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).

  • Patent number: 8127114
    Abstract: A method of processing a plurality of instructions in multiple pipeline stages within a pipeline processor is disclosed. The method partially or wholly executes a stalled instruction in a pipeline stage that has a function other than instruction execution prior to the execution stage within the processor. Partially or wholly executing the instruction prior to the execution stage in the pipeline speeds up the execution of the instruction and allows the processor to more effectively utilize its resources, thus increasing the processor's efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Kiran Ravi Seth, James Norris Dieffenderfer, Michael Scott McIlvaine, Nathan Samuel Nunamaker
  • Publication number: 20120035268
    Abstract: The presently disclosed subject matter provides compounds of the formula: (1) and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, and R8 are as defined herein. Also disclosed are methods for making the compounds of the formula as set forth hereinabove, their use in inhibiting sphingosine kinase, and their use in the treatment and/or prevention of diseases and/or conditions associated with undesirable ceramidase or sphingosine kinase activity, including, but not limit cancer, cancer metastasis, atherosclerosis, stenosis, inflammation, immunological disorders, asthma, atopic dermatitis, wound healing, and other proliferative diseases.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2009
    Publication date: February 9, 2012
    Inventors: Zdzislaw M. Szulc, Alicja Bielawska, Lina M. Obeld, Yusuf A. Hannun, James Norris, Liu Xiang
  • Publication number: 20120020263
    Abstract: A wireless communication system may include a wireless transmitter configured to transmit a message including data symbols arranged to include an attention packet and sequencing packets thereafter. The sequencing packets may include common value first portions with each data symbol having a same value, and marker second portions having a marker data symbol. The wireless communication system may include a wireless receiver configured to receive the message from the wireless transmitter based upon the attention packet and the sequencing packets by determining a time delay based upon the positions of the marker data symbol, and reordering data symbols of the message based upon the determined time delay.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2010
    Publication date: January 26, 2012
    Applicant: Harris Corporation
    Inventor: James A. Norris
  • Publication number: 20110320787
    Abstract: A processor implements an apparatus and a method for predicting an indirect branch address. A target address generated by an instruction is automatically identified. A predicted next program address is prepared based on the target address before an indirect branch instruction utilizing the target address is speculatively executed. The apparatus suitably employs a register for holding an instruction memory address that is specified by a program as a predicted indirect address of an indirect branch instruction. The apparatus also employs a next program address selector that selects the predicted indirect address from the register as the next program address for use in speculatively executing the indirect branch instruction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2010
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Applicant: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: James Norris Dieffenderfer, Michael William Morrow
  • Publication number: 20110320790
    Abstract: Whenever a link address is written to the link stack, the prior value of the link stack entry is saved, and is restored to the link stack after a link stack push operation is speculatively executed following a mispredicted branch. This condition is detected by maintaining an incrementing tag register which is incremented by each link stack write instruction entering the pipeline, and a snapshot of the incrementing tag register, associated with each branch instruction. When a branch is evaluated and determined to have been mispredicted, the snapshot associated with it is compared to the incrementing tag register. A discrepancy indicates a link stack write instruction was speculatively issued into the pipeline after the mispredicted branch instruction, and pushed a link address onto the link stack, thus corrupting the link stack. The prior link address is restored to the link stack from the link stack restore buffer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2011
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Applicant: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
    Inventors: James Norris Dieffenderfer, Brian Michael Stempel, Rodney Wayne Smith
  • Patent number: 8087083
    Abstract: A device (110) records traffic in a communications network. The device (110) monitors traffic received by the device (110) and determines whether the received traffic is unexpected. The device (110) records the traffic when the traffic is determined to be unexpected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: Verizon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventor: Edward James Norris
  • Patent number: 8082428
    Abstract: A method of resolving simultaneous branch predictions prior to validation of the predicted branch instruction is disclosed. The method includes processing two or more predicted branch instructions, with each predicted branch instruction having a predicted state and a corrected state. The method further includes selecting one of the corrected states. Should one of the predicted branch instructions be mispredicted, the selected corrected state is used to direct future instruction fetches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2011
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Rodney Wayne Smith, Brian Michael Stempel, James Norris Dieffenderfer, Thomas Andrew Sartorius
  • Patent number: 8078803
    Abstract: Techniques and methods are used to control allocations to a higher level cache of cache lines displaced from a lower level cache. The allocations of the displaced cache lines are prevented for displaced cache lines that are determined to be redundant in the next level cache, whereby castouts are controlled. To such ends, a line is selected to be displaced in a lower level cache. Information associated with the selected line is identified which indicates that the selected line is present in a higher level cache. An allocation of the selected line in the higher level cache is prevented based on the identified information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Thomas Philip Speier, James Norris Dieffenderfer, Thomas Andrew Sartorius
  • Patent number: 8060701
    Abstract: When misses occur in an instruction cache, prefetching techniques are used that minimize miss rates, memory access bandwidth, and power use. One of the prefetching techniques operates when a miss occurs. A notification that a fetch address missed in an instruction cache is received. The fetch address that caused the miss is analyzed to determine an attribute of the fetch address and based on the attribute a line of instructions is prefetched. The attribute may indicate that the fetch address is a target address of a non-sequential operation. Another attribute may indicate that the fetch address is a target address of a non-sequential operation and the target address is more than X % into a cache line. A further attribute may indicate that the fetch address is an even address in the instruction cache. Such attributes may be combined to determine whether to prefetch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Michael William Morrow, James Norris Dieffenderfer
  • Publication number: 20110251197
    Abstract: The presently disclosed subject matter provides compounds of the formula, formula (Ia): and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, X, Y, and n are as defined herein. Also disclosed are methods for making the compounds of the formula as set forth hereinabove, their use in inhibiting acid ceramidase and ceramidase-related activity, and their use as drugs and prodrugs in the treatment and/or prevention of diseases associated with undesirable ceramidase or sphingosine kinase activity, including, but not limited to, cancer, cancer metastasis, atherosclerosis, stenosis, inflammation, asthma, and atopic dermatitis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2009
    Publication date: October 13, 2011
    Inventors: Alicja Bielawska, Aiping Bai, Zdzislaw M. Szulc, Yusef A. Hannun, James Norris, Liu Xiang
  • Publication number: 20110219220
    Abstract: Whenever a link address is written to the link stack, the prior value of the link stack entry is saved, and is restored to the link stack after a link stack push operation is speculatively executed following a mispredicted branch. This condition is detected by maintaining a count of the total number of uncommitted link stack write instructions in the pipeline, and a count of the number of uncommitted link stack write instructions ahead of each branch instruction. When a branch is evaluated and determined to have been mispredicted, the count associated with it is compared to the total count. A discrepancy indicates a link stack write instruction was speculatively issued into the pipeline after the mispredicted branch instruction, and pushed a link address onto the link stack. The prior link address is restored to the link stack from the link stack restore buffer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2011
    Publication date: September 8, 2011
    Applicant: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
    Inventors: James Norris Dieffenderfer, Brian Michael Stempel, Rodney Wayne Smith
  • Publication number: 20110202727
    Abstract: Techniques and methods are used to reduce allocations to a higher level cache of cache lines displaced from a lower level cache. The allocations of the displaced cache lines are prevented for displaced cache lines that are determined to be redundant in the next level cache, whereby castouts are reduced. To such ends, a line is selected to be displaced in a lower level cache. Information associated with the selected line is identified which indicates that the selected line is present in a higher level cache or the selected line is a write-through line. An allocation of the selected line in the higher level cache is prevented based on the identified information. Preventing an allocation of the selected line saves power that would be associated with the allocation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2010
    Publication date: August 18, 2011
    Applicant: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Thomas Philip Speier, James Norris Dieffenderfer, Thomas Andrew Sartorius
  • Patent number: 7996616
    Abstract: Techniques and methods are used to control allocations to a higher level cache of cache lines displaced from a lower level cache. The allocations of the displaced cache lines are prevented for displaced cache lines that are determined to be redundant in the next level cache, whereby castouts are controlled. To such ends, a line is selected to be displaced in a lower level cache. Information associated with the selected line is identified which indicates that the selected line is present in a higher level cache. An allocation of the selected line in the higher level cache is prevented based on the identified information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Thomas Philip Speier, James Norris Dieffenderfer, Thomas Andrew Sartorius
  • Patent number: 7995678
    Abstract: A receiver includes a signal input for receiving a differentially-encoded quadrature phase-shift keyed (DEQPSK) communication signal. A demodulator performs bit decisions on a received coherent symbol and bit decisions on a received differential symbol. A processor is operative with the demodulator and scales a soft decision by a factor from 0 to 1 when the results of the bit decisions on the received coherent branch and differential branch are different.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: Harris Corporation
    Inventors: James A. Norris, John W. Nieto
  • Patent number: 7990896
    Abstract: A method and system for configuring one or more prospective-participant nodes as participant nodes so as to enable the prospective-participant nodes to engage in a peer-to-peer communication is provided. In one exemplary embodiment, the method and system may be embodied as a common application that includes logic, in hardware or software form, for carrying out one or more of the functions for configuring one or more prospective-participant nodes as a participant node in a peer-to-peer network. In carrying out these functions, one of the participant nodes discovers its network-connection settings, and based on these settings, generates participant-node-configuration data that includes one or more network connection settings that define how to address the prospective-participant node as a participant node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Sprint Spectrum L.P.
    Inventors: Jason Delker, John M. Everson, James Norris, Bryce A. Jones
  • Patent number: 7984279
    Abstract: A method of processing branch history information is disclosed. The method retrieves branch instructions from an instruction cache and executes the branch instructions in a plurality of pipeline stages. The method verifies that a branch instruction has been identified. The method further receives branch history information during a first pipeline stage and loads the branch history information into a first register. The method further loads the branch history information into the second register during the second pipeline stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Brian Michael Stempel, James Norris Dieffenderfer, Thomas Andrew Sartorius, Rodney Wayne Smith
  • Patent number: 7971044
    Abstract: Whenever a link address is written to the link stack, the prior value of the link stack entry is saved, and is restored to the link stack after a link stack push operation is speculatively executed following a mispredicted branch. This condition is detected by maintaining a count of the total number of uncommitted link stack write instructions in the pipeline, and a count of the number of uncommitted link stack write instructions ahead of each branch instruction. When a branch is evaluated and determined to have been mispredicted, the count associated with it is compared to the total count. A discrepancy indicates a link stack write instruction was speculatively issued into the pipeline after the mispredicted branch instruction, and pushed a link address onto the link stack. The prior link address is restored to the link stack from the link stack restore buffer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: James Norris Dieffenderfer, Brian Michael Stempel, Rodney Wayne Smith
  • Publication number: 20110145247
    Abstract: A search query may be interpreted as a number of possible interpretations, and each interpretation may be explored before the results of the search are sent to a user. In one embodiment, a device may split the search query into partitions. Each of the partitions may be submitted, as a search query, to search repositories. Confidence scores based on the results returned from the repositories may be used to determine a measure of confidence of the repository in the search query interpretation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2011
    Publication date: June 16, 2011
    Applicant: GOOGLE INC.
    Inventors: James NORRIS, Gregory John DONAKER, Nina Weiyu KANG
  • Patent number: 7949861
    Abstract: In one or more embodiments, a processor includes one or more circuits to flush instructions from an instruction pipeline on a selective basis responsive to detecting a branch misprediction, such that those instructions marked as being dependent on the branch instruction associated with the branch misprediction are flushed. Thus, the one or more circuits may be configured to mark instructions fetched into the processor's instruction pipeline(s) to indicate their branch prediction dependencies, directly or indirectly detect incorrect branch predictions, and directly or indirectly flush instructions in the instruction pipeline(s) that are marked as being dependent on an incorrect branch prediction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Michael Scott McIlvaine, James Norris Dieffenderfer, Thomas Andrew Sartorius
  • Patent number: 7934025
    Abstract: A Content-Terminated Direct Memory Access (CT-DMA) circuit autonomously transfers data of an unknown length from a source to a destination, terminating the transfer based on the content of the data. Filter criteria are provided to the CT-DMA prior to the data transfer. The filter criteria include pattern data that are compared to transfer data, and transfer termination rules for interpreting the comparison results. Data are written to the destination until the filter criteria are met. Representative filter criteria may include that one or more units of transfer data match pattern data; that one or more units of transfer data fail to match pattern data; or that one or more units of transfer data match pattern data a predetermined number of times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Kevin Allen Sapp, James Norris Dieffenderfer