How Intel's Memory Hub Manages Graphics Data Across Different Memory Types
A hardware design for a computer memory hub that lets a processor treat different types of memory as one unified space for graphics tasks.
Original patent title: “Method and apparatus for implementing dynamic display memory”
A hardware design for a computer memory hub that lets a processor treat different types of memory as one unified space for graphics tasks. Granted to Intel Corp in 2002 with 18 claims and 25 forward citations, and it is now in the public domain.
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This patent describes a memory control hub that acts as a traffic cop between a computer's main processor and its memory. When the processor needs to access graphics data, the hub checks if the data is a graphics operand. If it is, the hub uses a translation table to map the processor's virtual address to the actual physical location of the data, which might be in main system memory or dedicated graphics memory. This allows the system to seamlessly move or store graphics data across two different memory pools while keeping the processor's job simple.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover software-only methods for memory management that lack a hardware memory control hub.
- Does not cover systems that only use a single unified memory pool without a translation table mechanism.
- Does not cover methods of graphics rendering or image processing algorithms themselves.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
Key facts
What made this novel
The invention uses a translation table and fence registers to reorder memory addresses on the fly, effectively hiding the complexity of physical memory location from the CPU while optimizing access patterns for the graphics device.
The Patent Drawing
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Intel integrated graphics chipsets from the early 2000s
Unified Memory Architecture (UMA) implementations in desktop PCs
Why it matters
The bigger picture
This technology was crucial during the transition to integrated graphics architectures where the line between system RAM and dedicated video memory began to blur. By allowing the CPU to manage graphics memory dynamically, it helped improve performance in early 2000s PC architectures, specifically those using Intel's chipset designs.
Filed
January 15, 1999
Granted
March 26, 2002
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Intel remains a primary player in integrated graphics and memory controller design, continuing to refine these concepts in modern CPU-integrated GPUs. Other major silicon designers like AMD and NVIDIA have evolved these concepts into modern memory management units (MMUs) and unified memory architectures.
Market impact
This patent helped solidify the architecture for integrated graphics chipsets, which became the standard for mainstream computing. It enabled manufacturers to build more cost-effective PCs by reducing the need for expensive, dedicated video memory in every machine.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This patent describes a memory control hub that acts as a traffic cop between a computer's main processor and its memory. When the processor needs to access graphics data, the hub checks if the data is a graphics operand. If it is, the hub uses a translation table to map the processor's virtual address to the actual physical location of the data, which might be in main system memory or dedicated graphics memory. This allows the system to seamlessly move or store graphics data across two different memory pools while keeping the processor's job simple.
The clever bit
The invention uses a translation table and fence registers to reorder memory addresses on the fly, effectively hiding the complexity of physical memory location from the CPU while optimizing access patterns for the graphics device.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover software-only methods for memory management that lack a hardware memory control hub.
- Does not cover systems that only use a single unified memory pool without a translation table mechanism.
- Does not cover methods of graphics rendering or image processing algorithms themselves.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
Patent enters public domain
This patent is in the public domain
See the Freedom to Build guide — what is free to use, what is not, and how to cite this patent.
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Strong
Citation count
28/40
Moderately cited
Claim breadth
12/20
Broad claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
Recency
0/20
Older than 20 years
Assignee scale
20/20
Major company or institution
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$26K – $84K
Midpoint $53K · expired or expiring · industry ×1.5
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
Claim text not yet imported for this patent
The original legal language
Original claims
18 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Doyle, P., & Sreenivas, A. (2002). How Intel's Memory Hub Manages Graphics Data Across Different Memory Types (U.S. Patent No. 6,362,826). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/6362826/method-and-apparatus-for-implementing-dynamic-display-memory
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How Intel's Memory Hub Manages Graphics Data Across Different Memory Types cover?
A hardware design for a computer memory hub that lets a processor treat different types of memory as one unified space for graphics tasks.
Who owns patent US 6362826?
Intel Corp owns this patent, granted in 2002.
When does this patent expire?
This patent has expired and is now in the public domain — anyone can use the invention freely.
What is patent US 6362826 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 25 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
This technology was crucial during the transition to integrated graphics architectures where the line between system RAM and dedicated video memory began to blur. By allowing the CPU to manage graphics memory dynamically, it helped improve performance in early 2000s PC architectures, specifically those using Intel's chipset designs.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover software-only methods for memory management that lack a hardware memory control hub.
Same assignee
More from Intel Corp
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