Patents by Inventor William B. Simms

William B. Simms 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: 8724483
    Abstract: An interface for implementing a loopback configuration which offers improved calibration and/or testing of an electronic system is disclosed. More specifically, embodiments provide a bi-directional interface with at least two portions or partitions capable of communicating data in opposite directions and implementing a loopback configuration between components of an electronic system, thereby enabling more flexible, efficient and effective calibration and/or testing of the electronic system using a single interface. The loopback of the partitioned bi-directional interface may be used to perform data link training and/or electronic system testing. In one embodiment, the loopback configuration of the interface may be reversible. Additionally, the looped or coupled end of the partitions may be switched from one component to another, thereby reversing the configuration of the loopback in one embodiment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Nvidia Corporation
    Inventors: Ting Sheng Ku, Russell Newcomb, Barry A. Wagner, Ashfaq R. Shaikh, William B. Simms
  • Patent number: 8453019
    Abstract: A method of receiving data. A plurality of data signals and clocking signals are received over a source synchronous communication channel. The plurality of data signals is strobed with the clocking signal at a plurality of coarse time offset delays (e.g., time offset delays spanning over a data bit period). The plurality of error rates associated with the strobing at the plurality of coarse time offset delays is determined. Strobing design of a transmitting component (e.g., edge-strobed, center-strobed, etc.) may be determined based on the plurality of error rates. The error rates of the plurality of data signals strobed with a plurality of time offset delays close to the determined strobing design of the transmitting component is calculated. A time offset delay is selected based on the error rates. The plurality of data signals can be strobed with the selected time offset delay to recover the transmitted data signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventors: Russell Newcomb, William B. Simms, Ting-Sheng Ku, Ashfaq R. Shaikh
  • Patent number: 8432019
    Abstract: System and apparatus for capacitively coupling signals with an integrated circuit (IC) are described. Capacitive elements disposed with a transmitting IC effectively function as AC coupling capacitors for a PCIe, DisplayPort™ or other interconnect linking the transmitting IC with a receiver disposed remote there from. Integrating the coupling capacitors allows for a smaller and more economical design for the circuits that utilize the interconnect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventors: William P. Tsu, William B. Simms
  • Publication number: 20100295155
    Abstract: System and apparatus for capacitively coupling signals with an integrated circuit (IC) are described. Capacitive elements disposed with a transmitting IC effectively function as AC coupling capacitors for a PCIe, DisplayPort™ or other interconnect linking the transmitting IC with a receiver disposed remote there from. Integrating the coupling capacitors allows for a smaller and more economical design for the circuits that utilize the interconnect.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2009
    Publication date: November 25, 2010
    Applicant: NVIDIA CORPORATION
    Inventors: William P. Tsu, William B. Simms
  • Patent number: 7694062
    Abstract: Systems and apparatus for capacitively coupling signals with an integrated circuit (IC) are described. Capacitive elements disposed within a transmitting IC effectively function as AC coupling capacitors for a PCIe, DisplayPort™ or other interconnect linking the transmitting IC with a receiver disposed remote there from. Integrating the coupling capacitors allows for a smaller and more economical design for the circuits that utilize the interconnect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2010
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventors: William P. Tsu, William B. Simms
  • Patent number: 7574647
    Abstract: Embodiments for binary encoding and/or decoding data are disclosed. In one or more embodiments, N data bits may be encoded using one of a plurality of codes derived from at least N+1 bits wherein said one of the plurality of codes is selected to most closely maintain a programmable non-equal ratio of bits at a first logical level to bits at a second logical level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2009
    Assignee: Nvidia Corporation
    Inventors: Russell R. Newcomb, William B. Simms, Barry A. Wagner
  • Publication number: 20090119532
    Abstract: A method of receiving data. A plurality of data signals and clocking signals are received over a source synchronous communication channel. The plurality of data signals is strobed with the clocking signal at a plurality of coarse time offset delays (e.g., time offset delays spanning over a data bit period). The plurality of error rates associated with the strobing at the plurality of coarse time offset delays is determined. Strobing design of a transmitting component (e.g., edge-strobed, center-strobed, etc.) may be determined based on the plurality of error rates. The error rates of the plurality of data signals strobed with a plurality of time offset delays close to the determined strobing design of the transmitting component is calculated. A time offset delay is selected based on the error rates. The plurality of data signals can be strobed with the selected time offset delay to recover the transmitted data signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2007
    Publication date: May 7, 2009
    Inventors: Russell Newcomb, William B. Simms, Ting-Sheng Ku, Ashfaq R. Shaikh
  • Publication number: 20090103443
    Abstract: An interface for implementing a loopback configuration which offers improved calibration and/or testing of an electronic system is disclosed. More specifically, embodiments provide a bi-directional interface with at least two portions or partitions capable of communicating data in opposite directions and implementing a loopback configuration between components of an electronic system, thereby enabling more flexible, efficient and effective calibration and/or testing of the electronic system using a single interface. The loopback of the partitioned bi-directional interface may be used to perform data link training and/or electronic system testing. In one embodiment, the loopback configuration of the interface may be reversible. Additionally, the looped or coupled end of the partitions may be switched from one component to another, thereby reversing the configuration of the loopback in one embodiment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2007
    Publication date: April 23, 2009
    Inventors: Ting Sheng Ku, Russell Newcomb, Barry A. Wagner, Ashfag R. Shaikh, William B. Simms
  • Patent number: 7519893
    Abstract: Embodiments for binary encoding and/or decoding of data for transmission and/or reception over a data interconnect are disclosed. For an embodiment, a code may comprise a base portion, a subset of the base portion, a complement bit associated with the base portion, and a complement bit associated with the subset of the base portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: nVidia Corporation
    Inventors: Russell R. Newcomb, William B. Simms
  • Patent number: 7519892
    Abstract: Embodiments for binary encoding and/or decoding data are disclosed. In or more embodiments, N data bits may be encoded using one of a plurality of codes derived from at least N+1 bits wherein each of the plurality of codes comprises approximately equal numbers of bits at a first logical level and a second logical level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: nVidia Corporation
    Inventors: Russell R. Newcomb, William B. Simms, Barry A. Wagner
  • Patent number: 7370132
    Abstract: A bus permits the number of active serial data lanes of a data link to be re-negotiated in response to changes in bus bandwidth requirements. In one embodiment, clock buffers not required to drive active data lanes are placed in an inactive state to reduce clock power dissipation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2008
    Assignee: Nvidia Corporation
    Inventors: Wei Je Huang, Luc R. Bisson, Oren Rubinstein, Michael B. Diamond, William B. Simms
  • Patent number: 7188263
    Abstract: An arrangement provides for further power reduction where a system includes two or more electrical components that can be placed into two or more power consumption states. The arrangement can take advantage of existing circuitry to selectively disable certain state transition detectors to thereby provide additional power reduction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventors: Oren Rubinstein, William B. Simms, Michael B. Diamond