Patents by Inventor Steven S. Chang

Steven S. Chang 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: 9658861
    Abstract: Following a restart or a reboot of a system that includes a multi-core processor, the multi-core processor may assign one of the cores as a boot strap processor (BSP). Initialization logic may detect a state of each of the plurality of processing cores as active or inactive. The initialization logic may detect an attribute of each of the plurality of processing cores as eligible to be assigned as a BSP or as ineligible to be assigned as the BSP. The initialization logic may detect a last processing core of the plurality of processing cores in the interconnect that is an active processing core based at least in part on the state and is eligible to be assigned as the BSP based at least in part on the attribute. In various embodiments, the initialization information may assign the last processing core as the BSP.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Steven S. Chang, Anshuman Thakur, Ramacharan Sundararaman, Ramon Matas, Jay S. Lawlor, Robert F. Netting
  • Patent number: 9389657
    Abstract: An initialization core may include reset logic that may detect a global reset signal (GRS). The initialization core may generate one or more packets that enable communication with the cores. The initialization core may send reset packets to each of the cores that instruct the cores to perform a reset. In some embodiments, the reset command may power-off the cores. The initialization core may then transmit unreset packets to each of the cores that instruct the cores to perform an unreset and power-on the cores. In some embodiments, the cores may resume operation automatically without receipt of the unreset packet. The transmission of the packets may be staggered (staged) to control the power-on of the processor and enable the processor unit to more slowly increase its power state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Steven S. Chang, Anshuman Thakur, Ramacharan Sundararaman, Ramon Matas
  • Patent number: 9372816
    Abstract: Following a restart or a reboot of a system that includes a multi-core processor, the multi-core processor may assign each active and eligible core a unique advanced programmable interrupt controller (APIC) identifier (ID). Initialization logic may detect a state of each of the plurality of processing cores as active or inactive. The initialization logic may detect an attribute of each of the plurality of processing cores as eligible to be assigned an APIC ID or as ineligible to be assigned the APIC ID.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Steven S. Chang, Anshuman Thakur, Ramacharan Sundararaman, Ramon Matas, Jay S. Lawlor, Robert F. Netting
  • Patent number: 9367329
    Abstract: This disclosure is directed to use of shared initialization and configuration vectors, which are delivered to processing cores in a multi-core processor using packets. An initialization core may include reset logic that may read initialization and configuration vectors from a centralized storage location, which may be on a die containing the processing cores (e.g., a fuse, etc.), off the die (e.g., in volatile memory, flash memory, etc.), or a combination of both. The initialization core may then generate packets to transmit the initialization and configuration vectors to processing cores that await initialization (e.g., following a reset). In some instances, the initialization and configuration vector information may be shared by two or more cores of a same type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Steven S. Chang, Anshuman Thakur, Ramacharan Charan Sundararaman, Ramon Matas
  • Patent number: 9208124
    Abstract: This disclosure is directed to performing a controlled reset of one or more cores while maintaining operation of at least one other core in a multi-core processor. An initialization core may include reset logic that may detect a problematic core or core that is unresponsive or otherwise not operating properly. The initialization core may generate a packet that enables communication with the problematic core. The initialization core may send a reset packet to the problematic core to instruct the problematic core to perform a reset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Steven S. Chang, Anshuman Thakur, Ramacharan Sundararaman, Ramon Matas
  • Publication number: 20140156896
    Abstract: Following a restart or a reboot of a system that includes a multi-core processor, the multi-core processor may assign each active and eligible core a unique advanced programmable interrupt controller (APIC) identifier (ID). Initialization logic may detect a state of each of the plurality of processing cores as active or inactive. The initialization logic may detect an attribute of each of the plurality of processing cores as eligible to be assigned an APIC ID or as ineligible to be assigned the APIC ID.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2011
    Publication date: June 5, 2014
    Inventors: Steven S. Chang, Anshuman Thakur, Ramacharan Sundararaman, Ramon Matas, Jay S. Lawlor, Robert F. Netting
  • Publication number: 20140006763
    Abstract: This disclosure is directed to use of shared initialization and configuration vectors, which are delivered to processing cores in a multi-core processor using packets. An initialization core may include reset logic that may read initialization and configuration vectors from a centralized storage location, which may be on a die containing the processing cores (e.g., a fuse, etc.), off the die (e.g., in volatile memory, flash memory, etc.), or a combination of both. The initialization core may then generate packets to transmit the initialization and configuration vectors to processing cores that await initialization (e.g., following a reset). In some instances, the initialization and configuration vector information may be shared by two or more cores of a same type.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2011
    Publication date: January 2, 2014
    Inventors: Steven S. Chang, Anshuman Thakur, Ramacharan Charan Sundararaman, Ramon Matas
  • Publication number: 20140006767
    Abstract: Following a restart or a reboot of a system that includes a multi-core processor, the multi-core processor may assign one of the cores as a boot strap processor (BSP). Initialization logic may detect a state of each of the plurality of processing cores as active or inactive. The initialization logic may detect an attribute of each of the plurality of processing cores as eligible to be assigned as a BSP or as ineligible to be assigned as the BSP. The initialization logic may detect a last processing core of the plurality of processing cores in the interconnect that is an active processing core based at least in part on the state and is eligible to be assigned as the BSP based at least in part on the attribute. In various embodiments, the initialization information may assign the last processing core as the BSP.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2011
    Publication date: January 2, 2014
    Inventors: Steven S. Chang, Anshuman Thakur, Ramacharan Charan Sundararaman, Ramon Matas, Jay S. Lawlor, Robert F. Netting
  • Publication number: 20130339663
    Abstract: This disclosure is directed to performing a controlled reset of one or more cores while maintaining operation of at least one other core in a multi-core processor. An initialization core may include reset logic that may detect a problematic core or core that is unresponsive or otherwise not operating properly. The initialization core may generate a packet that enables communication with the problematic core. The initialization core may send a reset packet to the problematic core to instruct the problematic core to perform a reset.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2011
    Publication date: December 19, 2013
    Inventors: Steven S. Chang, Anshuman Thakar, Ramacharan Charan Sundararaman, Ramon Matas
  • Publication number: 20130268747
    Abstract: An initialization core may include reset logic that may detect a global reset signal (GRS). The initialization core may generate one or more packets that enable communication with the cores. The initialization core may send reset packets to each of the cores that instruct the cores to perform a reset. In some embodiments, the reset command may power-off the cores. The initialization core may then transmit unreset packets to each of the cores that instruct the cores to perform an unreset and power-on the cores. In some embodiments, the cores may resume operation automatically without receipt of the unreset packet. The transmission of the packets may be staggered (staged) to control the power-on of the processor and enable the processor unit to more slowly increase its power state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2011
    Publication date: October 10, 2013
    Inventors: Steven S. Chang, Anshuman Thakar, Ramacharan Charan Sundararaman, Ramon Matas