Patents by Inventor Sam Hedinger

Sam Hedinger 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: 9594655
    Abstract: An integrated circuit may be provided with system-on-chip circuitry including system-on-chip interconnects and a microprocessor unit subsystem. The subsystem may include microprocessor cores that execute instructions stored in memory. Cache may be used to cache data for the microprocessor cores. A memory coherency control unit may be used to maintain memory coherency during operation of the microprocessor unit subsystem. The memory coherency control unit may be coupled to the system-on-chip interconnects by a bus. A command translator may be interposed in the bus. The command translator may have a slave interface that communicates with the interconnects and a master interface that communicates with the memory coherency control unit. The integrated circuit may have programmable circuitry that is programmed to implement a debug master coupled to the interconnects. During debug operations, the command translator may translate commands from the debug master.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: Manoj Reghunath, Sam Hedinger
  • Patent number: 9477586
    Abstract: Memory controller circuitry may process the memory access requests by reordering the sequence of requests. Reordering the sequence of requests may decrease the power consumption of the memory controller and system memory associated with the memory controller. The memory controller may operate in at least an unconstrained power mode, a priority mode, and a constrained power mode. In the unconstrained power mode, the memory controller may process memory access requests at elevated and power consumption levels. In the priority mode, the memory controller may process memory access requests from select sources with reduced power consumption. In the constrained power mode, the memory controller may process all memory access requests at reduced power consumption levels. Capacitive-model based power monitoring circuitry may be used to monitor the interactions between the memory controller and the system memory to dynamically adjust the operating mode of the memory controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: Sam Hedinger, Philip Clarke
  • Patent number: 9465763
    Abstract: A bridge circuit may be used to interface between dynamically reconfigurable circuitry and dedicated circuitry or other circuitry having static configurations during normal operation of the device. The bridge circuit may include interface circuitry coupled between first and second interfaces that communicate with the dynamically reconfigurable circuitry and the dedicated circuitry. Control circuitry may control the interface circuitry based on variable communications requirements of the second interface without interrupting communications with the dedicated circuitry at the first interface. The variable communications requirements may be dependent on which configuration of the dynamically reconfigurable circuitry is currently implemented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: Robert L. Pelt, Sam Hedinger
  • Patent number: 9379980
    Abstract: Methods and systems for AXI ID compression are disclosed. Bus transaction data and an M-bit ID associated with the bus transaction data are transmitted by a master device via a bus to an ID mapper. The ID mapper is used to select, based on the M-bit ID, an N-bit ID from a plurality of N-bit IDs, where N may be less than M. The N-bit ID is associated with the bus transaction data. The bus transaction data and the N-bit ID associated with the bus transaction data are transmitted via the bus to a slave device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: Sam Hedinger, Robert L. Pelt
  • Publication number: 20150033075
    Abstract: An integrated circuit may be provided with system-on-chip circuitry including system-on-chip interconnects and a microprocessor unit subsystem. The subsystem may include microprocessor cores that execute instructions stored in memory. Cache may be used to cache data for the microprocessor cores. A memory coherency control unit may be used to maintain memory coherency during operation of the microprocessor unit subsystem. The memory coherency control unit may be coupled to the system-on-chip interconnects by a bus. A command translator may be interposed in the bus. The command translator may have a slave interface that communicates with the interconnects and a master interface that communicates with the memory coherency control unit. The integrated circuit may have programmable circuitry that is programmed to implement a debug master coupled to the interconnects. During debug operations, the command translator may translate commands from the debug master.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2013
    Publication date: January 29, 2015
    Applicant: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: Manoj Reghunath, Sam Hedinger
  • Publication number: 20140372654
    Abstract: A bridge circuit may be used to interface between dynamically reconfigurable circuitry and dedicated circuitry or other circuitry having static configurations during normal operation of the device. The bridge circuit may include interface circuitry coupled between first and second interfaces that communicate with the dynamically reconfigurable circuitry and the dedicated circuitry. Control circuitry may control the interface circuitry based on variable communications requirements of the second interface without interrupting communications with the dedicated circuitry at the first interface. The variable communications requirements may be dependent on which configuration of the dynamically reconfigurable circuitry is currently implemented.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2013
    Publication date: December 18, 2014
    Applicant: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: Robert L. Pelt, Sam Hedinger