Patents by Inventor Gerald McDonald

Gerald McDonald 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: 11550723
    Abstract: An apparatus, method, and system for memory bandwidth aware data prefetching is presented. The method may comprise monitoring a number of request responses received in an interval at a current prefetch request generation rate, comparing the number of request responses received in the interval to at least a first threshold, and adjusting the current prefetch request generation rate to an updated prefetch request generation rate by selecting the updated prefetch request generation rate from a plurality of prefetch request generation rates, based on the comparison. The request responses may be NACK or RETRY responses. The method may further comprise either retaining a current prefetch request generation rate or selecting a maximum prefetch request generation rate as the updated prefetch request generation rate in response to an indication that prefetching is accurate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: Qualcomm Incorporated
    Inventors: Niket Choudhary, David Scott Ray, Thomas Philip Speier, Eric Robinson, Harold Wade Cain, III, Nikhil Narendradev Sharma, Joseph Gerald McDonald, Brian Michael Stempel, Garrett Michael Drapala
  • Patent number: 11226910
    Abstract: Disclosed are ticketed flow control mechanisms in a processing system with one or more masters and one or more slaves. In an aspect, a targeted slave receives a request from a requesting master. If the targeted slave is unavailable to service the request, a ticket for the request is provided to the requesting master. As resources in the targeted slave become available, messages are broadcasted for the requesting master to update the ticket value. When the ticket value has been updated to a final value, the requesting master may re-transmit the request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: Qualcomm Incorporated
    Inventors: Joseph Gerald McDonald, Garrett Michael Drapala, Eric Francis Robinson, Thomas Philip Speier, Kevin Neal Magill, Richard Gerard Hofmann
  • Patent number: 11016899
    Abstract: Selective honoring of speculative memory-prefetch requests based on bandwidth constraint of a memory access path component(s) in a processor-based system. To reduce memory access latency, a CPU includes a request size in a memory read request of requested data to be read from memory and a request mode of the requested data as required or preferred. A memory access path component includes a memory read honor circuit configured to receive the memory read request and consult the request size and request mode of requested data in the memory read request. If the selective prefetch data honor circuit determines that bandwidth of the memory system is less than a defined bandwidth constraint threshold, then the memory read request is forwarded to be fulfilled, otherwise, the memory read request is downgraded to only include any requested required data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: Qualcomm Incorporated
    Inventors: Nikhil Narendradev Sharma, Eric Francis Robinson, Garrett Michael Drapala, Perry Willmann Remaklus, Jr., Joseph Gerald McDonald, Thomas Philip Speier
  • Publication number: 20200356486
    Abstract: Selective honoring of speculative memory-prefetch requests based on bandwidth constraint of a memory access path component(s) in a processor-based system. To reduce memory access latency, a CPU includes a request size in a memory read request of requested data to be read from memory and a request mode of the requested data as required or preferred. A memory access path component includes a memory read honor circuit configured to receive the memory read request and consult the request size and request mode of requested data in the memory read request. If the selective prefetch data honor circuit determines that bandwidth of the memory system is less than a defined bandwidth constraint threshold, then the memory read request is forwarded to be fulfilled, otherwise, the memory read request is downgraded to only include any requested required data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2019
    Publication date: November 12, 2020
    Inventors: Nikhil Narendradev Sharma, Eric Francis Robinson, Garrett Michael Drapala, Perry Willmann Remaklus, JR., Joseph Gerald McDonald, Thomas Philip Speier
  • Publication number: 20200285597
    Abstract: Disclosed are ticketed flow control mechanisms in a processing system with one or more masters and one or more slaves. In an aspect, a targeted slave receives a request from a requesting master. If the targeted slave is unavailable to service the request, a ticket for the request is provided to the requesting master. As resources in the targeted slave become available, messages are broadcasted for the requesting master to update the ticket value. When the ticket value has been updated to a final value, the requesting master may re-transmit the request.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2020
    Publication date: September 10, 2020
    Inventors: Joseph Gerald MCDONALD, Garrett Michael DRAPALA, Eric Francis ROBINSON, Thomas Philip SPEIER, Kevin Neal MAGILL, Richard Gerard HOFMANN
  • Publication number: 20200065247
    Abstract: An apparatus, method, and system for memory bandwidth aware data prefetching is presented. The method may comprise monitoring a number of request responses received in an interval at a current prefetch request generation rate, comparing the number of request responses received in the interval to at least a first threshold, and adjusting the current prefetch request generation rate to an updated prefetch request generation rate by selecting the updated prefetch request generation rate from a plurality of prefetch request generation rates, based on the comparison. The request responses may be NACK or RETRY responses. The method may further comprise either retaining a current prefetch request generation rate or selecting a maximum prefetch request generation rate as the updated prefetch request generation rate in response to an indication that prefetching is accurate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2018
    Publication date: February 27, 2020
    Inventors: Niket CHOUDHARY, David Scott RAY, Thomas Philip SPEIER, Eric ROBINSON, Harold Wade CAIN, III, Nikhil Narendradev SHARMA, Joseph Gerald MCDONALD, Brian Michael STEMPEL, Garrett Michael DRAPALA
  • Publication number: 20190087333
    Abstract: Converting a stale cache memory unique request to a read unique snoop response in a multiple (multi-) central processing unit (CPU) processor is disclosed. The multi-CPU processor includes a plurality of CPUs that each have access to either private or shared cache memories in a cache memory system. Multiple CPUs issuing unique requests to write data to a same coherence granule in a cache memory causes one unique request for a requested CPU to be serviced or “win” to allow that CPU to obtain the coherence granule in a unique state, while the other unsuccessful unique requests become stale. To avoid retried unique requests being reordered behind other pending, younger requests which would lead to lack of forward progress due to starvation or livelock, the snooped stale unique requests are converted to read unique snoop responses so that their request order can be maintained in the cache memory system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2018
    Publication date: March 21, 2019
    Inventors: Eric Francis Robinson, Thomas Philip Speier, Joseph Gerald McDonald, Garrett Michael Drapala, Kevin Neal Magill
  • Publication number: 20190012265
    Abstract: Providing multi-socket memory coherency using cross-socket snoop filtering in processor-based systems is disclosed. In this regard, a processor-based system provides a plurality of processor sockets, each associated with a coherency directory including a plurality of coherency directory entries each storing status indicators corresponding to memory granules of a local memory hierarchy. A point of serialization (POS) circuit of the processor-based system receives a memory access request including a local memory address, and retrieves a coherency directory entry corresponding to the local memory address. If a status indicator of the coherency directory entry corresponding to a memory granule associated with the local memory address indicates that a remote snoop is required, the POS circuit performs the remote snoop of one or more remote processor sockets indicated by the status indicator. If not, the POS circuit returns data from the local memory hierarchy for the memory access request.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2017
    Publication date: January 10, 2019
    Inventors: Robert James Safranek, Joseph Gerald McDonald, Robert Likovich, JR., Satish Srerambatla
  • Patent number: 9594713
    Abstract: Bridging strongly ordered write transactions to devices in weakly ordered domains, and related apparatuses, methods, and computer-readable media are disclosed. In one aspect, a host bridge device is configured to receive strongly ordered write transactions from one or more strongly ordered producer devices. The host bridge device issues the strongly ordered write transactions to one or more consumer devices within a weakly ordered domain. The host bridge device detects a first write transaction that is not accepted by a first consumer device of the one or more consumer devices. For each of one or more write transactions issued subsequent to the first write transaction and accepted by a respective consumer device, the host bridge device sends a cancellation message to the respective consumer device. The host bridge device replays the first write transaction and the one or more write transactions that were issued subsequent to the first write transaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Randall John Pascarella, Jaya Prakash Subramaniam Ganasan, Thuong Quang Truong, Gurushankar Rajamani, Joseph Gerald McDonald, Thomas Philip Speier
  • Patent number: 9448846
    Abstract: A computer system having a plurality of processing resources, including a sub-system for scheduling and dispatching processing jobs to a plurality of hardware accelerators, the subsystem further comprising a job requestor, for requesting jobs having bounded and varying latencies to be executed on the hardware accelerators; a queue controller to manage processing job requests directed to a plurality of hardware accelerators; and multiple hardware queues for dispatching jobs to the plurality of hardware acceleration engines, each queue having a dedicated head of queue entry, dynamically sharing a pool of queue entries, having configurable queue depth limits, and means for removing one or more jobs across all queues.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Brian Mitchell Bass, Bartholomew Blaner, George William Daly, Jr., Jeffrey Haskell Derby, Ross Boyd Leavens, Joseph Gerald McDonald
  • Publication number: 20160077991
    Abstract: Bridging strongly ordered write transactions to devices in weakly ordered domains, and related apparatuses, methods, and computer-readable media are disclosed. In one aspect, a host bridge device is configured to receive strongly ordered write transactions from one or more strongly ordered producer devices. The host bridge device issues the strongly ordered write transactions to one or more consumer devices within a weakly ordered domain. The host bridge device detects a first write transaction that is not accepted by a first consumer device of the one or more consumer devices. For each of one or more write transactions issued subsequent to the first write transaction and accepted by a respective consumer device, the host bridge device sends a cancellation message to the respective consumer device. The host bridge device replays the first write transaction and the one or more write transactions that were issued subsequent to the first write transaction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2014
    Publication date: March 17, 2016
    Inventors: Randall John Pascarella, Jaya Prakash Subramaniam Ganasan, Thuong Quang Truong, Gurushankar Rajamani, Joseph Gerald McDonald, Thomas Philip Speier
  • Publication number: 20130152099
    Abstract: A computer system having a plurality of processing resources, including a sub-system for scheduling and dispatching processing jobs to a plurality of hardware accelerators, the subsystem further comprising a job requestor, for requesting jobs having bounded and varying latencies to be executed on the hardware accelerators; a queue controller to manage processing job requests directed to a plurality of hardware accelerators; and multiple hardware queues for dispatching jobs to the plurality of hardware acceleration engines, each queue having a dedicated head of queue entry, dynamically sharing a pool of queue entries, having configurable queue depth limits, and means for removing one or more jobs across all queues.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2011
    Publication date: June 13, 2013
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Brian Mitchell Bass, Bartholomew Blaner, George William Daly, JR., Jeffrey Haskell Derby, Ross Boyd Leavens, Joseph Gerald McDonald
  • Publication number: 20120300391
    Abstract: A modular server rack cooling structure for cooling at least one server in at least one server rack of a data center assembly includes at least a first supporting member and at least a first heat exchanger. The first heat exchanger is coupled to the first supporting member, which is configured to position the first heat exchanger in heat transfer relationship with the at least one server. The first heat exchanger is not attached to the at least one server rack. The modular server rack cooling structure is also applied to a system that includes at least a first rack and at least a second rack disposed opposite from one another to form a hot aisle or a cold aisle. A method is disclosed for installing additional heat exchangers on the support structure of a modular server rack cooling structure to meet increased cooling capacity requirements without requiring additional space.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2011
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Inventors: Earl Keisling, John Costakis, Gerald McDonald
  • Patent number: 8230117
    Abstract: A technique for maintaining input/output (I/O) command ordering on a bus includes assigning a channel identifier to I/O commands of an I/O stream. In this case, the channel identifier indicates the I/O commands belong to the I/O stream. A command location indicator is assigned to each of the I/O commands. The command location indicator provides an indication of which one of the I/O commands is a start command in the I/O stream and which of the I/O commands are continue commands in the I/O stream. The I/O commands are issued in a desired completion order. When a first one of the I/O commands does not complete successfully, the I/O commands in the I/O stream are reissued on the bus starting at the first one of the I/O commands that did not complete successfully.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: George William Daly, Jr., Guy Lynn Guthrie, Ross Boyd Leavens, Joseph Gerald McDonald, Michael Steven Siegel, William John Starke, Derek Edward Williams
  • Publication number: 20100262720
    Abstract: A technique for maintaining input/output (I/O) command ordering on a bus includes assigning a channel identifier to I/O commands of an I/O stream. In this case, the channel identifier indicates the I/O commands belong to the I/O stream. A command location indicator is assigned to each of the I/O commands. The command location indicator provides an indication of which one of the I/O commands is a start command in the I/O stream and which of the I/O commands are continue commands in the I/O stream. The I/O commands are issued in a desired completion order. When a first one of the I/O commands does not complete successfully, the I/O commands in the I/O stream are reissued on the bus starting at the first one of the I/O commands that did not complete successfully.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2009
    Publication date: October 14, 2010
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUISNESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: George William Daly, JR., Guy Lynn Guthrie, Ross Boyd Leavens, Joseph Gerald McDonald, Michael Steven Siegel, William John Starke, Derek Edward Williams
  • Patent number: 7255059
    Abstract: An adjustable adapter assembly secures a framework/console to an anchoring fixture. A housing member connected to the framework has two pairs of parallel walls having laterally aligned elongate first slots and laterally aligned elongate second slots, respectively. A clasping mechanism inside the housing member has a shank portion and finger members. First and second threaded orthogonal bores laterally extend through the shank portion, a first threaded bolt extends through the first slots and first threaded bore, and a second threaded bolt extends through the second slots and second threaded bore. Rotating the first and second bolts laterally displaces the clasping mechanism to align the finger members with part of an anchoring fixture on the deck for engagement by the finger members when a locking ring is appropriately displaced. Several assemblies secured to the framework can be adjusted to interconnect with permanently mounted anchoring fixtures in the deck.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2007
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Gerald McDonald
  • Publication number: 20070169296
    Abstract: A surface preparation device for cleaning and/or preparing a surface has a handle with a head piece attached to the upper end of the handle. The head piece has a substantially rigid core surrounded at least in part by a membrane covered foam and is capable of focusing pressure on specific locations across a variety of surface areas. A user grasps the handle and places the head piece on the surface area to be cleaned and/or prepared. By exerting pressure on the head piece, the head piece conforms to the shape of the rigid core which results in a significant amount of pressure being exerted on the surface area to be cleaned and/or prepared. The user then moves the head piece while it is still exerting pressure in order to clean and/or prepare the specific surface area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2003
    Publication date: July 26, 2007
    Inventor: Gerald McDonald
  • Publication number: 20060282025
    Abstract: A portable vibration device (PVD) for attaching to a structure or person, includes a vibration-producing component (VC), and a clamping component (CC) for attaching the vibration-producing component (VC) to a structure or person to transmit vibrations thereto. The clamping component (CC) is slidable relative to the vibration-producing component (VC) for adjusting a distance between the vibration-producing component (VC) and a structure or person. One of the vibration-producing component (VC) and the clamping component (CC) includes a recess for storing the other of the vibration-producing component (VC) and the clamping component (CC) when the vibration device is not in use thereby providing a compact unit. The device includes various attachments for different applications.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2004
    Publication date: December 14, 2006
    Inventors: Gerald McDonald, Robert Fuhrer, Nobuaki Ogihara
  • Patent number: 7017639
    Abstract: A tape dispenser that reduces accidental injury from contact with a sharp blade used to cut and separate tape from the dispenser when affixing the tape to a surface. The cutting blade, fixed at an angle some distance above an opening, or above the edge of a flexible plate, is not exposed unless enough pressure is applied to bend plate far enough to expose blade through and beyond the flexible plate. This invention provides a simpler, safer, more cost effective method of dispensing, affixing and cutting any material in tape form.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2006
    Assignee: Henkel Consumer Adhesives, Inc.
    Inventor: Gerald A. McDonald
  • Publication number: 20040089424
    Abstract: A tape dispenser that reduces accidental injury from contact with a sharp blade used to cut and separate tape from the dispenser when affixing the tape to a surface. The cutting blade, fixed at an angle some distance above an opening, or above the edge of a flexible plate, is not exposed unless enough pressure is applied to bend plate far enough to expose blade through and beyond the flexible plate. This invention provides a simpler, safer, more cost effective method of dispensing, affixing and cutting any material in tape form.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2003
    Publication date: May 13, 2004
    Inventor: Gerald A. McDonald