Synchronization Of Clock Or Timing Signals, Data, Or Pulses Patents (Class 713/400)
  • Patent number: 8417982
    Abstract: Some of the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method for operating a first in first out (FIFO) memory system in different clock domains, the method comprising receiving a write request in a first clock domain; generating, by a write shift and truncation module in response to receiving the write request, a shifted series of binary numbers such that the shifted series of binary numbers is a reduced sub-set of a first series of binary numbers; and generating, by a binary to Gray conversion module, a series of Gray code numbers corresponding to the shifted series of binary numbers. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Marvell Israel (M.I.S.L.) Ltd.
    Inventors: Erez Amit, Dimitry Melts, Erez Izenberg
  • Patent number: 8417981
    Abstract: A method and device for converting between different time domains at a local unit utilizing an processor is disclosed. Time counters to count time in at least two different formats are located locally at each unit. Once a time conversion is initiated, a time stamp is received by the processor and the time counter in the new time domain commences calculating an adjustment count. Once the converted time is received from the processor, the received time plus the adjustment count are summed to provide a time base for the new time domain. The time counters continue counting in their respective time domains after conversion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Ruggedcom Inc.
    Inventors: Yuri Luskind, Petru Ovidiu Lupas, Roger Moore
  • Patent number: 8411703
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for a multiple lane transmission system that provides a fixed, low-latency mode of operation with reduced lane-lane skew while process, voltage, and temperature (PVT) variation, as well as other sources of variation, occur over time. Multiplexing techniques are utilized within each transmission lane to allow programmably adaptive use of phase alignment circuitry for various modes of operation. As a result, power consumption and semiconductor die area are reduced because multiple copies of phase alignment circuitry within each transmission lane are not required. Also, injection of additional jitter on the serial outputs due to continuous operation of phase alignment circuitry is prevented. Rather, multiplexers within the phase alignment circuitry selectively adapt the timing architecture to that required by the selected mode of operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventor: Warren E. Cory
  • Patent number: 8412974
    Abstract: A circuit generates a global clock signal with a pulse width modification to synchronize processors in a parallel computing system. The circuit may include a hardware module and a clock splitter. The hardware module may generate a clock signal and performs a pulse width modification on the clock signal. The pulse width modification changes a pulse width within a clock period in the clock signal. The clock splitter may distribute the pulse width modified clock signal to a plurality of processors in the parallel computing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Dong Chen, Matthew R. Ellavsky, Ross L. Franke, Alan Gara, Thomas M. Gooding, Rudolf A. Haring, Mark J. Jeanson, Gerard V. Kopcsay, Thomas A. Liebsch, Daniel Littrell, Martin Ohmacht, Don D. Reed, Brandon E. Schenck, Richard A. Swetz
  • Patent number: 8412946
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for creating and/or using trustworthy timestamps and certifiable clocks using logs linked by cryptographic hashes. In one embodiment, the method comprises maintaining a first, chained-hash log; associating a first clock with the chained-hash log, and entangling the first log; with a second by adding a time-stamped synchronization entry to the chained-hash log, where the synchronization entry has a second time indication associated with the second log and a hash of one or more entries in the first log.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Stephen Savitzky, Kurt Piersol
  • Patent number: 8412975
    Abstract: A synchronization apparatus, comprising: a USB device having a USB microcontroller, circuitry for observing USB traffic, and circuitry for decoding from a USB data stream a periodic data structure (such as a clock carrier signal) containing information about a distributed clock frequency and phase and outputting a decoded carrier signal; and circuitry for receiving the decoded carrier signal, for generating a software interrupt upon receipt of a predefined data packet (such as a SOF packet) and for passing the software interrupt to the USB microcontroller; wherein the USB microcontroller is configured to respond to the software interrupt (such as with an interrupt service routine provided therein) by generating an output signal adapted to be used as a synchronization reference signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Chronologic Pty. Ltd.
    Inventor: Peter Graham Foster
  • Publication number: 20130080815
    Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a first pipeline with multiple stages of asynchronous circuits. Note that a stage in the first pipeline communicates with a stage in a corresponding second pipeline with multiple stages of asynchronous circuits on another integrated circuit via connectors. Furthermore, a first state wire preceding the stage in the first pipeline provides advanced notice to a first state wire preceding the stage in the second pipeline of subsequent communication between the stage in the first pipeline and the stage in the second pipeline so that the stage in the second pipeline has time to amplify a signal received from the stage in the first pipeline, thereby facilitating approximately synchronous operation of the stages in the first and second pipelines.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2011
    Publication date: March 28, 2013
    Applicant: ORACLE INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
    Inventor: Ivan E. Sutherland
  • Patent number: 8407508
    Abstract: A serial bus clock frequency calibration system and a method thereof are disclosed herein. The system utilizes a first frequency calibration device, a second frequency calibration device and a third frequency calibration device to share the same oscillator as so to perform multi-stage clock frequency resolution calibrations for different frequency-tuning ranges. This can bring an optimal frequency resolution, greatly reduce system complexity and save element cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Genesys Logic, Inc.
    Inventors: Wei-te Lee, Shin-te Yang, Wen-ming Huang
  • Patent number: 8407513
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to providing an information signal to one or more sub-systems within a wireless communications device, where the information signal enables the sub-systems to operate based on virtually corrected reference frequency clock signal(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventor: Michael Meixner
  • Patent number: 8407510
    Abstract: Systems and techniques for improved bus control, which may be particularly useful for double data rate (DDR) data transfer. A circuit may include a clock transmitter in communication with a clock bus, a clock receiver in communication with the clock bus, and a driver in communication with the clock bus. The driver may drive a voltage of the clock bus to a first voltage level when the clock transmitter is not transmitting a clock signal on the clock bus and the clock receiver is not receiving a clock signal on the clock bus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Marvell Israel (MISL) Ltd.
    Inventor: Eitan Rosen
  • Publication number: 20130073890
    Abstract: A signal synchronizing device includes a trigger module for capturing an input signal according to a first clock signal which corresponds with the input signal so as to generate a trigger signal, a storage unit for forming a first pulse signal by pulling an output thereof to a first logic level according to the trigger signal, and by pulling the output thereof to a second logic level according to a feedback reset signal, and a synchronizing module for performing synchronous transfer according to the first pulse signal so as to output an output signal corresponding with frequency of a second clock signal, and for generating the feedback reset signal according to the output signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2012
    Publication date: March 21, 2013
    Applicant: Realtek Semiconductor Corp.
    Inventor: Jui-Yuan Lin
  • Patent number: 8402298
    Abstract: Disclosed is an array-type processor including a data path unit in which a plurality of processor elements are arranged in an array; a state-transition management unit that stores information for controlling changeover of data paths; and a delay adjusting circuit that adjusts delay of the input clock signal based upon information output from the state-transition management unit, and provides the delay-adjusted clock signal to the data path unit. The delay adjusting circuit has a delay control information memory and a programmable delay. The delay control information memory stores a plurality of items of delay control information, delay control information is read out using a configuration number supplied from the state-transition management unit as an address, and the delay control information is applied to the programmable array. The programmable delay delays the input clock signal by a delay time specified by the delay control information and provides the delayed clock signal to the data path unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshikazu Yabe
  • Patent number: 8402302
    Abstract: An electronic timer system includes a counter-based time generator for continuously generating raw base time, and a translator for translating between raw base time and local precise time. The counter-based time generator is driven by an oscillator. The timer system further includes a temperature sensor placed in the proximity of the oscillator or a crystal used by the oscillator, and a look-up control table holding temperature values associated with corresponding control values representative of the configurable parameter value A. The look-up control table is generated when the timer system is synchronized with a synchronization source so that the temperature and control values are characteristic of the operation of the timer system in synchronization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignees: IMSYS AB, Conemtech AB
    Inventors: Stefan Blixt, Christian Blixt
  • Patent number: 8402299
    Abstract: An electronics device comprising a time information acquisition unit which acquires time information representing present time from an external device, an update unit which updates reference time stored in a reference time storage unit to time represented by the latest time information acquired by the time information acquisition unit each time the time information is acquired, a counter circuit which is formed by hardware and updates its count value at fixed cycles, an elapsed time measurement unit which measures an elapsed time since the update of the reference time by use of the counter circuit, a present time calculation unit which calculates present time by adding the elapsed time to the reference time stored in the reference time storage unit, and a response unit which makes the present time calculation unit calculate the present time and outputs the calculated present time if a present time output request is issued.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroshi Shibata
  • Patent number: 8401359
    Abstract: A video receiving apparatus having an input terminal to receive pixel-based video data transmitted with pixel clock synchronized with the video data is provided. The video receiving apparatus may include a separation unit, an information acquisition unit, and a determination unit. The separation unit may be configured to separate auxiliary data added to the video data from the video data obtained at the input terminal. The information acquisition unit may be configured to acquire information on the number of horizontal pixels and the number of vertical pixels for the input video data from the auxiliary data separated at the separation unit. The determination unit may be configured to determine a type of the input video data based on the information on the number of horizontal pixels and the number of vertical pixels that is obtained at the information acquisition unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Takuro Shoji, Akira Nishiyama
  • Patent number: 8402303
    Abstract: The embodiments disclose a method for encoder frequency-shift compensation, including, determining frequency values of an input encoder signal, analyzing an encoder index clock signal and the input encoder signal to determine values of frequency-shifts and compensating for the values of the frequency-shifts to generate a frequency-shift compensated clock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Koichi Wago, Sundeep Chauhan, David M. Tung
  • Patent number: 8402301
    Abstract: A device may include a processor to execute a thread. The processor may be further configured to execute a set of wrappers that are called from within the thread to invoke a set of one-shot signal objects to generate delayed signals. Each of the set of wrappers may be configured to detect whether different ones of one-shot signal objects that were invoked from within the thread have generated signals at periodic time intervals, determine a delay to be used for invoking one of the set of one-shot signal objects, and invoke the one of the set of one-shot signal object to generate one of the delayed signals based on the delay when the different ones of one-shot signal objects have generated signals at periodic time intervals. The processor may be further configured to receive the delayed signals generated from the set of one-shot signal objects over a time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: Juniper Networks, Inc.
    Inventor: Jeffrey C. Venable, Sr.
  • Patent number: 8402300
    Abstract: In a device and a method to execute commands in components of an imaging system, in particular of a magnetic resonance tomography system, local clocks in the components are temporally synchronized, commands, including a respective command execution time specification which respectively specifies at which point in time a command should be executed, are sent to the components, the commands are received by the components, commands and command execution time specifications that are received by components are stored in these components, and a stored command is respectively executed when a time indicated by the local clock coincides with the stored command execution time specification regarding the command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Rudi Baumgartl, Nikolaus Demharter, Georg Pirkl, Roland Werner
  • Patent number: 8397095
    Abstract: Provided is a method and apparatus for synchronizing a time of day (TOD) in a convergent network, wherein the TOD is received from a time server connected in the convergent network and is provided to a terminal connected in a wired or wireless network, specifically a terminal connected in a heterogeneous network, that requires TOD information. The apparatus includes a time server that provides standard TOD information, a gateway or a host personal computer (PC) that provides the standard TOD information of the time server to the terminal in a 3rd layer or lower instead of an upper layer of the open system interconnection (OSI) 7 layer model, and the terminal that adjusts a local clock according to the provided standard TOD information. According to the method and apparatus, the terminal not only maintains a very precise TOD by obtaining TOD information of the time server periodically or when required, but also obtains the TOD information without using application software for processing the TOD information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Dae Geun Park, Jung Hee Lee, Seung Woo Lee, Bhum Cheol Lee
  • Patent number: 8396587
    Abstract: Provided is a conveyance control system in which fast and smooth control is realized without causing a control delay by a processing delay of a control apparatus such as a PLC, and wiring between a control object and a central control unit is omitted. A conveyance control system according to the present invention includes a plurality of data processing slave stations connected through a common transmission line. The data processing slave station obtains information about a predetermined station from monitor/control data about a plurality of stations of the data processing slave station transmitted to the common transmission line, determines and adjusts control/monitoring of an own station and outputs information about an own station to the common transmission line. The information about an own station output to the common transmission line from the data processing slave station is obtained by a different station as part of the monitor/control data to become a control/monitor factor of the different station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignee: Anywire Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshitane Saitou, Kenji Nishikido
  • Patent number: 8397094
    Abstract: A node-to-node synchronizing apparatus includes an information generating unit. Before receiving a synchronization request for synchronization, the information generating unit receives, from each process in each computing node, a mask generation request requesting to generate process location information (mask) indicating the location of processes that participate in synchronization. The information generating unit then automatically generates the process location information based on the mask generation request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Jun Tsuiki, Hiroyuki Oka
  • Patent number: 8397098
    Abstract: A method for countervailing clock skew between a first clock signal and a second clock signal in a core logic circuit. The second clock signal is sampled based on the first clock signal in a sampling cycle to obtain a sampling result. When the sampling result indicates a non-compliant pattern, the phase of at least one of the first clock signal and the second clock signal is adjusted. Desirably, the core logic circuit keeps on working with the current first and second clock signals while continuing the sampling procedure of the second clock signal based on the first clock signal when the sampling result indicates a compliant pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignee: Via Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Paul Su
  • Patent number: 8397099
    Abstract: The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for using pulses to control work ingress. Generally, embodiments of the invention use a variable-speed clock for accepting work for lower-priority services. A clock rate is controlled by a load monitor. The load monitor periodically collects sensor measurements of resources available after allocations by higher-priority services. Based on the sensor measurements, the load monitor adjusts the clock speed up or down (i.e., depending on the amount of resources available after allocations by higher-priority services). At the boundary of the lower-priority service (e.g., where work enters the system), work requests are enqueued to be associated with a future pulse of the clock. Work is accepted or rejected based on a determination of whether the work request can be allocated a clock pulse within a defined period of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Nicholas A. Allen, Justin D. Brown
  • Publication number: 20130061084
    Abstract: Several different embodiments of a massively scalable object storage system are described. The object storage system is particularly useful for storage in a cloud computing installation whereby shared servers provide resources, software, and data to computers and other devices on demand. In several embodiments, the object storage system includes a ring implementation used to associate object storage commands with particular physical servers such that certain guarantees of consistency, availability, and performance can be met. In other embodiments, the object storage system includes a synchronization protocol used to order operations across a distributed system. In a third set of embodiments, the object storage system includes a metadata management system. In a fourth set of embodiments, the object storage system uses a structured information synchronization system. Features from each set of embodiments can be used to improve the performance and scalability of a cloud computing object storage system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2012
    Publication date: March 7, 2013
    Applicant: Rackspace US, Inc.
    Inventor: Rackspace US, Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130061083
    Abstract: A Quad-Data Rate (QDR) controller and an implementation method thereof are disclosed in the present invention. The controller includes: an arbiter, used to arbitrates commands and data according to the state of the control state machine; a read data sampling clock generating module, used to generate read data sampling clocks with the same source and same frequency and different phases; a read data path calibrating module, used to determines, among the generated read data sampling clocks, sampling clocks of positive edge data and negative edge data for the read data path module to read data by reading training words when the control state machine is in “read data path calibrating state”; a read data path module, used to synchronizes the positive edge read data and negative edge data in a non-system clock domain to the system clock domain according to the determined sampling clocks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2010
    Publication date: March 7, 2013
    Applicant: ZTE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jishan Ding, Wei Huang, Wei Lai, Jianbing Wang, Kedong Yu, Zhiyong Liao
  • Patent number: 8392742
    Abstract: A method of synchronizing cyclemasters over a distributed bridge is disclosed. The method comprises: a local portal sending a synchronization signal to a peer portal through a bridge fabric upon occurrence of a cycle synchronization event on the local portal; the peer portal sampling its local cycle timer to obtain a sample value when the peer portal receives the synchronization signal; a bridge manager at an upstream portal communicating the sample value to a bridge manager at an alpha portal; the bridge manager at the alpha portal using the sampled time value to compensate for delays through a bridge fabric, calculate the correction to be applied to a cycle timer associated with the alpha portal, and correct the cycle timer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Colin Whitby-Strevens
  • Patent number: 8392740
    Abstract: An analog-to-digital-converter (ADC) timing engine may simplify the use of Delta-Sigma ADCs by compensating for the group-delay of the ADC. The compensation may render the group-delay corresponding to the ADC largely transparent to the end-user of the ADC. Therefore, multiple ADCs may be easily synchronized with each other, even if they have different group-delays, and they may further be synchronized with other types of ADCs that do not have group-delays. The data from the ADCs may also be synchronized with external events. The ADC timing engine (ATE) may be programmed with a number of parameters to set proper delays taking into account not only the group-delays corresponding to the various ADC, but delays stemming from a variety of other sources. Multiple ATEs may be synchronized with each other to ensure that data acquisition by the participating ADCs is started and/or stopped at the same point in time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: National Instruments Corporation
    Inventors: Adam H. Dewhirst, Rafael Castro Scorsi
  • Patent number: 8392741
    Abstract: A latency control circuit includes a delay unit configured to delay an input signal for a delay corresponding to a phase difference between an external clock and an internal clock and generate a delayed input signal, a delay information generation unit configured to generate a delay information based on a latency information and a delay amount of the input signal caused by a chip including the latency control circuit, a shift unit configured to shift the delayed input signal for a time period corresponding to the delay information in synchronism with the internal clock and an asynchronous control unit configured to selectively control the shift unit to output the delayed input signal without performing a shift operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventors: Kyung-Hoon Kim, Kyung-Whan Kim
  • Patent number: 8392739
    Abstract: A multi-core processor and a frequency conversion device thereof as well as a method of communication between the cores are disclosed. Each processor core of the multi-core processor includes a frequency conversion device, which includes a multi-bit state changing means, a multiple selector, a frequency conversion coefficient register, a multi-input OR gate and a clock-gating circuit unit. A common original clock is sent to the frequency conversion device of each processor core at work. The frequency conversion device real-timely reads the value of the frequency conversion coefficient register of a corresponding processor core and receives data transmission valid signals from other processor cores. By gating the common original clock, a frequency conversion function of the processor core is completed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Loongson Technology Corporation Limited
    Inventors: Ge Zhang, Weiwu Hu
  • Patent number: 8391491
    Abstract: A sender transmits to a receiver an optical signal that is phase-modulated in accordance with source data and a basis stored in a memory. The receiver phase-modulates the received optical signal in accordance with a basis, obtains detection data through interference, and stores the detection data in a memory. An inter-device address difference (GD) and an intra-device address difference (DI) are provisionally set. The detection data are checked against the source data while sequentially changing the values of GD and DI within a predetermined adjustment range. Based on the result of this checking, GD and DI are determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Akihiro Tanaka, Akio Tajima, Seigo Takahashi, Wakako Maeda
  • Patent number: 8392746
    Abstract: The present invention provides a clock ratio controller for dynamic voltage and frequency scaled digital systems, and applications thereof. In an embodiment, a digital system is provided that includes a first digital circuit that operates at a first rate determined by a first clock signal and a second digital circuit that operates at a second rate determined by a second clock signal. The first digital circuit is coupled to the second digital circuit by a bus that is used for communications between the first digital circuit and the second digital circuit. A clock ratio controller is used to adjust the frequency of the first clock signal and/or the second clock signal in response to a power management signal without causing a loss of synchronization between the first digital circuit and the second digital circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: MIPS Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Matthias Knoth
  • Patent number: 8392686
    Abstract: A memory module includes several memory devices coupled to a memory hub. The memory hub includes several link interfaces coupled to respective processors, several memory controller coupled to respective memory devices, a cross-bar switch coupling any of the link interfaces to any of the memory controllers, a write buffer and read cache for each memory device and a read synchronization module. The read synchronization module includes a write pointer, a read pointer and a buffer. The write pointer is incremented in response to the receipt of read data. The read pointer increments in response to coupling of the read data from the memory hub. A comparator compares the read pointer an the write pointer, and the comparison is used to adjust the memory timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph M. Jeddeloh, Paul LaBerge
  • Patent number: 8386827
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for event alignment control. For example, an event alignment control circuit is disclosed that includes a delay table, a flag write controller circuit, and a signal reconstruction circuit. The delay table includes at least a first register and a last register, and is operable to transfer data from the first register to the last register. The flag write controller circuit is operable to receive an indication of assertion of an event flag and to write information relevant to the event flag to the first register of the delay table. The signal reconstruction circuit is electrically coupled to the last register, and reconstructs the event flag based at least in part on the information relevant to the event flag obtained from the last register.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: LSI Corporation
    Inventor: Changyou Xu
  • Patent number: 8386765
    Abstract: There is described a method for transmitting synchronization messages, for example PTP messages of the IEEE 1588 standard, the PTP message being inserted into a data packet in line with the Internet Protocol, the data packet having an IP header, and the data packet having a UDP header. In this case, for the encrypted transmission on the PTP message, the data packet is addressed to a UDP port that is reserved for encrypted PTP messages, the data packet is provided with an additional S-PTP header that is provided for encryption, the PTP message is extended with a pseudo random number, and the PTP message is encrypted together with the pseudo random number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Steffen Fries, Jean Georgiades, Stephan Schüler
  • Patent number: 8381008
    Abstract: A protection device for a power network performs a method to align measuring times of first and second measurements of an electric quantity, taken at different ends of a power network line transmitted with measuring times via a telecommunication network. In the method, a send transmission time from the local to remote end of the line and a receive transmission time from the remote to local end of the line are determined based on time signals from internal clocks. After a global time reference to synchronize the internal clocks is lost, a clock drift is determined between the internal clocks. The measuring times of the first and the second measurements are aligned using the send and receive transmission times as well as the clock drift. A sudden change in the clock drift is determined in order to recognize a route switching in the telecommunication network and the clock drift is corrected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: ABB Technology AG
    Inventors: Bertil Lundqvist, Bjorn Lexelius, Kent Wikstrom
  • Patent number: 8381010
    Abstract: A circuit for switching clocks includes a first input intended to receive a first clock signal at a frequency alternately equal to a first value or a second value, a second input intended to receive a second clock signal, synchronous with the first clock signal, at a third frequency and an output intended to deliver a third clock signal at a frequency alternately equal to the first value or the third value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Thales
    Inventors: Sebastien Geairon, Pascal Commun, Pierre Saint Ellier
  • Publication number: 20130042136
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, an apparatus, and a system for performing time synchronization on PCIE (PCI Express, peripheral component interconnect express) devices. The method mainly includes: a PCIE device receiving, through a hardware interface, a time synchronization signal sent from a clock source device; parsing, by the PCIE device, the time synchronization signal to obtain clock information carried in the time synchronization signal, and using the clock information as a clock of the PCIE device. The PCIE devices are supported to access a synchronous network, and the PCIE devices are supported to be used as a global clock source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2012
    Publication date: February 14, 2013
    Applicant: Huawie Technologies Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Huifeng XU, Baifeng YU
  • Publication number: 20130042135
    Abstract: A system and method for efficiently synchronizing multiple processing cores on a system-on-a-chip (SOC). A SOC includes an interrupt controller and multiple processing cores. The interrupt controller includes a main time base counter. The SOC includes multiple local time base counters, each coupled to a respective one of the processing cores. Synchronization logic blocks are used to update the local counters. These blocks receive a subset of bits from the interrupt controller. The subset of bits represents a number of least significant bits of the main counter less than a total number of bits for the main counter. The logic blocks update an associated local counter according to changes to the received subset of bits. A difference may exist between values of the main counter in the interrupt controller and the local counter in the processing core. However, this difference may be a constant value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2011
    Publication date: February 14, 2013
    Inventors: Herbert Lopez-Aguado, Jung Wook Cho, Conrad H. Ziesler
  • Patent number: 8375237
    Abstract: Systems and methods for synchronization of an external control system with Fieldbus devices are described. A message including timing information for at least one Fieldbus device in direct or indirect communication with a controller may be received by the controller. Based upon information included in the received message, the controller may determine a start time for a current operation cycle of the at least one Fieldbus device. The controller may then utilize the start time and a duration of the current operation cycle to determine a specific time at which the controller will execute control functionality for the at least one Fieldbus device such that a control message output by the controller will be received by the at least one Fieldbus device within the current operation cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: William Robert Pettigrew, Justin Brandon Chong
  • Patent number: 8375238
    Abstract: A memory controller takes in the first to (N?1)th pieces of data respectively in synchronization with the second to Nth return read clocks. The memory controller takes in the Nth piece of data from stop of output of the Nth read clock and before a first predetermined time. The memory controller sets an output period of the Nth read clock to be longer than an output period of each of the first to (N?1)th read clocks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Toshiyuki Honda
  • Patent number: 8375239
    Abstract: Provided are a technique for high-speed switching between clock signals different in frequency, and a clock-control-signal-generation circuit which serves to generate a control signal for clock switching in a clock selector operable to switch between clock signals including a first clock signal based on first and second clock-stop-permission signals and a clock-resume-permission signal. The clock-control-signal-generation circuit includes: a before-switching clock processing unit; and an after-switching clock processing unit. In each of the before-and after-switching clock processing units, the high-frequency clock processing subunit and the low-frequency clock processing subunit take partial charges of processing of clock signals involved in the switching respectively, whereby the processing is speeded up.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshikazu Nara, Yasuhiko Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20130036321
    Abstract: An interactive device having time synchronization capability is provided. In one embodiment, the interactive device has a computer processor that stores an internal clock. The computer processor may be preprogrammed to generate announcements based on a particular time of the internal clock. A user may input and adjust the time of the internal clock. In another embodiment, a setup module is provided which includes a computer processor that stores a setup time. The setup module establishes a connection with an interactive device, and time synchronizes the interactive device such that the internal clock of the interactive device is running the same time as the setup module. The setup module is capable of synchronizing the internal clock of multiple interactive devices, despite the interactive devices being programmed on separate occasions. The interactive device may be synchronized by the setup module via a hard-wired connection or wireless means.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2012
    Publication date: February 7, 2013
    Inventors: Peter Sui Lun Fong, Kelvin Yat-Kit Fong, Chun Yan Liu
  • Patent number: 8370543
    Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention is directed to a system for synchronizing independent time domain information. The synchronization of the device resource access information allows a memory access device to reliably access memory in a time domain independent of a device issuing requests. The system may synchronize device resource information for requests made by a processor to access (e.g., read/write) locations of a memory device. The present invention synchronizes the device access information without restricting pulse width of a read/write signal or requiring a high speed clock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Syed Babar Raza, Pradeep Bajpai
  • Patent number: 8370675
    Abstract: A method for clock synchronization includes computing an offset value between a local clock time of a real-time clock circuit and a reference clock time, and loading the offset value into a register that is associated with the real-time clock circuit. The local clock time is then summed with the value in the register so as to give an adjusted value of the local clock time that is synchronized with the reference clock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: Mellanox Technologies Ltd.
    Inventor: Michael Kagan
  • Patent number: 8370676
    Abstract: A receiving apparatus includes: a clock unit that outputs time information; a synchronizing (sync) packet receiving unit that receives a sync packet which contains transmitting time information and which is sent from a transmitting apparatus over an asynchronous network; a magnitude-of-jitter calculation unit that calculates as a magnitude of a jitter a difference between a first difference, which is a difference between the receiving times of two adjoining sync packets received by the sync packet receiving unit, and a second difference which is a difference between the transmitting times of the two sync packets; a delay time estimation unit that obtains the delay time of the sync packet on the basis of magnitudes of jitters calculated by the magnitude-of-jitter calculation unit; and a time correction unit that compensates the transmitting time of the sync packet, which is received by the sync packet receiving unit, on the basis of the delay time of the sync packet, which is obtained by the delay time estimat
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Osamu Matsunaga
  • Patent number: 8370124
    Abstract: An emulation system includes a central time source generating a time reference and an emulated spacecraft control processor which contains an embedded processor that provides an emulated input/output interface to communicate simulated spacecraft data. The embedded processor processes the simulated spacecraft data and contains a real time clock engine having a real-time clock period. The system further has a first simulation that processes attitude control system data from the emulated spacecraft control processor to simulate an attitude control system of the spacecraft in real-time. The first simulation engine operative to produce sensor data for input to the emulated spacecraft control processor based on the simulated system dynamics and adjusts the real time clock period in response to the time reference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Jeffrey J. Gold, John D. Haskell, David L. Koza, Michael J. Surace, Steven R. Zammit
  • Patent number: 8362802
    Abstract: Asynchronous digital circuits are described, including arbitration and routing primitives for asynchronous and mixed-timing networks. An asynchronous arbitration primitive has two data inputs and one data output. A mutual exclusion element is used to select the first-arriving data request from one of the two inputs to the output. A asynchronous routing primitive has one data input and two data outputs. The incoming data is routed to one of the two outputs based on a routing bit accompanying the data. The primitives use handshaking with request and acknowledge signals to ensure that data is passed when neighboring circuits are ready to receive or send data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York
    Inventors: Steven M. Nowick, Michael Horak, Matthew Carlberg
  • Patent number: 8365005
    Abstract: Methods of registering events in a wind power system comprising at least two data processors. The data processors of said wind power system are mutually time synchronized. Events are registered in said at least two data processors. The timing of said events registered in different of said at least two data processors is established according to said time synchronization. Events may be registered and preferably analyzed according to a common timing. The event analysis makes it possible to establish an analysis where events of different wind turbines are basically interrelated and where information regarding such interrelation may be important or crucial for establishment of control or fault detection based on correctly timed events from different wind turbines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
    Inventors: John Bengtson, Bo Lovmand, Tage Kristensen, Niels Erik Danielsen
  • Patent number: 8363773
    Abstract: This invention discloses a phase interpolation controller for a clock and data recovery circuit receiving an indication of a phase relationship between a first and a second signal, the phase interpolation controller comprises a plurality of serially coupled bi-directional shift-registers, wherein when the received indication indicates the first signal is ahead of the second signal in phase, the plurality of serially coupled bi-directional shift-registers shifts in one of the bi-directions, and when the received indication indicates the first signal is behind the second signal in phase, the plurality of serially coupled bi-directional shift-registers shifts in the other of the bi-directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jinn-Yeh Chien
  • Patent number: 8365003
    Abstract: Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system that accurately synchronizes signals related to the operation of a computer system. During operation, the system receives a first time-domain signal associated with a first system variable and a second time-domain signal associated with a second system variable from the computer system. The system then transforms the first and the second time-domain signals into a first frequency-domain signal and a second frequency-domain signal, respectively. Next, the system computes a cross-power-spectral-density (CPSD) between the first and second frequency-domain signals to obtain a phase angle versus frequency graph between the two frequency-domain signals. The system subsequently extracts the slope of the phase angle versus frequency graph, and uses the value of the slope to synchronize the first time-domain signal and the second time-domain signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Oracle America, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenny C. Gross, Kalyanaraman Vaidyanathan