Patents by Inventor William Paul Hovis

William Paul Hovis 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).

  • Publication number: 20240103604
    Abstract: Techniques and systems for enhanced adjustment of quantities and placement of decoupling capacitance on circuit boards for integrated circuits is provided herein. An example method includes iterating application of a load profile across different populations of decoupling capacitors on a circuit board for supply voltage domains of an integrated circuit device until a target transient performance is reached for the supply voltage domains. The load profile is applied onto electrical connections corresponding to the supply voltage domains for the integrated circuit device. The method also includes generating a capacitor population configuration for the circuit board based on a population of the decoupling capacitors that achieves the target transient performance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2023
    Publication date: March 28, 2024
    Inventors: Vlad Radu CALUGARU, William Paul HOVIS
  • Patent number: 11921565
    Abstract: Techniques and systems for enhanced adjustment of quantities and placement of decoupling capacitance on circuit boards for integrated circuits is provided herein. An example method includes iterating application of a load profile across different populations of decoupling capacitors on a circuit board for supply voltage domains of an integrated circuit device until a target transient performance is reached for the supply voltage domains. The load profile is applied onto electrical connections corresponding to the supply voltage domains for the integrated circuit device. The method also includes generating a capacitor population configuration for the circuit board based on a population of the decoupling capacitors that achieves the target transient performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Vlad Radu Calugaru, William Paul Hovis
  • Patent number: 11710726
    Abstract: Power control and decoupling capacitance arrangements for integrated circuit devices are discussed herein. In one example, an assembly includes a first circuit assembly comprising a first circuit board coupled to an integrated circuit device, wherein the first circuit board is coupled to first surface of a system circuit board. The assembly also includes a second circuit assembly comprising a second circuit board having one or more voltage adjustment units configured to supply at least one input voltage to the integrated circuit device, wherein the second circuit board is coupled to a second surface of the system circuit board and positioned at least partially under a footprint of the integrated circuit device with respect to the system circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: William Paul Hovis, Gregory M. Daly, Rich Tat An, Andres Felipe Hernandez Mojica, Garrett Douglas Blankenburg
  • Publication number: 20230152878
    Abstract: Techniques and systems for enhanced adjustment of quantities and placement of decoupling capacitance on circuit boards for integrated circuits is provided herein. An example method includes iterating application of a load profile across different populations of decoupling capacitors on a circuit board for supply voltage domains of an integrated circuit device until a target transient performance is reached for the supply voltage domains. The load profile is applied onto electrical connections corresponding to the supply voltage domains for the integrated circuit device. The method also includes generating a capacitor population configuration for the circuit board based on a population of the decoupling capacitors that achieves the target transient performance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2021
    Publication date: May 18, 2023
    Inventors: Vlad Radu CALUGARU, William Paul HOVIS
  • Patent number: 11209886
    Abstract: Clock control arrangements for integrated circuit devices are discussed herein. In one example, a method of operating an integrated circuit device includes monitoring indications of pending operations for a processing core of an integrated circuit, and determining a predicted change in workload for the processing core based at least on a portion of the indications of the pending operations. The method also includes altering a clock frequency of a clock signal provided to the processing core based at least on the predicted change in the workload.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: William Paul Hovis, Andrew Benson Maki, Francine Mary Shammami
  • Patent number: 11105844
    Abstract: Power control arrangements for integrated circuit devices are discussed herein. In one example, an assembly includes an integrated circuit device comprising one or more processing cores and a power domain configured to distribute a supply voltage to the one or more processing cores. The assembly also includes a charge injection circuit coupled to the power domain of the integrated circuit device, and configured to selectively couple electric charge into the power domain to predictively offset at least portions of voltage transients in the power domain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: William Paul Hovis, Gregory M. Daly, Rich Tat An, Andres Felipe Hernandez Mojica, Garrett Douglas Blankenburg
  • Patent number: 11093019
    Abstract: Power supply architectures and enhanced power control techniques are presented herein. In one example, a system includes a plurality of power supply phases and a system processor. The system processor comprises a processing unit comprising a plurality of processing cores, a plurality of power domains configured to segregate power distribution for the processing unit into sets of the plurality of processing cores, and external connections configured to couple individual ones the plurality of power domains to individual ones of the plurality of power supply phases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: William Paul Hovis, Steven William Ranta, Andres Felipe Hernandez Mojica
  • Patent number: 11016551
    Abstract: Power supply circuitry and enhanced associated techniques are presented herein. In one example, a method includes powering a circuit with a plurality of power supply phases, and monitoring thermal properties of the plurality of power supply phases. Responsive to the thermal properties indicating at least one of the plurality of power supply phases exceeds a thermal threshold, the method includes selecting a dormant power supply phase to supplant the at least one of the plurality of power supply phases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Steven William Ranta, William Paul Hovis, Andres Felipe Hernandez Mojica, Rich Tat An, Garrett Douglas Blankenburg
  • Patent number: 11010330
    Abstract: An example method for adjusting operation of an integrated circuit includes testing a plurality of electronic elements of the integrated circuit including one or more redundant electronic elements designated as inactive according to a manufacturer's default configuration of the integrated circuit to determine one or more operating parameters of the integrated circuit. The method further includes selecting a subset of electronic elements from the plurality of electronic elements based on the one or more operating parameters, wherein the subset of electronic elements is designated as active according to an updated configuration of the integrated circuit, and controlling operation of the integrated circuit using the updated configuration instead of the manufacturer's default configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: William Paul Hovis, Peter A. Atkinson, Robert James Ray, Garrett Douglas Blankenburg, Andres Felipe Hernandez
  • Publication number: 20210089364
    Abstract: Computing assemblies, such as blade servers, can be housed in rackmount systems of data centers for execution of applications for remote users. These applications can include games and other various user software. In one example, a method of operating a data processing system includes receiving requests for execution of a plurality of applications, and identifying estimated power demands for execution of each of the plurality of applications. The method also includes determining power limit properties for a plurality of computing modules capable of executing the plurality of applications, and selecting among the plurality of computing modules to execute ones of the plurality of applications based at least on the power limit properties and the estimated power demands.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2019
    Publication date: March 25, 2021
    Inventors: Garrett Douglas Blankenburg, William Paul Hovis, Andres Felipe Hernandez Mojica
  • Publication number: 20210081016
    Abstract: Clock control arrangements for integrated circuit devices are discussed herein. In one example, a method of operating an integrated circuit device includes monitoring indications of pending operations for a processing core of an integrated circuit, and determining a predicted change in workload for the processing core based at least on a portion of the indications of the pending operations. The method also includes altering a clock frequency of a clock signal provided to the processing core based at least on the predicted change in the workload.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2019
    Publication date: March 18, 2021
    Inventors: William Paul Hovis, Andrew Benson Maki, Francine Mary Shammami
  • Patent number: 10928885
    Abstract: Power reduction and voltage adjustment techniques for computing systems and processing devices are presented herein. In one example, a method includes executing a voltage characterization service for a processing device of a computing apparatus to determine at least one supply voltage for the processing device, the voltage characterization service comprising a functional test that exercises the processing device at iteratively adjusted voltages in context with associated system elements of the computing apparatus. During execution of the voltage characterization service, the method includes monitoring for operational failures of at least the processing device, and responsive to the operational failures, determining at least one resultant supply voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: William Paul Hovis, Garrett Douglas Blankenburg, Peter Anthony Atkinson, Robert James Ray, Andres Felipe Hernandez Mojica, Samy Boshra-Riad, Erng-Sing Wee, Brian Keith Langendorf
  • Publication number: 20210034136
    Abstract: Power supply architectures and enhanced power control techniques are presented herein. In one example, a system includes a plurality of power supply phases and a system processor. The system processor comprises a processing unit comprising a plurality of processing cores, a plurality of power domains configured to segregate power distribution for the processing unit into sets of the plurality of processing cores, and external connections configured to couple individual ones the plurality of power domains to individual ones of the plurality of power supply phases.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2019
    Publication date: February 4, 2021
    Inventors: William Paul Hovis, Steven William Ranta, Andres Felipe Hernandez Mojica
  • Publication number: 20200411495
    Abstract: Decoupling capacitance arrangements for integrated circuit devices are discussed herein. In one example, an assembly includes a first circuit assembly comprising a first circuit board coupled to an integrated circuit device, where the first circuit board is coupled to first surface of a system circuit board. The assembly includes a second circuit assembly comprising a second circuit board having decoupling capacitance for the integrated circuit device, where the second circuit board is coupled to a second surface of the system circuit board and positioned at least partially under a footprint of the integrated circuit device with respect to the system circuit board.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2019
    Publication date: December 31, 2020
    Inventors: William Paul Hovis, Gregory M. Daly, Rich Tat An, Andres Felipe Hernandez Mojica, Garrett Douglas Blankenburg
  • Publication number: 20200409450
    Abstract: Voltage control arrangements for integrated circuit devices are discussed herein. In one example, a method includes receiving an indication of one or more software elements selected for execution by an integrated circuit device, and determining a target level of a supply voltage for the integrated circuit device based on the indication. The method also includes controlling voltage regulation circuitry to adjust a present level of the supply voltage for the integrated circuit device in accordance with the target level.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2019
    Publication date: December 31, 2020
    Inventors: William Paul Hovis, Gregory M. Daly, Rich Tat An, Andres Felipe Hernandez Mojica, Garrett Douglas Blankenburg
  • Publication number: 20200411494
    Abstract: Power control and decoupling capacitance arrangements for integrated circuit devices are discussed herein. In one example, an assembly includes a first circuit assembly comprising a first circuit board coupled to an integrated circuit device, wherein the first circuit board is coupled to first surface of a system circuit board. The assembly also includes a second circuit assembly comprising a second circuit board having one or more voltage adjustment units configured to supply at least one input voltage to the integrated circuit device, wherein the second circuit board is coupled to a second surface of the system circuit board and positioned at least partially under a footprint of the integrated circuit device with respect to the system circuit board.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2019
    Publication date: December 31, 2020
    Inventors: William Paul Hovis, Gregory M. Daly, Rich Tat An, Andres Felipe Hernandez Mojica, Garrett Douglas Blankenburg
  • Publication number: 20200408832
    Abstract: Power control arrangements for integrated circuit devices are discussed herein. In one example, an assembly includes an integrated circuit device comprising one or more processing cores and a power domain configured to distribute a supply voltage to the one or more processing cores. The assembly also includes a charge injection circuit coupled to the power domain of the integrated circuit device, and configured to selectively couple electric charge into the power domain to predictively offset at least portions of voltage transients in the power domain.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2019
    Publication date: December 31, 2020
    Inventors: William Paul Hovis, Gregory M. Daly, Rich Tat An, Andres Felipe Hernandez Mojica, Garrett Douglas Blankenburg
  • Publication number: 20200373260
    Abstract: Integrated circuit device carriers and packaging assemblies which have attached decoupling capacitance are discussed herein. In one example, an assembly includes a package assembly comprising a carrier circuit board and an integrated circuit device coupled to a first side of the carrier circuit board. The assembly includes decoupling capacitors for the integrated circuit device are coupled to a second side of the carrier circuit board opposite from at least a portion of a footprint of the integrated circuit device on the carrier circuit board. A motherboard can be coupled to the package assembly and have at least one motherboard substrate layer facing the decoupling capacitors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2019
    Publication date: November 26, 2020
    Inventors: William Paul Hovis, Gregory M. Daly, Rich Tat An
  • Publication number: 20200373224
    Abstract: Integrated circuit decoupling capacitance systems, arrangements, and assemblies are discussed herein. In one example, an assembly includes an integrated circuit device comprising a plurality of through silicon vias (TSVs) coupled to corresponding voltage domains of the integrated circuit device. The assembly includes one or more capacitive elements external to the integrated circuit device and conductively coupled to selected ones of the TSVs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2019
    Publication date: November 26, 2020
    Inventors: Gregory M. Daly, William Paul Hovis
  • Publication number: 20200373285
    Abstract: Integrated circuit device carriers and packaging assemblies which have attached decoupling capacitance are discussed herein. In one example, an assembly includes a package assembly coupled to a motherboard and comprising a carrier circuit board and an integrated circuit device coupled to a first side of the carrier circuit board. The assembly also includes decoupling capacitors for the integrated circuit device conductively coupled between the motherboard and a second side of the carrier circuit board opposite from at least a portion of a footprint of the integrated circuit device on the carrier circuit board.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2019
    Publication date: November 26, 2020
    Inventors: William Paul Hovis, Gregory M. Daly, Rich Tat An