Patents by Inventor E. Ober

E. Ober 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: 9323658
    Abstract: Disclosed is a storage system. The storage system includes a redundant array of inexpensive disks (RAID) controller. The RAID controller includes a flash memory controller coupled to a flash memory. The flash memory controller may perform background management tasks. These include logging and error reporting, address translation, cache table management, bad block management, defect management, wear leveling, and garbage collection. The array controller also allows the flash memory to be divided into multiple mappings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Bret S. Weber, Timothy E. Hoglund, Robert E. Ober
  • Patent number: 8892820
    Abstract: Disclosed is a storage system. A network interface device (NIC) receives network storage commands from a host. The NIC may cache the data to/from the storage commands in a solid-state disk. The NIC may respond to future network storage command by supplying the data from the solid-state disk rather than initiating a network transaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert E. Ober, Bret S. Weber, Robert W. Warren, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8868846
    Abstract: Disclosed is a coherent storage system. A network interface device (NIC) receives network storage commands from a host. The NIC may cache the data to/from the storage commands in a solid-state disk. The NIC may respond to future network storage command by supplying the data from the solid-state disk rather than initiating a network transaction. Other NIC's on other hosts may also cache network storage data. These NICs may respond to transactions from the first NIC by supplying data, or changing the state of data in their caches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Netapp, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert E. Ober
  • Publication number: 20130311696
    Abstract: An SSD controller with two SAS interfaces includes an internal switch or expander to allow the SSD controller to function as both an initiator and target. Data packets received through one of the SAS interfaces may be directed to solid state memory elements directly connected to the SSD controller, or to one or more devices connected to the other SAS interface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2012
    Publication date: November 21, 2013
    Applicant: LSI Corporation
    Inventors: Gregory L. Huff, Robert E. Ober, Steven M. Emerson
  • Publication number: 20110231615
    Abstract: Disclosed is a coherent storage system. A network interface device (NIC) receives network storage commands from a host. The NIC may cache the data to/from the storage commands in a solid-state disk. The NIC may respond to future network storage command by supplying the data from the solid-state disk rather than initiating a network transaction. Other NIC's on other hosts may also cache network storage data. These NICs may respond to transactions from the first NIC by supplying data, or changing the state of data in their caches.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2010
    Publication date: September 22, 2011
    Inventor: Robert E. Ober
  • Publication number: 20110231613
    Abstract: Disclosed is a storage system. A network interface device (NIC) receives network storage commands from a host. The NIC may cache the data to/from the storage commands in a solid-state disk. The NIC may respond to future network storage command by supplying the data from the solid-state disk rather than initiating a network transaction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2010
    Publication date: September 22, 2011
    Inventors: Robert E. Ober, Bret S. Weber, Robert W. Warren, JR.
  • Publication number: 20110060865
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems, methods and circuits for memories and utilization thereof. As one example, a memory system is disclosed that includes a non-volatile memory, a flash memory, and a read/write controller circuit. The read/write controller circuit is coupled to both the flash memory and the non-volatile memory, and is operable to receive a data set directed to the flash memory and to direct the data set to the random access memory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2010
    Publication date: March 10, 2011
    Inventors: Robert W. Warren, David L. Dreifus, Robert E. Ober
  • Publication number: 20100306452
    Abstract: Disclosed is a storage system. The storage system includes a redundant array of inexpensive disks (RAID) controller. The RAID controller includes a flash memory controller coupled to a flash memory. The flash memory controller may perform background management tasks. These include logging and error reporting, address translation, cache table management, bad block management, defect management, wear leveling, and garbage collection. The array controller also allows the flash memory to be divided into multiple mappings.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2009
    Publication date: December 2, 2010
    Inventors: Bret S. Weber, Timothy E. Hoglund, Robert E. Ober
  • Patent number: 7774585
    Abstract: A real-time, multi-threaded embedded system includes rules for handling traps and interrupts to avoid problems such as priority inversion and re-entrancy. By defining a global interrupt priority value for all active threads and only accepting interrupts having a priority higher than the interrupt priority value, priority inversion can be avoided. Switching to the same thread before any interrupt servicing, and disabling interrupts and thread switching during interrupt servicing can simplify the interrupt handling logic. By storing trap background data for traps and servicing traps only in their originating threads, trap traceability can be preserved. By disabling interrupts and thread switching during trap servicing, unintended trap re-entrancy and servicing disruption can be prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Robert E. Ober, Roger D. Arnold, Daniel F. Martin, Erik K. Norden
  • Publication number: 20100161929
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for using providing memory access across multiple virtual machines. For example, various embodiments of the present invention provide methods for configuring a shared main memory region. The methods include providing a memory appliance that includes a randomly accessible bank of memory and a memory controller that is operable to maintain information in relation to a first virtual machine and a second virtual machine. The methods further include receiving a request to allocate a first portion of the bank of memory to the first virtual machine, and receiving a request to allocate a second portion of the bank of memory to the second virtual machine. The first portion of the bank of memory is identified as accessible to the first virtual machine, and the second portion of the bank of memory is identified as accessible to the second virtual machine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2008
    Publication date: June 24, 2010
    Inventors: George Nation, Robert E. Ober
  • Publication number: 20100161879
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for using providing memory access across multiple virtual machines. For example, various embodiments of the present invention provide computing systems that include at least two processors each communicably coupled to a network switch via network interfaces. The computing systems further include a memory appliance communicably coupled to the network switch, and configured to operate as a main memory for the two or more processors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2008
    Publication date: June 24, 2010
    Inventors: George Nation, Robert E. Ober
  • Publication number: 20100161908
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for reducing memory usage across multiple virtual machines. For example, various embodiments of the present invention provide methods for reducing resource duplication across multiple virtual machines. Such methods include allocating a shared memory resource between a first virtual machine and a second virtual machine. A data set common to both the first virtual machine and the second virtual machine is identified. A first set of configuration information directing access to the data set by the first virtual machine to a first physical memory space is provided, and a second set of configuration information directing access to the data set by the second virtual machine to a second physical memory space is provided. The first physical memory space at least partially overlaps the second physical memory space.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2008
    Publication date: June 24, 2010
    Inventors: George Nation, Robert E. Ober
  • Publication number: 20100161909
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for using providing memory access across multiple virtual machines. For example, various embodiments of the present invention provide thinly provisioned computing systems. Such thinly provisioned computing systems include a network switch, at least two or more processors each communicably coupled to the network switch, and a memory appliance communicably coupled to the at least two or more processors via the network switch. The memory appliance includes a bank of memory of a memory size, and the memory size is less than the aggregate memory quota. In some instances of the aforementioned embodiments, the memory appliance further includes a memory controller that is operable to receive requests to allocate and de-allocate portions of the bank of memory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2008
    Publication date: June 24, 2010
    Inventors: George Nation, Robert E. Ober
  • Patent number: 7360203
    Abstract: A multithreaded processor includes a thread ID for each set of fetched bits in an instruction fetch and issue unit. The thread ID attaches to the instructions and operands of the set of fetched bits. Pipeline stages in the multithreaded processor stores the thread ID associated with each operand or instruction in the pipeline stage. The thread ID are used to maintain data coherency and to generate program traces that include thread information for the instructions executed by the multithreaded processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2008
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies North America Corp.
    Inventors: Robert E. Ober, Daniel F. Martin, Roger D. Arnold, Erik K. Norden
  • Patent number: 7263599
    Abstract: A multithreaded processor includes a thread ID for each set of fetched bits in an instruction fetch and issue unit. The thread ID attaches to the instructions and operands of the set of fetched bits. Pipeline stages in the multithreaded processor stores the thread ID associated with each operand or instruction in the pipeline stage. The thread ID are used to maintain data coherency and to generate program traces that include thread information for the instructions executed by the multithreaded processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2007
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies
    Inventors: Erik K. Norden, Robert E. Ober, Roger D. Arnold, Daniel F. Martin
  • Patent number: 7260707
    Abstract: A variable length instruction pipeline includes optional expansion stages that can be included in the variable length instruction pipeline to avoid pipeline stalls. The expansion stages are removed from the variable length instruction pipeline when not needed to reduce the length of the pipeline, which reduces latency and other problems associated with long pipelines. For example, in one embodiment of the present invention, a variable length instruction pipeline includes a first pipeline stage, a first expansion stage, and a second pipeline stage. The second pipeline stage is configured to selectively receive instructions from the first pipeline stage or the first expansion stage if the first expansion stage holds an instruction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2007
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Erik K. Norden, Roger D. Arnold, Robert E. Ober, Neil S. Hastie
  • Publication number: 20070041907
    Abstract: The present invention provides for IgG1 molecules with improved characteristics. In particular, substitution mutations are provided that, in combination, facilitate improved placental transfer, improved serum half-life and improved FcRn binding. Substitution mutations are also provided, that in combination, can be used to block FcRn function and thereby increase the clearance rates of other (endogenous or exogenous) IgGs, block placental transport of IgGs and have increased affinity/reduced pH dependence for FcRn binding.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2006
    Publication date: February 22, 2007
    Inventor: E. Ober
  • Patent number: 7149926
    Abstract: An embedded processor having a programmable trace port that selectively limits the amount of trace information passed from the processor core to an output buffer, and selectively controls the rate at which the trace information is output from the output buffer to an off-chip debug system. A configurable on-chip filter circuit selectively passes data and program information based on a wide range of user-defined combinations and/or sequences of trigger events (e.g., instruction addresses/types or data addresses/values). The filtered trace information is then compressed using separate data and program compression circuits, and passed to separate data and program output buffer. The data output buffer includes an adjustable read (output) rate (e.g., one-half or one-quarter of the processor core clock cycle), and allows a user to select between one or two output pointers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2006
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Sagheer Ahmad, Robert E. Ober
  • Patent number: 7062606
    Abstract: A multi-threaded embedded processor that includes an on-chip deterministic (e.g., scratch or locked cache) memory that persistently stores all instructions associated with one or more pre-selected high-use threads. The processor executes general (non-selected) threads by reading instructions from an inexpensive external memory, e.g., by way of an on-chip standard cache memory, or using other potentially slow, non-deterministic operation such as direct execution from that external memory that can cause the processor to stall while waiting for instructions to arrive. When a cache miss or other blocking event occurs during execution of a general thread, the processor switches to the pre-selected thread, whose execution with zero or minimal delay is guaranteed by the deterministic memory, thereby utilizing otherwise wasted processor cycles until the blocking event is complete.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2006
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Robert E. Ober, Roger D. Arnold, Daniel Martin, Erik K. Norden
  • Patent number: 6859873
    Abstract: A variable length instruction pipeline includes optional expansion stages that can be included in the variable length instruction pipeline to avoid pipeline stalls. The expansion stages are removed from the variable length instruction pipeline when not needed to reduce the length of the pipeline, which reduces latency and other problems associated with long pipelines. For example, in one embodiment of the present invention, a variable length instruction pipeline includes a first pipeline stage, a first expansion stage, and a second pipeline stage. The second pipeline stage is configured to selectively receive instructions from the first pipeline stage or the first expansion stage if the first expansion stage holds an instruction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2005
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Erik K. Norden, Roger D. Arnold, Robert E. Ober, Neil S. Hastie