Patents by Inventor Steven C. Woo

Steven C. Woo 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: 6742097
    Abstract: A memory system includes physical memory devices or ranks of memory devices that can be set to reduced power modes. In one embodiment, a hardware memory controller receives memory instructions in terms of a logical address space. In response to the relative usages of different addresses within the logical address space, the memory controller maps the logical address space to physical memory in a way that reduces the number of memory devices that are being used. Other memory devices are then set to reduced power modes. In another embodiment, an operating system maintains a free page list indicating portions of physical memory that are not currently allocated. The operating system periodically sorts this list by group, where each group corresponds to a set or rank of memory devices. The groups are sorted in order from those receiving the heaviest usage to those receiving the lightest usage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2004
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Steven C. Woo, Pradeep Batra
  • Patent number: 6721226
    Abstract: Systems and methods for reducing heat flux in memory systems are described. In various embodiments, heat flux reductions are achieved by manipulating the device IDs of individual memory devices that comprise a memory module. Through the various described techniques, the per-face heat flux can be desirably reduced. Further, in some embodiments, reductions in heat flux are achieved by providing control lines that operably connect memory devices on different faces of a memory module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2004
    Assignee: Rambus, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven C. Woo, Craig E. Hampel
  • Publication number: 20030159004
    Abstract: A memory controller controls access to, and the power state of a plurality of dynamic memory devices. A cache in the memory controller stores entries that indicate a current power state for a subset of the dynamic memory devices. Device state lookup logic responds to a memory access request by retrieving first information from an entry, if any, in the cache corresponding to a device address in the memory access request. The device state lookup logic generates a miss signal when the cache has no entry corresponding to the device address. It also retrieves second information indicating whether the cache is currently storing a maximum allowed number of entries for devices in a predefined mid-power state. Additional logic converts the first and second information and miss signal into at least one command selection signal and at least one update control signal. Cache update logic updates information stored in the cache in accordance with the at least one update control signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2003
    Publication date: August 21, 2003
    Applicant: Rambus, Inc.
    Inventors: Ely K. Tsern, Ramprasad Satagopan, Richard M. Barth, Steven C. Woo
  • Publication number: 20030117876
    Abstract: Systems and methods for reducing heat flux in memory systems are described. In various embodiments, heat flux reductions are achieved by manipulating the device IDs of individual memory devices that comprise a memory module. Through the various described techniques, the per-face heat flux can be desirably reduced. Further, in some embodiments, reductions in heat flux are achieved by providing control lines that operably connect memory devices on different faces of a memory module.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2003
    Publication date: June 26, 2003
    Inventors: Steven C. Woo, Craig E. Hampel
  • Patent number: 6552948
    Abstract: Systems and methods for reducing heat flux in memory systems are described. In various embodiments, heat flux reductions are achieved by manipulating the device IDs of individual memory devices that comprise a memory module. Through the various described techniques, the per-face heat flux can be desirably reduced. Further, in some embodiments, reductions in heat flux are achieved by providing control lines that operably connect memory devices on different faces of a memory module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2003
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Steven C. Woo, Craig E. Hampel
  • Patent number: 6523089
    Abstract: A memory controller controls access to, and the power state of a plurality of dynamic memory devices. A cache in the memory controller stores entries that indicate a current power state for a subset of the dynamic memory devices. Device state lookup logic responds to a memory access request by retrieving first information from an entry, if any, in the cache corresponding to a device address in the memory access request. The device state lookup logic generates a miss signal when the cache has no entry corresponding to the device address. It also retrieves second information indicating whether the cache is currently storing a maximum allowed number of entries for devices in a predefined mid-power state. Additional logic converts the first and second information and miss signal into at least one command selection signal and at least one update control signal. Cache update logic updates information stored in the cache in accordance with the at least one update control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2003
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Ely K. Tsern, Ramprasad Satagopan, Richard M. Barth, Steven C. Woo
  • Publication number: 20030028711
    Abstract: Described herein is a system for operating memory at reduced power, based on whether the memory is actually in use. A memory controller receives notifications from an operating system or other computer program regarding which areas of physical memory are actually in use. The memory controller is responsive to the notifications to operate unused portions of memory at reduced power. In systems having refreshable memory, the memory controller omits refreshing for those memory rows that are not currently in use.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2001
    Publication date: February 6, 2003
    Inventors: Steven C. Woo, Pradeep Batra
  • Publication number: 20030023825
    Abstract: A memory system includes physical memory devices or ranks of memory devices that can be set to reduced power modes. In one embodiment, a hardware memory controller receives memory instructions in terms of a logical address space. In response to the relative usages of different addresses within the logical address space, the memory controller maps the logical address space to physical memory in a way that reduces the number of memory devices that are being used. Other memory devices are then set to reduced power modes. In another embodiment, an operating system maintains a free page list indicating portions of physical memory that are not currently allocated. The operating system periodically sorts this list by group, where each group corresponds to a set or rank of memory devices. The groups are sorted in order from those receiving the heaviest usage to those receiving the lightest usage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2001
    Publication date: January 30, 2003
    Inventors: Steven C. Woo, Pradeep Batra
  • Patent number: 6373768
    Abstract: A memory system configured to provide thermal regulation of a plurality of memory devices is disclosed. The memory system comprises a memory module having a plurality of memory devices coupled to a bus. Additionally, the memory system also comprises a controller coupled to the bus. The controller determines an operating temperature (actual or estimated) of the memory device. Based on the determined operating temperature of the memory device, the controller is further operable to manipulate the operation of the memory system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2002
    Assignee: Rambus Inc
    Inventors: Steven C. Woo, Ramprasad Satagopan, Richard M. Barth, Ely K. Tsern, Craig E. Hampel
  • Publication number: 20020041507
    Abstract: Systems and methods for reducing heat flux in memory systems are described. In various embodiments, heat flux reductions are achieved by manipulating the device IDs of individual memory devices that comprise a memory module. Through the various described techniques, the per-face heat flux can be desirably reduced. Further, in some embodiments, reductions in heat flux are achieved by providing control lines that operably connect memory devices on different faces of a memory module.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2001
    Publication date: April 11, 2002
    Inventors: Steven C. Woo, Craig E. Hampel
  • Publication number: 20020040416
    Abstract: A memory controller controls access to, and the power state of a plurality of dynamic memory devices. A cache in the memory controller stores entries that indicate a current power state for a subset of the dynamic memory devices. Device state lookup logic responds to a memory access request by retrieving first information from an entry, if any, in the cache corresponding to a device address in the memory access request. The device state lookup logic generates a miss signal when the cache has no entry corresponding to the device address. It also retrieves second information indicating whether the cache is currently storing a maximum allowed number of entries for devices in a predefined mid-power state. Additional logic converts the first and second information and miss signal into at least one command selection signal and at least one update control signal. Cache update logic updates information stored in the cache in accordance with the at least one update control signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2001
    Publication date: April 4, 2002
    Inventors: Ely K. Tsern, Ramprasad Satagopan, Richard M. Barth, Steven C. Woo
  • Patent number: 6349050
    Abstract: Systems and methods for reducing heat flux in memory systems are described. In various embodiments, heat flux reductions are achieved by manipulating the device IDs of individual memory devices that comprise a memory module. Through the various described techniques, the per-face heat flux can be desirably reduced. Further, in some embodiments, reductions in heat flux are achieved by providing control lines that operably connect memory devices on different faces of a memory module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2002
    Assignee: Rambus, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven C. Woo, Craig E. Hampel
  • Publication number: 20010014049
    Abstract: A memory system configured to provide thermal regulation of a plurality of memory devices is disclosed. The memory system comprises a memory module having a plurality of memory devices coupled to a bus. Additionally, the memory system also comprises a controller coupled to the bus. The controller determines an operating temperature (actual or estimated) of the memory device. Based on the determined operating temperature of the memory device, the controller is further operable to manipulate the operation of the memory system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 1999
    Publication date: August 16, 2001
    Inventors: STEVEN C. WOO, RAMPRASAD SATAGOPAN, RICHARD M. BARTH, ELY K. TSERN, CRAIG E. HAMPEL
  • Patent number: 6021076
    Abstract: A memory system configured to provide thermal regulation of a plurality of memory devices is disclosed. The memory system comprises a memory device coupled to a bus. Additionally, the memory system also comprises a controller coupled to the bus. The controller determines an operating temperature of the memory device. Based on the operating temperature of the memory device, the controller is further operable to manipulate the operation of the memory system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2000
    Assignee: Rambus Inc
    Inventors: Steven C. Woo, Ramprasad Satagopan, Richard M. Barth, Ely K. Tsern, Craig E. Hampel
  • Patent number: 5422983
    Abstract: The neural engine (20) is a hardware implementation of a neural network for use in real-time systems. The neural engine (20) includes a control circuit (26) and one or more multiply/accumulate circuits (28). Each multiply/accumulate circuit (28) includes a parallel/serial arrangement of multiple multiplier/accumulators (84) interconnected with weight storage elements (80) to yield multiple neural weightings and sums in a single clock cycle. A neural processing language is used to program the neural engine (20) through a conventional host personal computer (22). The parallel processing permits very high processing speeds to permit real-time pattern classification capability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 1993
    Date of Patent: June 6, 1995
    Assignee: Hughes Aircraft Company
    Inventors: Patrick F. Castelaz, Dwight E. Mills, Steven C. Woo, Jack I. Jmaev, Tammy L. Henrikson
  • Patent number: 5386370
    Abstract: First and second passive sensors (14,16), which may be mounted on different earth orbiting satellites, provide relative azimuth and elevation coordinates to sensed objects (A,B,C) such as hostile missiles. Minimum and maximum possible ranges to the objects (A,B,C) along lines-of-sight (18a,18b,18c) from the first sensor (14) are predetermined, and used to calculate "range lines" (24,26,28) which are coincident with the lines-of-sight (18a,18b,18c) and extend from the respective minimum to maximum ranges respectively. The range lines (24,26,28) are transformed into the field of view of the second sensor (16), and matched to the azimuth and elevation coordinates of the respective objects (A,B,C) using a basic feasible solution (greedy) or global optimization algorithm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 31, 1995
    Assignee: Hughes Aircraft Company
    Inventor: Steven C. Woo