Abstract: A system for testing a reflective display device includes a testing apparatus and a computer. The testing apparatus includes one or more light emitters, one or more light detectors, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) module, and a microcontroller unit (MCU). The light emitters are for projecting light onto a reflective display device located on the testing apparatus. The light detectors are for sensing reflected light from the reflective display device, and generating electricity according to a luminance of the reflected light. The ADC module is for receiving the electrical signals from the light detectors, and producing a digital output according to voltages of the electrical signals. The MCU is configured for reading the digital output of the ADC module. The computer is for processing the digital output and displaying results after processing.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and an apparatus for lowering I/O power of a computer system and a computer system. According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for lowering I/O power of a computer system, comprising: buffering a plurality of ways of data to be sent to a bus; encoding each of the plurality of ways of data buffered from n bits to n+m bits based on an encoding rule, wherein n and m are both an integer larger than or equal to 1, the encoding rule is used to lower code switching frequency; and sending the plurality of ways of data encoded to the bus.

Abstract: A mounting apparatus for mounting a speaker to a computer case, includes a base plate assembled on the computer case, a fixing member configured to fix two corners on a top edge of the speaker, and an elastic sheet configured to fix a bottom edge of the speaker.

Abstract: Disclosed is an interrupt dispatching system and method in a multi-core processor environment. The processor includes an interrupt dispatcher and N cores capable of interrupt handling which are divided into a plurality of groups of cores, where N is a positive integer greater than one. The method generates a token in response to an arriving interrupt; determines a group of cores to be preferentially used to handle the interrupt as a hot group in accordance with the interrupt; and sends the token to the hot group, determines sequentially from the first core in the hot group whether an interrupt dispatch termination condition is satisfied, and determines the current core as a response core to be used to handle the interrupt upon determining satisfaction of the interrupt dispatch termination condition. With the invention, delay in responding to an interrupt by the processor is reduced providing optimized performance of the processor.

Abstract: There are disclosed a method and device for performing Copy-on-Write in a processor. The processor comprises: processor cores, L1 caches each of which is logically divided into a first L1 cache and a second L1 cache, and L2 caches. The first L1 cache is used for saving new data value, and the second L1 cache for saving old data value. The method can comprise the steps of: in response to a store operation from said processor core, judging whether a corresponding cache line in said L2 cache has been modified; if it is determined a corresponding L2 cache line in said L2 cache has not been modified, copying old data value in the corresponding L2 cache line to said second L1 cache, and writing new data value to the corresponding L2 cache line; and if it is determined a corresponding L2 cache line in said L2 cache has been modified, writing new data value to the corresponding L2 cache line directly.

Abstract: The present application relates to a data bus system, its encoder/decoder and encoding/decoding method.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method of processing instructions in a pipeline-based central processing unit, wherein the pipeline is partitioned into base pipeline stages and enhanced pipeline stages according to functions, the base pipeline stages being activated all the while, and the enhanced pipeline stages being activated or shutdown according to requirements for performance of a workload. The present invention further discloses a method of processing instructions in a pipeline-based central processing unit, wherein the pipeline is partitioned into base pipeline stages and enhanced pipeline stages according to functions, each pipeline stage being partitioned into a base module and at least one enhanced module, the base module being activated all the while, and the enhanced module being activated or shutdown according to requirements for performance of a workload.

Abstract: An encoding method and an encoder for encoding data transmitted in a manner of bursts via a parallel bus and a decoding method and a decoder. The encoding method includes organizing data of the bursts into matrixes, determining for each of the matrixes whether a transform mode capable of decreasing the bus transition number exists, determining that the matrix needs to be transformed, determining a transform mode for transforming the matrix, and replacing the initial matrix with the transformed matrix. Then, forming a new matrix to be transmitted from matrixes which do not need to be transformed and matrixes which have been transformed. Thereafter, first generating a transform information word indicating transform states of the respective matrixes and then attaching the transform information word to the matrix to be transmitted to form an encoded matrix for actual transmission.

Abstract: Dual-function drivers capable of outputting LVDS or TMDS differential signals by sharing output terminals under differential modes. In the dual-function driver, an input control unit receives a first input signal compliant with a first specification in a first mode and a second input signal compliant with a second specification in a second mode by sharing a pair of input terminals, and a current steering circuit comprises first and second differential pairs. The input control unit enables the first and second differential pairs to output a first differential signal compliant with the first specification through a pair of output terminals during the first mode, and the input control unit disables the first differential pair and enables the second differential pair to output a second differential signal compliant with the second specification on the pair of output terminals during the second mode.

Abstract: The comparison device includes a first through second comparators, a chop switching unit, a delta-sigma modulation unit, and a first through second compensation units. The chop switching unit transmits a first and a second signals to two input terminals of the first comparator during a first period, and inverses the first and second signals during a second period. The delta-sigma modulation unit compares the comparison results of two parallel comparators and generates the digital control codes for the comparators with the awareness of the chop switching unit. The first and the second compensation units adjust the threshold voltages of the comparators according to the digital control codes and a step size for calibrating the offset voltages of two comparators. The calibration scheme requiring no assumption on the input signal statistics is background thus the comparison device will not interrupt normal operation and is immune to PVT variations.

Abstract: A combined transmission unit for TMDS signals and LVDS signals. A first (LVDS) transmission unit comprises a set of first input terminals to receive first data, and a second (TMDS) transmission unit comprises a set of second input terminals to receive second data. A switching controller enables the first transmission unit to transmit the first data to the first external input units through a pair of signal lines coupled to a set of common output line or enables the second transmission unit to transmit the second data to the second external input units through a pair of signal lines coupled to the set of common output line, according to a mode selection signal.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus of lock transactions processing in a single or multi-core processor. An embodiment of the present invention is a processor with one or more processing cores, an address arbitrator, where one or more processing cores are configured to submit a lock transaction request to the address arbitrator corresponding to a specific instruction in response to the execution of the specific instruction. The lock transaction request includes a lock variable address asserted on an address bus. The processor further includes a lock controller for performing lock transaction processing in response to the lock transaction request, and notifying processing result to the processing core from which the lock transaction request was sent. The processor further includes a switching device, coupled to the address arbitrator and the lock controller, for identifying the lock transaction request and notifying the lock transaction request to the lock controller.

Abstract: A device and method for compensating for delays of a plurality of communication channels, provides signals with a certain frequency range, wherein the signals form standing waves in the plurality of communication channels; calculates phase differences between the plurality of communication channels according to the signal frequencies at the peak values of the standing waves; and determines the delay of each communication channel according to the above phase differences. The device and method may be applied to the communication channels of high speed parallel connection to eliminate the delays of the communication channels and realize length matching. Since the device and method determine the delays of communication channels by means of the phase differences, even when the delay difference exceeds a clock cycle, it can calculate the phase differences properly.

Abstract: A LVDS and TMDS dualfunction transmitter for both LVDS and TMDS output channels is disclosed, including an encoder and a serializer. The encoder encodes twenty eight bits of LVDS signals to thirty bits of TMDS signals. The serializer includes four serializer channels for converting the LVDS signals to a serial signal when a LVDS mode is enabled, or converting the TMDS signals to the serial signal when a TMDS mode is enabled. Wherein a first serializer channel is coupled to seven bits of the LVDS signals and outputting a first pair of differential signals. Second, third and fourth serializer channel are coupled to seven bits of the LVDS signals and ten bits of TMDS signals, and outputting a second, third and fourth pair of differential signals, respectively.

Abstract: A combined transmission unit for TMDS signals and LVDS signals. First (LVDS) and second (TMDS) transmission units are both coupled to a first set of input terminals. A switching controller, according to a mode selection signal, enables the first transmission unit to transmit the first data on the set of input terminals to first external input units through a pair of first signal lines or enables the second transmission unit to transmit the first data on the set of input terminals to the second external input units through a pair of second signal lines.

Abstract: A system for testing a reflective display device includes a testing apparatus and a computer. The testing apparatus includes one or more light emitters, one or more light detectors, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) module, and a microcontroller unit (MCU). The light emitters are for projecting light onto a reflective display device located on the testing apparatus. The light detectors are for sensing reflected light from the reflective display device, and generating electricity according to a luminance of the reflected light. The ADC module is for receiving the electrical signals from the light detectors, and producing a digital output according to voltages of the electrical signals. The MCU is configured for reading the digital output of the ADC module. The computer is for processing the digital output and displaying results after processing.

Abstract: A combined output driver for TMDS signals and LVDS signals. First and second output drivers output first and second differential signals to a first external input unit and a second external input unit, respectively, through a pair of signal lines according to first and second input signals. In the second output driver, a driver buffer is coupled to a first voltage and a first node respectively to generate two control signals according to the second input signals. An output unit generates the second differential signal according to the two control signals. A power supply provides a second voltage higher than the first voltage to power the driver buffer and the output unit when the first output driver outputs the first differential signal to the first external input unit.

Abstract: A combined output driver for TMDS signals and LVDS signals. A first output driver includes a first differential unit generating a first differential according to first input signals in a first mode and a first clamping device coupled between the first node and the first differential unit to clamp potentials at two power terminals below a second power voltage. The second output driver includes a second differential unit generating a second differential signal according to second input signals in a second mode and a second clamping device to clamp potentials at two output terminals of the second differential unit below the second power voltage.

Abstract: Dual-function drivers capable of outputting LVDS or TMDS differential signals by sharing output terminals under differential modes. In the dual-function driver, an input control unit receives a first input signal compliant with a first specification in a first mode and a second input signal compliant with a second specification in a second mode by sharing a pair of input terminals, and a current steering circuit comprises first and second differential pairs. The input control unit enables the first and second differential pairs to output a first differential signal compliant with the first specification through a pair of output terminals during the first mode, and the input control unit disables the first differential pair and enables the second differential pair to output a second differential signal compliant with the second specification on the pair of output terminals during the second mode.

Abstract: A combined transmission unit for TMDS signals and LVDS signals. A first (LVDS) transmission unit includes a set of first input terminals to receive first data, and a second (TMDS) transmission unit includes a set of second input terminals to receive second data. A phase locked loop (PLL) generates a first set of output clock signals to the first transmission unit in a first mode and a second set of output clock signals to the second transmission unit in a second mode according to a mode selection signal. The first and second transmission units are able to transmit the first data to the first and second external input units in the first and second modes respectively, according to the mode selection signal and the first and second sets of output clock signals.