Patents by Inventor Randal Q. Thornley

Randal Q. Thornley 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: 8754684
    Abstract: A delay-locked loop (DLL) involves a pulse generating circuit that generates first and second pulses from an input clock signal. The second pulse is generated one clock signal period later than the first pulse. The first pulse is supplied to the input of a delay line. An edge of a delayed version of the first pulse as output from the delay line is phase-aligned with respect to a corresponding edge of the undelayed second pulse such that the DLL locks. The sending of pulses through the delay line of the DLL rather than clock signals having more edges per unit time helps reduce DLL aliasing problems and reduces the amount of switching in the delay line, thereby reducing power. consumption. A compact segmented delay line construction allows an input signal of arbitrary wave shape to be delayed by a fraction of the clock signal period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: IXYS CH GmbH
    Inventors: Russell B. Lloyd, Randal Q. Thornley
  • Patent number: 6970993
    Abstract: The present invention provides a memory architecture allowing for instructions of variable length to be stored without wasted memory spaces. Instructions of one, two, and three bytes can all be retrieved in a single fetch. The exemplary embodiment divides the memory block into two ×16 memories having some special addressing circuitry. This structure logically arranges the memory into a number of rows, each of four byte-wide columns. To the first of these ×16 memories, the full address is provided. If the address is within the two columns of the second ×16 memory, the full address is also provided to the second ×16 memory. If the address is to the first of the ×16 memories, the second ×16 memory instead receives the portion of the address specifying the row with one added to it. This results in a dual row access with the last one or two bytes of 3-byte instruction being supplied by the row above the first byte.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2005
    Assignee: ZiLOG, Inc.
    Inventors: Bruce L. Troutman, Russell B. Lloyd, Randal Q. Thornley
  • Publication number: 20040049652
    Abstract: The present invention provides a memory architecture allowing for instructions of variable length to be stored without wasted memory spaces. Instructions of one, two, and three bytes can all be retrieved in a single fetch. The exemplary embodiment divides the memory block into two ×16 memories having some special addressing circuitry. This structure logically arranges the memory into a number of rows, each of four byte-wide columns. To the first of these ×16 memories, the full address is provided. If the address is within the two columns of the second ×16 memory, the full address is also provided to the second ×16 memory. If the address is to the first of the ×16 memories, the second ×16 memory instead receives the portion of the address specifying the row with one added to it. This results in a dual row access with the last one or two bytes of 3-byte instruction being supplied by the row above the first byte.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2003
    Publication date: March 11, 2004
    Inventors: Bruce L. Troutman, Russell B. Lloyd, Randal Q. Thornley
  • Patent number: 6643760
    Abstract: The present invention provides a memory architecture allowing for instructions of variable length to be stored without wasted memory spaces. Instructions of one, two, and three bytes can all be retrieved in a single fetch. The exemplary embodiment divides the memory block into two ×16 memories having some special addressing circuitry. This structure logically arranges the memory into a number of rows, each of four byte-wide columns. To the first of these ×16 memories, the full address is provided. If the address is within the two columns of the second ×16 memory, the full address is also provided to the second ×16 memory. If the address is to the first of the ×16 memories, the second ×16 memory instead receives the portion of the address specifying the row with one added to it. This results in a dual row access with the last one or two bytes of 3-byte instruction being supplied by the row above the first byte.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2003
    Assignee: ZiLog, Inc.
    Inventors: Bruce L. Troutman, Russell B. Lloyd, Randal Q. Thornley
  • Publication number: 20030126399
    Abstract: The present invention provides a memory architecture allowing for instructions of variable length to be stored without wasted memory spaces. Instructions of one, two, and three bytes can all be retrieved in a single fetch. The exemplary embodiment divides the memory block into two x16 memories having some special addressing circuitry. This structure logically arranges the memory into a number of rows, each of four byte-wide columns. To the first of these x16 memories, the full address is provided. If the address is within the two columns of the second x16 memory; the full address is also provided to the second x16 memory. If the address is to the first of the x16 memories, the second x16 memory instead receives the portion of the address specifying the row with one added to it. This results in a dual row access with the last one or two bytes of 3-byte instruction being supplied by the row above the first byte.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2001
    Publication date: July 3, 2003
    Inventors: Bruce L. Troutman, Russell B. Lloyd, Randal Q. Thornley