Patents by Inventor Robert H. Bell
Robert H. Bell 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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Multicore Processor and Method of Use That Configures Core Functions Based on Executing Instructions
Publication number: 20170075690Abstract: A multiprocessor system having plural heterogeneous processing units schedules instruction sets for execution on a selected of the processing units by matching workload processing characteristics of processing units and the instruction sets. To establish an instruction set's processing characteristics, the homogeneous instruction set is executed on each of the plural processing units with one or more performance metrics tracked at each of the processing units to determine which processing unit most efficiently executes the instruction set. Instruction set workload processing characteristics are stored for reference in scheduling subsequent execution of the instruction set.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 23, 2016Publication date: March 16, 2017Inventors: Louis B. Capps, JR., Ronald E. Newhart, Thomas E. Cook, Robert H. Bell, JR., Michael J. Shapiro -
Patent number: 9582284Abstract: A method utilizes information provided by performance monitoring hardware to dynamically adjust the number of levels of speculative branch predictions allowed (typically 3 or 4 per thread) for a processor core. The information includes cycles-per-instruction (CPI) for the processor core and number of memory accesses per unit time. If the CPI is below a CPI threshold; and the number of memory accesses (NMA) per unit time is above a prescribed threshold, the number of levels of speculative branch predictions is reduced per thread for the processor core. Likewise, the number of levels of speculative branch predictions could be increased, from a low level to maximum allowed, if the CPI threshold is exceeded or the number of memory accesses per unit time is below the prescribed threshold.Type: GrantFiled: December 1, 2011Date of Patent: February 28, 2017Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Robert H. Bell, Jr., Wen-Tzer T. Chen
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Patent number: 9563559Abstract: Some embodiments of the inventive subject matter are directed to operations that include determining that an access request to a computer memory results in a cache miss. In some examples, the operations further include determining an amount of cache resources used to service additional cache misses that occurred within a period prior to the cache miss. Furthermore, in some examples, the operations further include servicing the access request to the computer memory based, at least in part, on the amount of the cache resources used to service the additional cache misses within the period prior to the cache miss.Type: GrantFiled: May 21, 2014Date of Patent: February 7, 2017Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Robert H. Bell, Jr., Hong L. Hua, William A. Maron, Mysore S. Srinivas
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Patent number: 9545278Abstract: The present invention relates to a series of orthopedic plates for use in repair of a bone. The plate has a Y-shaped profile or an X-shaped profile which includes an elongate central trunk with a complex contour and either one or two terminal pairs of arms that have a first arm and a second arm that form differing angles and lengths relative to the trunk portion of the plate. The arms include locking screw holes where the screws converge toward each other to provide for multiplanar fixation but which do not impinge.Type: GrantFiled: June 24, 2014Date of Patent: January 17, 2017Assignee: Orthohelix Surgical Designs, Inc.Inventors: Dustin Ducharme, Robert H. Bell, Bryan D. DenHartog, Rebecca F. Kocher, Anil K. Dutta, Thomas Bradley Edwards, David B. Kay, Andrew J. Leither, Derek S. Lewis, Lee A. Strnad, G. Martin Wynkoop
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Multicore processor and method of use that configures core functions based on executing instructions
Patent number: 9507640Abstract: A multiprocessor system having plural heterogeneous processing units schedules instruction sets for execution on a selected of the processing units by matching workload processing characteristics of processing units and the instruction sets. To establish an instruction set's processing characteristics, the homogeneous instruction set is executed on each of the plural processing units with one or more performance metrics tracked at each of the processing units to determine which processing unit most efficiently executes the instruction set. Instruction set workload processing characteristics are stored for reference in scheduling subsequent execution of the instruction set.Type: GrantFiled: December 16, 2008Date of Patent: November 29, 2016Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Louis B. Capps, Jr., Ronald E. Newhart, Thomas E. Cook, Robert H. Bell, Jr., Michael J. Shapiro -
Patent number: 9323527Abstract: A method, system and computer-usable medium are disclosed for managing transient instruction streams. Transient flags are defined in Branch-and-Link (BRL) instructions that are known to be infrequently executed. A bit is likewise set in a Special Purpose Register (SPR) of the hardware (e.g., a core) that is executing an instruction request thread. Subsequent fetches or prefetches in the request thread are treated as transient and are not written to lower-level caches. If an instruction is non-transient, and if a lower-level cache is non-inclusive of the L1 instruction cache, a fetch or prefetch miss that is obtained from memory may be written in both the L1 and the lower-level cache. If it is not inclusive, a cast-out from the L1 instruction cache may be written in the lower-level cache.Type: GrantFiled: October 15, 2010Date of Patent: April 26, 2016Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Robert H. Bell, Jr., Hong L. Hua, Ram Raghavan, Mysore S. Srinivas
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Patent number: 9317427Abstract: According to one aspect of the present disclosure a method and technique for managing memory access is disclosed. The method includes setting a memory databus utilization threshold for each of a plurality of processors of a data processing system to maintain memory databus utilization of the data processing system at or below a system threshold. The method also includes monitoring memory databus utilization for the plurality of processors and, in response to determining that memory databus utilization for at least one of the processors is below its threshold, reallocating at least a portion of unused databus utilization from the at least one processor to at least one of the other processors.Type: GrantFiled: October 14, 2014Date of Patent: April 19, 2016Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Donald R. DeSota, Rajendra D. Panda, Venkat R. Indukuru, Joseph H. Robichaux, Robert H. Bell, Jr., Steven P. Hartman
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Patent number: 9298458Abstract: A method, system and computer-usable medium are disclosed for managing transient instruction streams. Transient flags are defined in Branch-and-Link (BRL) instructions that are known to be infrequently executed. A bit is likewise set in a Special Purpose Register (SPR) of the hardware (e.g., a core) that is executing an instruction request thread. Subsequent fetches or prefetches in the request thread are treated as transient and are not written to lower-level caches. If an instruction is non-transient, and if a lower-level cache is non-inclusive of the L1 instruction cache, a fetch or prefetch miss that is obtained from memory may be written in both the L1 and the lower-level cache. If it is not inclusive, a cast-out from the L1 instruction cache may be written in the lower-level cache.Type: GrantFiled: March 22, 2012Date of Patent: March 29, 2016Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Robert H. Bell, Jr., Hong L. Hua, Ram Raghavan, Mysore S. Srinivas
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Patent number: 9247003Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for determining server write activity levels to use to adjust write cache size. Server write activity information on server write activity to the cache is gathered. The server write activity information is processed to determine a server write activity level comprising one of multiple write activity levels indicating a level of write activity. The determined server write activity level is transmitted to a storage server having a write cache, wherein the storage server uses the determined server write activity level to determine whether to adjust a size of the storage server write cache.Type: GrantFiled: January 27, 2015Date of Patent: January 26, 2016Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Robert H. Bell, Jr., Michael D. Roll, Olga Yiparaki
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Patent number: 9144443Abstract: The present invention relates to a series of orthopedic plates for use in repair of a clavicle. The plate has a Y-shaped profile or an X-shaped profile which includes an elongate central trunk with a complex contour and wither one or two terminal pairs of arms that have a first arm and a second arm that form differing angles and lengths relative to the trunk portion of the plate. The arms include locking screw holes where the screws converge toward each other to provide for multiplanar fixation but which do not impinge.Type: GrantFiled: January 12, 2012Date of Patent: September 29, 2015Assignee: ORTHOHELIX SURGICAL DESIGNS, INC.Inventors: Andrew J. Leither, Derek S. Lewis, Rebecca F. Kocher, Bryan D. Den Hartog, Thomas Bradley Edwards, Anil K. Dutta, Robert H. Bell, Dustin Ducharme
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Patent number: 9135142Abstract: A performance projection system includes a test IHS and a currently existing IHS. The performance projection system includes surrogate programs and user application software. The test IHS employs a memory that includes a virtual future IHS, currently existing IHS, surrogate programs, and user application software for determination of runtime and HW counter performance data. The user application software and surrogate programs execute on the currently existing MS to provide designers with runtime data and HW counter or microarchitecture dependent data. Designers execute surrogate programs on the future IHS to provide runtime and HW counter data. Designers normalize and weight the runtime and HW counter data to provide a representative surrogate program for comparison to user application software performance on the future IHS. Using a scaling factor, designers may generate a projection of runtime performance for the user application software executing on the future IHS.Type: GrantFiled: December 24, 2008Date of Patent: September 15, 2015Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Robert H. Bell, Jr., Luigi Brochard, Donald Robert DeSota, Venkat R. Indukuru, Rajendra D. Panda, Sameh S. Sharkawi
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Patent number: 9098351Abstract: A job scheduler can select a processor core operating frequency for a node in a cluster to perform a job based on energy usage and performance data. After a job request is received, an energy aware job scheduler accesses data that specifies energy usage and job performance metrics that correspond to the requested job and a plurality of processor core operating frequencies. A first of the plurality of processor core operating frequencies is selected that satisfies an energy usage criterion for performing the job based, at least in part, on the data that specifies energy usage and job performance metrics that correspond to the job. The job is assigned to be performed by a node in the cluster at the selected first of the plurality of processor core operating frequencies.Type: GrantFiled: November 19, 2013Date of Patent: August 4, 2015Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Robert H. Bell, Jr., Luigi Brochard, Donald R. DeSota, Rajendra D. Panda, Francois Thomas
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Patent number: 9065840Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for determining server write activity levels to use to adjust write cache size. Information on server write activity to the cache is gathered. The gathered information on write activity is processed to determine a server write activity level comprising one of multiple write activity levels indicating a level of write activity. The determined server write activity level is transmitted to a storage server having a write cache, wherein the storage server uses the determined server write activity level to determine whether to adjust a size of the storage server write cache.Type: GrantFiled: May 23, 2012Date of Patent: June 23, 2015Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Robert H. Bell, Jr., Michael D. Roll, Olga Yiparaki
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Publication number: 20150142907Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for determining server write activity levels to use to adjust write cache size. Server write activity information on server write activity to the cache is gathered. The server write activity information is processed to determine a server write activity level comprising one of multiple write activity levels indicating a level of write activity. The determined server write activity level is transmitted to a storage server having a write cache, wherein the storage server uses the determined server write activity level to determine whether to adjust a size of the storage server write cache.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 27, 2015Publication date: May 21, 2015Inventors: Robert H. Bell, JR., Michael D. Roll, Olga Yiparaki
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Patent number: 9009406Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for determining server write activity levels to use to adjust write cache size. Information on server write activity to the cache is gathered. The gathered information on write activity is processed to determine a server write activity level comprising one of multiple write activity levels indicating a level of write activity. The determined server write activity level is transmitted to a storage server having a write cache, wherein the storage server uses the determined server write activity level to determine whether to adjust a size of the storage server write cache.Type: GrantFiled: December 10, 2010Date of Patent: April 14, 2015Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Robert H. Bell, Michael D. Roll, Olga Yiparaki
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Patent number: 8959286Abstract: A storage subsystem combining solid state drive (SSD) and hard disk drive (HDD) technologies provides low access latency and low complexity. Separate free lists are maintained for the SSD and the HDD and blocks of file system data are stored uniquely on either the SSD or the HDD. When a read access is made to the subsystem, if the data is present on the SSD, the data is returned, but if the block is present on the HDD, it is migrated to the SSD and the block on the HDD is returned to the HDD free list. On a write access, if the block is present in the either the SSD or HDD, the block is overwritten, but if the block is not present in the subsystem, the block is written to the HDD.Type: GrantFiled: April 1, 2013Date of Patent: February 17, 2015Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Robert H. Bell, Jr., Men-Chow Chiang, Hong L. Hua, Mysore S. Srinivas
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Publication number: 20150032977Abstract: According to one aspect of the present disclosure a method and technique for managing memory access is disclosed. The method includes setting a memory databus utilization threshold for each of a plurality of processors of a data processing system to maintain memory databus utilization of the data processing system at or below a system threshold. The method also includes monitoring memory databus utilization for the plurality of processors and, in response to determining that memory databus utilization for at least one of the processors is below its threshold, reallocating at least a portion of unused databus utilization from the at least one processor to at least one of the other processors.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 14, 2014Publication date: January 29, 2015Inventors: Donald R. DeSota, Rajendra D. Panda, Venkat R. Indukuru, Joseph H. Robichaux, Robert H. Bell, JR., Steven P. Hartman
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Patent number: 8943272Abstract: According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a method and technique for variable cache line size management is disclosed. The method includes: determining whether an eviction of a cache line from an upper level sectored cache to an unsectored lower level cache is to be performed, wherein the upper level cache includes a plurality of sub-sectors, each sub-sector having a cache line size corresponding to a cache line size of the lower level cache; responsive to determining that an eviction is to be performed, identifying referenced sub-sectors of the cache line to be evicted; invalidating unreferenced sub-sectors of the cache line to be evicted; and storing the referenced sub-sectors in the lower level cache.Type: GrantFiled: April 20, 2012Date of Patent: January 27, 2015Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Robert H. Bell, Jr., Wen-Tzer T. Chen, Diane G. Flemming, Hong L. Hua, William A. Maron, Mysore S. Srinivas
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Patent number: 8935478Abstract: According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a system and technique for variable cache line size management is disclosed. The system includes a processor and a cache hierarchy, where the cache hierarchy includes a sectored upper level cache and an unsectored lower level cache, and wherein the upper level cache includes a plurality of sub-sectors, each sub-sector having a cache line size corresponding to a cache line size of the lower level cache. The system also includes logic executable to, responsive to determining that a cache line from the upper level cache is to be evicted to the lower level cache: identify referenced sub-sectors of the cache line to be evicted; invalidate unreferenced sub-sectors of the cache line to be evicted; and store the referenced sub-sectors in the lower level cache.Type: GrantFiled: November 1, 2011Date of Patent: January 13, 2015Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Robert H. Bell, Jr., Wen-Tzer T. Chen, Diane G. Flemming, Hong L. Hua, William A. Maron, Mysore S. Srinivas
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Patent number: 8898674Abstract: According to one aspect of the present disclosure a system and computer program product for managing memory access is disclosed. The system includes a plurality of memory controllers each configured to maintain memory databus utilization by a corresponding processor at or below a threshold to maintain memory databus utilization of the system at or below a system threshold. The system also includes a service processor configured to receive memory databus utilization data from the memory controllers and programmed to, in response to determining that memory databus utilization for at least one of the processors is below its threshold, reallocate at least a portion of unused databus utilization from the at least one processor to at least one of the other processors.Type: GrantFiled: December 23, 2009Date of Patent: November 25, 2014Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Donald R. Desota, Rajendra D. Panda, Venkat R. Indukuru, Joseph H. Robichaux, Robert H. Bell, Jr., Steven P. Hartman