasitic capacitance in the computer system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2006
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Christopher D. McBride, Paul V. Brownell, Timothy R. McJunkin
  • Patent number: 6985365
    Abstract: The system and methods describe a computer system implementing an adjustable control signal path whose length may be precisely adjusted to control timing of a control signal that propagates along the path. One such adjustable signal path has two clusters of possible signal paths. Each of the signal paths in each cluster has a length, and the overall length of the control signal path may be adjusted by selectively implementing one signal path from each of the clusters by electrically connecting that path into the electrical circuit by the selective installation of zero ohm resistors. In this way, a system designer may design several possible signal path lengths on to a motherboard or printed circuit card, and implement the path length which provides the most precise signal timing adjustment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2006
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Jeoff M. Krontz, Christopher D. McBride
  • Patent number: 6915443
    Abstract: The preferred embodiments of the present invention are directed to the selective phase lag and time delay of clock signals within a computer system to compensate for additional parasitic capacitance that may be added to that system because of its open architecture. More particularly, the preferred embodiments are directed to clock signal path circuits where each circuit has multiple signal paths of varying lengths. By allowing the clock signals to propagate along a particular path, phase lag or time delay is added to those clock signals. Selection of a particular path for the clock signal is made by activating electrically controlled switches which themselves are activated or deactivated by software programs that run during power-up of the computer system that determine required phase lag or time delay of those clock signals as a function of parasitic capacitance in the computer system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2005
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Christopher D. McBride, Paul V. Brownell, Timothy R. McJunkin
  • Publication number: 20030071671
    Abstract: The system and methods describe a computer system implementing an adjustable control signal path whose length may be precisely adjusted to control timing of a control signal that propagates along the path. One such adjustable signal path has two clusters of possible signal paths. Each of the signal paths in each cluster has a length, and the overall length of the control signal path may be adjusted by selectively implementing one signal path from each of the clusters by electrically connecting that path into the electrical circuit by the selective installation of zero ohm resistors. In this way, a system designer may design several possible signal path lengths on to a motherboard or printed circuit card, and implement the path length which provides the most precise signal timing adjustment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2001
    Publication date: April 17, 2003
    Inventors: Jeoff M. Krontz, Christopher D. McBride
  • Publication number: 20030014681
    Abstract: The preferred embodiments of the present invention are directed to the selective phase lag and time delay of clock signals within a computer system to compensate for additional parasitic capacitance that may be added to that system because of its open architecture. More particularly, the preferred embodiments are directed to clock signal path circuits where each circuit has multiple signal paths of varying lengths. By allowing the clock signals to propagate along a particular path, phase lag or time delay is added to those clock signals. Selection of a particular path for the clock signal is made by activating electrically controlled switches which themselves are activated or deactivated by software programs that run during power-up of the computer system that determine required phase lag or time delay of those clock signals as a function of parasitic capacitance in the computer system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2001
    Publication date: January 16, 2003
    Inventors: Christopher D. McBride, Paul V. Brownell, Timothy R. McJunkin