RICHARD DENNIS BECKERT
Pilots at 127 Ave, Everett, WA

8065026, Nov 22, 2011

May 18, 2005

11/131530

Richard D. Beckert - Lake Stevens WA, US
Mark M. Moeller - Bellingham WA, US
Hang Li - Beijing, CN

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

G06F 17/00, G06F 13/28, H04B 1/00

700 94, 381 86, 710 25

A vehicle computer system has an audio entertainment system implemented in a logic unit and audio digital signal processor (DSP) independent from the host CPU. The audio entertainment system employs a set of ping/pong buffers and direct memory access (DMA) circuits to transfer data between different audio devices. Audio data is exchanged using a mapping overlay technique, in which the DMA circuits for two audio devices read and write to the same memory buffer. The computer system provides an audio manager API (application program interface) to enable applications running on the computer to control the various audio sources without knowing the hardware and implementation details of the underlying sound system. Different audio devices and their drivers control different functionality of the audio system, such as equalization, volume controls and surround sound decoding. The audio manager API transfers calls made by the applications to the appropriate device driver(s).

6801994, Oct 5, 2004

Dec 20, 2000

09/745894

Richard Dennis Beckert - Lake Stevens WA
Sharon Drasnin - Seattle WA
Ronald Otto Radko - Kirkland WA

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

G06F 1208

711207, 711206, 711103, 711104, 711105, 711159, 711160

Methods and systems for operating automotive computing devices are described. In one embodiment, a small amount of static RAM (SRAM) is incorporated into an automotive computing device and is battery-backed to provide a non-volatile memory space in which critical data, e. g. the object store, can be maintained in the event of a power loss. Circuitry is provided to ensure that the SRAM receives back up power from the battery at appropriate times. Software manages the SRAM and the other storage assembly components and makes use of virtual paging or virtual addressing techniques to keep track of where various pages, including object store pages, are stored in the system.

2005004, Feb 24, 2005

Sep 27, 2004

10/951302

Richard Beckert - Lake Stevens WA, US
Sharon Drasnin - Seattle WA, US
Ronald Radko - Kirkland WA, US

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

G06F012/00

711105000, 711104000, 711103000, 713320000

Methods and systems for operating automotive computing devices are described. In one embodiment, a small amount of static RAM (SRAM) is incorporated into an automotive computing device. The SRAM is battery-backed to provide a non-volatile memory space in which critical data can be maintained in the event of a power loss. Circuitry is provided to ensure that the SRAM receives back up power from the battery at the appropriate time. Software manages the SRAM and the other storage assembly components and makes use of virtual paging or virtual addressing techniques to keep track of where various pages, including object store pages, are stored in the system. The software knows exactly where all of the object store pages are stored so that in the event of a power loss, the page locations are known and hence the pages can be used when power is restored.

6862651, Mar 1, 2005

Dec 20, 2000

09/745454

Richard Dennis Beckert - Lake Stevens WA, US
Sharon Drasnin - Seattle WA, US
Ronald Otto Radko - Kirkland WA, US

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

G06F012/00

711103, 711104, 711105, 711165, 713330, 713340, 701 29

Methods and systems for operating automotive computing devices are described. In one embodiment, a small amount of static RAM (SRAM) is incorporated into an automotive computing device. The SRAM is battery-backed to provide a non-volatile memory space in which critical data can be maintained in the event of a power loss. Circuitry is provided to ensure that the SRAM receives back up power from the battery at the appropriate time. Software manages the SRAM and the other storage assembly components and makes use of virtual paging or virtual addressing techniques to keep track of where various pages, including object store pages, are stored in the system. The software knows exactly where all of the object store pages are stored so that in the event of a power loss, the page locations are known and hence the pages can be used when power is restored.

7099991, Aug 29, 2006

Oct 22, 2004

10/970939

Richard Dennis Beckert - Lake Stevens WA, US
Sharon Drasnin - Seattle WA, US
Ronald Otto Radko - Kirkland WA, US

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

G06F 12/00

711103, 711104, 711105, 711165, 713330, 713340, 701 29

Methods and systems for operating automotive computing devices are described. In one embodiment, a small amount of static RAM (SRAM) is incorporated into an automotive computing device. The SRAM is battery-backed to provide a non-volatile memory space in which critical data can be maintained in the event of a power loss. Circuitry is provided to ensure that the SRAM receives back up power from the battery at the appropriate time. Software manages the SRAM and the other storage assembly components and makes use of virtual paging or virtual addressing techniques to keep track of where various pages, including object store pages, are stored in the system. The software knows exactly where all of the object store pages are stored so that in the event of a power loss, the page locations are known and hence the pages can be used when power is restored.

7210014, Apr 24, 2007

May 27, 2004

10/855065

Sharon Drasnin - Seattle WA, US
Edward J Lansinger - Bellevue WA, US
Richard D. Beckert - Lake Stevens WA, US

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

G06F 12/00

711163, 711154

An exemplary system includes a microprocessor executing an operating system, a memory, a bus connecting the microprocessor to the memory, and a memory protection module controlling access to the memory independent of the microprocessor. Access to the memory may be based on a combination of an address, data, and memory control signals received from the microprocessor. A method includes, independent of the microprocessor executing an operating system, controlling access to a system memory based on a combination of signals received from the microprocessor.

7155584, Dec 26, 2006

Nov 10, 2004

10/985176

Richard Dennis Beckert - Lake Stevens WA, US
Sharon Drasnin - Seattle WA, US
Ronald Otto Radko - Kirkland WA, US

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

G06F 12/00, G06F 12/16, G06F 9/46

711160, 711103, 711104, 711105, 711159, 718102, 718103

Methods and systems for operating automotive computing devices are described. In one embodiment, multiple object store pages are maintained in device SRAM that is configured to be battery backed in an event of a power loss. One or more object store pages are periodically flushed to device non-volatile memory to make room for additional object store pages. The frequency of object store page writes is tracked, and object store pages that are least frequently written to are flushed before object store pages that are more frequently written to. In addition, in the event of a power loss, the SRAM is battery backed.

2001000, May 17, 2001

Dec 11, 2000

09/736531

Richard Beckert - Lake Stevens WA, US
Mark Moeller - Bellingham WA, US
William Wong - Redmond WA, US

G06F019/00

701/036000, 701/033000

A vehicle computer system has a housing sized to be mounted in a vehicle dashboard or other appropriate location. A computer is mounted within the housing and executes an open platform, multi-tasking operating system. The computer runs multiple applications on the operating system, including both vehicle-related applications (e.g., vehicle security application, vehicle diagnostics application, communications application, etc.) and non-vehicle-related applications (e.g., entertainment application, word processing, etc.). The applications may be supplied by the vehicle manufacturer and/or by the vehicle user.

5794164, Aug 11, 1998

Nov 29, 1995

8/564586

Richard D. Beckert - Lake Stevens WA
Mark M. Moeller - Des Moines WA
William Wong - Redmond WA

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

G06F 1900

701 1

A vehicle computer system has a housing sized to be mounted in a vehicle dashboard or other appropriate location, a computer mounted within the housing, and an open platform operating system which executes on an open hardware architecture computer. The open platform operating system supports multiple different applications that can be supplied by a vehicle user. For instance, the operating system can support applications pertaining to entertainment, navigation, communications, security, diagnostics, and others. The computer has one or more storage drive (e. g. , CD drive, floppy disk drive, cassette player, or hard disk drive) which permits the vehicle user to download programs from a storage medium (e. g. , CD, diskette, cassette, or hard disk) to the computer. In the described implementation, the computer has two independent processors.

5218290, Jun 8, 1993

Jan 31, 1991

7/648276

Richard D. Beckert - Everett WA
William F. Rasnake - Bothell WA

John Fluke Mfg. Co., Inc. - Everett WA

G01R 1508

324115

A multi-function, multi-mode switch for an instrument that changes the instrument between primary and secondary functions and between first and second modes of operation within the primary and secondary functions. The instrument changes from the first mode of operation to the second mode of operation when the switch is actuated for a first period of time. The instrument changes from the second mode of operation to the first mode of operation when the switch is activated for a second period of time. The instrument changes between the primary and secondary functions when the switch is operated for a third period of time. The switch controls a program that instructs the instrument to perform the appropriate operations. The program also instructs the instrument to confirm that an operation has occurred via audible and visual feedback.