Patents by Inventor David Flynn

David Flynn 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).

  • Publication number: 20230144287
    Abstract: A method for managing data in a NAND flash storage system is provided. The method includes one or more of receiving an empty data segment directive at a storage controller, returning a data string including data of a predetermined logic level in response to a read command requesting to read data associated with a logical identifier included in the empty data segment directive, maintaining an index of mapping between the logical identifier and a physical storage location, updating the index to indicate data at the physical storage location does not need to be preserved, monitoring one or more physical storage locations, including the physical storage location, to determine a percentage of the one or more physical storage locations that do not need to be preserved, and initiating garbage collection on the one or more physical storage locations in response to the percentage reaching a threshold. The empty data segment directive includes a logical identifier associated with the physical storage location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2022
    Publication date: May 11, 2023
    Applicant: Unification Technologies LLC
    Inventors: David Flynn, Jonathan Thatcher, Michael Zappe
  • Publication number: 20230134374
    Abstract: A system is provided. The system includes a solid state storage including a plurality of banks, a first controller that directs one or more commands to a queue of a set of a plurality of queues, and a second controller configured to receive the one or more commands from the plurality of queues. The one or more commands are separated into the set of the plurality of queues based on a command type of each command of the one or more commands, and each set of the plurality of queues includes a first queue configured to store management commands and a second queue configured to store other commands. Each bank of the plurality of banks corresponds to a different set of the plurality of queues. The second controller is configured to generate subcommands based on the commands and direct the subcommands to a bank of the solid state storage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2022
    Publication date: May 4, 2023
    Applicant: Unification Technologies LLC
    Inventors: David Flynn, Bert Lagerstedt, John Strasser, Jonathan Thatcher, Michael Zappe
  • Publication number: 20230135914
    Abstract: Methods and devices for encoding a point cloud. A bit sequence signaling an occupancy pattern for sub-volumes of a volume is coded using binary entropy coding. Contexts may be based on neighbour configuration and a partial sequence of previously-coded bits of the bit sequence. A determination is made as to whether to apply a context reduction operation and, if so, the operation reduces the number of available contexts. Example context reduction operations include reducing neighbour configurations based on shielding by sub-volumes associated with previously-coded bits, special handling for empty neighbour configurations, and statistics-based context consolidation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2022
    Publication date: May 4, 2023
    Applicant: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Sébastien LASSERRE, David FLYNN
  • Patent number: 11640359
    Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for managing a non-volatile storage medium. A storage controller receives a message that identifies data that no longer needs to be retained on the non-volatile storage medium. The data may be identified using a logical identifier. The message may comprise a hint, directive, or other indication that the data has been erased and/or deleted. In response to the message, the storage controller records an indication that the contents of a physical storage location and/or physical address associated with the logical identifier do not need to be preserved on the non-volatile storage medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: Unification Technologies LLC
    Inventors: David Flynn, Jonathan Thatcher, Michael Zappe
  • Publication number: 20230126256
    Abstract: Methods and devices for coding point clouds using direct coding mode to code coordinates of a point within a sub-volume associated with a current node instead of a pattern of occupancy for child nodes. Eligibility for use of direct coding is based on occupancy data from another node. If eligible, then a flag is represented in the bitstream to signal whether direct coding is applied to points in the sub-volume or not.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2022
    Publication date: April 27, 2023
    Applicant: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: David FLYNN, Sébastien LASSERRE
  • Patent number: 11625866
    Abstract: An encoder is configured to compress point cloud geometry information using an octree/predictive tree combination geometric compression technique that embeds predictive trees in leaf nodes of an octree instead of encoding additional octree occupancy symbols for the leaf nodes. Alternatively an encoder may be configured to embed octrees in leaf nodes of a predictive tree structure. Similarly a decoder is configured to generate a reconstructed three-dimensional geometry from a bit stream including combined octree and predictive tree encoding information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: David Flynn
  • Patent number: 11620768
    Abstract: An encoder is configured to compress point cloud geometry information using an octree geometric compression technique that utilizes node groups. Nodes within a node group are scanned according to a breadth first scan order. Sequential node groups to evaluate may be selected according to a breadth first scan order or a depth first scan order based on whether or not the breadth first scan order or the depth first scan order is indicated in a flag in a preceding node group evaluated. In some embodiments, evaluation orders for node groups may be implicit without being signaled via flags. A decoder is configured to reconstruct a point cloud based on a bit stream encoded by the encoder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: David Flynn
  • Patent number: 11620767
    Abstract: Methods and devices for encoding a point cloud. A bit sequence signaling an occupancy pattern for sub-volumes of a volume is coded using binary entropy coding. Contexts may be based on neighbour configuration and a partial sequence of previously-coded bits of the bit sequence. A determination is made as to whether to apply a context reduction operation and, if so, the operation reduces the number of available contexts. Example context reduction operations include reducing neighbour configurations based on shielding by sub-volumes associated with previously-coded bits, special handling for empty neighbour configurations, and statistics-based context consolidation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Sébastien Lasserre, David Flynn
  • Patent number: 11615557
    Abstract: An encoder is configured to compress point cloud geometry information using an octree geometric compression technique that utilizes slices corresponding in size to data transmission units. In some embodiments, a subsequent slice may be set to use a re-set entropy context or may be set to use an entropy context saved for a preceding slice. In some embodiments, an entropy context for the preceding slice may be for a slice other than the immediately preceding slice of the subsequent slice being evaluated, such that if the immediately preceding slice is lost in transmission (or if the immediately preceding slice and the subsequent slice are being evaluated in parallel) the subsequent slice's entropy context can still be determined without depending on the immediately preceding slice. A decoder is configured to reconstruct a point cloud based on a bit stream encoded by the encoder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: David Flynn
  • Publication number: 20230076939
    Abstract: In an example method, a system obtains first data representing a plurality of polygons of a polygon mesh, and performs several operations for each of the polygons, including (i) determining a number of sample points for that polygon, where the number of sample points is determined based on at least one of an area of that polygon or an area of the polygon mesh, (ii) determining a distribution of the sample points for that polygon, and (iii) sampling the polygon mesh in accordance with the determined number of sample points and the determined distribution of sample points, where sampling the polygon mesh includes determining one or more characteristics of the polygon mesh at each of the sample points. The system also outputs second data representing the one or more characteristics of the polygon mesh at one or more of the sample points.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2022
    Publication date: March 9, 2023
    Inventors: Khaled Mammou, Alexandros Tourapis, Arnold H. Cachelin, David Flynn, Fabrice A. Robinet, Jungsun Kim
  • Publication number: 20230053544
    Abstract: An example method includes receiving (502) a plurality of points that represent a point cloud; representing a position of the point in each dimension of a three-dimensional space as a sequence of bits (504), where the position of the point is encoded according to a tree data structure; partitioning (506) at least one of the sequences of bits into a first portion of bits and a second portion of bits; quantizing (508) each of the second portions of bits according to a quantization step size, where the quantization step size is determined according to an exponential function having a quantization parameter value as an input and the quantization step size as an output; and generating (510) a data structure representing the point cloud and including the quantized second portions of bits.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2021
    Publication date: February 23, 2023
    Inventors: David Flynn, Khaled Mammou, Fabrice A. Robinet
  • Publication number: 20230046917
    Abstract: An example device includes one or more processors, and memory storing instructions that when executed by the processors, cause the processors to receive points that represent a point cloud in three-dimensional space, and generate a data structure representing the point cloud. Generating the data structure includes encoding a position of each point in each dimension as a sequence of bits according to a tree data structure; partitioning each of the sequences into two or more portions according to a scaling depth; determining that a subset of the points is spatially isolated from a remainder of the points; quantizing each of the portions associated with the subset of the points according to a first quantization step size; quantizing each of the portions associated with the remainder of the points according to a second quantization step size; and including the quantized portions in the data structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2021
    Publication date: February 16, 2023
    Inventors: David Flynn, Khaled Mammou, Fabrice A. Robinet
  • Patent number: 11573909
    Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for efficiently managing commands in a solid-state storage device that includes a solid-state storage arranged in two or more banks. Each bank is separately accessible and includes two or more solid-state storage elements accessed in parallel by a storage input/output bus. The solid-state storage includes solid-state, non-volatile memory. The solid-state storage device includes a bank interleave that directs one or more commands to two or more queues, where the one or more commands are separated by command type into the queues. Each bank includes a set of queues in the bank interleave controller. Each set of queues includes a queue for each command type. The bank interleave controller coordinates among the banks execution of the commands stored in the queues, where a command of a first type executes on one bank while a command of a second type executes on a second bank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: Unification Technologies LLC
    Inventors: David Flynn, Bert Lagerstedt, John Strasser, Jonathan Thatcher, Michael Zappe
  • Patent number: 11570481
    Abstract: Methods and devices for coding point clouds using direct coding mode to code coordinates of a point within a sub-volume associated with a current node instead of a pattern of occupancy for child nodes. Eligibility for use of direct coding is based on occupancy data from another node. If eligible, then a flag is represented in the bitstream to signal whether direct coding is applied to points in the sub-volume or not.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: David Flynn, Sébastien Lasserre
  • Patent number: 11538196
    Abstract: An encoder is configured to compress point cloud geometry information using a prediction tree. Ancestor nodes of a node added to the prediction tree may be used to determine the predicted value of the node to be added according to a prediction technique. The prediction tree may be encoded and may be provided for transmission to a decoder that can regenerate the point cloud.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Khaled Mammou, David Flynn, Alexandros Tourapis
  • Publication number: 20220405533
    Abstract: A search space for performing nearest neighbor searches for encoding point cloud data may be trimmed. Ranges of a space filling curve may be used to identify search space to exclude or reuse, instead of generating nearest neighbor search results for at least some of the points of a point cloud located within some of the ranges of the space filling curve. Additionally, neighboring voxels may be searched to identify any neighboring points missed during the trimmed search based on the ranges of the space filling curve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2022
    Publication date: December 22, 2022
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Khaled Mammou, Alexandros Tourapis, David Flynn, Zhenzhen Gao
  • Publication number: 20220398782
    Abstract: An exemplary system receives first data representing one or more buildings, and generates second data representing the one or more buildings. Generating the second data includes, for each of the one or more buildings: (i) determining, based on the first data, a plurality of first edges defining an exterior surface of at least a portion of the building, where the first edges interconnect at a plurality of first points, (ii) encoding, in the second data, information corresponding to the quantity of the first points, (iii) encoding, in the second data, an absolute position of one of the first points, and (iv) for each of the remaining first points, encoding, in the second data, a position of that first point relative to a position of at least another one of the first points. The system outputs the second data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2022
    Publication date: December 15, 2022
    Inventors: David Flynn, Khaled Mammou
  • Publication number: 20220392118
    Abstract: Methods and devices for encoding a point cloud. A current node associated with a sub-volume is split into further sub-volumes, each further sub-volume corresponding to a child node of the current node, and, at the encoder, an occupancy pattern is determined for the current node based on occupancy status of the child nodes. A probability distribution is selected from among a plurality of probability distributions based on occupancy data for a plurality of nodes neighbouring the current node. The encoder entropy encodes the occupancy pattern based on the selected probability distribution to produce encoded data for the bitstream and updates the selected probability distribution. The decoder makes the same selection based on occupancy data for neighbouring nodes and entropy decodes the bitstream to reconstruct the occupancy pattern.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2022
    Publication date: December 8, 2022
    Applicant: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: David FLYNN, Sébastien LASSERRE
  • Publication number: 20220360280
    Abstract: A system comprises an encoder configured to entropy encode a bitstream comprising both compressible and non-compressible symbols. The encoder parses the bitstream into a compressible symbol sub-stream and a non-compressible sub-stream. The non-compressible symbol sub-stream bypass an entropy encoding component of the encoder while the compressible symbol sub-stream is entropy encoded. When a quantity of bytes of entropy encoded symbols and bypass symbols is accumulated a chunk of fixed or known size is formed using the accumulated entropy encoded symbol bytes and the bypass bytes without waiting on the full bitstream to be processed by the encoder. In a complementary manner, a decoder reconstructs the bitstream from the packets or chunks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2022
    Publication date: November 10, 2022
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: David Flynn, Alexandros Tourapis, Khaled Mammou
  • Patent number: 11475605
    Abstract: An encoder is configured to compress spatial information for points included in a three-dimensional (3D) volumetric content representation using an octree, predictive tree, or other geometric compression technique. For points of the 3D volumetric content that are spatially located as same or similar locations in 3D space, such duplicated points, may be signaled using a duplicate point count. The duplicate point count may be used instead of explicitly signaling (duplicated) spatial information in the predictive tree for the duplicated points, as an example. Similarly a decoder is configured to generate a reconstructed three-dimensional representation of the volumetric content that includes the duplicate points, wherein the reconstructed 3D representation is generated from a bit stream including one or more duplicate point counts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: David Flynn