Abstract:
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To generate a reference clock by using a downstream reception USB signal transmitted by a host computer or a hub. SOLUTION: A USB device having a free-running oscillator generates a local clock signal in response to a signal on a universal serial bus (USB). The oscillator is substantially stable and operates at a frequency known for substantial incorrectness. A single end bit serial signal is extracted from a reception signal transmitted by a USB host computer or a hub, and a timing signal is activated by responding to it. A bit pattern is detected and intervals are measured in the single end bit serial signal, and the timing signal is activated in that period. A period P of the local clock signal is adjusted in response to one of the measured intervals. COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI
Abstract:
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an improved technique for extending or alternating a processor instruction set architecture. SOLUTION: The processor architecture uses a split-instruction transaction so as to supply an extension unit with an operand and an instruction and to retrieve results from the extension unit and supports an electrical interface for coupling a processor core to one or more than one coprocessor extension units executing a computational instruction. The generic instructions for sending an operation and data to the extension unit and/or retrieving data from the extension unit allow a new computational instruction to be introduced without regeneration of the processor architecture. Support for a plurality of extension units and/or a plurality of execution pipes within each extension unit, multi-cycle execution latencies and different execution latencies between or within the extension units, extension instruction predicates, and for handling result save/restore on the processor core install and the interrupt is included. COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO
Abstract:
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an improved packaging technique for integrated circuits. SOLUTION: The device comprises a substrate 102, which is equipped with first integrated circuits 104, 106 and components for electronic circuit 108, 110, a first sealing structure 114 for sealing the first integrated circuits, a second integrated circuit 120 attached to the first sealing formation, and a second sealing structure 122 which seals at least a part of the first sealing formation, the first integrated circuits and a electronic component 112. COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO
Abstract:
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the power consumption of cache access in a processor without substantially degrading performance. SOLUTION: For instruction clusters for which no significant performance penalty such as execution of hardware loops is incurred, a processor automatically and dynamically switches to a pipelined two-cycle access to an associated associative cache rather than a single-cycle access. An access involving more than one cycle uses less power because only the hit way within the cache memory is accessed rather than all ways within the indexed cache line. To maintain performance, the single-cycle cache access is utilized in all remaining instructions. In addition, in the case that instruction clusters within a hardware loop fit entirely within a pre-fetch buffer, the cache sub-system is idled for remaining iterations of the hardware loop to further reduce power consumption. COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO
Abstract:
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sensor device manufactured using an organic semiconductor material. SOLUTION: Sensor cells are arranged in the form of an array within an organic semiconductor layer. A row and column selection circuit addresses one cell of the array at a time to determine the presence of an object contacting or located in proximity to a detection surface above each cell, e.g., the protruding or recessed part of a fingerprint. A control circuit can be provided inside either a companion silicon chip or a second layer made from an organic semiconductor material in order to communicate with the array and an associated system processor. The array consisting of the sensor cells can be manufactured using a flexible polymer substrate. The substrate is peeled and disposed of after contacts are patterned on the organic semiconductor layer. The organic semiconductor layer is usable together with a reactive interface layer which is made redundant to detect a specific chemical material in a test medium. COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO
Abstract:
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an improved technology to remove heat from an active area of an integrated circuit device. SOLUTION: The method for removing heat from the active area 104 of the integrated circuit device is provided. A separating body 112 is imparted to the active area 104 of the integrated circuit device. A heat-conductive element 102 is joined to the active area 104 of the integrated circuit device on the outside of the separating body 112. COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO
Abstract:
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve a rake receiver used when spread-spectrum signal is demodulated. SOLUTION: An architecture for a rake receiver of a CDMA demodulator utilizes a common data path for signal processing. This common data bus is shared by all channels (either physical channels or propagation paths within physical channels) to avoid redundant calculations, reduce circuit space, and reduce power consumption. The sharing of the common data path for demodulation is made in a time division manner, with each channel being given sequential access to the data bus to perform all or part of a given function (for example, de-scramble, de-spreading, de-rotating, and de-skewing accumulation). COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO
Abstract:
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an improved image processing system and a method to remove and smooth out irregularities from a 3D image representation from multiple 2D image views. SOLUTION: The image processing system and the method are provided to remove and smooth out irregularities from 3D image information reproduced from one scene, specially, multiple 2D image views from a uniform surface of an object in the scene. In this method, a window that overlaps a plurality of pixels of one of a plurality of 2D image views of a scene is defined. Each pixel is associated with predefined 3D depth information and further associated with a matching curve. A subject pixel is located within the plurality of pixels overlapped by the window. An average 3D depth information associated with the plurality of pixels overlapped by the window is calculated and if the calculated average 3D depth information is within an error region of the matching curve associated with the subject pixel, the calculated average 3D depth information is assigned to the 3D depth information of the subject pixel. COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO
Abstract:
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide new fetch branch architecture for reducing branch penalty without branch prediction. SOLUTION: In lieu of the branch prediction, a merged fetch-branch unit operates in parallel with a decode unit in a processor. Upon detection of a branch instruction within a group of one or more fetched instructions, any instructions preceding the branch are marked as regular instructions, the branch instruction is marked as such and any instructions following the branch are marked as sequential instructions. Within two cycles, sequential instructions following the last fetched instruction are retrieved and marked, target instructions beginning at the branch target address are retrieved and marked and the branch is resolved. Either the sequential or target instructions are then dropped depending on the branch resolution, incurring a fixed, 1 cycle branch penalty. COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO
Abstract:
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an improved servo circuit and a method for detecting a servo wedge on the spin-up of a data storage disk. SOLUTION: A servo circuit includes a servo channel and a processor. The servo channel recovers servo data from servo wedges that identify respective data sectors on a data-storage disk. The processor detects one of the servo wedges on spin up of the disk, i.e., while the disk is attaining or after the disk attains an operating speed. By detecting a servo wedge instead of a spin-up wedge to determine an initial head position on disk spin up, such a servo circuit allows one to increase the disk's storage capacity by reducing the number of, or altogether eliminating, spin-up servo wedges from the disk. COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO