Patents by Inventor Robert C. Swanson

Robert C. Swanson 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: 9210148
    Abstract: An embodiment includes a secure and stable method for sending information across a compute continuum. For example, the method may include executing an application (e.g., video player) on a first node (e.g., tablet) with a desire to perform “context migration” to a second node (e.g., desktop). This may allow a user to watch a movie on the tablet, stop watching the movie, and then resume watching the movie from the desktop. To do so in a secure and stable manner, the first node may request security and performance credentials from the second node. If both credential sets satisfy thresholds, the first node may transfer content (e.g., encrypted copy of a movie) and state information (e.g., placeholder indicating where the movie was when context transfer began). The second node may then allow the user to resume his or her movie watching from the desktop. Other embodiments are described herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Mallik Bulusu, Robert Bahnsen, Vincent J. Zimmer, Robert S. Gittins, Robert C. Swanson
  • Publication number: 20150277937
    Abstract: Technologies for managing image discovery includes a server controller to cause a server to enter a pre-boot state. The server controller communicates with the server while the server maintains the pre-boot state to determine identification data of the server in response to a transitioning the server to the pre-boot state. The server controller identifies a boot image of the server based on the identification data of the server and associates the server with the identified boot image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2014
    Publication date: October 1, 2015
    Inventors: Robert C. Swanson, Mallik Bulusu, Vincent J. Zimmer, Robert W. Cone, Robert B. Bahnsen
  • Publication number: 20150278068
    Abstract: Platform controller, computer-readable storage media, and methods associated with initialization of a computing device. In embodiments, a platform controller may comprise a boot controller and one or more non-volatile memory modules, coupled with the boot controller. In embodiments, the one or more non-volatile memory modules may have first instructions and second instructions stored thereon. The first instructions may, when executed by a processor of a computing device hosting the platform controller, cause initialization of the computing device. The second instructions, when executed by the boot controller, may cause the boot controller to monitor at least a portion of the execution of the first instructions by the computing device and may generate a trace of the monitored portion of the execution of the first instructions. In embodiments, the trace may be stored in the one or more non-volatile memory modules. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2014
    Publication date: October 1, 2015
    Inventors: Robert C. Swanson, C. Brendan Traw, Vincent J. Zimmer, Mallik Bulusu, John R. Lindsley, Mahesh S. Natu, Dimitrios Ziakas, Robert W. Cone, Madhusudhan Rangarajan, Babak Nikjou, Kirk D. Brannock, Russell J. Wunderlich, Miles F. Schwartz, Stephen S. Pawlowski
  • Publication number: 20150281237
    Abstract: Embodiments of multinode hubs for trust operations are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, a multinode hub may include a plurality of memory regions, a trapping module, and a trusted platform module (TPM) component. Each memory region may be associated with and receive trust operation data from a coherent computing node. The trapping module may generate trap notifications in response to accesses to the plurality of memory regions by the associated coherent computing nodes. The trap notifications may indicate which of the plurality of memory locations has been accessed, and the TPM component may process the trust operation data in a memory region indicated by a trap notification. Other embodiments may be disclosed and/or claimed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2014
    Publication date: October 1, 2015
    Inventors: Robert C. Swanson, Daniel Nemiroff, Vincent J. Zimmer, Mallik Bulusu, John R. Lindsley, Robert W. Cone, Malay Trivedi, Piotr Kwidzinski
  • Publication number: 20150212828
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus relating to pre-OS (pre Operating System) image rewriting to provide cross-architecture support, security introspection, and/or performance optimization are described. In an embodiment, logic rewrites a non-native firmware interface driver into a native firmware interface driver in response to a determination that sufficient space is available in an integrity cache storage device to store the native firmware interface driver. The logic rewrites the non-native firmware interface driver into the native firmware interface driver by performing one or more of its operations during operating system runtime. Other embodiments are also claimed and described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2013
    Publication date: July 30, 2015
    Applicant: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Vincent J. Zimmer, Michael A. Rothman, Robert B. Bahnsen, Robert C. Swanson
  • Patent number: 9075751
    Abstract: Generally, this disclosure provides methods and systems for secure data protection with improved read-only memory locking during system pre-boot including protection of Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) tables. The methods may include selecting a region of system memory to be protected, the selection occurring in response to a system reset state and performed by a trusted control block (TCB) comprising a trusted basic input/output system (BIOS); programming an address decoder circuit to configure the selected region as read-write; moving data to be secured to the selected region; programming the address decoder circuit to configure the selected region as read-only; and locking the read-only configuration in the address decoder circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Palsamy Sakthikumar, Vincent J. Zimmer, Robert C. Swanson, Eswaramoorthi Nallusamy
  • Patent number: 9063836
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to protect segments of memory are disclosed herein. An example method includes intercepting an interrupt request indicating an error; determining whether a first segment of memory is corrupt, the first segment of memory being designated as a protected region of memory; when the protected region of memory is corrupt, repairing the corrupted region of memory using a parity block of code; and in response to validating the protected region of memory, generating an interrupt enabling a utilization of code stored in the protected region of memory to handle the error associated with the interrupt request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: INTEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Robert C. Swanson, Eric R. Wehage, Vincent J. Zimmer, Mallik Bulusu
  • Patent number: 9037903
    Abstract: An apparatus and method are described for performing partial memory mirroring operations. For example, one embodiment of a processor comprises: a processor core for generating a read or write transaction having a system memory address; a home agent identified to service the read or write transaction based on the system memory address; one or more target address decoders (TADs) associated with the home agent to determine whether the system memory address is within a mirrored memory region or a non-mirrored memory region, wherein: if the system memory address is within a mirrored memory region, then the one or more TADs identifying multiple mirrored memory channels for the read or write transaction; and if the system memory address is not within a mirrored memory region, then the one or more TADs identifying a single memory channel for the read or write transaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Herbert H Hum, Ganesh Kumar, Robert C Swanson, David Bubien
  • Patent number: 9015268
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure include systems, apparatuses, and methods that relate to remote, direct access of solid-state storage. In some embodiments, a network interface component (NIC) of a server may access a solid-state storage module of the server by a network storage access link that bypasses a central processing unit (CPU) and main memory of the server. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Robert C. Swanson, Vincent J. Zimmer, Mallik Bulusu
  • Publication number: 20150089249
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a power management controller is to receive thread information from a scheduler, where the thread information includes thread priority information for a thread scheduled to a core of a multicore processor. The power management controller is further to receive power consumption information from a power controller and to determine a power management action to be taken by the power controller on at least one core based at least in part on the thread priority information. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2013
    Publication date: March 26, 2015
    Inventors: William R. Hannon, David P. Larsen, Robert C. Swanson
  • Patent number: 8965749
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, system, and computer program product for secure server system management. A payload containing system software and/or firmware updates is distributed in an on-demand, secure I/O operation. The I/O operation is performed via a secured communication channel inaccessible by the server operating system to an emulated USB drive. The secure communication channel can be established for the I/O operation only after authenticating the recipient of the payload, and the payload can be protected from access by a potentially-infected server operating system. Furthermore, the payload can be delivered on demand rather than relying on a BIOS update schedule, and the payload can be delivered at speeds of a write operation to a USB drive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Palsamy Sakthikumar, Michael A. Rothman, Vincent J. Zimmer, Robert C. Swanson, Mallik Bulusu
  • Publication number: 20150052389
    Abstract: Technologies for providing manageability redundancy for micro server and clustered System-on-a-Chip (SoC) deployments are presented. A configurable multi-processor apparatus may include multiple integrated circuit (IC) blocks where each IC block includes a task block to perform one or more assignable task functions and a management block to perform management functions with respect to the corresponding IC block. Each task block and each management block may include one or more instruction processors and corresponding memory. Each IC block may be controllable to perform a function of one or more other IC blocks. The IC blocks may communicate with each other via a management communication infrastructure that may include a communication path from each of the management blocks to each of the other management blocks. Via the management communication infrastructure, the management blocks may bridge communication paths between pairs of management blocks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2013
    Publication date: February 19, 2015
    Inventors: Robert C. Swanson, Mariusz Oriol, Janusz Jurski, Piotr Sawicki, Robert W. Cone, William J. O'Sullivan, Mariusz Stepka, Babak Nikjou, Madhusudhan Rangarajan, Pawel Szymanski, Piotr Kwidzinski, Robert Bahnsen, Mallik Bulusu
  • Publication number: 20150006962
    Abstract: A viral condition is identified in a system that causes input/output operations to be restricted during the viral condition. Crash dump data is enabled to be written to a particular region of volatile memory during the viral condition. Further, extraction of the crash dump data to fixed memory is initiated during the viral condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2013
    Publication date: January 1, 2015
    Inventors: Robert C. Swanson, Robert W. Cone, Madhusudhan Rangarajan, Mallik Bulusu, Robert Bahnsen
  • Publication number: 20140281637
    Abstract: In one embodiment a controller comprises logic to determine whether an electronic device is operating in a low power state and in response to a determination that the electronic device is operating in a low power state, implement a memory state management routine which reduces power to at least a section of volatile memory in the memory system. Other embodiments may be described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Inventors: ROBERT B. BAHNSEN, KANIVENAHALLI GOVINDARAJU, ROBERT C. SWANSON, MALLIK BULUSU
  • Publication number: 20140189417
    Abstract: An apparatus and method are described for performing partial memory mirroring operations. For example, one embodiment of a processor comprises: a processor core for generating a read or write transaction having a system memory address; a home agent identified to service the read or write transaction based on the system memory address; one or more target address decoders (TADs) associated with the home agent to determine whether the system memory address is within a mirrored memory region or a non-mirrored memory region, wherein: if the system memory address is within a mirrored memory region, then the one or more TADs identifying multiple mirrored memory channels for the read or write transaction; and if the system memory address is not within a mirrored memory region, then the one or more TADs identifying a single memory channel for the read or write transaction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2012
    Publication date: July 3, 2014
    Inventors: Herbert H. Hum, Ganesh Kumar, Robert C. Swanson, David Bubien
  • Patent number: 8751864
    Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention provides an ability to handle an error occurring during a memory migration operation in a high availability system. In addition, a method can be used to dynamically remap a memory page stored in a non-mirrored memory region of memory to a mirrored memory region. This dynamic remapping may be responsive to a determination that the memory page has been accessed more than a threshold number of times, indicating a criticality of information on the page. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Robert C. Swanson, Mahesh S. Natu, Rahul Khanna, Murugasamy K. Nachimuthu, Sarathy Jayakumar, Anil S. Keshavamurthy, Narayan Ranganathan
  • Patent number: 8688812
    Abstract: A network interface card with read-only memory having at least a micro-kernel of a cluster computing operation system, a server formed with such network interface card, and a computing cluster formed with such servers are disclosed herein. In various embodiments, on transfer, after an initial initialization phase during an initialization of a server, the network interface card loads the cluster computing operation system into system memory of the server, to enable the server, in conjunction with other similarly provisioned servers to form a computing cluster. Other embodiments are also disclosed and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Robert C. Swanson, Mallik Bulusu, Vincent J. Zimmer, Palsamy Sakthikumar, Michael A. Rothman
  • Publication number: 20140068275
    Abstract: In accordance with some embodiments, a single trusted platform module per platform may be used to handle conventional trusted platform tasks as well as those that would arise prior to the existence of a primary trusted platform module in conventional systems. Thus one single trusted platform module may handle measurements of all aspects of the platform including the baseboard management controller. In some embodiments, a management engine image is validated using a read only memory embedded in a chipset such as a platform controller hub, as the root of trust. Before the baseboard management controller (BMC) is allowed to boot, it must validate the integrity of its flash memory. But the BMC image may be stored in a memory coupled to a platform controller hub (PCH) in a way that it can be validated by the PCH.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2012
    Publication date: March 6, 2014
    Inventors: Robert C. Swanson, Palsamy Sakthikumar, Mallik Bulusu, Robert Bruce Bahnsen
  • Publication number: 20140047174
    Abstract: Generally, this disclosure provides methods and systems for secure data protection with improved read-only memory locking during system pre-boot including protection of Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) tables. The methods may include selecting a region of system memory to be protected, the selection occurring in response to a system reset state and performed by a trusted control block (TCB) comprising a trusted basic input/output system (BIOS); programming an address decoder circuit to configure the selected region as read-write; moving data to be secured to the selected region; programming the address decoder circuit to configure the selected region as read-only; and locking the read-only configuration in the address decoder circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2012
    Publication date: February 13, 2014
    Inventors: Palsamy Sakthikumar, Vincent J. Zimmer, Robert C. Swanson, Eswaramoorthi Nallusamy
  • Patent number: 8649818
    Abstract: A software-defined radio (SDR) capability may be provided in a general purpose, many core processing system by sequestering one or more partitions running on one or more cores and instantiating a communications capability by having discrete SDR functions performed by the sequestered partitions. Each SDR module embodied in a sequestered partition may be independently upgraded without modifying the hardware of the underlying processing system. By executing SDR modules in cores not accessible by application programs and/or an operating system (OS), a better Quality of Service (QoS) may be provided for wireless communications on the general purpose, multi-core processing system. An embodiment comprises isolating a core of a many core processing system as a sequestered partition, loading a software-defined radio module onto the core, and executing the software-defined module to implement wireless communications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Vincent J. Zimmer, Michael A. Rothman, Palsamy Sakthikumar, Mallik Bulusu, Robert C. Swanson