Patents by Inventor Fergus Wilson

Fergus Wilson has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11777869
    Abstract: A ring interconnect system comprises a plurality of nodes. Each node is connected to two other nodes to form a ring interconnect. Every pair of nodes is connected by an inter-node path for that pair of nodes distinct from the ring interconnect. Each of the nodes comprises a message buffer to buffer messages received from at least one device associated with the node. Each of the nodes also comprises activity level circuitry to transmit an activity indication, when a number of the messages in the message buffer is equal to or above a threshold, to each other node of the plurality of nodes via the respective inter-node paths. Each of the nodes also comprises arbitrator circuitry to receive the activity indications from each other node and from the activity level circuitry, and to allow ingress of a message from the message buffer onto the ring interconnect in dependence on the activity indications. Also provided is a method of operating a node of a ring interconnect system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: Arm Limited
    Inventors: Fergus Wilson MacGarry, Alex James Waugh, Andrew John Turner
  • Patent number: 10969993
    Abstract: An interconnect apparatus comprises first node circuitry for performing first node operations to service data access requests in respect of a first range of memory addresses and second node circuitry for performing second node operations to service data access requests in respect of a second range of memory addresses. The interconnect comprises interface circuitry to: receive a retry indication in respect of a data access request from the first node and forward the retry indication to the requester circuitry; responsive to determining that the interface circuitry has capacity for the data access request, transmit a reissue capacity message to the requester circuitry; receive a reissued data access request from the requester circuitry; and issue the reissued data access request to the second node circuitry. The second node circuitry is responsive to receiving the reissued data access request to service the data access request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: Arm Limited
    Inventors: Andrew John Turner, Alex James Waugh, Geoffray Lacourba, Fergus Wilson MacGarry
  • Publication number: 20210026554
    Abstract: An interconnect apparatus comprises first node circuitry for performing first node operations to service data access requests in respect of a first range of memory addresses and second node circuitry for performing second node operations to service data access requests in respect of a second range of memory addresses. The interconnect comprises interface circuitry to: receive a retry indication in respect of a data access request from the first node and forward the retry indication to the requester circuitry; responsive to determining that the interface circuitry has capacity for the data access request, transmit a reissue capacity message to the requester circuitry; receive a reissued data access request from the requester circuitry; and issue the reissued data access request to the second node circuitry. The second node circuitry is responsive to receiving the reissued data access request to service the data access request.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2019
    Publication date: January 28, 2021
    Inventors: Andrew John TURNER, Alex James WAUGH, Geoffray LACOURBA, Fergus Wilson MACGARRY
  • Patent number: 10817336
    Abstract: There is provided an apparatus comprising scheduling circuitry, which selects a task as a selected task to be performed from a plurality of queued tasks, each having an associated priority, in dependence on the associated priority of each queued task. Escalating circuitry increases the associated priority of each of the plurality of queued tasks after a period of time. The plurality of queued tasks comprises a time-sensitive task having an associated deadline and in response to the associated deadline being reached, the scheduling circuitry selects the time-sensitive task as the selected task to be performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: ARM Limited
    Inventors: Michael Andrew Campbell, Fergus Wilson MacGarry, Bruce James Mathewson
  • Patent number: 10691511
    Abstract: A first event source generates a first indication of a first event which has occurred in the first event source, the first indication being one of a predefined set of indications corresponding to a plurality of event types. A second event source generates a second indication of a second event which has occurred in the second event source, the second indication being one of the predefined set of indications corresponding to the plurality of event types. First event selection circuitry responds to the first indication matching a selected event type of the plurality of event types to generate a first count signal and second event selection circuitry responds to the second indication matching the selected event type of the plurality of event types to generate a second count signal. Count circuitry increments a counter in response to either the first count signal or the second count signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: Arm Limited
    Inventors: Fergus Wilson MacGarry, Alex James Waugh
  • Publication number: 20200136989
    Abstract: A ring interconnect system comprises a plurality of nodes. Each node is connected to two other nodes to form a ring interconnect. Every pair of nodes is connected by an inter-node path for that pair of nodes distinct from the ring interconnect. Each of the nodes comprises a message buffer to buffer messages received from at least one device associated with the node. Each of the nodes also comprises activity level circuitry to transmit an activity indication, when a number of the messages in the message buffer is equal to or above a threshold, to each other node of the plurality of nodes via the respective inter-node paths. Each of the nodes also comprises arbitrator circuitry to receive the activity indications from each other node and from the activity level circuitry, and to allow ingress of a message from the message buffer onto the ring interconnect in dependence on the activity indications.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2018
    Publication date: April 30, 2020
    Inventors: Fergus Wilson MACGARRY, Alex James WAUGH, Andrew John TURNER
  • Publication number: 20200089549
    Abstract: A first event source generates a first indication of a first event which has occurred in the first event source, the first indication being one of a predefined set of indications corresponding to a plurality of event types. A second event source generates a second indication of a second event which has occurred in the second event source, the second indication being one of the predefined set of indications corresponding to the plurality of event types. First event selection circuitry responds to the first indication matching a selected event type of the plurality of event types to generate a first count signal and second event selection circuitry responds to the second indication matching the selected event type of the plurality of event types to generate a second count signal. Count circuitry increments a counter in response to either the first count signal or the second count signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2018
    Publication date: March 19, 2020
    Inventors: Fergus Wilson MACGARRY, Alex James WAUGH
  • Patent number: 10540248
    Abstract: A technique is described for performing a maintenance operation within an apparatus that is used to control access to a memory device. The apparatus has a storage device for storing access requests to be issued to the memory device, and maintenance circuitry for performing a maintenance operation on storage elements provided within the storage device. Memory access execution circuitry is used to issue to a physical layer interface access requests selected from the storage device, for onward propagation from the physical layer interface to the memory device. Control circuitry is responsive to a training event to initiate a training operation of the physical layer interface. In addition, the control circuitry is further responsive to the training event to trigger performance of the maintenance operation by the maintenance circuitry whilst the training operation is being performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: ARM Limited
    Inventors: Fergus Wilson MacGarry, Michael Andrew Campbell
  • Publication number: 20170371560
    Abstract: A technique is described for performing a maintenance operation within an apparatus that is used to control access to a memory device. The apparatus has a storage device for storing access requests to be issued to the memory device, and maintenance circuitry for performing a maintenance operation on storage elements provided within the storage device. Memory access execution circuitry is used to issue to a physical layer interface access requests selected from the storage device, for onward propagation from the physical layer interface to the memory device. Control circuitry is responsive to a training event to initiate a training operation of the physical layer interface. In addition, the control circuitry is further responsive to the training event to trigger performance of the maintenance operation by the maintenance circuitry whilst the training operation is being performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2017
    Publication date: December 28, 2017
    Inventors: Fergus Wilson MACGARRY, Michael Andrew CAMPBELL
  • Publication number: 20170031713
    Abstract: There is provided an apparatus comprising scheduling circuitry, which selects a task as a selected task to be performed from a plurality of queued tasks, each having an associated priority, in dependence on the associated priority of each queued task. Escalating circuitry increases the associated priority of each of the plurality of queued tasks after a period of time. The plurality of queued tasks comprises a time-sensitive task having an associated deadline and in response to the associated deadline being reached, the scheduling circuitry selects the time-sensitive task as the selected task to be performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2016
    Publication date: February 2, 2017
    Inventors: Michael Andrew CAMPBELL, Fergus Wilson MacGARRY, Bruce James MATHEWSON
  • Publication number: 20080077423
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provides systems, methods, and media for providing rights protected electronic documents. In some embodiments, in response to receiving a user's request for access to an electronic record, an ERMS may determine whether the user is authorized to access the electronic document, automatically apply digital rights management settings to the electronic document to form a protected electronic record, and transmit the protected electronic document to the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2007
    Publication date: March 27, 2008
    Inventors: Alan Gilmore, Fergus Wilson, Marc Weddle
  • Publication number: 20070136423
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and media for managing a collaboration space are provided. In some embodiments, methods for managing a collaboration space are provided, comprising: defining an event related to the collaboration space; and upon occurrence of the event, performing at least one of automatically cleaning-up the collaboration space, cataloguing the collaboration space, and updating a catalog including the collaboration space.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2006
    Publication date: June 14, 2007
    Inventors: Alan Gilmore, Mark Greatorex, Fergus Wilson
  • Publication number: 20060080316
    Abstract: The disclosed technology enhances the granularity of access control systems by indexing electronic documents of interest in a manner that selectively provides authorized users with access to either content or metadata of such documents. Restriction indicia corresponding to, for example, a full-access permission and a limited-access permission, are assigned to an electronic document and this restriction indicia is compared with a user's authorization level to determine whether the user should be granted full access to the electronic document's content or be granted a limited access restricted to the document's metadata.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2004
    Publication date: April 13, 2006
    Applicant: Meridio Ltd
    Inventors: Alan Gilmore, Graham Lee, Brian McErlean, Fergus Wilson, Gary Turnbull