Abstract:
A system for permitting new, or enhanced, functionality to be transferred to an adaptable device. In a preferred embodiment, the permitted functionality is determined according to an accounting method associated with a user's account. This approach allows a user to contract for specific services, functionality, etc. regardless of changes over time such as changes to data formats, communication protocols, external devices or infrastructure, etc. In a preferred embodiment, the functionality is stored on a ubiquitous communications network such as the Internet. Functionality is transferred to different devices as digital information over the network. This allows hardware functionality to be licensed in many forms. For example, site licenses can be obtained for companies; hardware nulltrialwarenull can be provided to allow limited functionality for a limited time for lower-cost payments, etc.
Abstract:
A method, system and program are provided for development of an adaptive computing integrated circuit and corresponding configuration information, in which the configuration information provides an operating mode to the adaptive computing integrated circuit. The exemplary system includes a scheduler, a memory, and a compiler. The scheduler is capable of scheduling a selected algorithm with a plurality of adaptive computing descriptive objects to produce a scheduled algorithm and a selected adaptive computing circuit version. The memory is utilized to store the plurality of adaptive computing descriptive objects and a plurality of adaptive computing circuit versions generated during the scheduling process. The selected adaptive computing circuit version is converted into a hardware description language, for fabrication into the adaptive computing integrated circuit. The compiler generates the configuration information, from the scheduled algorithm and the selected adaptive computing circuit version, for the performance of the algorithm by the adaptive computing integrated circuit. In the exemplary embodiments, multiple versions of configuration information may be generated, for different circuit versions, different feature sets, different operating conditions, and different operating modes.
Abstract:
A system for efficient sale of devices that comply with licensed standards. A preferred embodiment of the invention uses a generic, or highly adaptable, hardware device. The device can be adapted to adhere to a specific standard, e.g., code-division multiple access, time-division multiple access, etc., after manufacture such as at the point-of-sale to an end user, prior to distribution, or at some other point in a distribution and sales network. This allows manufacturers, retailers and end users to benefit from more competitive selection of standardized communication, data and other formats. Reduction of manufacturing costs and elimination of shipping, or other transfer and storage costs, is also realized.
Abstract:
A microprocessor architecture including a finite state machine in combination with a microcode instruction cache for executing microinstructions. Microinstructions which would normally result in small sequences of high-repetition looped operations are implemented in a finite state machine (FSM). The use of the FSM is more energy-efficient than looping instructions in a cache or register set. In addition, the flexibility of a cache, or other memory oriented approach, in executing microcode instructions is still available. A microinstruction is identified as an FSM operation (as opposed to a cache operation) by an ID tag. Other fields of the microinstruction can be used to identify the type of FSM circuitry to use, direct configuration of a FSM to implement the microinstruction, indicate that certain fields are to be implemented in one or more FSMs and/or in memory-oriented operations such as in a cache or register.
Abstract:
The present invention concerns a new category of integrated circuitry and a new methodology for adaptive or reconfigurable computing. The exemplary IC embodiment includes a plurality of heterogeneous computational elements coupled to an interconnection network. The plurality of heterogeneous computational elements include corresponding computational elements having fixed and differing architectures, such as fixed architectures for different functions such as memory, addition, multiplication, complex multiplication, subtraction, configuration, reconfiguration, control, input, output, and field programmability. In response to configuration information, the interconnection network is operative in real-time to configure and reconfigure the plurality of heterogeneous computational elements for a plurality of different functional modes, including linear algorithmic operations, non-linear algorithmic operations, finite state machine operations, memory operations, and bit-level manipulations. The various fixed architectures are selected to comparatively minimize power consumption and increase performance of the adaptive computing integrated circuit, particularly suitable for mobile, hand-held or other battery-powered computing applications. In an exemplary embodiment, some or all of the computational elements are alternately configured to implement two or more functions including a system acquisition function.
Abstract:
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for configuration of adaptive integrated circuitry, to provide one or more operating modes or other functionality in a communication device, such as a cellular telephone, a GSM telephone, another type of mobile telephone or mobile station, or any other type of media communication device, including video, voice or radio, or other forms of multimedia. The adaptive integrated circuitry is configured and reconfigured for multiple tasks, such as channel acquisition, voice transmission, or multimedia and other data processing. In the preferred embodiment, the configuration and reconfiguration occurs to adaptively optimize the performance of the particular activity over time, such as to increase the speed of channel acquisition, increase throughput rates, increase perceived voice and media quality, and decrease the rate of dropped communication sessions.
Abstract:
The present invention concerns configuration of a new category of integrated circuitry for adaptive or reconfigurable computing. The various embodiments provide an executable information module for an adaptive computing engine (ACE) integrated circuit to provide an operating mode. The preferred executable information modules include configuration information interleaved with operand data, and may also include routing and power control information. The preferred ACE IC includes a plurality of heterogeneous computational elements coupled to an interconnection network. The plurality of heterogeneous computational elements include corresponding computational elements having fixed and differing architectures, such as fixed architectures for different functions such as memory, addition, multiplication, complex multiplication, subtraction, configuration, reconfiguration, control, input, output, and field programmability. In response to configuration information, the interconnection network is operative in real-time to configure and reconfigure the plurality of heterogeneous computational elements for a plurality of different functional modes, including linear algorithmic operations, non-linear algorithmic operations, finite state machine operations, memory operations, and bit-level manipulations.
Abstract:
The present invention concerns a new category of integrated circuitry and a new methodology for adaptive or reconfigurable computing. The preferred IC embodiment includes a plurality of heterogeneous computational elements coupled to an interconnection network. The plurality of heterogeneous computational elements include corresponding computational elements having fixed and differing architectures, such as fixed architectures for different functions such as memory, addition, multiplication, complex multiplication, subtraction, configuration, reconfiguration, control, input, output, and field programmability. In response to configuration information, the interconnection network is operative in real-time to configure and reconfigure the plurality of heterogeneous computational elements for a plurality of different functional modes, including linear algorithmic operations, non-linear algorithmic operations, finite state machine operations, memory operations, and bit-level manipulations. The various fixed architectures are selected to comparatively minimize power consumption and increase performance of the adaptive computing integrated circuit, particularly suitable for mobile, hand-held or other battery-powered computing applications.
Abstract:
The present invention provides a digital imaging apparatus having an optical sensor, an analog-to-digital converter, a plurality of computational elements, and an interconnection network. The optical sensor converts an object image into a detected image, which is then converted to digital image information by the analog-to-digital converter. The plurality of computational elements includes a first computational element having a first fixed architecture and a second computational element having a second, different fixed architecture. The interconnection network is capable of providing a processed digital image from the digital image information by configuring and reconfiguring the plurality of computational elements for performance of a plurality of different imaging functions. The invention may be embodied, for example, as a digital camera, a scanner, a printer, or a dry copier.
Abstract:
A reconfigurable input/output controller (IOC) allows an adaptive computing engine (ACE) to communicate with external devices. The external devices can comprise a separate system on chip (SOC) or can be other devices or resources such as audio/visual output devices, memory, network or other communications, etc. The IOC allows different modes of transfer and performs necessary translation of input and output commands. In one embodiment, the IOC adheres to standard messaging and communication protocol used by other nodes in the ACE. This approach allows a uniform approach to the ACE design and provides advantages in scalability and adaptability of the ACE system. One feature of the invention provides a physical link adapter for accommodating different external communication types such as, RS231, optical, Firewire, universal synchronous bus (USB), etc. The physical link adapter uses a reconfigurable finite state machine, selectable couplings and a bus switch to allow connection of different communication types' signals to a common ACE component such as to an IOC.