Abstract: A device for aggregating flash modules includes a switch to connect to a plurality of servers and a midplane to connect to a plurality of flash modules. The switch and midplane are connected such that the switch can route data traffic to any of the plurality of flash modules, and the plurality of servers can connect to the plurality of flash modules transparently, as if a flash module was directly installed into a server.

Abstract: An apparatus for keeping a VPN session alive on a portable computer system such as a laptop computer includes a processor that executes instructions that implement application software. The laptop computer system also includes a wireless module that may communicate with a wireless network such as a wireless wide area network including wireless telephone networks, for example. In addition, the wireless module may establish a virtual private network (VPN) connection with a computer network via the wireless network. The wireless module includes a processing unit that may execute instructions that cause information to be transmitted to a host portion of the virtual private network connection at one or more predetermined times.

Abstract: An apparatus for logging and reporting network parameters within a portable communication device that includes a processor and a wireless module that may communicate with a wireless network such as a wireless telephone network, for example, via a wireless connection. The wireless module may determine characteristic information associated with the wireless connection and may provide the characteristic information to the processor. The processor may format the characteristic information for transmission and then transmit the formatted characteristic information to the wireless network. In addition, the processor may store the characteristic information within the portable communication device for future aggregation and transmission.

Abstract: A portable computer system such as a laptop computer, for example, includes a first processor that may execute instructions corresponding to application software during a first mode of operation. The portable computer system also includes a second processor that may execute the instructions during a second mode of operation. The first processor and the second processor may be heterogeneous processors. Further, operation of the first processor and the second processor in the first mode and the second mode may be dependent upon which of a plurality of system preferences have been selected.

Abstract: A portable computer system such as a laptop computer, for example, includes a first processor that may execute instructions corresponding to application software during a first mode of operation. The portable computer system also includes a second processor that may execute the instructions during a second mode of operation. The first processor and the second processor may be heterogeneous processors. Further, operation of the first processor and the second processor in the first mode and the second mode may be dependent upon which of a plurality of system preferences have been selected.

Abstract: A portable computer system such as a laptop computer, for example, includes a processor and a wireless module. The wireless module may establish a wireless connection to a wireless network and may receive video data such as an MBMS video stream, for example, via one or more wireless channels. The portable computer system also includes a first display and a second display. The second display having a lower resolution than the first display, may display first video images associated with the video data. Upon request by a user of the portable computer system, the wireless module may further receive enhancement video data via one or more additional wireless channels (e.g., side channels) of the wireless connection. The first display may display second video images associated with a combination of the video data and the enhancement video data. The second video images have a higher resolution than the first video images.

Abstract: An apparatus for logging and reporting network parameters within a portable communication device that includes a processor and a wireless module that may communicate with a wireless network such as a wireless telephone network, for example, via a wireless connection. The wireless module may determine characteristic information associated with the wireless connection and may provide the characteristic information to the processor. The processor may format the characteristic information for transmission and then transmit the formatted characteristic information to the wireless network. In addition, the processor may store the characteristic information within the portable communication device for future aggregation and transmission.

Abstract: A portable computer system such as a laptop computer system includes a processor coupled to a wireless module that may communicate with a computer network via a connection to a wireless network. In addition, portable computer system includes an authentication unit that may be coupled to the wireless module and configured to generate and provide authentication information to the wireless module. The wireless module may be further configured to provide the authentication information to the computer network in response to a challenge from the computer network during a initiation of the connection to the computer network without intervention of the processor. In addition, the wireless module may enable features such as authenticating a remote admin-level user, which may further enable that user to perform security related functions through the wireless module.

Abstract: A portable computer system such as a laptop computer, for example, includes a computing subsystem and a wireless subsystem. The computing subsystem includes a processor that may execute instructions that implement application software. The computing subsystem also includes a memory that is coupled to the processor and may be configured to store the instructions. The wireless subsystem includes a processing unit that may execute instructions and perform functions that are associated with providing a wireless connection to a wireless network such as a wireless telephone network. The processor may execute instructions that may configure and manage operation of the wireless subsystem.

Abstract: An apparatus for keeping a VPN session alive on a portable computer system such as a laptop computer includes a processor that executes instructions that implement application software. The laptop computer system also includes a wireless module that may communicate with a wireless network such as a wireless wide area network including wireless telephone networks, for example. In addition, the wireless module may establish a virtual private network (VPN) connection with a computer network via the wireless network. The wireless module includes a processing unit that may execute instructions that cause information to be transmitted to a host portion of the virtual private network connection at one or more predetermined times.

Abstract: A portable computer system including wireless communication functionality and global geographic positioning functionality includes a processor coupled to a wireless module, and a global positioning unit coupled to the wireless module and the processor. The wireless module may communicate with a wireless network via a wireless connection. The global positioning unit may be configured to receive geographic location information and to determine a current geographic location of the portable computer system based upon the received geographic location information. The processor may execute system software that may be configured to reconfigure system configuration settings such as security and authentication settings, and system clock settings, for example, dependent upon changes in the current geographic location information. In addition, an authenticated administrative level user may send one or more commands to the wireless module. The commands may cause a system storage to be made unreadable.

Abstract: A method and system of controlling out of order execution pipelines using pipeline skew parameters is disclosed. The pipeline skew parameters track the relative position of a load/store instruction in a load/store pipeline and a simultaneously issued integer instruction in a variable length integer pipeline. The pipeline skew parameters are used to improve data hazard detection, pipeline stalling, and instruction cancellation.

Abstract: A polystyrene foam article and methods for producing the polystyrene foam article having a coating for reducing abrasiveness are disclosed. The reduced abrasiveness prevents scratching of surfaces in direct contact with the polystyrene foam article. The coating is applied to either a second surface area of an expanded polystyrene bead or an outer surface area of the polystyrene foam article. The coating may be any polymeric wax that reduces the abrasiveness of the polystyrene foam article.

Abstract: A thread selection unit for a block multi-threaded processor includes a priority thread selector and an execution thread selector. The priority thread selector uses a maxtime register for each active thread to limit the time an active thread can be the priority thread. The execution thread selector is configured to select the priority thread as the execution thread when the priority thread is unblocked. However, if the priority thread is blocked, the execution thread selector selects a non-priority thread as the execution thread.

Abstract: A multithreaded processor includes a thread ID for each set of fetched bits in an instruction fetch and issue unit. The thread ID attaches to the instructions and operands of the set of fetched bits. Pipeline stages in the multithreaded processor stores the thread ID associated with each operand or instruction in the pipeline stage. The thread ID are used to maintain data coherency and to generate program traces that include thread information for the instructions executed by the multithreaded processor.

Abstract: A multithreaded processor includes a thread ID for each set of fetched bits in an instruction fetch and issue unit. The thread ID attaches to the instructions and operands of the set of fetched bits. Pipeline stages in the multithreaded processor stores the thread ID associated with each operand or instruction in the pipeline stage. The thread ID are used to maintain data coherency and to generate program traces that include thread information for the instructions executed by the multithreaded processor.

Abstract: A microprocessor system includes a multi-bank memory having a first memory bank and a second memory bank, a muxing circuit, a CPU and a DMA controller. The muxing circuit allows the CPU to access one of the memory bank while allowing the DMA controller access to the other memory bank at the same time. Thus, the microprocessor system needs to process multiple data sets, the CPU can be processing a first data set in the first memory bank while the DMA controller is writing a second data set in the second memory bank. When the CPU is finished processing the first data set and the DMA controller is finished writing the second data set, the muxing circuit is reconfigured so that the CPU can process the second data set in the second memory bank and the DMA controller can write a third data set in the first memory bank.

Abstract: A variable length instruction pipeline includes optional expansion stages that can be included in the variable length instruction pipeline to avoid pipeline stalls. The expansion stages are removed from the variable length instruction pipeline when not needed to reduce the length of the pipeline, which reduces latency and other problems associated with long pipelines. For example, in one embodiment of the present invention, a variable length instruction pipeline includes a first pipeline stage, a first expansion stage, and a second pipeline stage. The second pipeline stage is configured to selectively receive instructions from the first pipeline stage or the first expansion stage if the first expansion stage holds an instruction.

Abstract: A multiple virtual processor (MVP) system using a special “YIELD” machine instruction inserted into a thread (virtual processor) at a selected point to trigger an immediate thread change (i.e., transfer of physical processor control to another thread). When the physical processor processes a YIELD instruction, the task thread surrenders control of the physical processor, and an otherwise idle thread is selected by a thread scheduling mechanism of the MVP system for loading into the physical processor. In one embodiment, the YIELD instruction includes an input operand that identifies the hardware signal on which the issuing thread intends to wait, and a result operand indicating the reason for reactivation.

Abstract: A real-time, multi-threaded embedded system includes rules for handling traps and interrupts to avoid problems such as priority inversion and re-entrancy. By defining a global interrupt priority value for all active threads and only accepting interrupts having a priority higher than the interrupt priority value, priority inversion can be avoided. Switching to the same thread before any interrupt servicing, and disabling interrupts and thread switching during interrupt servicing can simplify the interrupt handling logic. By storing trap background data for traps and servicing traps only in their originating threads, trap traceability can be preserved. By disabling interrupts and thread switching during trap servicing, unintended trap re-entrancy and servicing disruption can be prevented.