Patents by Inventor Michael Greer
Michael Greer 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).
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Patent number: 8880807Abstract: A data prefetcher in a microprocessor. The data prefetcher includes a plurality of period match counters associated with a corresponding plurality of different pattern periods. The data prefetcher also includes control logic that updates the plurality of period match counters in response to accesses to a memory block by the microprocessor, determines a clear pattern period based on the plurality of period match counters and prefetches into the microprocessor non-fetched cache lines within the memory block based on a pattern having the clear pattern period determined based on the plurality of period match counters.Type: GrantFiled: May 20, 2014Date of Patent: November 4, 2014Assignee: VIA Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Rodney E. Hooker, John Michael Greer
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Publication number: 20140310479Abstract: A microprocessor includes a first hardware data prefetcher that prefetches data into the microprocessor according to a first algorithm. The microprocessor also includes a second hardware data prefetcher that prefetches data into the microprocessor according to a second algorithm, wherein the first and second algorithms are different. The second prefetcher detects that it is prefetching data into the microprocessor according to the second algorithm in excess of a first predetermined rate and, in response, sends a throttle indication to the first prefetcher. The first prefetcher prefetches data into the microprocessor according to the first algorithm at below a second predetermined rate in response to receiving the throttle indication from the second prefetcher.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 25, 2014Publication date: October 16, 2014Inventors: Rodney E. Hooker, John Michael Greer
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Publication number: 20140289479Abstract: A data prefetcher in a microprocessor. The data prefetcher includes a plurality of period match counters associated with a corresponding plurality of different pattern periods. The data prefetcher also includes control logic that updates the plurality of period match counters in response to accesses to a memory block by the microprocessor, determines a clear pattern period based on the plurality of period match counters and prefetches into the microprocessor non-fetched cache lines within the memory block based on a pattern having the clear pattern period determined based on the plurality of period match counters.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 20, 2014Publication date: September 25, 2014Applicant: VIA TECHNOLOGIES, INC.Inventors: Rodney E. Hooker, John Michael Greer
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Patent number: 8762649Abstract: A data prefetcher in a microprocessor having a cache memory receives memory accesses each to an address within a memory block. The access addresses are non-monotonically increasing or decreasing as a function of time. As the accesses are received, the prefetcher maintains a largest address and a smallest address of the accesses and counts of changes to the largest and smallest addresses and maintains a history of recently accessed cache lines implicated by the access addresses within the memory block. The prefetcher also determines a predominant access direction based on the counts and determines a predominant access pattern based on the history. The prefetcher also prefetches into the cache memory, in the predominant access direction according to the predominant access pattern, cache lines of the memory block which the history indicates have not been recently accessed.Type: GrantFiled: February 24, 2011Date of Patent: June 24, 2014Assignee: VIA Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Rodney E. Hooker, John Michael Greer
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Patent number: 8719510Abstract: A microprocessor includes a cache memory and a data prefetcher. The data prefetcher detects a pattern of memory accesses within a first memory block and prefetch into the cache memory cache lines from the first memory block based on the pattern. The data prefetcher also observes a new memory access request to a second memory block. The data prefetcher also determines that the first memory block is virtually adjacent to the second memory block and that the pattern, when continued from the first memory block to the second memory block, predicts an access to a cache line implicated by the new request within the second memory block. The data prefetcher also responsively prefetches into the cache memory cache lines from the second memory block based on the pattern.Type: GrantFiled: February 24, 2011Date of Patent: May 6, 2014Assignee: VIA Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Rodney E. Hooker, John Michael Greer
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Patent number: 8656111Abstract: A data prefetcher in a microprocessor having a cache memory receives memory accesses each to an address within a memory block. The access addresses are non-monotonically increasing or decreasing as a function of time. As the accesses are received, the prefetcher maintains a largest address and a smallest address of the accesses and counts of changes to the largest and smallest addresses and maintains a history of recently accessed cache lines implicated by the access addresses within the memory block. The prefetcher also determines a predominant access direction based on the counts and determines a predominant access pattern based on the history. The prefetcher also prefetches into the cache memory, in the predominant access direction according to the predominant access pattern, cache lines of the memory block which the history indicates have not been recently accessed.Type: GrantFiled: February 24, 2011Date of Patent: February 18, 2014Assignee: VIA Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Rodney E. Hooker, John Michael Greer
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Patent number: 8645631Abstract: A microprocessor includes a first-level cache memory, a second-level cache memory, and a data prefetcher that detects a predominant direction and pattern of recent memory accesses presented to the second-level cache memory and prefetches cache lines into the second-level cache memory based on the predominant direction and pattern. The data prefetcher also receives from the first-level cache memory an address of a memory access received by the first-level cache memory, wherein the address implicates a cache line. The data prefetcher also determines one or more cache lines indicated by the pattern beyond the implicated cache line in the predominant direction. The data prefetcher also causes the one or more cache lines to be prefetched into the first-level cache memory.Type: GrantFiled: February 24, 2011Date of Patent: February 4, 2014Assignee: VIA Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Rodney E. Hooker, John Michael Greer
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Publication number: 20140006718Abstract: A hardware data prefetcher includes a queue of indexed storage elements into which are queued strides associated with a stream of temporally adjacent load requests. Each stride is a difference between cache line offsets of memory addresses of respective adjacent load requests. Hardware logic calculates a current stride between a current load request and a newest previous load request. The hardware logic compares the current stride and a stride M in the queue and compares the newest of the queued strides with a queued stride M+1, which is older than and adjacent to stride M. When the comparisons match, the hardware logic prefetches a cache line whose offset is the sum of the offset of the current load request and a stride M?1. Stride M?1 is newer than and adjacent to stride M in the queue.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 27, 2012Publication date: January 2, 2014Applicant: VIA TECHNOLOGIES, INC.Inventors: Meera Ramani-Augustin, John Michael Greer
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Publication number: 20130200734Abstract: The invention relates to a component such as a rotor or stator for an electrical machine. The component includes a plurality of axially adjacent stacks of laminations. At least one pair of adjacent stacks are spaced apart in the axial direction by spacer means such that a passageway or duct for cooling fluid, e.g. air, is formed therebetween. The spacer means comprises a porous structural mat of metal fibres. The cooling fluid may flow through the spaces or voids between the fibres.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 24, 2011Publication date: August 8, 2013Applicant: GE ENERGY POWER CONVERSION TECHNOLOGY LTD.Inventor: John Michael Greer
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Patent number: 8364902Abstract: A microprocessor includes an instruction decoder for decoding a repeat prefetch indirect instruction that includes address operands used to calculate an address of a first entry in a prefetch table having a plurality of entries, each including a prefetch address. The repeat prefetch indirect instruction also includes a count specifying a number of cache lines to be prefetched. The memory address of each of the cache lines is specified by the prefetch address in one of the entries in the prefetch table. A count register, initially loaded with the count specified in the prefetch instruction, stores a remaining count of the cache lines to be prefetched. Control logic fetches the prefetch addresses of the cache lines from the table into the microprocessor and prefetches the cache lines from the system memory into a cache memory of the microprocessor using the count register and the prefetch addresses fetched from the table.Type: GrantFiled: October 15, 2009Date of Patent: January 29, 2013Assignee: VIA Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Rodney E. Hooker, John Michael Greer
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Publication number: 20110238920Abstract: A microprocessor includes a cache memory and a data prefetcher. The data prefetcher detects a pattern of memory accesses within a first memory block and prefetch into the cache memory cache lines from the first memory block based on the pattern. The data prefetcher also observes a new memory access request to a second memory block. The data prefetcher also determines that the first memory block is virtually adjacent to the second memory block and that the pattern, when continued from the first memory block to the second memory block, predicts an access to a cache line implicated by the new request within the second memory block. The data prefetcher also responsively prefetches into the cache memory cache lines from the second memory block based on the pattern.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 24, 2011Publication date: September 29, 2011Applicant: VIA Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Rodney E. Hooker, John Michael Greer
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Publication number: 20110238923Abstract: A microprocessor includes a first-level cache memory, a second-level cache memory, and a data prefetcher that detects a predominant direction and pattern of recent memory accesses presented to the second-level cache memory and prefetches cache lines into the second-level cache memory based on the predominant direction and pattern. The data prefetcher also receives from the first-level cache memory an address of a memory access received by the first-level cache memory, wherein the address implicates a cache line. The data prefetcher also determines one or more cache lines indicated by the pattern beyond the implicated cache line in the predominant direction. The data prefetcher also causes the one or more cache lines to be prefetched into the first-level cache memory.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 24, 2011Publication date: September 29, 2011Applicant: VIA Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Rodney E. Hooker, John Michael Greer
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Publication number: 20110238922Abstract: A data prefetcher in a microprocessor having a cache memory receives memory accesses each to an address within a memory block. The access addresses are non-monotonically increasing or decreasing as a function of time. As the accesses are received, the prefetcher maintains a largest address and a smallest address of the accesses and counts of changes to the largest and smallest addresses and maintains a history of recently accessed cache lines implicated by the access addresses within the memory block. The prefetcher also determines a predominant access direction based on the counts and determines a predominant access pattern based on the history. The prefetcher also prefetches into the cache memory, in the predominant access direction according to the predominant access pattern, cache lines of the memory block which the history indicates have not been recently accessed.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 24, 2011Publication date: September 29, 2011Applicant: VIA Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Rodney E. Hooker, John Michael Greer
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Publication number: 20110035551Abstract: A microprocessor includes an instruction decoder for decoding a repeat prefetch indirect instruction that includes address operands used to calculate an address of a first entry in a prefetch table having a plurality of entries, each including a prefetch address. The repeat prefetch indirect instruction also includes a count specifying a number of cache lines to be prefetched. The memory address of each of the cache lines is specified by the prefetch address in one of the entries in the prefetch table. A count register, initially loaded with the count specified in the prefetch instruction, stores a remaining count of the cache lines to be prefetched. Control logic fetches the prefetch addresses of the cache lines from the table into the microprocessor and prefetches the cache lines from the system memory into a cache memory of the microprocessor using the count register and the prefetch addresses fetched from the table.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 15, 2009Publication date: February 10, 2011Inventors: Rodney E. Hooker, John Michael Greer
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Publication number: 20110010506Abstract: A data prefetcher includes a table of entries to maintain a history of load operations. Each entry stores a tag and a corresponding next stride. The tag comprises a concatenation of first and second strides. The next stride comprises the first stride. The first stride comprises a first cache line address subtracted from a second cache line address. The second stride comprises the second cache line address subtracted from a third cache line address. The first, second and third cache line addresses each comprise a memory address of a cache line implicated by respective first, second and third temporally preceding load operations. Control logic calculates a current stride by subtracting a previous cache line address from a new load cache line address, looks up in the table a concatenation of a previous stride and the current stride, and prefetches a cache line using the hitting table entry next stride.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 5, 2009Publication date: January 13, 2011Applicant: VIA Technologies, Inc.Inventors: John Michael Greer, Rodney E. Hooker, Albert J. Loper, JR.
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Publication number: 20100285847Abstract: A means of creation of joy and enjoyment plus self identification during the process of charging a cell phone.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 9, 2009Publication date: November 11, 2010Inventors: Sarah Ann Greer, Keith Michael Greer
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Patent number: 7255448Abstract: A display system includes a light source, a spatial light homogenizer, and imaging optics. The spatial light modulator has a plurality of modulator pixels. The display system also includes a pixelated plate illuminated by the light source. The pixelated plate has a plurality of individually defined pixels formed thereon. The spatial light modulator is in optical communication with the pixelated color management device by the imaging optics and each of the modulator pixels is associated with at least one of the individually defined pixels of the pixelated plate.Type: GrantFiled: October 20, 2004Date of Patent: August 14, 2007Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.Inventors: Michael Greer, David C. Collins, William J. Allen, Timothy F Myers
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Publication number: 20060082560Abstract: A display system includes a light source, a spatial light homogenizer, and imaging optics. The spatial light modulator has a plurality of modulator pixels. The display system also includes a pixelated plate illuminated by the light source. The pixelated plate has a plurality of individually defined pixels formed thereon. The spatial light modulator is in optical communication with the pixelated color management device by the imaging optics and each of the modulator pixels is associated with at least one of the individually defined pixels of the pixelated plate.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 20, 2004Publication date: April 20, 2006Inventors: Michael Greer, David Collins, William Allen, Timothy Myers
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Patent number: 6980346Abstract: A method and apparatus includes receiving light at an intensity modulator. Subsequently, the light is received at an intensity-color modulator that includes at least one Fabry-Perot filter having a tunable optical property.Type: GrantFiled: September 15, 2004Date of Patent: December 27, 2005Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.Inventors: Michael Greer, Arthur R. Piehl
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Publication number: 20050156715Abstract: An interface is provided for managing a plurality of tracked objects, each tracked object associated with a corresponding telemetry device. A request is received from a web browser for at least one action to be performed by the telemetry device. A message including information indicating the at least one action is transmitted, to the corresponding telemetry device. The web browser is configured to display at least one geographical map indication of at least one location of each tracked object.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 16, 2004Publication date: July 21, 2005Inventors: Jie Zou, Vamsi Uppalapati, Michael Greer, Norman Goering