Patents by Inventor Dropps

Dropps 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: 20090041029
    Abstract: Method and system for routing fibre channel frames using a fibre channel switch element is provided. The method includes, inserting a time stamp value in a fibre channel frame that is received at a receive segment of the fibre channel switch element; determining if a timeout occurs after a frame arrives at a receive buffer; and processing the frame if the timeout occurred. The method also includes, determining if a delta time value, which provides an accumulated wait time for a frame, is present in frame data; subtracting the delta time stamp value from a global time stamp value and using the resulting time stamp value to determine frame timeout status in the fibre channel switch element. A timeout checker circuit declares a timeout after comparing a time stamp value that is inserted in a fibre channel frame with a programmed time out value and a global counter value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2008
    Publication date: February 12, 2009
    Inventors: Frank R. Dropps, Craig M. Verba, Gary M. Papenfuss, Ernest G. Kohlwey, Mark A. Owen
  • Publication number: 20090034550
    Abstract: A method and system for transmitting frames using a fibre channel switch element is provided. The switch element includes a port having a receive segment and a transmit segment, wherein the fibre channel switch element determines if a port link has been reset; determines if a flush state has been enabled for the port; and removes frames from a buffer, if the flush state has been enabled for the port. For a flush state operation, frames are removed from a receive buffer of the fibre channel port as if it is a typical fibre channel frame transfer. The removed frames are sent to a processor for analysis. The method also includes, setting a control bit for activating frame removal from the transmit buffer; and diverting frames that are waiting in the transmit buffer and have not been able to move from the transmit buffer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2008
    Publication date: February 5, 2009
    Inventors: Frank R. Dropps, Gary M. Papenfuss
  • Patent number: 7477655
    Abstract: A method and system for controlling power consumption in a fiber channel switch element having a plurality of ports and plural links to communicate over a network is provided. The switch element includes, a power control module that is used to provide power to only active ports after firmware of fiber channel switch element determines the active ports. The method includes, determining active ports of the fiber channel switch element, after all the ports are shut down in a known state; and providing power to only the active ports. All ports are powered up during fiber channel switch element reset and then powered down (except a common port) so that the ports are shut down in a known state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2009
    Assignee: QLOGIC, Corporation
    Inventors: Frank R. Dropps, Charles M. Comp
  • Publication number: 20080310306
    Abstract: A method and switch element for assigning priority to pseudo virtual lanes (“PVL”) using a fibre channel switch element is provided. The method includes, assigning received R_RDYs based on a PVL distribution scheme; and determining traffic congestion on a PVL if there is no credit available to transfer frames from the PVL. A minimum bandwidth feature is enabled to avoid lower priority PVLs from getting no credit for transmitting frames; and distributing credit and R_RDYs based on frame age bits, wherein a lower priority PVL gets credit if a frame is waiting in the PVL for a longer duration compared to a higher priority PVL. The switch element includes, a PVL module having credit counters for plural PVLs; and a timer that monitors frame traffic for each PVL lane. If a PVL gets congested, then a state machine adjusts priority of R_RDY distribution scheme of other PVLs to transmit frames.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2008
    Publication date: December 18, 2008
    Inventors: Frank R. Dropps, Edward C. Ross
  • Patent number: 7466700
    Abstract: A method and system for implementing LUN based hard zoning in a fiber channel network is provided. A LUN field in a Fiber Channel SCSI command frame is compared with a list of LUNS that are allowed for a particular frame source; and the frame is forwarded if the LUN is allowed for the frame source. The comparison is performed by a port receiving the frame by using an address look up table (“ALUT”). Hard zoning is based on various frame fields and/or ALUT control codes. Also provided is a method for processing a reply to a SCSI REPORT LUN command from an initiator. The method includes, intercepting a reply to a REPORT LUN command; editing the reply to remove unauthorized LUNs; and sending the edited reply to the initiator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2008
    Assignee: QLOGIC, Corporation
    Inventors: Frank R. Dropps, William J Gustafson, Gary M. Papenfuss
  • Patent number: 7447224
    Abstract: A method and system for transmitting frames using a fiber channel switch element is provided. The switch element includes a port having a receive segment and a transmit segment, wherein the fiber channel switch element determines if a port link has been reset; determines if a flush state has been enabled for the port; and removes frames from a buffer, if the flush state has been enabled for the port. For a flush state operation, frames are removed from a receive buffer of the fiber channel port as if it is a typical fiber channel frame transfer. The removed frames are sent to a processor for analysis. The method also includes, setting a control bit for activating frame removal from the transmit buffer; and diverting frames that are waiting in the transmit buffer and have not been able to move from the transmit buffer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2008
    Assignee: QLogic, Corporation
    Inventors: Frank R. Dropps, Gary M. Papenfuss
  • Patent number: 7430175
    Abstract: Method and system for routing fiber channel frames using a fiber channel switch element is provided. The method includes, inserting a time stamp value in a fiber channel frame that is received at a receive segment of the fiber channel switch element; determining if a timeout occurs after a frame arrives at a receive buffer; and processing the frame if the timeout occurred. The method also includes, determining if a delta time value, which provides an accumulated wait time for a frame, is present in frame data; subtracting the delta time stamp value from a global time stamp value and using the resulting time stamp value to determine frame timeout status in the fiber channel switch element. A timeout checker circuit declares a timeout after comparing a time stamp value that is inserted in a fiber channel frame with a programmed time out value and global counter value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2008
    Assignee: QLOGIC, Corporation
    Inventors: Frank R. Dropps, Craig M. Verba, Gary M. Papenfuss, Ernest G Kohlwey, Mark A. Owen
  • Patent number: 7420982
    Abstract: A method and system for keeping an arbitrated loop open during a frame gap using a fiber channel switch element is provided. The switch element includes a port control module having a receive and transmit segment, wherein the transmit segment activates a timer whose value determines a duration during which the arbitrated loop remains open; determines if a last frame from a sequence of frames from a source port has been transmitted; modifies the timer value if a higher priority frame for transmission is unavailable; and keeps the arbitrated loop open until the timer reaches a certain value. If a higher priority frame is available for transmission before the timer value is modified then the higher priority frame is transmitted and the timer value is re-initialized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2008
    Assignee: QLogic, Corporation
    Inventors: Frank R. Dropps, Ernest G. Kohlwey, Gary M. Papenfuss
  • Publication number: 20080197577
    Abstract: A gasket assembly for an internal combustion engine having a cylinder head gasket and an exhaust manifold gasket. The cylinder head gasket and the exhaust manifold gasket have a common layer of gasket material. The gasket assembly is formed by stamping a cylinder head gasket portion for the engine in one region of a common layer of gasket material concurrently with stamping an exhaust gasket portion for the engine in an adjacent region of the common layer of material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2007
    Publication date: August 21, 2008
    Inventors: Darrell Drouillard, Steven Dropps
  • Patent number: 7411958
    Abstract: A method and system for performing a copy operation between storage devices coupled to a Fiber Channel switch element is provided. The Fiber Channel switch element receives a user command to copy data from a source storage device to a destination storage device and controls the copying operation. The Fiber Channel switch acts as a SCSI initiator and initiates a write operation for the destination storage device and initiates a read operation for the source storage device; and uses an alias cache for intercepting messages between the destination and source storage devices. A RX_ID mapping cache is used to substitute a RX_ID so that that a Fiber Channel write target appears to the source storage device as the destination storage device, and to the destination storage device a Fiber Channel read target appears to be the source storage device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2008
    Assignee: QLOGIC, Corporation
    Inventors: Frank R. Dropps, Kevin M. Wurzer
  • Patent number: 7406092
    Abstract: A method and switch element for assigning priority to pseudo virtual lanes (“PVL”) using a fibre channel switch element is provided. The method includes, assigning received R_RDYs based on a PVL distribution scheme; and determining traffic congestion on a PVL if there is no credit available to transfer frames from the PVL. A minimum bandwidth feature is enabled to avoid lower priority PVLs from getting no credit for transmitting frames; and distributing credit and R_RDYs based on frame age bits, wherein a lower priority PVL gets credit if a frame is waiting in the PVL for a longer duration compared to a higher priority PVL. The switch element includes, a PVL module having credit counters for plural PVLs; and a timer that monitors frame traffic for each PVL lane. If a PVL gets congested, then a state machine adjusts priority of R_RDY distribution scheme of other PVLs to transmit frames.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2008
    Assignee: QLOGIC, Corporation
    Inventors: Frank R. Dropps, Edward C. Ross
  • Patent number: 7404020
    Abstract: A fibre channel switch element with an integrated fabric controller on a single chip is provided. The fabric controller including a processor module that can control various switch element functions; a serlizer/de-serializer for converting parallel data to serial data for transmission; an on-chip peripheral bus that allows communication between plural components and the processor module; a processor local bus and an interrupt controller that provides interrupts to the processor module. The integrated fabric controller also includes a flash controller and an external memory controller; an Ethernet controller; a Universal Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter (“UART”) module that performs serial to parallel conversion and vice-versa; an I2C module that performs serial to parallel and parallel to serial conversion; a general-purpose input/output interface; a real time clock module; an interrupt controller that can receive interrupts inputs from both internal and external sources; and a bridge to an internal PCI bus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2008
    Assignee: QLOGIC, Corporation
    Inventors: Frank R. Dropps, William J. Gustafson, Leonard W. Haseman
  • Publication number: 20080095152
    Abstract: Hardware-enforced zoning is provided in Fibre Channel switches to protect against breaching of assigned zones in a switch network which can occur with software-based zoning techniques. The invention provides logic for performing a hardware-based validation of the Source ID S_ID of frames both at the point where the frame enters the Fibre Channel fabric, and at the point where the frame leaves the fabric. The S_ID is verified against an inclusion list or table of allowable S_IDs, which can be unique for each fabric port. The invention provides a way to increase the range of sources an inclusion table can express, by implementing wild cards, on an entry-by entry basis. If the S_ID is valid, it will enter the fabric and route normally. If invalid, the frame will not be routed but will be disposed of by the fabric according to FC rules.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2007
    Publication date: April 24, 2008
    Inventors: William George, Frank Dropps
  • Publication number: 20080002687
    Abstract: Hardware-enforced zoning is provided in Fibre Channel switches to protect against breaching of assigned zones in a switch network which can occur with software-based zoning techniques. The invention provides logic for performing a hardware-based validation of the Source ID S_ID of frames both at the point where the frame enters the Fibre Channel fabric, and at the point where the frame leaves the fabric. The S_ID is verified against an inclusion list or table of allowable S_IDs, which can be unique for each fabric port. The invention provides a way to increase the range of sources an inclusion table can express, by implementing wild cards, on an entry-by entry basis. If the S_ID is valid, it will enter the fabric and route normally. If invalid, the frame will not be routed but will be disposed of by the fabric according to FC rules.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2007
    Publication date: January 3, 2008
    Inventors: William George, Frank Dropps
  • Patent number: 7248580
    Abstract: Hardware-enforced zoning is provided in Fibre Channel switches to protect against breaching of assigned zones in a switch network which can occur with software-based zoning techniques. The invention provides logic for performing a hardware-based validation of the Source ID S_ID of frames both at the point where the frame enters the Fibre Channel fabric, and at the point where the frame leaves the fabric. The S_ID is verified against an inclusion list or table of allowable S_IDs, which can be unique for each fabric port. The invention provides a way to increase the range of sources an inclusion table can express, by implementing wild cards, on an entry-by entry basis. If the S_ID is valid, it will enter the fabric and route normally. If invalid, the frame will not be routed but will be disposed of by the fabric according to FC rules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2007
    Assignee: QLogic Switch Products, Inc.
    Inventors: William R. George, Frank R. Dropps
  • Publication number: 20060263087
    Abstract: Method and system for processing frames in a fibre channel network is provided. The method includes, determining if an incoming frame in a port of a fibre channel switch includes a FR_Header with a time to live time (“TTLT”) field value; determining if the TTLT field value is greater than a certain number; adjusting the TTLT field value at a pre-determined time interval if the TTLT field value is greater than the certain number; and inserting an adjusted TTLT field value in the incoming frame before it is sent out. The switch element includes, a port that receives an incoming frame and determines if a FR_Header with a time to live time (“TTLT”) field value is received with the FR_Header, and using a timer adjusts the TTLT field value and inserts the adjusted TTLT field value in the incoming frame, before it is sent out.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2005
    Publication date: November 23, 2006
    Inventors: Frank Dropps, Edward McGlaughlin, Craig Carlson
  • Publication number: 20060159081
    Abstract: A fibre channel switch element and method for processing frames in a fibre channel network is provided. The switch element includes an address mapping cache that receives an incoming fibre channel frame in a receive and/or transmit segment, wherein the address mapping cache compares a D_ID of an incoming frame in the receive segment and/or a S_ID in the transmit segment; and if a FR_Header is received then a D_ID or S_ID is compared from a fibre channel header that follows the FR_Header; and if a compare fabric identifier flag is set, then the fabric identifier is compared. The address mapping cache may also be used for routing frames from one virtual fabric to another by comparing a VF_ID field to a Virtual fabric identifier in a VFT_Header.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2005
    Publication date: July 20, 2006
    Inventor: Frank Dropps
  • Patent number: 7027862
    Abstract: A method and device for transmitting a signal in an implantable medical device that includes a control unit and a first electrode and a second electrode positioned along a lead body. A connector block is positioned along an upper portion of a housing portion of the control unit, and a connector is positioned at a proximal portion of the lead body and is insertable within the connector block. A third electrode having a conductive element is positioned along the control unit in close proximity adjacent to the connector. The control unit transmits a signal between the first electrode and the second electrode and determines an alternate transmission path of the signal between the third electrode and one or both of the first electrode and the second electrode in response to the signal not being effectively transmitted between the first electrode and the second electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2006
    Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventors: Roger Dahl, Frank Dropps, Randy Nelson, Mark Stockburger
  • Publication number: 20060072616
    Abstract: A Fibre Channel switch element in a Fibre Channel network is provided. The Fibre Channel switch element includes a port that replaces a logical unit number (“LUN”) field value in a FCP_CMND frame. The port includes a LUN Mapping cache for replacing the LUN field value in a FCP_CMND frame. The LUN Mapping cache may also generate a value that is added to or subtracted from the LUN field value in the FCP_CMND frame. A control bit is used to activate LUN Mapping cache for mapping LUN values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2004
    Publication date: April 6, 2006
    Inventors: Frank Dropps, Edward Ross, Steven Betker
  • Publication number: 20060072580
    Abstract: A method and system for performing a copy operation between storage devices coupled to a Fibre Channel switch element is provided. The Fibre Channel switch element receives a user command to copy data from a source storage device to a destination storage device and controls the copying operation. The Fibre Channel switch acts as a SCSI initiator and initiates a write operation for the destination storage device and initiates a read operation for the source storage device; and uses an alias cache for intercepting messages between the destination and source storage devices. A RX_ID mapping cache is used to substitute a RX_ID so that that a Fibre Channel write target appears to the source storage device as the destination storage device, and to the destination storage device a Fibre Channel read target appears to be the source storage device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2004
    Publication date: April 6, 2006
    Inventors: Frank Dropps, Kevin Wurzer