Uzi Vishkin awarded two new patents in 2012

The United States Patent and Trademark Corporation granted two recent patents to Uzi Vishkin.

US Patent 8,145,879 describes "Computer memory architecture methods for hybrid serial and parallel computers". Its abstract summarizes the architecture as:

"In one embodiment, a serial processor is configured to execute software instructions in a software program in serial. A serial memory is configured to store data for use by the serial processor in executing the software instructions in serial. A plurality of parallel processors are configured to execute software instructions in the software program in parallel. A plurality of partitioned memory modules are provided and configured to store data for use by the plurality of parallel processors in executing software instructions in parallel. Accordingly, a processor/memory structure is provided that allows serial programs to use quick local serial memories and parallel programs to use partitioned parallel memories. The system may switch between a serial mode and a parallel mode. The system may incorporate pre-fetching commands of several varieties. For example, towards switching between the serial mode and the parallel mode, the serial processor is configured to send a signal to start pre-fetching of data from the shared memory."

U.S. Patent 8,209,690 describes a "System and Method for Thread Handling in Multithreaded Computer Systems of Nested Threads". Its abstract summarizes the system as:

"An Explicit Multi-Threading (XMT) system and method is provided for processing multiple spawned threads associated with SPAWN-type commands of an XMT program. The method includes executing a plurality of child threads by a plurality of TCUs including a first TCU executing a child thread which is allocated to it; completing execution of the child thread by the first TCU; announcing that the first TCU is available to execute another child thread; executing by a second TCU a parent-child thread that includes a nested spawn-type command for spawning additional child threads of the plurality of child threads, wherein the parent-child thread is related in a parent-child relationship to the child threads that are spawned in conjunction with the nested spawn-type command; assigning a thread ID (TID) to each child thread, wherein the TID is unique with respect to the other TIDs; and allocating a new child thread to the first TCU."