Patents by Inventor Kevin G. Kramer

Kevin G. Kramer 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: 7873922
    Abstract: A design structure embodied in a machine-readable medium used in a design process may include a system for detecting a fault in a signal transmission path. Such system may include, for example, a hysteresis comparator including a latch having n-type field effect transistor (“NFET”) storage elements. The hysteresis comparator may be operable to detect a crossing of a reference voltage level by an input signal arriving from the signal transmission path such that when the comparator does not detect an expected crossing of the reference voltage level by the input signal, the fault is determined to be detected in the signal transmission path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Huihao Xu, Louis L. Hsu, Kevin G. Kramer, James D. Rockrohr, Michael A. Sorna
  • Patent number: 7855563
    Abstract: A system is provided for detecting a fault in a signal transmission path. In one embodiment, the system can include a variable amplitude signal attenuator which is operable to modify an input signal by variably attenuating a signal voltage swing of the input signal. Desirably, the input signal is attenuated only when transitioning from a high signal voltage level towards a low signal voltage level d variably, such that a larger high-to-low signal voltage swing is attenuated more than a smaller high-to-low signal voltage swing. Desirably, a comparator, which may apply hysteresis to the output signals, may detect a crossing of a reference voltage level by the modified input signal. In this way, when the comparator does not detect an expected crossing of the reference voltage level by the modified input signal, a determination can be made that a fault exists in the signal transmission path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Huihao Xu, Louis L. Hsu, Kevin G. Kramer, James D. Rockrohr, Michael A. Sorna
  • Patent number: 7675966
    Abstract: A method for on-chip detection of data lock and measurement of data lock time in a high-speed serial data link, including: permitting one or more incoming data streams into the high-speed data link; establishing a pattern to be searched in the one or more incoming data streams; comparing patterns in the one or more incoming data streams to a programmable data pattern; holding a repetitive pattern of bits in the one or more incoming data streams by one or more programmable data pattern registers, wherein when one or more occurrences of a byte are detected, an appropriate bit in the one or more programmable data pattern registers is set to indicate the byte's relative position; and filtering false indications in the repetitive pattern by using a byte detection state machine, the state machine controlling and keeping track of a search progress.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Robert M. Bunce, William R. Kelly, Kevin G. Kramer, Dinesh B. Nair
  • Patent number: 7603609
    Abstract: A method of detecting error during transfer of instructions from a data memory to a computer processor. At the time of the commencement of transmission of the instructions, the raw data signal is checked for an error detection code indicating data corruption. If the error detection code indicates no data corruption, the transmission of the instruction to the computer processor is completed. However, if data corruption is indicated, the raw data signal is substituted with a predetermined reserved signal or instruction and transmitted to the computer processor. An attempt is made to correct the corrupted data in the raw data signal and, if it is corrected, the corrected data signal is subsequently retrieved and the corrected data signal is processed by the computer processor. The corrupted raw data signal in the data memory may be replaced with the corrected data signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jonathan M Haswell, Kevin G Kramer
  • Publication number: 20090128161
    Abstract: A design structure embodied in a machine-readable medium used in a design process may include a system for detecting a fault in a signal transmission path. Such system may include, for example, a hysteresis comparator including a latch having n-type field effect transistor (“NFET”) storage elements. The hysteresis comparator may be operable to detect a crossing of a reference voltage level by an input signal arriving from the signal transmission path such that when the comparator does not detect an expected crossing of the reference voltage level by the input signal, the fault is determined to be detected in the signal transmission path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2007
    Publication date: May 21, 2009
    Inventors: Huihao Xu, Louis L. Hsu, Kevin G. Kramer, James D. Rockrohr, Michael A. Sorna
  • Publication number: 20080316930
    Abstract: A system is provided for detecting a fault in a signal transmission path. In one embodiment, the system can include a variable amplitude signal attenuator which is operable to modify an input signal by variably attenuating a signal voltage swing of the input signal. Desirably, the input signal is attenuated only when transitioning from a high signal voltage level towards a low signal voltage level d variably, such that a larger high-to-low signal voltage swing is attenuated more than a smaller high-to-low signal voltage swing. Desirably, a comparator, which may apply hysteresis to the output signals, may detect a crossing of a reference voltage level by the modified input signal. In this way, when the comparator does not detect an expected crossing of the reference voltage level by the modified input signal, a determination can be made that a fault exists in the signal transmission path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2007
    Publication date: December 25, 2008
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Huihao Xu, Louis L. Hsu, Kevin G. Kramer, James D. Rockrohr, Michael A. Sorna
  • Publication number: 20080080603
    Abstract: A method for on-chip detection of data lock and measurement of data lock time in a high-speed serial data link, including: permitting one or more incoming data streams into the high-speed data link; establishing a pattern to be searched in the one or more incoming data streams; comparing patterns in the one or more incoming data streams to a programmable data pattern; holding a repetitive pattern of bits in the one or more incoming data streams by one or more programmable data pattern registers, wherein when one or more occurrences of a byte are detected, an appropriate bit in the one or more programmable data pattern registers is set to indicate the byte's relative position; and filtering false indications in the repetitive pattern by using a byte detection state machine, the state machine controlling and keeping track of a search progress.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2006
    Publication date: April 3, 2008
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Robert M. Bunce, William R. Kelly, Kevin G. Kramer, Dinesh B. Nair
  • Patent number: 7278083
    Abstract: A method of detecting error during transfer of instructions from a data memory to a computer processor. At the time of the commencement of transmission of the instructions, the raw data signal is checked for an error detection code indicating data corruption. If the error detection code indicates no data corruption, the transmission of the instruction to the computer processor is completed. However, if data corruption is indicated, the raw data signal is substituted with a predetermined reserved signal or instruction and transmitted to the computer processor. An attempt is made to correct the corrupted data in the raw data signal and, if it is corrected, the corrected data signal is subsequently retrieved and the corrected data signal is processed by the computer processor. The corrupted raw data signal in the data memory may be replaced with the corrected data signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jonathan M. Haswell, Kevin G. Kramer
  • Patent number: 6987761
    Abstract: A data communication controller processes incoming data frames. The controller includes a pre-processing block for receiving data frames and a frame processing unit coupled to the pre-processing block. The pre-processing block is configured to compare header fields of a current frame with header fields of a previous frame. The pre-processing block provides an output signal to the frame processing unit on the basis of the comparison of the header fields of the current and previous frames. The controller may operate in accordance with the Fiber Channel protocol, and the output signal may include bits to indicate that the current frame is of the same exchange, of the same sequence, and is next in sequence relative to the previous frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Robert M. Bunce, Louis T. Fasano, Christos J. Georgiou, Kevin G. Kramer, Brian J. Schuh
  • Publication number: 20040268202
    Abstract: A method of detecting error during transfer of instructions from a data memory to a computer processor. At the time of the commencement of transmission of the instructions, the raw data signal is checked for an error detection code indicating data corruption. If the error detection code indicates no data corruption, the transmission of the instruction to the computer processor is completed. However, if data corruption is indicated, the raw data signal is substituted with a predetermined reserved signal or instruction and transmitted to the computer processor. An attempt is made to correct the corrupted data in the raw data signal and, if it is corrected, the corrected data signal is subsequently retrieved and the corrected data signal is processed by the computer processor. The corrupted raw data signal in the data memory may be replaced with the corrected data signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2003
    Publication date: December 30, 2004
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jonathan M. Haswell, Kevin G. Kramer
  • Publication number: 20030152073
    Abstract: A data communication controller processes incoming data frames. The controller includes a pre-processing block for receiving data frames and a frame processing unit coupled to the pre-processing block. The pre-processing block is configured to compare header fields of a current frame with header fields of a previous frame. The pre-processing block provides an output signal to the frame processing unit on the basis of the comparison of the header fields of the current and previous frames. The controller may operate in accordance with the Fibre Channel protocol, and the output signal may include bits to indicate that the current frame is of the same exchange, of the same sequence, and is next in sequence relative to the previous frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2002
    Publication date: August 14, 2003
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Robert M. Bunce, Louis T. Fasano, Christos J. Georgiou, Kevin G. Kramer, Brian J. Schuh
  • Publication number: 20020124102
    Abstract: A device for controlling the flow of command messages in a network in order to alleviate full queue situations that may result in an overrun of commands. The device comprises a counter circuit for determining the number of buffers available in the command queue and a control circuit for controlling the flow of command frames. The control circuit includes a first and second means for storing and is responsive to a status of the command queue and control logic.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2001
    Publication date: September 5, 2002
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: kevin G. Kramer, Henry Horngren Tsou, Chan Y. Ng, Christopher Scott Taylor, Kwan Sang Yap
  • Patent number: 5313475
    Abstract: An error correcting code (ECC) function and a parity interface scheme providing a translation capability between the ECC and parity protocols is implemented for memory systems in personal computers (PCs). The ECC function addresses the problems of interfacing memory with a variety of other components that may communicate in words composed of differing numbers of bytes. A partial write function within an ECC module permits a read/modify/write operation without extra components, at faster speeds and with minimal use of the system bus. An improved parity/ECC protocol interface is implemented by choosing an appropriate ECC code to facilitate parity generation and checking. This is done by selecting a code that contains groupings of data bits corresponding to the desired parity scheme. The ECC XOR trees are modified to allow parity checking and error correction decode simultaneously, thereby eliminating the need for two sets of XOR trees in the interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 17, 1994
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Daryl C. Cromer, Gene J. Gaudenzi, Paul C. King, Kevin G. Kramer, Timothy J. Louie
  • Patent number: 5173619
    Abstract: A circuit for buffering and parity checking digital data communicated between first and second data buses includes a plurality of bidirectional bit buffer circuits. Each of the bidirection bit buffer circuits includes: a first data path comprising a data receiver, latch, and driver connected in series between the first and second data buses, respectively; a second data path comprising a data receiver, latch and driver connected in series between the second and first data buses, respectively; control mechanisms for controlling the drivers to selectively place the output of the drivers in an active driving or high impedance state; and control mechanisms for controlling the data latches to selectively latch or pass through data. A parity generating circuit is connected at the output of the latch in the first data path of each of the bidirectional bit buffer circuits for generating a parity bit responsive to the data at the output of these latches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 1991
    Date of Patent: December 22, 1992
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Gene J. Gaudenzi, Kevin G. Kramer, Susan L. Tempest
  • Patent number: 5107507
    Abstract: A circuit for buffering and parity checking digital data communicated between first and second data buses includes a plurality of bidirectional bit buffer circuits. Each of the bidirectional bit buffer circuits includes: a first data path comprising a data receiver, latch, and driver connected in series between the first and second data buses, respectively; a second data path comprising a data receiver, latch and driver connected in series between the second and first data buses, respectively; control mechanisms for controlling the drivers to selectively place the output of the drivers in an active driving or high impedance state; and control mechanisms for controlling the data latches to selectively latch or pass through data. A parity generating circuit is connected at the output of the latch in the first data path of each of the bidirectional bit buffer circuits for generating a parity bit responsive to the data at the output of these latches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 1988
    Date of Patent: April 21, 1992
    Assignee: International Business Machines
    Inventors: Patrick M. Bland, Mark E. Dean, Gene J. Gaudenzi, Kevin G. Kramer, Susan L. Tempest