Patents by Inventor Alistair Paul ROBERSTON

Alistair Paul ROBERSTON 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: 10013327
    Abstract: The present invention provides a monitor, especially a wake up monitor, for monitoring an integrated circuit, the monitor comprising a first monitoring unit configured to monitor at least one input of the integrated circuit, a second monitoring unit configured to monitor at least one output of the integrated circuit, a measurement unit configured to measure the time elapsed between an event on the at least one input and a reaction to the event on the at least one output and configured to output an alert signal if the elapsed time exceeds a predetermined first time limit. The present invention furthermore discloses an integrated circuit and a method for monitoring an integrated circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: NXP USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Alistair Paul Roberston, Andrew Edward Birnie, Thomas Henry Luedeke
  • Patent number: 9959172
    Abstract: A data processing device, comprising a processing unit and a test control unit connected to the processing unit, is described. The processing unit and the test control unit are arranged to: start a logic test of the processing unit; detect a test abort event; and, in response to the test abort event, perform an event response action which comprises aborting the logic test and booting the processing unit, said booting including executing an event handling routine. The event response action may comprise setting a reset vector to an address of the event handling routine. System availability may thus be improved. In particular, the delay between capturing an asynchronous signal and responding to it may be reduced. The test abort event may, for example, be an asynchronous event having certain pre-defined characteristics. A method of operating a data processing device is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: NXP USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven McLaughlin, Alan Devine, Alistair James Gorman, Alistair Paul Roberston
  • Publication number: 20160275008
    Abstract: A data processing device, comprising a processing unit and a test control unit connected to the processing unit, is described. The processing unit and the test control unit are arranged to: start a logic test of the processing unit; detect a test abort event; and, in response to the test abort event, perform an event response action which comprises aborting the logic test and booting the processing unit, said booting including executing an event handling routine. The event response action may comprise setting a reset vector to an address of the event handling routine. System availability may thus be improved. In particular, the delay between capturing an asynchronous signal and responding to it may be reduced. The test abort event may, for example, be an asynchronous event having certain pre-defined characteristics. A method of operating a data processing device is also described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2013
    Publication date: September 22, 2016
    Applicant: FREESCALE SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
    Inventors: Steven MCLAUGHLIN, Alan DEVINE, Alistair James GORMAN, Alistair Paul ROBERSTON