Using Delay Patents (Class 713/401)
  • Patent number: 8549535
    Abstract: A method, a system and a product are disclosed for executing a taskflow in a distributed taskflow architecture and for providing the latter. In at least one embodiment, the taskflow is generated by interconnecting modular tasks, having a synchronization mechanism in order to be able to execute the taskflow on different processing instances both in an online mode and in an offline mode and in order to allow a change between the modes even during performance of the taskflow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Karlheinz Dorn, Hans-Martin Von Stockhausen
  • Publication number: 20130254584
    Abstract: A sequencer system includes a plurality of units, a backplane on which the units are mounted, bus communication lines for data transmission and reception among the units, a clock generation unit that generates a fixed-cycle clock signal having an arbitrary cycle, and an electric signal line provided separately from the bus communication lines, to transfer the fixed-cycle clock signal from the clock generation unit to the units via the backplane. Each of the units includes a processor that controls the unit, and an interrupt-signal control unit that generates an interrupt signal corresponding to the fixed-cycle clock signal. The processor uses the interrupt signal to synchronize control timings of the units.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2010
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Morimichi Tamaoki
  • Patent number: 8543750
    Abstract: A method is provided for interfacing a plurality of processing components with a shared resource component. A token signal path is provided to allow propagation of a token through the processing components, wherein possession of the token by a given processing component enables the latter to conduct a transaction with the shared resource component. Token processing logic is also provided for propagating the token from one processing component to another along the token signal path, the propagating being done at a propagation rate that is related to a transaction rate associated with the shared resource component. The token processing logic also generates a trigger signal at least in part based on the token and propagates to trigger signal to the shared resource component to convey initiation of a transaction with the shared resource component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Octasic Inc.
    Inventors: Tom Awad, Martin Laurence, Martin Filteau, Pascal Gervais, Douglas Morrissey
  • Patent number: 8543746
    Abstract: A circuit arrangement and method facilitate the direct streaming of data between producer and consumer circuits (12P, 12C) that are otherwise configured to communicate over an address-based network (18). Sync signals (46, 56) are generated for each of producer and consumer circuits (12P, 12C) from the address information encoded into requests that communicate the data streams output by the producer circuit (12P) and expected by the consumer circuit (12C). The sync signals (46, 56) for the producer and consumer circuits (12C) are then used to selectively modify the data stream output by the producer circuit (12P) to a format expected by the consumer circuit (12C). Typically, such modification takes the form of inserting data into the data stream when the consumer circuit (12C) expects more data than output by the producer circuit (12P), and discarding data communicated by the producer circuit (12P) when the consumer expects less data than that output by the producer circuit (12P).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventor: Jens Roever
  • Patent number: 8527803
    Abstract: A system and method for synchronizing multiple backplanes within an information handling system are disclosed. An information handling system includes a first controller that may be operable to generate a time command at a predetermined time interval. A backplane including a second controller is communicatively coupled to the first controller. The second controller may be operable to receive the time command from the first controller and calculate a skew for the time command based at least on a location of the backplane. The second controller may further be operable to adjust a time domain of the backplane based on the calculated skew for the time command to synchronize the backplane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Indrani Paul, Timothy M. Lambert
  • Patent number: 8527804
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling system access to a memory that includes receiving first and second instructions, and evaluating whether both instructions can architecturally complete. When at least one instruction cannot architecturally complete, delaying both instructions. When both instructions can architecturally complete and at least one is a write instruction, adjusting a write control of the memory to account for an evaluation delay. The evaluation delay can be sufficient to evaluate whether both instructions can architecturally complete. The evaluation delay can be input to the write control and not the read control of the memory. A precharge clock of the memory can be adjusted to account for the evaluation delay. Evaluating whether both instructions can architecturally complete can include determining whether data for each instruction is located in a cache, and whether the instructions are memory access instructions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Jentsung Ken Lin, Ajay Anant Ingle, Eai-hsin A. Kuo, Paul Douglas Bassett
  • Patent number: 8516292
    Abstract: An apparatus and method is disclosed to compensate for skew and asymmetry of a locally processed system clock used to synchronize an output signal, e.g., a data signal or a timing signal, from a logic circuit, for example a memory device. A first phase detector, array of delay lock loop (DLL) delay elements and accompanying circuitry are disclosed to phase-lock the rising edge of the output signal with the rising edge of the system clock XCLK signal. Additionally, a comparator circuit, a register delay, an array of DLL delay elements and accompanying circuitry are disclosed to add or subtract delay from the falling edge of the DQ signal in order to produce a symmetrical output of the DQ signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Round Rock Research, LLC
    Inventors: Wen Li, Aaron Schoenfeld, R. Jacob Baker
  • Patent number: 8516291
    Abstract: A clock adjustment circuit delays a phase of a clock signal on the basis of a TAP value so as to output an adjusted clock signal. By synchronizing transmission data with the adjusted clock signal, reception data is generated. A data adjustment circuit delays the transmission data on the basis of a TAP2 value. By synchronizing the delayed transmission data with the adjusted clock signal, adjusted reception data is generated. A data adjustment control circuit generates the TAP2 value on the basis of a result of a comparison between the reception data and the adjusted reception data, and outputs to a clock adjustment control circuit an instruction to update the TAP value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Hiroshi Nakayama, Junji Ichimiya, Shintaro Itozawa
  • Patent number: 8504868
    Abstract: A computer system includes a processor, a submodule connected to the processor, an external access monitor configured to monitor a data transfer between the processor and the submodule, and a synchronization/desynchronization controller configured to synchronize or desynchronize the clock of the processor with respect to the clock of the submodule, depending on the result of the monitoring. Specifically, the processor clock is synchronized to the submodule clock when the frequency of access to the submodule by the processor is high, and the processor clock is desynchronized with respect to the submodule clock when the access frequency is low.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Yutaka Bohno
  • Patent number: 8504864
    Abstract: A method is provided for synchronizing time in an unsynchronized vehicle controller area network system. A master control unit receives a global time from a time synchronization source. The master control unit estimates a respective time delay in transmitting messages by electronic control units on each controller area network bus. The time delay is a difference between a time when a message is generated by a respective electronic control unit for transmission on a respective controller area network bus and a time when the message is transmitted on the respective controller area network bus. The global time is adjusted for each respective controller area network bus based on the estimated time delays associated with each respective controller area network bus. Global time messages from the master control unit are transmitted to each electronic control unit that include the adjusted global times for an associated controller area network bus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Sandeep Menon, Chaminda Basnayake
  • Patent number: 8504788
    Abstract: A memory controller includes an interface to receive a data strobe signal and corresponding read data. The data strobe signal and the read data correspond to a read command issued by the memory controller, and the read data is received in accordance with the data strobe signal and an enable signal. A circuit in the memory controller is to dynamically adjust a timing offset between the enable signal and the data strobe signal, and control logic is to issue a supplemental read command if a time interval since a last read command issued by the memory controller exceeds a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Bret Stott, Frederick A. Ware, Ian P. Shaeffer, Yuanlong Wang
  • Patent number: 8504863
    Abstract: A communication channel includes a first component having a transmitter coupled to a normal signal source, and a second component having a receiver coupled to a normal signal destination. A communication link couples the first and second components. Calibration logic provides for setting an operation value for a parameter of the communication channel, such as by executing an exhaustive calibration sequence at initialization of the link. A tracking circuit, including a monitoring function, tracks drift in the parameter by monitoring a feedback signal that has a characteristic that correlates with drift in the communication channel, and updates, or indicates the need for updating of, the operation value of the parameter in response to the monitoring function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Scott C Best, Abhijit M Abhyankar, Kun-Yung Chang, Frank Lambrecht
  • Patent number: 8504865
    Abstract: A clock signal may be aligned with a data signal by delaying the signals relative to each other until an edge of one signal aligns with an edge of the other signal, and then causing an inversion of the clock signal. A further variation may limit the relative delay period to one-half clock cycle and may use a double inversion of the clock signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: eASIC Corporation
    Inventors: Choon Keat Khor, Yeong Seng Hoo, Soon Chieh Lim
  • Patent number: 8495410
    Abstract: One embodiment provides a host controller which performs a phase shift correction of a sampling clock when sampling a signal received, includes a phase shift judging section which judges whether or not it is necessary to shift a phase of the sampling clock, and up/down counts a counter in accordance with a shift direction when judging that it is necessary to shift the phase, a limit value storage section which stores a variance range limit value of the phase shift, and a shift limit judging section which judges whether or not a value of the counter exceeds the limit value of the phase shift, notifies a host device of an error when judging that the counter value exceeds the limit value, and shifts the phase of the sampling clock in accordance with the counter value of the counter when judging that the counter value does not exceed the limit value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Noriyo Fujii, Masayoshi Murayama
  • Patent number: 8495409
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, there is provided a host controller, which samples reception data in a VDS mode and an FDS mode, includes a VDS phase register which holds a phase shift amount in the VDS mode, an FDS phase register which holds a phase shift amount in the FDS mode, a mode setting unit configured to indicate in which of the VDS mode and the FDS mode data is sampled, a sampling position setting unit which selects the phase shift amount set in one of the VDS and the FDS phase register in accordance with a setting value of the mode setting unit, and provides the selected phase shift amount as a sampling position, and a clock phase shift unit which shifts a phase of an input clock signal in accordance with the shift amount, and provides the shifted input clock signal as a sampling clock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Masayoshi Murayama
  • Publication number: 20130179720
    Abstract: A first first-in-first-out (FIFO) memory may receive first processor input from a first processor group that includes a first processor. The first processor group is configured to execute program code based on the first processor input that includes a set of input signals, a clock signal, and corresponding data. The first FIFO may store the first processor input and may output the first processor input to a second FIFO memory and to a second processor according to a first delay. The second FIFO memory may store the first processor input and may output the first processor input to a third processor according to a second delay. The second processor may execute at least a first portion of the program code and the third processor may execute at least a second portion of the program code responsive to the first processor input.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2012
    Publication date: July 11, 2013
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mark D. Bellows, Mark S. Fredrickson, Scott D. Frei, Steven P. Jones, Chad B. McBride
  • Patent number: 8484389
    Abstract: An audio-video (AV) playback chain and rendering peripheral device 300 for generating two or more interrupts 306, 308 with a programmable delay 304 between them. Such are configured to prevent two processors 310, 314 from racing to access the same system resources in their respective interrupt service routines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Entropic Communications, Inc.
    Inventor: Puranjoy Bhattacharya
  • Patent number: 8484501
    Abstract: The delay locked loop (“DLL”) delay interval can be locked to stop the DLL from wasting power in unnecessarily switching to synchronize the device with the DLL is associated to the system clock. This is achieved by adding logic sensing when a DRAM device will not imminently be called upon to output data and when the device has stabilized. Waiting for the DLL delay interval to stabilize before locking the delay interval still allows the DLL to immediately and effectively resume operations when the DLL is needed to synchronize the output of the DRAM device with the system clock. The DLL delay interval can be locked, together with the DLL clock, after the DRAM device is deselected by the chip select control line, after a number of no operation commands have been received, and/or after any command issued to the DRAM device has been completed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Round Rock Research, LLC
    Inventor: Adrian J. Drexler
  • Publication number: 20130159759
    Abstract: Embodiments of an apparatus for signal conditioning, a serial data interface, and a method for a programmable delay filter are disclosed. In an embodiment of an apparatus for signal conditioning, a wave shaping circuit has a precursor signal, a post cursor signal, and a main signal combined to provide an output signal. The precursor signal, the post cursor signal, and the main signal are provided for combination independently of a clock signal. The main signal is delayed relative to the precursor signal, and the post cursor signal is delayed relative to the main signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2011
    Publication date: June 20, 2013
    Inventors: Tony Yeung, Michael Y. Zhang
  • Publication number: 20130159760
    Abstract: Synchronizing time bases in a parallel computer that includes compute nodes organized for data communications in a tree network, where one compute node is designated as a root, and, for each compute node: calculating data transmission latency from the root to the compute node; configuring a thread as a pulse waiter; initializing a wakeup unit; and performing a local barrier operation; upon each node completing the local barrier operation, entering, by all compute nodes, a global barrier operation; upon all nodes entering the global barrier operation, sending, to all the compute nodes, a pulse signal; and for each compute node upon receiving the pulse signal: waking, by the wakeup unit, the pulse waiter; setting a time base for the compute node equal to the data transmission latency between the root node and the compute node; and exiting the global barrier operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2011
    Publication date: June 20, 2013
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Dong Chen, Daniel A. Faraj, Thomas M. Gooding, Philip Heidelberger
  • Publication number: 20130124904
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention sets forth an interface circuit configured to combine time staggered data bursts returned by multiple memory devices into a larger contiguous data burst. As a result, an accurate timing reference for data transmission that retains the use of data (DQ) and data strobe (DQS) signals in an infrastructure-compatible system while eliminating the cost of the idle cycles required for data bus turnarounds to switch from reading from one memory device to reading from another memory device, or from writing to one memory device to writing to another memory device may be obtained, thereby increasing memory system bandwidth relative to the prior art approaches.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Publication date: May 16, 2013
    Applicant: GOOGLE INC.
    Inventors: David T. Wang, Suresh Natarajan Rajan
  • Publication number: 20130111254
    Abstract: A multi-path power switch scheme for functional block wakeup is disclosed. The scheme may be applied to functional blocks of an integrated circuit. When a power on procedure is initiated within a given functional block, a first group of power switches in a functional block may be powered on, while a second group of power switches is inhibited from powering on. After a predetermined time has elapsed, activation of the second group of power switches is initiated. After initiation of a power up procedure for a given functional block, the powering up of a second functional block to be powered on may initially be inhibited. After a predetermined time has elapsed, the powering on of the second functional block may be initiated. Overlap between times when the first and second groups of switches are active may depend on process, voltage, and temperature variations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2011
    Publication date: May 2, 2013
    Inventors: Toshinari Takayanagi, Shingo Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8429439
    Abstract: A skew adjustor that can reduce inter-pair skew between differential signals received via a cable is disclosed. In one embodiment, a skew adjustor includes: a skew detector that receives signals from a cable, and provides a detected skew amount when skew is detected between two of the signals; an offset controller for receiving the detected skew amount, and for providing a delay control signal in response thereto; and a skew delay circuit that receives the signals and the delay control signal, and enables one or more delay stages in a path of a first arriving of the two skewed signals based on the delay control signal, such that an adjusted skew between the two skewed signals at an output of the skew delay circuit is less than the detected skew amount by an amount corresponding to the enabled one or more delay stages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Quellan, Inc.
    Inventors: Georgios Asmanis, Faouzi Chaahoub
  • Patent number: 8429438
    Abstract: An invention is provided for transferring data between asynchronous clock domains. The asynchronous clock domains include a source clock domain operating with a source clock signal and a receiving clock domain operating with a receiving clock signal. The invention includes determining a phase shift relationship between the source clock signal and a signal. When the phase shift relationship is below a predetermined threshold the data is transferred between the source clock domain and the receiving clock domain using a first plurality of stage operations. When the phase shift relationship is above the predetermined threshold, the data is transferred between the source clock domain and the receiving clock domain using a second plurality of stage operations that delay data transfer an additional half period of the source clock signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Cadence Design Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Anne Espinoza, John MacLaren
  • Patent number: 8423813
    Abstract: A memory controller comprises a DQ path, a DQS path, a delay element, a flip flop, and an adjustment unit. The DQ path receives and passes a data signal, and outputs a delayed data signal. The DQS path receives and passes a data strobe signal. The delay element is coupled to the DQS path, receiving the data strobe signal to generate a compensated data strobe signal having a calibrated latency. The calibrated latency is determined by an adjustment signal. The flip flop is coupled to the data signal path and the delay element, sampling the delayed data signal by the compensated data strobe signal to generate an output data. The adjustment unit generates the adjustment signal according to the output data. The adjustment unit performs a calibration to adjust the adjustment signal, thus the calibrated latency is adjusted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: Mediatek Inc.
    Inventor: Hsiang-I Huang
  • Publication number: 20130080816
    Abstract: Methods, systems and devices configured to add synchronization to the entry and exit from low power modes in asynchronous operating systems on a multiprocessor system. A synchronizing agent tracks the requested sleep and wake up times of the different asynchronous operating systems executing on different cores of the same system on chip or multicore processor. The sleep/wake up times of some cores/operating systems may be delayed in order to synchronize the sleep/wake up times of two or more of the asynchronous operating systems executing on the multiprocessor system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2011
    Publication date: March 28, 2013
    Applicant: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Paul R. Johnson, Gabriel A. Watkins
  • Publication number: 20130080817
    Abstract: An exemplary method of synchronizing a master clock and a slave clock comprises transmitting a plurality of packets between a master device and a slave device, calculating a first skew between a first pair of the plurality of packets at the slave device and a second skew between the first pair at the master device, calculating a ratio between the first skew and the second skew, providing a slave clock frequency correction to the slave device, calculating a first packet trip delay using a time that the master device initiates sending a packet to the slave device, a time the master device receives a response from the slave device, a corrected time the slave device receives the packet, and a corrected time the slave device initiates sending the response, calculating a first offset based on the first packet trip delay, and providing the first offset to the slave device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2012
    Publication date: March 28, 2013
    Inventor: Janez Mihelic
  • Patent number: 8405749
    Abstract: To make it possible to appropriately set a capturing timing for a pixel value. For this, the present invention includes a pixel array unit 2 composed of pixels 21 arranged in a row direction and a column direction in a matrix manner and a latch unit 62 provided for each column constituting the pixel array unit 2 and configured to convert a pixel value of the pixel 21 into a digital pixel value to hold the pixel value. Also, the present invention includes a column scanning unit 4 for selecting the latch unit 62, a capturing unit 9 for sequentially capturing the pixel value held by the latch unit selected by the column scanning unit 4 in synchronism with a predetermined clock, and a delay unit 10 for delaying a clock for driving the capturing unit 9 in a plurality of stages. With the configuration described above, first dummy data is set in the latch unit 62-m at the near end, and second dummy data is set in the latch unit 62-0 at the far end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Misao Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8407509
    Abstract: A method for compensating for variations in timing of data sent to a processor on data bit lines relative to a strobe clock sent to the processor on a strobe clock line that can be used in a dual data rate (DDR) memory identifies discrete minimum and maximum time offset values for test data in selected data bit patterns for the data bit lines. The discrete minimum time offset value is the minimum timing adjustment required to allow the processor to receive the data in a steady-state condition during a data valid window of the strobe clock and the discrete maximum time offset value is a maximum timing adjustment required to allow the processor to receive the data in a steady-state condition during a data valid window of the strobe clock. The discrete minimum and maximum time offset values identify a valid range when the data bit lines supply data in a steady-state condition for latching into the processor by the strobe clock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Rajeev Sharma, Ajay Kumar, Naresh Dhamija, Atul Gupta, Ajay K. Gaite, Llamparidhi l
  • 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 8395410
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a semiconductor integrated circuit includes a first circuit, a second circuit, and a signal propagation control circuit. The first circuit is configured to have a first power supply terminal. The second circuit is configured to have a second power supply terminal independent of the first power supply terminal. The signal propagation control circuit is configured to provide a first fixed value to the second circuit for a predetermined period after power is supplied to the second circuit, and after the predetermined period, configured to control whether to transfer an output signal from the first circuit to the second circuit or provide the first fixed value to the second circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Fumitoshi Hatori
  • 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: 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: 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: 8381009
    Abstract: A device having power management capabilities and a method for power management, the method includes: providing a clock signal and a supply voltage to at least one component of a device; detecting a timing error; delaying by a fraction of a clock cycle and in response to the detected timing error, a clock signal provided to at least one of the components; and determining a clock signal frequency and a level of the supply voltage in response to at least one detected timing error.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Priel, Dan Kuzmin, Anton Rozen
  • Patent number: 8375241
    Abstract: A method and system to improve the operations of a registered memory module. In one embodiment of the invention, the registered memory module allows asynchronous read and write operations when a clock circuit in the registered memory module is being activated. In another embodiment of the invention, the registered memory module allows enabling or disabling of its clock circuit without any interruption of its operation. When the clock circuit in the registered memory module is disabled, the power consumption of the registered memory module can be reduced. In yet another embodiment of the invention, the registered memory module is allowed to enter or exit an asynchronous operation mode without entering or exiting a self-refresh or pre-charge power down operation mode of the registered memory module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: James W. Alexander, Kuljit S. Bains, Howard S. David
  • 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: 20130031401
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method for performing processing including setting a timer associated with a first processing event, scheduling an expected time for the processing event using wall clock time, at the timer, using the expected time to calculate a delay associated with the timer, performing the first processing event in response to the timer, and setting a subsequent timer to compensate for the delay.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2011
    Publication date: January 31, 2013
    Applicant: RAYTHEON COMPANY
    Inventors: David W. Shin, Richard J. Kenefic, Saad Karim
  • 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
  • Patent number: 8355294
    Abstract: A synchronous data processing system includes a memory module to store data and a memory controller coupled to the memory module. The memory controller includes a clock inverter to receive an input clock signal and to transmit an inverted clock signal to the memory module. The inverted clock signal incurs a first propagation delay prior to reaching the memory module as a memory clock signal. A write data buffer is coupled to the memory module. The write data buffer transmits data to the memory module in response to the input clock signal. An asynchronous first-in-first-out (ASYNC FIFO) buffer is coupled to the memory module. The ASYNC FIFO buffer reads data from the memory module in response to a feedback signal generated by feeding back the memory clock signal to the ASYNC FIFO buffer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc
    Inventors: Prakash Makwana, Prabhjot Singh
  • Publication number: 20120331329
    Abstract: An apparatus is provided that compensates for misalignment on a synchronous data bus. The apparatus includes a resistor network, a composite delay element, and delay-locked loops (DLLs). The resistor network is configured to provide a ratio signal that indicates an amount to delay data bit signals associated with a data group. The composite delay element is configured to equalize delay paths within a receiving device, where the delay paths correspond to a data strobe signal that is received from a transmitting device. The DLLs are coupled to the ratio signal and disposed within the receiving device, and are configured to generate delayed data bit signals, where the DLLs add the amount of delay to the data bit signals to generate the delayed data bit signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2011
    Publication date: December 27, 2012
    Applicant: VIA Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Darius D. Gaskins, James R. Lundberg
  • Publication number: 20120331330
    Abstract: An apparatus including a JTAG interface, synchronous bus optimizer, core clocks generator, synchronous strobe driver, and a DLL. The JTAG interface receives control information indicating a first amount to advance a synchronous data strobe associated with a first data group and a second amount to delay a data bit signal associated with a second data group. The synchronous bus optimizer receives the control information, and develops a first value on a first ratio bus that indicates the first amount and a second value on a second ratio bus that indicates the second amount. The core clocks generator advances a data strobe clock by the first amount. The synchronous strobe driver employs the data strobe clock to generate the synchronous data strobe, where the synchronous data strobe, when enabled, is advanced also by the first amount. The DLL generates a delayed data bit signal, delayed by the second amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2011
    Publication date: December 27, 2012
    Applicant: VIA Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Darius D. Gaskins, James R. Lundberg
  • Publication number: 20120331326
    Abstract: An apparatus is provided that compensates for misalignment on a synchronous data bus. The apparatus includes a resistor network, a core clocks generator, and a synchronous strobe driver. The resistor network is configured to provide a ratio signal that indicates an amount to advance a synchronous data strobe associated with a data group. The core clocks generator is coupled to the ratio signal, and is configured to advance a data strobe clock by the amount. The synchronous strobe driver is configured to receive the data strobe clock, and is configured to employ the data strobe clock to generate the synchronous data strobe, where the synchronous data strobe, when enabled, is advanced also by the amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2011
    Publication date: December 27, 2012
    Applicant: VIA Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Darius D. Gaskins, James R. Lundberg
  • Patent number: RE44365
    Abstract: A method of synchronizing and reconfiguring configurable elements in a programmable unit is provided. A unit has a two- or multi-dimensional, programmable cell architecture (e.g., DFP, DPGA, etc.), and any configurable element can have access to a configuration register and a status register of the other configurable elements via an interconnection architecture and can thus have an active influence on their function and operation. By making synchronization the responsibility of each element, more synchronization tasks can be performed at the same time because independent elements no longer interfere with each other in accessing a central synchronization instance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Inventors: Martin Vorbach, Robert M. Münch
  • Patent number: RE44383
    Abstract: A method of synchronizing and reconfiguring configurable elements in a programmable unit is provided. A unit has a two- or multi-dimensional, programmable cell architecture (e.g., DFP, DPGA, etc.), and any configurable element can have access to a configuration register and a status register of the other configurable elements via an interconnection architecture and can thus have an active influence on their function and operation. By making synchronization the responsibility of each element, more synchronization tasks can be performed at the same time because independent elements no longer interfere with each other in accessing a central synchronization instance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Inventors: Martin Vorbach, Robert M. Münch