Other

Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Corporation

Sharp Corporation

Steven J Frank

Shigeki Imai

Terumasa Yoneda

Eitan Zehavi

Matti Laserson

The invention provides, in one aspect, a virtual processor that includes one or more virtual processing units. These virtual processing units execute on one or more processors, and each virtual processing unit executes one or more processes or threads (collectively, 'threads'). While the threads may be constrained to executing throughout their respective lifetimes on the same virtual processing units, they need not be. The invention provides, in other aspects, virtual and/or digital data processors with improved dataflow-based synchronization. A process or thread (collectively, again, 'thread') executing within such processor can execute a memory instruction (e.g., and &#x201c;Empty&#x201d; or other memory-consumer instruction) that permits the thread to wait on the availability of data generated, e.g., by another thread and to transparently wake up when that other thread makes the data available (e.g., by execution of a &#x201c;Fill&#x201d; or other memory-producer instruction).

Virtual processor methods and apparatus with unified event notification and consumer-producer memory operations

The invention provides an embedded processor architecture comprising a plurality of virtual processing units that each execute processes or threads (collectively, 'threads'). One or more execution units, which are shared by the processing units, execute instructions from the threads. An event delivery mechanism delivers events&#x2014;such as, by way of non-limiting example, hardware interrupts, software-initiated signaling events ('software events') and memory events&#x2014;to respective threads without execution of instructions. Each event can, per aspects of the invention, be processed by the respective thread without execution of instructions outside that thread. The threads need not be constrained to execute on the same respective processing units during the lives of those threads&#x2014;though, in some embodiments, they can be so constrained. The execution units execute instructions from the threads without needing to know what threads those instructions are from. A pipeline control unit which launches instructions from plural threads for concurrent execution on plural execution units.

General purpose embedded processor

The invention provides, in one aspect, a virtual processor that includes one or more virtual processing units. These virtual processing units execute on one or more processors, and each virtual processing unit executes one or more processes or threads (collectively, 'threads'). While the threads may be constrained to executing throughout their respective lifetimes on the same virtual processing units, they need not be. An event delivery mechanism associates events with respective threads and notifies those threads when the events occur, regardless of which virtual processing unit and/or processor the threads happen to be executing on at the time. The invention provides, in other aspects, virtual and/or digital data processors with improved dataflow-based synchronization. A process or thread (collectively, again, 'thread') executing within such processor can execute a memory instruction (e.g., an &#x201c;Empty&#x201d; or other memory-consumer instruction) that permits the thread to wait on the availability of data generated, e.g., by another thread and to transparently wake up when that other thread makes the data available (e.g., by execution of a &#x201c;Fill&#x201d; or other memory-producer instruction).

Virtual processor methods and apparatus with unified event notification and consumer-produced memory operations

A transfer station for collecting and transferring harvested material to large transport vehicles includes a hopper, in which harvested material accumulates, supported on a rigid frame. The hopper may be elevated from a lower 'collection' height to an upper 'transfer' height that facilitates release of harvested material into the transport vehicle. In one embodiment, the contents of the hopper are poured into a collection vehicle by tilting the entire transfer-station frame. In a second embodiment of the invention, the transfer-station frame does not tilt. Instead, the hopper is equipped with a sloped floor member. When lifted vertically and positioned over a collection vehicle, the hopper discharges by gravity as soon as an opening is established at the base of the slope.

Harvesting, collection and transfer apparatus

A darkroom calculator that performs mass, volume, concentration and temperature conversions useful in the preparation of darkroom chemicals; calculation of proper development times and temperatures for exposed film; calculation of proper dilution temperatures; calculation of exposure values relevant to the enlargement process and exposure of sensitized substrates; and monitoring of the passage of time and solution temperature levels.

Growing community of inventors

Florence, MA, United States of America

Steven J Frank