Gary Alan Morrison

Title: Innovations of Gary Alan Morrison

Introduction

Gary Alan Morrison is a notable inventor based in Austin, TX, who has made significant contributions to the field of memory technology. With a total of five patents to his name, Morrison's work focuses on enhancing the efficiency and performance of memory modules.

Latest Patents

Morrison's latest patents include innovative methods for executing background writes to idle DIMMs. These memory modules are designed with multiple write buffers that temporarily hold write data. The 'write-to-buffer' operations facilitate the movement of write data from the memory controller to the write buffers while the memory module is engaged in read operations. Address-only 'write' commands are subsequently issued to write the buffered data to the memory device. This approach increases the efficiency of the common write data channel, allowing the write data bus to achieve maximum bandwidth during heavy read activity. The actual write operations are deferred to times when the negative effects of the write can be minimized. Additionally, during periods of light read activity or when no reads are pending, buffering data in the memory module enables simultaneous writing across multiple memory modules.

Another significant patent involves programmable bank/timer address folding in memory devices. This innovation provides a set of N copies of bank control logic for tracking the banks within the memory modules (DRAMs). When the total number of banks exceeds N, the addresses of specific banks are folded into a single grouping. Each bank within the group is tagged as busy when any one of the banks is the target of a memory access request. The algorithm minimizes the likelihood that a busy or falsely busy bank will be targeted for another memory access request, resulting in power and logic savings.

Career Highlights

Morrison is currently employed at International Business Machines Corporation (IBM), where he continues to develop cutting-edge technologies in memory systems. His work has had a profound impact on the efficiency and performance of memory devices used in various applications.

Collaborations

Morrison has collaborated with notable colleagues, including Mark Andrew Brittain and Warren Edward Maule, contributing to advancements in memory technology.

Conclusion

Gary Alan Morrison's innovative patents and contributions to memory technology highlight his role as a leading inventor in the field. His work continues to influence the development of efficient memory systems, showcasing the importance of innovation in technology.