Patents by Inventor Kai Chirca

Kai Chirca 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: 20230297506
    Abstract: A method includes receiving, by a level two (L2) controller, a first request for a cache line in a shared cache coherence state; mapping, by the L2 controller, the first request to a second request for a cache line in an exclusive cache coherence state; and responding, by the L2 controller, to the second request.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2023
    Publication date: September 21, 2023
    Inventors: Abhijeet Ashok CHACHAD, David Matthew THOMPSON, Timothy David ANDERSON, Kai CHIRCA
  • Patent number: 11687238
    Abstract: A device includes a data path, a first interface configured to receive a first memory access request from a first peripheral device, and a second interface configured to receive a second memory access request from a second peripheral device. The device further includes an arbiter circuit configured to, in a first clock cycle, a pre-arbitration winner between a first memory access request and a second memory access request based on a first number of credits allocated to a first destination device and a second number of credits allocated to a second destination device. The arbiter circuit is further configured to, in a second clock cycle select a final arbitration winner from among the pre-arbitration winner and a subsequent memory access request based on a comparison of a priority of the pre-arbitration winner and a priority of the subsequent memory access request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: Texas Instmments Incorporated
    Inventors: Matthew David Pierson, Daniel Wu, Kai Chirca
  • Publication number: 20230185649
    Abstract: This invention is a streaming engine employed in a digital signal processor. A fixed data stream sequence is specified by a control register. The streaming engine fetches stream data ahead of use by a central processing unit and stores it in a stream buffer. Upon occurrence of a fault reading data from memory, the streaming engine identifies the data element triggering the fault preferably storing this address in a fault address register. The streaming engine defers signaling the fault to the central processing unit until this data element is used as an operand. If the data element is never used by the central processing unit, the streaming engine never signals the fault. The streaming engine preferably stores data identifying the fault in a fault source register. The fault address register and the fault source register are preferably extended control registers accessible only via a debugger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2023
    Publication date: June 15, 2023
    Inventors: Joseph Zbiciak, Timothy D. Anderson, Duc Bui, Kai Chirca
  • Publication number: 20230185719
    Abstract: In described examples, a processor system includes a processor core generating memory transactions, a lower level cache memory with a lower memory controller, and a higher level cache memory with a higher memory controller having a memory pipeline. The higher memory controller is connected to the lower memory controller by a bypass path that skips the memory pipeline. The higher memory controller: determines whether a memory transaction is a bypass write, which is a memory write request indicated not to result in a corresponding write being directed to the higher level cache memory; if the memory transaction is determined a bypass write, determines whether a memory transaction that prevents passing is in the memory pipeline; and if no transaction that prevents passing is determined to be in the memory pipeline, sends the memory transaction to the lower memory controller using the bypass path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2023
    Publication date: June 15, 2023
    Inventors: Abhijeet Ashok Chachad, Timothy David Anderson, Kai Chirca, David Matthew Thompson
  • Publication number: 20230185576
    Abstract: A method includes asserting a field of an event flag mask register configured to inhibit an event handler. The method also includes, responsive to an event that corresponds to the field of the event flag mask register being triggered: asserting a field of an event flag register associated with the event; and based the field in the event flag register being asserted, taking an action by a task being executed by the data processor core.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2023
    Publication date: June 15, 2023
    Inventor: Kai CHIRCA
  • Patent number: 11675700
    Abstract: A method includes receiving, by a level two (L2) controller, a first request for a cache line in a shared cache coherence state; mapping, by the L2 controller, the first request to a second request for a cache line in an exclusive cache coherence state; and responding, by the L2 controller, to the second request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Abhijeet Ashok Chachad, David Matthew Thompson, Timothy David Anderson, Kai Chirca
  • Publication number: 20230048071
    Abstract: Disclosed embodiments relate to a security firewall having a security hierarchy including: secure master (SM); secure guest (SG); and non-secure (NS). There is one secure master and n secure guests. The firewall includes one secure region for secure master and one secure region for secure guests. The SM region only allows access from the secure master and the SG region allows accesses from any secure transaction. Finally, the non-secure region can be implemented two ways. In a first option, non-secure regions may be accessed only upon non-secure transactions. In a second option, non-secure regions may be accessed any processing core. In this second option, the access is downgraded to a non-secure access if the security identity is secure master or secure guest. If the two security levels are not needed the secure master can unlock the SM region to allow any secure guest access to the SM region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2022
    Publication date: February 16, 2023
    Inventors: Timothy D. Anderson, Joseph R. M. Zbiciak, Matthew D. Pierson, Kai Chirca
  • Patent number: 11580024
    Abstract: In described examples, a processor system includes a processor core generating memory transactions, a lower level cache memory with a lower memory controller, and a higher level cache memory with a higher memory controller having a memory pipeline. The higher memory controller is connected to the lower memory controller by a bypass path that skips the memory pipeline. The higher memory controller: determines whether a memory transaction is a bypass write, which is a memory write request indicated not to result in a corresponding write being directed to the higher level cache memory; if the memory transaction is determined a bypass write, determines whether a memory transaction that prevents passing is in the memory pipeline; and if no transaction that prevents passing is determined to be in the memory pipeline, sends the memory transaction to the lower memory controller using the bypass path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Abhijeet Ashok Chachad, Timothy David Anderson, Kai Chirca, David Matthew Thompson
  • Patent number: 11573802
    Abstract: A method includes asserting a field of an event flag mask register configured to inhibit an event handler. The method also includes, responsive to an event that corresponds to the field of the event flag mask register being triggered: asserting a field of an event flag register associated with the event; and based the field in the event flag register being asserted, taking an action by a task being executed by the data processor core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: Kai Chirca
  • Patent number: 11573847
    Abstract: This invention is a streaming engine employed in a digital signal processor. A fixed data stream sequence is specified by a control register. The streaming engine fetches stream data ahead of use by a central processing unit and stores it in a stream buffer. Upon occurrence of a fault reading data from memory, the streaming engine identifies the data element triggering the fault preferably storing this address in a fault address register. The streaming engine defers signaling the fault to the central processing unit until this data element is used as an operand. If the data element is never used by the central processing unit, the streaming engine never signals the fault. The streaming engine preferably stores data identifying the fault in a fault source register. The fault address register and the fault source register are preferably extended control registers accessible only via a debugger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Joseph Zbiciak, Timothy D. Anderson, Duc Bui, Kai Chirca
  • Publication number: 20230022869
    Abstract: A method includes executing software code comprising a plurality of execute packets; responsive to an execute packet of the software code being executed by a data processor core, advancing a value of a test counter register; and responsive to the value of the test counter register being equal to a terminal value, triggering an event to be handled by the software code.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2022
    Publication date: January 26, 2023
    Inventors: Kai CHIRCA, Timothy D. ANDERSON
  • Publication number: 20220374357
    Abstract: A system includes a multi-core shared memory controller (MSMC). The MSMC includes a snoop filter bank, a cache tag bank, and a memory bank. The cache tag bank is connected to both the snoop filter bank and the memory bank. The MSMC further includes a first coherent slave interface connected to a data path that is connected to the snoop filter bank. The MSMC further includes a second coherent slave interface connected to the data path that is connected to the snoop filter bank. The MSMC further includes an external memory master interface connected to the cache tag bank and the memory bank. The system further includes a first processor package connected to the first coherent slave interface and a second processor package connected to the second coherent slave interface. The system further includes an external memory device connected to the external memory master interface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2022
    Publication date: November 24, 2022
    Inventors: Matthew David PIERSON, Kai CHIRCA, Timothy David ANDERSON
  • Publication number: 20220374356
    Abstract: A device includes a data path, a first interface configured to receive a first memory access request from a first peripheral device, and a second interface configured to receive a second memory access request from a second peripheral device. The device further includes an arbiter circuit configured to determine a first destination device connected to the data path and associated with the first memory access request and a first credit threshold corresponding to the first memory access request. The arbiter circuit is further configured to determine a second destination device connected to the data path and associated with the second memory access request and a second credit threshold corresponding to the second memory access request. The arbiter circuit is configured to arbitrate access to the data path by the first memory access request and the second memory access request based on the first credit threshold and the second credit threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2022
    Publication date: November 24, 2022
    Inventors: Matthew David PIERSON, Kai CHIRCA, Daniel WU
  • Publication number: 20220365787
    Abstract: A method includes receiving an execute packet that includes a first instruction and a second instruction and executing the first instruction and the second instruction using a pipeline. Executing the first and second instructions includes storing a result of the first instruction in a holding register; determining whether an event that interrupts execution of the execute packet occurs prior to completion of the executing of the second instruction; and based on the event not occurring, committing the result of the first instruction after completion of the executing of the second instruction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2022
    Publication date: November 17, 2022
    Inventors: Kai CHIRCA, Timothy D. ANDERSON, Paul Daniel GAUVREAU
  • Patent number: 11501024
    Abstract: Disclosed embodiments relate to a security firewall having a security hierarchy including: secure master (SM); secure guest (SG); and non-secure (NS). There is one secure master and n secure guests. The firewall includes one secure region for secure master and one secure region for secure guests. The SM region only allows access from the secure master and the SG region allows accesses from any secure transaction. Finally, the non-secure region can be implemented two ways. In a first option, non-secure regions may be accessed only upon non-secure transactions. In a second option, non-secure regions may be accessed any processing core. In this second option, the access is downgraded to a non-secure access if the security identity is secure master or secure guest. If the two security levels are not needed the secure master can unlock the SM region to allow any secure guest access to the SM region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Timothy D. Anderson, Joseph R. M. Zbiciak, Matthew D. Pierson, Kai Chirca
  • Publication number: 20220326954
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method includes fetching a fetch-packet containing a first hyper-block from a first address of a memory, the fetch-packet containing a bitwise distance from an entry point of the first hyper-block to a predicted exit point; executing a first branch instruction of the first hyper-block, wherein the first branch instruction corresponds to a first exit point, and wherein the first branch instruction includes an address corresponding to an entry point of a second hyper-block; storing, responsive to executing the first branch instruction, a bitwise distance from the entry point of the first hyper-block to the first exit point; and moving a program counter from the first exit point of the first hyper-block to the entry point of the second hyper-block.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2022
    Publication date: October 13, 2022
    Inventors: Kai Chirca, Timothy D. Anderson, David E. Smith, JR., Paul D. Gauvreau
  • Patent number: 11461106
    Abstract: A method includes executing software code comprising a plurality of execute packets; responsive to an execute packet of the software code being executed by a data processor core, advancing a value of a test counter register; and responsive to the value of the test counter register being equal to a terminal value, triggering an event to be handled by the software code.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Kai Chirca, Timothy D. Anderson
  • Patent number: 11442709
    Abstract: A method for compiling and executing a nested loop includes initializing a nested loop controller with an outer loop count value and an inner loop count value. The nested loop controller includes a predicate FIFO. The method also includes coalescing the nested loop and, during execution of the coalesced nested loop, causing the nested loop controller to populate the predicate FIFO and executing a get predicate instruction having an offset value, where the get predicate returns a value from the predicate FIFO specified by the offset value. The method further includes predicating an outer loop instruction on the returned value from the predicate FIFO.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: Texas Instmments Incorporated
    Inventors: Kai Chirca, Timothy D. Anderson, Todd T. Hahn, Alan L. Davis
  • Publication number: 20220283942
    Abstract: A device includes a data path, a first interface connected to the data path and configured to receive a request from a processor package to write a data value to a memory address, and a controller connected to the data path and configured to receive the request to write the data value to the memory address and to calculate a Hamming code of the data value. The controller is configured to transmit the data value and the Hamming code on the data path. The device includes an external memory interleave connected to the data path. The external memory interleave is configured to receive the data value and calculate a test Hamming code of the data value and to determine whether to send the data value to an external memory interface to be written to the memory address based on a comparison of the Hamming code and the test Hamming code.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2022
    Publication date: September 8, 2022
    Inventors: Kai CHIRCA, Daniel WU, Matthew David PIERSON
  • Patent number: 11429526
    Abstract: A device includes a data path, a first interface configured to receive a first memory access request from a first peripheral device, and a second interface configured to receive a second memory access request from a second peripheral device. The device further includes an arbiter circuit configured to determine a first destination device connected to the data path and associated with the first memory access request and a first credit threshold corresponding to the first memory access request. The arbiter circuit is further configured to determine a second destination device connected to the data path and associated with the second memory access request and a second credit threshold corresponding to the second memory access request. The arbiter circuit is configured to arbitrate access to the data path by the first memory access request and the second memory access request based on the first credit threshold and the second credit threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Matthew David Pierson, Kai Chirca, Daniel Wu