(WO/2006/039713) CONFIGURABLE COMPUTING MACHINE AND RELATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS
- Biblio. Data
- Description
- Claims
- National Phase
- Notices
- Documents
| Latest bibliographic data on file with the International Bureau
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| IPC: | G06F 15/78 (2006.01) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Applicants: | LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION [US/US]; 6801 Rockledge Drive, Bethesda, MD 20817-1803 (US) (All Except US). RAPP, John [US/US]; (US) (US Only). HELLENBACH, Scott [US/US]; (US) (US Only). MATHUR, Chandan [US/US]; (US) (US Only). JONES, Mark [US/US]; (US) (US Only). CAPIZZI, Joseph, A. [US/US]; (US) (US Only). CHERASARO, Troy [US/US]; (US) (US Only). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Inventors: | RAPP, John; (US). HELLENBACH, Scott; (US). MATHUR, Chandan; (US). JONES, Mark; (US). CAPIZZI, Joseph, A.; (US). CHERASARO, Troy; (US). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Agent: | RUSYN, Paul, F.; Graybeal Jackson Haley LLP, 155-108th Ave NE, Suite 350, Bellevue, WA 98004-5973 (US). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Priority Data: |
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| Title: | CONFIGURABLE COMPUTING MACHINE AND RELATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract: | A computing machine includes programmable integrated circuits, a configuration registry, and a processor. The registry stores a file that defines a circuit having portions, and the processor is, in response to the file, operable to instantiate one of the circuit portions on one of the programmable integrated circuits. Consequently, by accessing a file that defines a circuit, such a computing machine can often instantiate the circuit on a pipeline accelerator regardless of the hardware that compose the accelerator and despite modifications to the circuit or to the hardware. That is, the computing machine can often 'fit' the circuit into the pipeline accelerator regardless of its composition. A computing machine comprises an electronic circuit operable to perform a function, a programmable integrated circuit such as an FPGA, and a processor. The processor is operable to detect a failure of the electronic circuit and to configure the programmable integrated circuit to perform the function of the electronic circuit in response to detecting the failure. Alternatively, the computing machine comprises a hardwired pipeline operable to perform a function and a processor operable to detect a failure of the pipeline and to perform the function in response to detecting the failure. By allowing a first type of circuit (e.g., an FPGA) to take over for a failed second type of circuit (e.g., a processor), such a computing machine can be fault-tolerant without having redundant versions of each component, and may thus be less expensive and smaller than computing machines of comparable computing power. According to an embodiment of the invention, a computing machine comprises a pipeline accelerator, a host processor coupled to the oineline scheme that is often more flexible than conventional schemes. For example, if the pipeline accelerator has more extra 'space' than the host processor, then one can add to the computing machine one or more redundant pipeline units that can provide redundancy to both the pipeline and the host processor. Therefore, the computing machine can include redundancy for the host processor even though it has no redundant processing units. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Designated States: |
AE, AG, AL, AM, AT, AU, AZ, BA, BB, BG, BR, BW, BY, BZ, CA, CH, CN, CO, CR, CU, CZ, DE, DK, DM, DZ, EC, EE, EG, ES, FI, GB, GD, GE, GH, GM, HR, HU, ID, IL, IN, IS, JP, KE, KG, KM, KP, KR, KZ, LC, LK, LR, LS, LT, LU, LV, LY, MA, MD, MG, MK, MN, MW, MX, MZ, NA, NG, NI, NO, NZ, OM, PG, PH, PL, PT, RO, RU, SC, SD, SE, SG, SK, SL, SM, SY, TJ, TM, TN, TR, TT, TZ, UA, UG, US, UZ, VC, VN, YU, ZA, ZM, ZW. African Regional Intellectual Property Org. (ARIPO) (BW, GH, GM, KE, LS, MW, MZ, NA, SD, SL, SZ, TZ, UG, ZM, ZW) Eurasian Patent Organization (EAPO) (AM, AZ, BY, KG, KZ, MD, RU, TJ, TM) European Patent Office (EPO) (AT, BE, BG, CH, CY, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HU, IE, IS, IT, LT, LU, LV, MC, NL, PL, PT, RO, SE, SI, SK, TR) African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI) (BF, BJ, CF, CG, CI, CM, GA, GN, GQ, GW, ML, MR, NE, SN, TD, TG). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Publication Language: | English (EN) |
| Filing Language: | English (EN) |
