Patents by Inventor Steven K. Jenkins

Steven K. Jenkins 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: 9436388
    Abstract: Memory access alignment in a double data rate (‘DDR’) system, including: executing, by a memory controller, one or more write operations to a predetermined address of a DDR memory module, including sending to the DDR memory module a predetermined amount of data of a predetermined pattern along with a data strobe signal; executing, by the memory controller, a plurality of read operations from the predetermined address of the DDR memory module, including capturing data transmitted from the DDR memory module; and determining, by the memory controller, a read adjust value and a write adjust value in dependence upon the data captured in response to the read operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Steven K. Jenkins, Robert B. Likovich, Jr., Michael R. Trombley
  • Publication number: 20160216897
    Abstract: Memory access alignment in a double data rate (‘DDR’) system, including: executing, by a memory controller, one or more write operations to a predetermined address of a DDR memory module, including sending to the DDR memory module a predetermined amount of data of a predetermined pattern along with a data strobe signal; executing, by the memory controller, a plurality of read operations from the predetermined address of the DDR memory module, including capturing data transmitted from the DDR memory module; and determining, by the memory controller, a read adjust value and a write adjust value in dependence upon the data captured in response to the read operations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2016
    Publication date: July 28, 2016
    Inventors: STEVEN K. JENKINS, ROBERT B. LIKOVICH, JR., MICHAEL R. TROMBLEY
  • Patent number: 9343123
    Abstract: Memory access alignment in a double data rate (‘DDR’) system, including: executing, by a memory controller, one or more write operations to a predetermined address of a DDR memory module, including sending to the DDR memory module a predetermined amount of data of a predetermined pattern along with a data strobe signal; executing, by the memory controller, a plurality of read operations from the predetermined address of the DDR memory module, including capturing data transmitted from the DDR memory module; and determining, by the memory controller, a read adjust value and a write adjust value in dependence upon the data captured in response to the read operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Steven K. Jenkins, Robert B. Likovich, Jr., Michael R. Trombley
  • Publication number: 20140379979
    Abstract: Memory access alignment in a double data rate (‘DDR’) system, including: executing, by a memory controller, one or more write operations to a predetermined address of a DDR memory module, including sending to the DDR memory module a predetermined amount of data of a predetermined pattern along with a data strobe signal; executing, by the memory controller, a plurality of read operations from the predetermined address of the DDR memory module, including capturing data transmitted from the DDR memory module; and determining, by the memory controller, a read adjust value and a write adjust value in dependence upon the data captured in response to the read operations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2014
    Publication date: December 25, 2014
    Inventors: STEVEN K. JENKINS, ROBERT B. LIKOVICH, JR., MICHAEL R. TROMBLEY
  • Patent number: 8902683
    Abstract: Memory access alignment in a double data rate (‘DDR’) system, including: executing, by a memory controller, one or more write operations to a predetermined address of a DDR memory module, including sending to the DDR memory module a predetermined amount of data of a predetermined pattern along with a data strobe signal; executing, by the memory controller, a plurality of read operations from the predetermined address of the DDR memory module, including capturing data transmitted from the DDR memory module; and determining, by the memory controller, a read adjust value and a write adjust value in dependence upon the data captured in response to the read operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Steven K. Jenkins, Robert B. Likovich, Jr., Michael R. Trombley
  • Publication number: 20130346686
    Abstract: Memory access alignment in a double data rate (‘DDR’) system, including: executing, by a memory controller, one or more write operations to a predetermined address of a DDR memory module, including sending to the DDR memory module a predetermined amount of data of a predetermined pattern along with a data strobe signal; executing, by the memory controller, a plurality of read operations from the predetermined address of the DDR memory module, including capturing data transmitted from the DDR memory module; and determining, by the memory controller, a read adjust value and a write adjust value in dependence upon the data captured in response to the read operations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2013
    Publication date: December 26, 2013
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: STEVEN K. JENKINS, ROBERT B. LIKOVICH, JR., MICHAEL R. TROMBLEY
  • Patent number: 8547760
    Abstract: Memory access alignment in a double data rate (‘DDR’) system, including: executing, by a memory controller, one or more write operations to a predetermined address of a DDR memory module, including sending to the DDR memory module a predetermined amount of data of a predetermined pattern along with a data strobe signal; executing, by the memory controller, a plurality of read operations from the predetermined address of the DDR memory module, including capturing data transmitted from the DDR memory module; and determining, by the memory controller, a read adjust value and a write adjust value in dependence upon the data captured in response to the read operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Steven K. Jenkins, Robert B. Likovich, Jr., Michael R. Trombley
  • Publication number: 20130003475
    Abstract: Memory access alignment in a double data rate (‘DDR’) system, including: executing, by a memory controller, one or more write operations to a predetermined address of a DDR memory module, including sending to the DDR memory module a predetermined amount of data of a predetermined pattern along with a data strobe signal; executing, by the memory controller, a plurality of read operations from the predetermined address of the DDR memory module, including capturing data transmitted from the DDR memory module; and determining, by the memory controller, a read adjust value and a write adjust value in dependence upon the data captured in response to the read operations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2011
    Publication date: January 3, 2013
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Steven K. Jenkins, Robert B. Likovich, JR., Michael R. Trombley
  • Patent number: 8140803
    Abstract: A design structure embodied in a machine readable storage medium for designing, manufacturing, and/or testing a design is provided. The design structure generally includes a processor memory system, which may include a processor and a memory controller in communication with the processor through a bus. The memory controller may include a delay circuit to receive an early read indicator corresponding to read data from a memory, the delay circuit to delay the early read indicator in accordance with a pre-determined delay such that the early read indicator is passed to the bus in advance of the read data, and a delay adjustment circuit to dynamically adjust the pre-determined delay associated with the delay circuit responsive to a change in operational speed of the processor or the bus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: James J. Allen, Jr., Steven K. Jenkins, James A. Mossman, Michael R. Trombley
  • Patent number: 8032713
    Abstract: A design structure embodied in a machine readable storage medium for designing, manufacturing, and/or testing a design is provided. The design structure generally includes a computer system that includes a CPU, a storage device, circuitry for providing a speculative access threshold corresponding to a selected percentage of the total number of accesses to the storage device that can be speculatively issued, and circuitry for intermixing demand accesses and speculative accesses in accordance with the speculative access threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: James J. Allen, Jr., Steven K. Jenkins, James A. Mossman, Michael R. Trombley
  • Patent number: 8028257
    Abstract: A design structure embodied in a machine readable storage medium for designing, manufacturing, and/or testing a design for scheduling the servicing of data requests, using the variable latency mode, in an FBDIMM memory sub-system is provided. A scheduling algorithm pre-computes return time data for data connected to DRAM buffer chips and stores the return time data in a table. The return time data is expressed as data return time binary vectors with one bit equal to “1” in each vector. For each received data request, the memory controller retrieves the appropriate return time vector. Additionally, the scheduling algorithm utilizes an updated history vector to determine whether the received request presents a conflict to the executing requests. By computing and utilizing a score for each request, the scheduling algorithm re-orders and schedules the execution of selected requests to preserve as much data bus bandwidth as possible, while avoiding conflict.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: James J. Allen, Jr., Steven K. Jenkins, Michael R. Trombley
  • Patent number: 7937533
    Abstract: A design structure embodied in a machine readable storage medium for designing, manufacturing, and/or testing a design is provided. The design structure generally includes a computer system that includes a CPU, a memory controller, memory, a bus connecting the CPU, memory controller and memory, circuitry for providing a speculative read threshold corresponding to a selected percentage of the total number of reads that can be speculatively issued, and circuitry for intermixing demand reads and speculative reads in accordance with the speculative read threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: James J. Allen, Jr., Steven K. Jenkins, James A. Mossman, Michael R. Trombley
  • Patent number: 7660952
    Abstract: A method and system for scheduling the servicing of data requests, using the variable latency mode, in an FBDIMM memory sub-system. A scheduling algorithm pre-computes return time data for data connected to all DRAM buffer chips and stores the return time data in a table. The return time data is expressed as a set of data return time binary vectors with one bit equal to “1” in each vector. For each received data request, the memory controller retrieves the appropriate return time vector. Additionally, the scheduling algorithm utilizes an updated history vector representing a compilation of data return time vectors of all executing requests to determine whether the received request presents a conflict to the executing requests. By computing and utilizing a score for each request, the scheduling algorithm re-orders and schedules the execution of selected requests to preserve as much data bus bandwidth as possible, while avoiding conflict.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: James J. Allen, Jr., Steven K. Jenkins, Michael R. Trombley
  • Patent number: 7660951
    Abstract: Efficient transfer of data to and from random access memory is described. Multiple request sources and a memory system comprise memory modules having memory banks, each bank containing rows of data. The retrieval comprises transferring all data pursuant to a given request by one source before any data is transferred pursuant to a subsequent request from said second source. This retrieval is achieved using a memory arbiter that implements an algorithm for atomic read/write. Each bank is assigned a FIFO buffer by the arbiter to store access requests. The access requests are arbitrated, and an encoded value of a winner of arbitration is loaded into the relevant FIFO buffer(s) before choosing the next winner. When an encoded value reaches the head of the buffer, all associated data is accessed in the given bank before accessing data for another request source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2010
    Assignee: Inernational Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Steven K. Jenkins, Laura A. Weaver
  • Patent number: 7657771
    Abstract: Methods and system for reducing latency associated with a read operation in a processor memory system are provided. In one implementation, the method includes receiving an early indicator corresponding to read data from a memory, delaying the early indicator in accordance with a pre-determined delay such that the early read indicator is passed to a bus in advance of the read data; and dynamically adjusting the pre-determined delay using an adjustment delay circuit, the pre-determined delay being adjusted responsive to a change in operational speed of the bus or change in operational speed of a processor coupled to the bus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: James J. Allen, Jr., Steven K. Jenkins, James A. Mossman, Michael R. Trombley
  • Publication number: 20090150618
    Abstract: A design structure embodied in a machine readable storage medium for designing, manufacturing, and/or testing a design is provided. The design structure generally includes a computer system that includes a CPU, a storage device, circuitry for providing a speculative access threshold corresponding to a selected percentage of the total number of accesses to the storage device that can be speculatively issued, and circuitry for intermixing demand accesses and speculative accesses in accordance with the speculative access threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2008
    Publication date: June 11, 2009
    Inventors: James J. Allen, JR., Steven K. Jenkins, James A. Mossman, Michael R. Trombley
  • Publication number: 20090150572
    Abstract: A design structure embodied in a machine readable storage medium for designing, manufacturing, and/or testing a design is provided. The design structure generally includes a computer system that includes a CPU, a memory controller, memory, a bus connecting the CPU, memory controller and memory, circuitry for providing a speculative read threshold corresponding to a selected percentage of the total number of reads that can be speculatively issued, and circuitry for intermixing demand reads and speculative reads in accordance with the speculative read threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2008
    Publication date: June 11, 2009
    Inventors: JAMES J. ALLEN, JR., Steven K. Jenkins, James A. Mossman, Michael R. Trombley
  • Publication number: 20080215832
    Abstract: A method and system for scheduling the servicing of data requests, using the variable latency mode, in an FBDIMM memory sub-system. A scheduling algorithm pre-computes return time data for data connected to all DRAM buffer chips and stores the return time data in a table. The return time data is expressed as a set of data return time binary vectors with one bit equal to “1” in each vector. For each received data request, the memory controller retrieves the appropriate return time vector. Additionally, the scheduling algorithm utilizes an updated history vector representing a compilation of data return time vectors of all executing requests to determine whether the received request presents a conflict to the executing requests. By computing and utilizing a score for each request, the scheduling algorithm re-orders and schedules the execution of selected requests to preserve as much data bus bandwidth as possible, while avoiding conflict.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2007
    Publication date: September 4, 2008
    Inventors: James J. Allen, Steven K. Jenkins, Michael R. Trombley
  • Publication number: 20080215783
    Abstract: A design structure embodied in a machine readable storage medium for designing, manufacturing, and/or testing a design for scheduling the servicing of data requests, using the variable latency mode, in an FBDIMM memory sub-system is provided. A scheduling algorithm pre-computes return time data for data connected to DRAM buffer chips and stores the return time data in a table. The return time data is expressed as data return time binary vectors with one bit equal to “1” in each vector. For each received data request, the memory controller retrieves the appropriate return time vector. Additionally, the scheduling algorithm utilizes an updated history vector to determine whether the received request presents a conflict to the executing requests. By computing and utilizing a score for each request, the scheduling algorithm re-orders and schedules the execution of selected requests to preserve as much data bus bandwidth as possible, while avoiding conflict.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2008
    Publication date: September 4, 2008
    Inventors: James J. Allen, Steven K. Jenkins, Michael R. Trombley
  • Publication number: 20080209095
    Abstract: A design structure embodied in a machine readable storage medium for designing, manufacturing, and/or testing a design is provided. The design structure generally includes a processor memory system, which may include a processor and a memory controller in communication with the processor through a bus. The memory controller may include a delay circuit to receive an early read indicator corresponding to read data from a memory, the delay circuit to delay the early read indicator in accordance with a pre-determined delay such that the early read indicator is passed to the bus in advance of the read data, and a delay adjustment circuit to dynamically adjust the pre-determined delay associated with the delay circuit responsive to a change in operational speed of the processor or the bus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2008
    Publication date: August 28, 2008
    Inventors: JAMES J. ALLEN, Steven K. Jenkins, James A. Mossman, Michael R. Trombley