Patents by Inventor Damien McNamara

Damien McNamara 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: 11977913
    Abstract: A graphics processing system for operation with a data store, comprising: one or more processing units for processing tasks; a check unit operable to form a signature which is characteristic of an output from processing a task on a processing unit; and a fault detection unit operable to compare signatures formed at the check unit; wherein the graphics processing system is operable to process each task first and second times at the one or more processing units so as to, respectively, generate first and second processed outputs, the graphics processing system being configured to: write out the first processed output to the data store; read back the first processed output from the data store and form at the check unit a first signature which is characteristic of the first processed output as read back from the data store; form at the check unit a second signature which is characteristic of the second processed output; compare the first and second signatures at the fault detection unit; and raise a fault signal i
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Imagination Technologies Limited
    Inventors: Wei Shao, Christopher Wilson, Damien McNamara
  • Publication number: 20240036995
    Abstract: A graphics processing system includes a plurality of processing units, wherein the graphics processing system is configured to process a task first and second times at the plurality of processing units. Data identifying which processing unit of the plurality of processing units the task has been allocated to is consulted on allocating the task to a processing unit for processing for a second time, and, in response, the task is allocated for processing for the second time to any processing unit of the plurality of processing units other than the processing unit to which the task was allocated for processing for a first time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2023
    Publication date: February 1, 2024
    Inventors: Damien McNamara, Jamie Broome, Ian King, Wei Shao, Mario Sopena Novales, Dilip Bansal
  • Patent number: 11782806
    Abstract: A graphics processing system includes a plurality of processing units for processing tasks, each processing unit being configured to process a task independently from any other processing unit of the plurality of processing units; a check unit operable to form a signature which is characteristic of an output of a processing unit on processing a task; and a fault detection unit operable to compare signatures formed at the check unit; wherein the graphics processing system is configured to process each task of a first type first and second times at the plurality of processing units so as to, respectively, generate first and second processed outputs, wherein the check unit is configured to form first and second signatures which are characteristic of, respectively, the first and second processed outputs, and wherein the fault detection unit is configured to compare the first and second signatures and raise a fault signal if the first and second signatures do not match.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: Imagination Technologies Limited
    Inventors: Damien McNamara, Jamie Broome, Ian King, Wei Shao, Mario Sopena Novales, Dilip Bansal
  • Publication number: 20220350643
    Abstract: A graphics processing system for operation with a data store, comprising: one or more processing units for processing tasks; a check unit operable to form a signature which is characteristic of an output from processing a task on a processing unit; and a fault detection unit operable to compare signatures formed at the check unit; wherein the graphics processing system is operable to process each task first and second times at the one or more processing units so as to, respectively, generate first and second processed outputs, the graphics processing system being configured to: write out the first processed output to the data store; read back the first processed output from the data store and form at the check unit a first signature which is characteristic of the first processed output as read back from the data store; form at the check unit a second signature which is characteristic of the second processed output; compare the first and second signatures at the fault detection unit; and raise a fault signal i
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2022
    Publication date: November 3, 2022
    Inventors: Wei Shao, Christopher Wilson, Damien McNamara
  • Patent number: 11409557
    Abstract: A graphics processing system for operation with a data store, comprising: one or more processing units for processing tasks; a check unit operable to form a signature which is characteristic of an output from processing a task on a processing unit; and a fault detection unit operable to compare signatures formed at the check unit; wherein the graphics processing system is operable to process each task first and second times at the one or more processing units so as to, respectively, generate first and second processed outputs, the graphics processing system being configured to: write out the first processed output to the data store; read back the first processed output from the data store and form at the check unit a first signature which is characteristic of the first processed output as read back from the data store; form at the check unit a second signature which is characteristic of the second processed output; compare the first and second signatures at the fault detection unit; and raise a fault signal i
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: Imagination Technologies Limited
    Inventors: Wei Shao, Christopher Wilson, Damien McNamara
  • Publication number: 20220171684
    Abstract: A graphics processing system includes a plurality of processing units for processing tasks, each processing unit being configured to process a task independently from any other processing unit of the plurality of processing units; a check unit operable to form a signature which is characteristic of an output of a processing unit on processing a task; and a fault detection unit operable to compare signatures formed at the check unit; wherein the graphics processing system is configured to process each task of a first type first and second times at the plurality of processing units so as to, respectively, generate first and second processed outputs, wherein the check unit is configured to form first and second signatures which are characteristic of, respectively, the first and second processed outputs, and wherein the fault detection unit is configured to compare the first and second signatures and raise a fault signal if the first and second signatures do not match.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2022
    Publication date: June 2, 2022
    Inventors: Damien McNamara, Jamie Broome, Ian King, Wei Shao, Mario Sopena Novales, Dilip Bansal
  • Patent number: 11288145
    Abstract: A graphics processing system includes a plurality of processing units for processing tasks, each processing unit being configured to process a task independently from any other processing unit of the plurality of processing units; a check unit operable to form a signature which is characteristic of an output of a processing unit on processing a task; and a fault detection unit operable to compare signatures formed at the check unit; wherein the graphics processing system is configured to process each task of a first type first and second times at the plurality of processing units so as to, respectively, generate first and second processed outputs, wherein the check unit is configured to form first and second signatures which are characteristic of, respectively, the first and second processed outputs, and wherein the fault detection unit is configured to compare the first and second signatures and raise a fault signal if the first and second signatures do not match.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: Imagination Technologies Limited
    Inventors: Damien McNamara, Jamie Broome, Ian King, Wei Shao, Mario Sopena Novales, Dilip Bansal
  • Publication number: 20200380758
    Abstract: A graphics processing system configured to use a rendering space which is subdivided into a plurality of tiles to render a scene that includes safety-critical elements of geometry, the graphics processing system being configured to: receive elements of geometry of the scene to be rendered, one or more of the elements of geometry being a safety-critical element of geometry; process elements of geometry, in a geometry processing phase, so as to form, for each tile of the rendering space, a respective tile list indicating the elements of geometry included in that tile; and for each of a plurality of the tiles, process elements of geometry in the tile, in a fragment processing phase, so as to generate a respective fragment-processed output; wherein the graphics processing system comprises a controller configured to: cause a set of one or more safety-critical elements of geometry to be processed in the geometry processing phase; identify as protected tiles one or more tiles for which the corresponding one or more
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2020
    Publication date: December 3, 2020
    Inventors: Mario Sopena Novales, Ian King, Wei Shao, Philip Morris, Damien McNamara, Jamie Broome
  • Publication number: 20200174829
    Abstract: A graphics processing system for operation with a data store, comprising: one or more processing units for processing tasks; a check unit operable to form a signature which is characteristic of an output from processing a task on a processing unit; and a fault detection unit operable to compare signatures formed at the check unit; wherein the graphics processing system is operable to process each task first and second times at the one or more processing units so as to, respectively, generate first and second processed outputs, the graphics processing system being configured to: write out the first processed output to the data store; read back the first processed output from the data store and form at the check unit a first signature which is characteristic of the first processed output as read back from the data store; form at the check unit a second signature which is characteristic of the second processed output; compare the first and second signatures at the fault detection unit; and raise a fault signal i
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2019
    Publication date: June 4, 2020
    Inventors: Wei Shao, Christopher Wilson, Damien McNamara
  • Publication number: 20200174897
    Abstract: A graphics processing system includes a plurality of processing units for processing tasks, each processing unit being configured to process a task independently from any other processing unit of the plurality of processing units; a check unit operable to form a signature which is characteristic of an output of a processing unit on processing a task; and a fault detection unit operable to compare signatures formed at the check unit; wherein the graphics processing system is configured to process each task of a first type first and second times at the plurality of processing units so as to, respectively, generate first and second processed outputs, wherein the check unit is configured to form first and second signatures which are characteristic of, respectively, the first and second processed outputs, and wherein the fault detection unit is configured to compare the first and second signatures and raise a fault signal if the first and second signatures do not match.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2019
    Publication date: June 4, 2020
    Inventors: Damien McNamara, Jamie Broome, Ian King, Wei Shao, Mario Sopena Novales, Dilip Bansal