Patents by Inventor Rodney J. Drake

Rodney J. Drake 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: 6321319
    Abstract: A system for allowing a two word jump instruction to be executed in the same number of cycles as a single word jump instruction, thereby allowing a processor system to increase memory space without reducing performance. A first address bus is coupled to the linearized program memory for sending addresses of instructions to be fetched to a linearized program memory. A pointer is coupled to the first address bus for storing an address location of a current instruction in the linearized program memory to be fetched and for placing the address location of the current instruction to be fetched on the first address bus. A second address bus is provided and has one end coupled to the output of the program memory and a second end coupled to the first address bus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2001
    Assignee: Microchip Technology Incorporated
    Inventors: Rodney J. Drake, Randy L. Yach, Joseph W. Triece, Jennifer Chiao, Igor Wojewoda, Steve Allen
  • Patent number: 6243798
    Abstract: A system for allowing a two word jump instruction to be executed in the same number of cycles as a single word jump instruction, thereby allowing a processor system to increase memory space without reducing performance. A first address bus is coupled to the linearized program memory for sending addresses of instructions to be fetched to a linearized program memory. A pointer is coupled to the first address bus for storing an address location of a current instruction in the linearized program memory to be fetched and for placing the address location of the current instruction to be fetched on the first address bus. A second address bus is provided and has one end coupled to the output of the program memory and a second end coupled to the first address bus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2001
    Assignee: Microchip Technology Incorporated
    Inventors: Rodney J. Drake, Randy L. Yach, Joseph W. Triece, Jennifer Chiao, Igor Wojewoda, Steve Allen
  • Publication number: 20010001869
    Abstract: A system for allowing a two word instruction to be executed in a single cycle thereby allowing a processor system to increase memory space without reducing performance. A first address bus is coupled to the linearized program memory for sending addresses of instructions to be fetched to a linearized program memory. A pointer is coupled to the first address bus for storing an address location of a current instruction in the linearized program memory to be fetched and for placing the address location of the current instruction to be fetched on the first address bus. A second address bus is provided and has one end coupled to the output of the program memory and a second end coupled to the first address bus. The second address bus is used for placing an address of an operand of a second word of the two word instruction onto the first address bus after an address of an operand of a first word of the two word instruction has been placed on the first address bus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2001
    Publication date: May 24, 2001
    Inventors: Rodney J. Drake, Randy L. Yach, Joseph W. Triece, Jennifer Chiao, Igor Wojewoda, Steve Allen
  • Patent number: 6098160
    Abstract: A data pointer for generating an indirect addressing mode address within a single cycle for a selected one of a plurality of multiple indirect addressing modes. The data pointer is used with a processor architecture scheme which allows for encoding of multiple addressing modes. A data pointer register is coupled to the processor architecture scheme for storing a current address of an operand to be used in a simple indirect addressing mode. An incrementer is coupled to the data pointer register for incrementing the current address of an operand to be used in a simple indirect data addressing mode by a set number thereby generating an address of an operand to be used in an indirect addressing mode with auto preincrement. An adder is coupled to the data pointer register for combining the current address of an operand to be used in a simple indirect data addressing mode with an offset number thereby generating an address of an operand to be used in an indirect addressing mode with offset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2000
    Assignee: Microchip Technology Incorporated
    Inventors: Rodney J. Drake, Randy L. Yach, Igor Wojewoda, Joseph W. Triece, Brian Boles, Darrel Johansen
  • Patent number: 6057705
    Abstract: The invention allows the programmer to designate one or more pins on a semiconductor device as either address pins, which are in addition to a predetermined set of address lines or as alternate I/O pins. The object of the invention is to provide the programmer with the capability of defining with preciseness the particular size of the address bus needed for a specific application. The invention is comprised of a programming port, optional programming logic, configuration logic, selection logic and a set of pins that may be configured as per the programmer's requirements. The invention is to exist on a single, monolithic semiconductor device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2000
    Assignee: Microchip Technology Incorporated
    Inventors: Igor Wojewoda, Rodney J. Drake, Brian E. Boles
  • Patent number: 6029241
    Abstract: A processor architecture scheme which allows for encoding multiple addressing modes and which has multiple sources for generating a bank address value. The processor architecture scheme has a Central Processing Unit (CPU) for executing an instruction set. A data memory is coupled to the CPU. The data memory is used for storing and transferring data to and from the CPU. The data memory is divided into a plurality of banks wherein one of the plurality of banks is a dedicated bank for general and special purpose registers. A selection circuit is coupled to the data memory. The selection circuit is used for selecting one of the multiple sources for generating the bank address value. A bank select register is coupled to the selection circuit. The bank select register is used for supplying a bank address value for an instruction to be executed in a direct short addressing mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2000
    Assignee: Microchip Technology Incorporated
    Inventors: Igor Wojewoda, Sumit Mitra, Rodney J. Drake
  • Patent number: 5905880
    Abstract: An instruction set for a microcontroller which has robust multiple word instructions. The instruction set has a plurality of instructions wherein the plurality of instructions comprises single word instructions and multiple word instructions. At least one bit is located in a predetermined location in all non-first words of all multiple word instructions. The bit will be decoded by the microcontroller as no operation bit if the first word of the multiple word instruction is not executed prior to execution of any succeeding words in the multiple word instruction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 18, 1999
    Assignee: Microchip Technology Incorporated
    Inventors: Rodney J. Drake, Joseph W. Triece
  • Patent number: 5859553
    Abstract: A system for switching between a signal having delay paths of differing magnitudes without generating any glitches and false edges uses a no delay circuit for outputting a signal having no delay and a delay output circuit for outputting a delayed form of the signal. The signals are inputted to a multiplexer. The multiplexer will output at least one of the signals. Control circuitry is coupled to the multiplexer for signalling the multiplexer to output at least one of the signals. The control circuitry will control the switching of the multiplexer so that when the output of the multiplexer switches from a signal having no delay to a delayed form of the signal, or when the output of the multiplexer switches from a delayed form of the signal to a signal having no delay, no glitches or false edges are generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 12, 1999
    Assignee: Microchip Technology Incorporated
    Inventor: Rodney J. Drake