Patents by Inventor Thomas J. Heller

Thomas J. Heller 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: 7568060
    Abstract: A method of interfacing two components of a computing system is provided wherein the method includes providing a pair of unidirectional, point-to-point buses to transmit data between a master bus controller of the computing system and a slave bus controller of a processor unit of the computing system. The method also includes providing means for transmitting a command packet with an address associated with data pertaining to the command from the master bus controller to the slave bus controller. In addition, the method includes providing means for determining by the slave bus controller whether the slave bus controller can accept the command. The method further includes providing means for transmitting an acknowledgement from the slave bus controller to the master bus controller after the slave bus controller receives a first signaling interval for the command packet if the slave bus controller can accept the command packet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: George W. Daly, Jr., James S. Fields, Jr., Donald G. Grice, Thomas J. Heller, Appoloniel N. Tankeh
  • Publication number: 20080229128
    Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product are disclosed for dynamically managing power in a microprocessor chip that includes physical hardware elements within the microprocessor chip. A process is selected to be executed. Hardware elements that are necessary to execute the process are then identified. The power in the microprocessor chip is dynamically altered by altering a present power state of the hardware elements that were identified as being necessary.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2008
    Publication date: September 18, 2008
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Thomas J. Heller, Michael Ignatowski, Bernard Steele Meyerson, James Walter Rymarczyk
  • Publication number: 20080147988
    Abstract: A multiprocessor computer system has a plurality of processing nodes which use processor state information to determine which coherent caches in the system are required to examine a coherency transaction produced by a single originating processor's storage request. A node of the computer has dynamic coherency boundaries such that the hardware uses only a subset of the total processors in a large system for a single workload at any specific point in time and can optimize the cache coherency as the supervisor software or firmware expands and contracts the number of processors which are being used to run any single workload. Multiple instances of a node can be connected with a second level controller to create a large multiprocessor system. The node controller uses the mode bits to determine which processors must receive any given transaction that is received by the node controller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2008
    Publication date: June 19, 2008
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Thomas J. Heller, Richard I. Baum, Michael Ignatowski, James W. Rymarczyk
  • Publication number: 20080059769
    Abstract: A multiple-core processor supporting multiple instruction set architectures provides a power-efficient and flexible platform for virtual machine environments requiring multiple support for multiple instruction set architectures (ISAs). The processor includes multiple cores having disparate native ISAs and that may be selectively enabled for operation, so that power is conserved when support for a particular ISA is not required of the processor. The multiple cores may share a common first level cache and be mutually-exclusively selected for operation, or multiple level-one caches may be provided, one associated with each of the cores and the cores operated as needed, including simultaneous execution of disparate ISAs. A hypervisor controls operation of the cores and locates a core and enables it if necessary when a request to instantiate a virtual machine having a specified ISA is received.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2006
    Publication date: March 6, 2008
    Inventors: James Walter Rymarczyk, Michael Ignatowski, Thomas J. Heller
  • Publication number: 20040268044
    Abstract: A multiprocessor computer system has a plurality of processing nodes which use processor state information to determine which coherent caches in the system are required to examine a coherency transaction produced by a single originating processor's storage request. A node of the computer has dynamic coherency boundaries such that the hardware uses only a subset of the total processors in a large system for a single workload at any specific point in time and can optimize the cache coherency as the supervisor software or firmware expands and contracts the number of processors which are being used to run any single workload. Multiple instances of a node can be connected with a second level controller to create a large multiprocessor system. The node controller uses the mode bits to determine which processors must receive any given transaction that is received by the node controller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2003
    Publication date: December 30, 2004
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas J. Heller, Richard I. Baum, Michael Ignatowski, James W. Rymarczyk
  • Patent number: 6827154
    Abstract: An apparatus for automatically linking a drive member of a power source and a driven member of an implement, includes two attachment pieces, one attached to the power source, and the other attached to the implement, and an attachment mechanism for automatically connecting the two attachment pieces whereby the drive member and the driven member are operably coupled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2004
    Inventor: Thomas J. Heller
  • Publication number: 20030192711
    Abstract: An apparatus for automatically linking a drive member of a power source and a driven member of an implement, includes two attachment pieces, one attached to the power source, and the other attached to the implement, and an attachment mechanism for automatically connecting the two attachment pieces whereby the drive member and the driven member are operably coupled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2003
    Publication date: October 16, 2003
    Inventor: Thomas J. Heller
  • Patent number: 6595299
    Abstract: An apparatus for automatically linking a drive member of a power source and a driven member of an implement, includes two attachment pieces, one attached to the power source, and the other attached to the implement, and an attachment mechanism for automatically connecting the two attachment pieces whereby the drive member and the driven member are operably coupled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2003
    Inventor: Thomas J. Heller
  • Publication number: 20020024195
    Abstract: An apparatus for automatically linking a drive member of a power source and a driven member of an implement, includes two attachment pieces, one attached to the power source, and the other attached to the implement, and an attachment mechanism for automatically connecting the two attachment pieces whereby the drive member and the driven member are operably coupled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2001
    Publication date: February 28, 2002
    Inventor: Thomas J. Heller