Patents by Inventor James A. Norris

James A. Norris 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: 20170134856
    Abstract: Systems (100) and methods (400) for transducer volume bias control. The methods involve: obtaining an audio signal that is to be output from first and second transducers (102, 202) of an electronic device (100); and dynamically changing spectral content of the audio signal to at least one of the first and second transducers as a transducer volume level increases and decreases. The first transducer is disposed on a first side (108) of the electronic device. The second transducer is disposed on a second side (204) that is different than the first side of the electronic device. The first and second transducers have imbalanced capabilities.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2015
    Publication date: May 11, 2017
    Inventors: Keith Kripp, James A. Norris, James A. Hamilton
  • Publication number: 20170083333
    Abstract: Systems and methods pertain to a branch target instruction cache (BTIC) of a processor. The BTIC is configured to store one or more branch target instructions at branch target addresses of branch instructions executable by the processor. At least one of the branch target instructions stored in the BTIC is a conditional branch instruction. Branch prediction techniques for predicting the direction of the conditional branch instruction allow one or more instructions following the conditional branch instruction, as well as a branch target address of the conditional branch instruction to also be stored in the BTIC.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2015
    Publication date: March 23, 2017
    Inventors: Niket Kumar CHOUDHARY, Michael Scott MCILVAINE, Daren Eugene STREETT, Vimal Kodandarama REDDY, Shekhar Shashi SRIKANTAIAH, Sandeep Suresh NAVADA, Robert Douglas CLANCY, James Norris DIEFFENDERFER, Thomas Andrew SARTORIUS
  • Publication number: 20170085240
    Abstract: An electronic device may include a speaker, and audio circuitry coupled to the speaker. The audio circuitry may generate digitized samples of an audio waveform signal, and compare each digitized sample of the audio waveform signal to a threshold. The audio circuitry may when a given digitized sample is above the threshold, then apply a compression operation to the given digitized sample and successive digitized samples for a set time period, and when the given digitized sample is below the threshold and not within the set time period, then not apply the compression operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2015
    Publication date: March 23, 2017
    Inventor: James A. NORRIS
  • Patent number: 9576060
    Abstract: This application is directed to an indexing system for graph data. In particular implementations, the indexing system uses a database index infrastructure that provides for flexible search capability to data objects and associations between data objects. Particular embodiments relate to an indexing system for storing and serving information modeled as a graph that includes nodes and edges that define associations or relationships between nodes that the edges connect in the graph.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Sanjeev Singh, Bret Steven Taylor, Paul Buchheit, James Norris, Tudor Bosman, Benjamin Darnell
  • Publication number: 20170046158
    Abstract: Systems and methods for identifying candidate load instructions for prefetch operations based on at least instruction encoding of the load instructions, include an identifier based on a function of at least one or more fields of a load instruction and optionally, a subset of bits of the PC value of the load instruction, wherein the one or more fields exclude a full address or program counter (PC) value of the load instruction. Prefetch mechanisms, including a prefetch table indexed by the identifier, can determine whether the load instruction is a candidate load instruction for prefetching load data, based on the identifier. The function may be a hash, a concatenation, or a combination thereof, of one or more bits of the one or more fields. The fields include one or more of a base register, a destination register, an immediate offset, an offset register, or other bits of instruction encoding of the load instruction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2015
    Publication date: February 16, 2017
    Inventors: Luke YEN, Michael William MORROW, Thomas Philip SPEIER, James Norris DIEFFENDERFER
  • Publication number: 20170046167
    Abstract: Predicting memory instruction punts in a computer processor using a punt avoidance table (PAT) are disclosed. In one aspect, an instruction processing circuit accesses a PAT containing entries each comprising an address of a memory instruction. Upon detecting a memory instruction in an instruction stream, the instruction processing circuit determines whether the PAT contains an entry having an address of the memory instruction. If so, the instruction processing circuit prevents the detected memory instruction from taking effect before at least one pending memory instruction older than the detected memory instruction, to preempt a memory instruction punt. In some aspects, the instruction processing circuit may determine, upon execution of a pending memory instruction, whether a hazard associated with the detected memory instruction has occurred. If so, an entry for the detected memory instruction is generated in the PAT.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2015
    Publication date: February 16, 2017
    Inventors: Luke Yen, Michael William Morrow, Jeffery Michael Schottmiller, James Norris Dieffenderfer
  • Patent number: 9514061
    Abstract: A memory structure compresses a portion of a memory tag using an indexed tag compression structure. A set of higher order bits of the memory tag may be stored in the indexed tag compression structure, where the set of higher order bits are identified by an index value. A tag array stores a set of lower order bits of the memory tag and the index value identifying the entry in the tag compression structure storing the set of higher order bits of the memory tag. The memory tag may comprise at least a portion of a memory address of a data element stored in a data array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: Qualcomm Incorporated
    Inventors: Henry Arthur Pellerin, III, Thomas Philip Speier, Thomas Andrew Sartorius, Michael William Morrow, James Norris Dieffenderfer, Kenneth Alan Dockser, Michael Scott McIlvaine
  • Publication number: 20160350116
    Abstract: Systems and methods for mitigating influence of wrong-path branch instructions in branch prediction include a branch prediction write queue. A first entry of the branch prediction write queue is associated with a first branch instruction based on an order in which the first branch instruction is fetched. Upon speculatively executing the first branch instruction, a correct direction of the first branch instruction is written in the first entry. Prior to committing the first branch instruction, the branch prediction write queue is configured to update one or more branch prediction mechanisms based on the first entry if the first branch instruction was speculatively executed in a correct-path. Updates to the one or more branch prediction mechanisms based on the first entry are prevented if the first branch instruction was speculatively executed in a wrong-path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2015
    Publication date: December 1, 2016
    Inventors: Vimal Kodandarama REDDY, Niket Kumar CHOUNDHARY, Michael Scott MCILVAINE, Daren Eugene STREETT, Robert Douglas CLANCY, James Norris DIEFFENDERFER, Michael William MORROW
  • Publication number: 20160342530
    Abstract: A memory structure compresses a portion of a memory tag using an indexed tag compression structure. A set of higher order bits of the memory tag may be stored in the indexed tag compression structure, where the set of higher order bits are identified by an index value. A tag array stores a set of lower order bits of the memory tag and the index value identifying the entry in the tag compression structure storing the set of higher order bits of the memory tag. The memory tag may comprise at least a portion of a memory address of a data element stored in a data array.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2015
    Publication date: November 24, 2016
    Inventors: Henry Arthur PELLERIN, III, Thomas Philip SPEIER, Thomas Andrew SARTORIUS, Michael William MORROW, James Norris DIEFFENDERFER, Kenneth Alan DOCKSER, Michael Scott MCILVAINE
  • Patent number: 9477478
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to predicting simple and polymorphic branch instructions. An embodiment of the disclosure detects that a program instruction is a branch instruction, determines whether a program counter for the branch instruction is stored in a program counter filter, and, if the program counter is stored in the program counter filter, prevents the program counter from being stored in a first level predictor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Kulin N. Kothari, Michael William Morrow, James Norris Dieffenderfer, Michael Scott McIlvaine, Brian Michael Stempel, Daren Eugene Streett
  • Patent number: 9477476
    Abstract: Fusing immediate value, write-based instructions in instruction processing circuits, and related processor systems, methods, and computer-readable media are disclosed. In one embodiment, a first instruction indicating an operation writing an immediate value to a register is detected by an instruction processing circuit. The circuit also detects at least one subsequent instruction indicating an operation that overwrites at least one first portion of the register while maintaining a value of a second portion of the register. The at least one subsequent instruction is converted (or replaced) with a fused instruction(s), which indicates an operation writing the at least one first portion and the second portion of the register.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Melinda J. Brown, Michael William Morrow, James Norris Dieffenderfer, Brian Michael Stempel, Michael Scott McIlvaine, Rodney Wayne Smith, Jeffrey M. Schottmiller, Andrew S. Irwin
  • Patent number: 9460018
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for maintaining an instruction cache including extended cache lines and page attributes for main cache line portions of the extended cache lines and, at least for one or more predefined potential page-crossing instruction locations, additional page attributes for extra data portions of the corresponding extended cache lines. In addition, systems and methods are disclosed for processing page-crossing instructions fetched from an instruction cache having extended cache lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Leslie Mark DeBruyne, James Norris Dieffenderfer, Michael Scott McIlvaine, Brian Michael Stempel
  • Publication number: 20160107089
    Abstract: A video game includes a plurality of components providing for opportunities for increased social interaction of users playing the video game. The video game may be a music-based video game, and a server may provide content of the video game to game devices for play at predefined times.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2014
    Publication date: April 21, 2016
    Inventors: Jamie Jackson, Dave Osbourn, Neil Wigfield, Chris Coates, Paul Turland, Pete O'Donnell, James Norris, Lee Roberts
  • Publication number: 20160107088
    Abstract: A video game includes user generated content. The video game may be a music-based video game. Users may determine content to be played, and a server may provide the content to game devices for play, for example at predefined times, and/or to predetermined game players.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2014
    Publication date: April 21, 2016
    Inventors: Jamie Jackson, Dave Osbourn, Neil Wigfield, Chris Coates, Paul Turland, Pete O'Donnell, James Norris, Lee Roberts
  • Patent number: 9317293
    Abstract: Establishing a branch target instruction cache (BTIC) entry for subroutine returns to reduce pipeline bubbles, and related systems, methods, and computer-readable media are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of establishing a BTIC entry includes detecting a subroutine call in an execution pipeline. In response, at least one instruction fetched sequential to the subroutine call is written as a branch target instruction in a BTIC entry for a subroutine return. A next instruction fetch address is calculated, and is written into a next instruction fetch address field in the BTIC entry. In this manner, the BTIC may provide correct branch target instruction and next instruction fetch address data for the subroutine return, even if the subroutine return is encountered for the first time or the subroutine is called from different calling locations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: James Norris Dieffenderfer, Michael William Morrow, Michael Scott McIlvaine, Daren Eugene Streett, Vimal K. Reddy, Brian Michael Stempel
  • Publication number: 20160092221
    Abstract: Systems and methods for dependency-prediction include executing instructions in an instruction pipeline of a processor and detecting a conditionality-imposing control instruction, such as an If-Then (IT) instruction, which imposes dependent behavior on a conditionality block size of one or more dependent instructions. Prior to executing a first instruction, a dependency-prediction is made to determine if the first instruction is a dependent instruction of the conditionality-imposing control instruction, based on the conditionality block size and one or more parameters of the instruction pipeline. The first instruction is executed based on the dependency-prediction. When the first instruction is dependency-mispredicted, an associated dependency-misprediction penalty is mitigated. If the first instruction is a branch instruction, the mitigation involves training a branch prediction tracking mechanism to correctly dependency-predict future occurrences of the first instruction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2014
    Publication date: March 31, 2016
    Inventors: Brian Michael STEMPEL, James Norris DIEFFENDERFER, Michael Scott MCILVAINE, Melinda BROWN
  • Patent number: 9292442
    Abstract: Techniques are described for a multi-processor having two or more processors that increases the opportunity for a load-exclusive command to take a cache line in an Exclusive state, which results in increased performance when a store-exclusive is executed. A new bus operation read prefer exclusive is used as a hint to other caches that a requesting master is likely to store to the cache line, and, if possible, the other cache should give the line up. In most cases, this will result in the other master giving the line up and the requesting master taking the line Exclusive. In most cases, two or more processors are not performing a semaphore management sequence to the same address at the same time. Thus, a requesting master's load-exclusive is able to take a cache line in the Exclusive state an increased number of times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Thomas Philip Speier, Eric F. Robinson, Jaya Prakash Subramaniam Ganasan, Thomas Andrew Sartorius, James Norris Dieffenderfer
  • Publication number: 20160058960
    Abstract: A nasal delivery device can include a nasal prong and an activation member. The nasal prong can comprises an opening at a top and bottom portion of the prong to allow for the passage of an aerosolized treatment agent through the nasal prong. The activation member can be positioned on the nasal delivery device at a location that is spaced apart from the subject's oral cavity when the nasal prong is received into the nostril of the subject. The activation member can be configured to detect a desired exhalation state of the subject and upon detection of the desired exhalation state, the activation member activates the delivery of the aerosolized treatment agent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2014
    Publication date: March 3, 2016
    Applicants: The United State of America, as represented by The Secretary, Department of Health and Human Service, Creare Incorporated
    Inventors: Mark J. Papania, James J. Barry, Mark C. Bagley, James Norris, Darin A. Knaus, Eric M. Friets
  • Publication number: 20160048600
    Abstract: This application is directed to an indexing system for graph data. In particular implementations, the indexing system uses a database index infrastructure that provides for flexible search capability to data objects and associations between data objects. Particular embodiments relate to an indexing system for storing and serving information modeled as a graph that includes nodes and edges that define associations or relationships between nodes that the edges connect in the graph.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2015
    Publication date: February 18, 2016
    Inventors: Sanjeev Singh, Bret Steven Taylor, Paul Buchheit, James Norris, Tudor Bosman, Benjamin Darnell
  • Patent number: 9260636
    Abstract: Compositions are disclosed comprising (i) a high molecular weight base polymer, and (ii) a relatively low molecular weight ester copolymer comprising an olefin and a copolymerizable ester, wherein the ester copolymer has a pour point less than 40° C. In certain embodiments, the high molecular weight base polymer and the relatively low molecular weight ester copolymer are both selected from ethylene-based copolymers such as ethylene-vinyl acetate and ethylene-n-butyl acrylate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.
    Inventors: James Norris Coffey, Lynette Eileen Horne-Campbell, Fran A Shipley