Joseph Cox Ballantyne

US Patent:

6681192, Jan 20, 2004

Filed:

Sep 24, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/961785

Inventors:

Joseph Cox Ballantyne - Redmond WA

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G01D 1800

US Classification:

702107, 702106, 377 20, 327291, 714 55, 714727, 714731

Abstract:

Systems and methods for efficiently and accurately determining a speed of a faster clock having unknown frequency using a slower clock having a known frequency. A series of measurement pairs are taken from the clocks; each measurement pair including one measurement from the slower clock and one measurementâat the same timeâfrom the faster clock. A lower bound and an upper bound for the measurement pairs are determined. The lower bound and the upper bound are averaged to derive a calibration variable that indicates a number of clock cycles that occur on the faster clock during one cycle of the slower clock. The calibration variable is used to time various processes in a computer system.

US Patent:

6693869, Feb 17, 2004

Filed:

Mar 31, 1999

Appl. No.:

09/282582

Inventors:

Joseph C. Ballantyne - Redmond WA

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G11B 728

US Classification:

369 84, 369 4712, 369 4743

Abstract:

A user-interactive program assists a user in locating files on optical media discs such as CD-ROMs and DVDs to enhance file-transfer rates and program installation times in computers with a Constant Angular Velocity (CAV) optical media disc drive. In addition, an application program calculates an optimal location for files and/or directories on an optical media disc so that the files are located near the location with the highest data transfer rate. This program may be used to compute an image file that defines where data will be located on an optical disc, or may be used to control transfer of data to the optical media disc.

US Patent:

6957432, Oct 18, 2005

Filed:

Sep 24, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/961649

Inventors:

Joseph C. Ballantyne - Redmond WA, US

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G06F009/46

US Classification:

718100, 718102

Abstract:

Methods and computer-executable components for real-time scheduling of CPU resources are disclosed. A performance counter determines when to allocate CPU resources to a thread. When it is time to allocate the CPU resources, the performance counter issues a maskable or non-maskable interrupt to an advanced programmable interrupt controller (APIC). The APIC then issues a maskable non-maskable interrupt to the CPU. In response to receiving the non-maskable interrupt, the CPU allocates resources to the thread. In addition, the disclosed methods and computer-executable components also: (a) allow scheduling of CPU resources such that real-time threads are guaranteed respective portions of time slots, (b) enable real-time scheduling on a non-real-time operating system, and (c) provide scheduling of CPU resources on a uni-processor machine such that at least first and second real-time threads dependent on one another are synchronized.

US Patent:

6990665, Jan 24, 2006

Filed:

May 16, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/129308

Inventors:

Joseph C. Ballantyne - Redmond WA, US

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G06F 9/46

US Classification:

718100, 718102

Abstract:

Methods and computer-executable components for real-time scheduling of CPU resources are disclosed. A performance counter determines when to allocate CPU resources to a thread. When it is time to allocate the CPU resources, the performance counter issues a maskable or non-maskable interrupt to an advanced programmable interrupt controller (APIC). The APIC then issues a maskable non-maskable interrupt to the CPU. In response to receiving the non-maskable interrupt, the CPU allocates resources to the thread. In addition, the disclosed methods and computer-executable components also: (a) allow scheduling of CPU resources such that real-time threads are guaranteed respective portions of time slots, (b) enable real-time scheduling on a non-real-time operating system, and (c) provide scheduling of CPU resources on a uni-processor machine such that at least first and second real-time threads dependent on one another are synchronized.

US Patent:

6990669, Jan 24, 2006

Filed:

Mar 21, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/531397

Inventors:

Joseph C. Ballantyne - Redmond WA, US

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G06F 9/46

US Classification:

718108, 718100, 718102, 718107

Abstract:

Methods and computer-executable components for real-time scheduling of CPU resources are disclosed. A performance counter determines when to allocate CPU resources to a thread. When it is time to allocate the CPU resources, the performance counter issues a non-maskable interrupt to an advanced programmable interrupt controller (APIC). The APIC then issues a non-maskable interrupt to the CPU. In response to receiving the non-maskable interrupt, the CPU allocates resources to the thread.

US Patent:

7120259, Oct 10, 2006

Filed:

May 31, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/159075

Inventors:

Joseph Cox Ballantyne - Redmond WA, US
Henrique S. Malvar - Sammamish WA, US

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

A61F 11/06
G10K 11/16
H03B 29/00

US Classification:

381 7112, 381 7111

Abstract:

A system and method for adaptive estimation and compensation of clock drift in echo cancellers is provided. The invention includes an acoustic echo cancellation system with a built in adaptive clock drift compensation system. The acoustic echo cancellation system has an AEC component that performs acoustic echo cancellation on data from a capture buffer, by also using information derived from a render buffer. The clock drift compensation system has access to this capture buffer and render buffer. The clock drift compensation system includes a clock drift compensator that calculates, based on the current location of the capture data being processed by the AEC component as well as additional information, the ideal location in the render buffer from which the AEC component should process data. The clock drift compensator further adjusts the current location in the render buffer from which the AEC component processes data based, at least in part, upon this ideal location. The clock drift compensator can further detect and correct for glitches in the hardware positions received from the render and capture devices.

US Patent:

7224368, May 29, 2007

Filed:

Dec 10, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/732577

Inventors:

Stephen J. Estrop - Carnation WA, US
Joseph C. Ballantyne - Redmond WA, US

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G09G 5/36
G09G 5/399

US Classification:

345545, 345539

Abstract:

Systems and methods to render tear free video in a multitasking operating environment are described. In one aspect, a video playback window portion of a desktop display is divided into non-overlapping first and second partitions. As video data is scanned into display memory which maps to the first and second partitions, current scan line input positions are monitored. Responsive to determining that the current scan line position is located in display memory associated with the second partition, display memory mapped to the second partition is not rendered and display memory mapped to the first partition is rendered into the video playback window.

US Patent:

7321539, Jan 22, 2008

Filed:

Apr 18, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/418699

Inventors:

Joseph C. Ballantyne - Redmond WA, US

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G11B 7/28

US Classification:

369 84, 369 3004, 369 4712

Abstract:

A user-interactive program assists a user in locating files on optical media discs such as CD-ROMs and DVDs to enhance file-transfer rates and program installation times in computers with a Constant Angular Velocity (CAV) optical media disc drive. In addition, an application program calculates an optimal location for files and/or directories on an optical media disc so that the files are located near the location with the highest data transfer rate. This program may be used to compute an image file that defines where data will be located on an optical disc, or may be used to control transfer of data to the optical media disc.