Memorial man receives patent for computer improvement

A Memorial-area man received a U.S. patent last week for a computer processing improvement he invented for Hewlett-Packard more than seven years ago.

As described the patent, the man's invention was an improvement to peripheral component interconnect (PCI) technology that allowed a computer to communicate with an external device. The patent explains how PCI can be made faster by allowing its error check systems to correct a target address for data in parallel with its detection.

The sole inventor credited in the patent is Dwight D. Riley, who lives in the Memorial area of Houston. The patent was originally filed on May 23, 2003, and its official number is 7,877,647. HP owns the patent.

While its international headquarters are in Palo Alto, California, HP's Houston offices serve as the nerve center of its U.S. division. It is located in the Cy-Fair area at 20555 SH 249.