Patents by Inventor Glenn Farrall

Glenn Farrall 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: 10592270
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to systems and methods for defining a processor safety privilege level for controlling a distributed memory access protection system. More specifically, a safety hypervisor function for accessing a bus in a computer processing system includes a module, such as a Computer Processing Unit (CPU) or a Direct Memory Access (DMA) for accessing a system memory and a memory unit for storing a safety code, such as a Processor Status Word (PSW) or a configuration register (DMA (REG)). The module allocates the safety code to a processing transaction and the safety code is visible upon access of the bus by the module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Simon Brewerton, Glenn Farrall, Neil Hastie, Frank Hellwig, Richard Knight, Antonio Vilela
  • Patent number: 10248595
    Abstract: An interrupt interface of a central processing unit (CPU) comprises a bus with a plurality of interfaces to various components of the CPU. These components can include a memory that includes instructions to execute operations of a processor component, a plurality of virtual machines (VMs) and a virtual machine monitor (VMM)/hypervisor configured to execute the plurality of VMs. The processor can receive interrupt requests (interrupt) as service requests in parallel, which can be executed by the VMM or any one or more of the plurality of VMs to execute VM applications on a dedicated instance of a guest operating system for a task. The processor can further determine whether to grant an interrupt request to the VMM and the VMs based on predetermined criteria, including a current task priority, a pending interrupt priority, or an interrupt enable, associated with the current status of each of the component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Frank Hellwig, Gerhard Wirrer, Glenn Farrall, Neil Hastie
  • Publication number: 20190050356
    Abstract: An interrupt interface of a central processing unit (CPU) comprises a bus with a plurality of interfaces to various components of the CPU. These components can include a memory that includes instructions to execute operations of a processor component, a plurality of virtual machines (VMs) and a virtual machine monitor (VMM)/hypervisor configured to execute the plurality of VMs. The processor can receive interrupt requests (interrupt) as service requests in parallel, which can be executed by the VMM or any one or more of the plurality of VMs to execute VM applications on a dedicated instance of a guest operating system for a task. The processor can further determine whether to grant an interrupt request to the VMM and the VMs based on predetermined criteria, including a current task priority, a pending interrupt priority, or an interrupt enable, associated with the current status of each of the component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2017
    Publication date: February 14, 2019
    Inventors: Frank Hellwig, Gerhard Wirrer, Glenn Farrall, Neil Hastie
  • Publication number: 20180039508
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to systems and methods for defining a processor safety privilege level for controlling a distributed memory access protection system. More specifically, a safety hypervisor function for accessing a bus in a computer processing system includes a module, such as a Computer Processing Unit (CPU) or a Direct Memory Access (DMA) for accessing a system memory and a memory unit for storing a safety code, such as a Processor Status Word (PSW) or a configuration register (DMA (REG)). The module allocates the safety code to a processing transaction and the safety code is visible upon access of the bus by the module.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2017
    Publication date: February 8, 2018
    Inventors: Simon Brewerton, Glenn Farrall, Neil Hastie, Frank Hellwig, Richard Knight, Antonio Vilela
  • Patent number: 9836318
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to systems and methods for defining a processor safety privilege level for controlling a distributed memory access protection system. More specifically, a safety hypervisor function for accessing a bus in a computer processing system includes a module, such as a Computer Processing Unit (CPU) or a Direct Memory Access (DMY) for accessing a system memory and a memory unit for storing a safety code, such as a Processor Status Word (PSW) or a configuration register (DMA (REG)). The module allocates the safety code to a processing transaction and the safety code is visible upon access of the bus by the module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Simon Brewerton, Glenn Farrall, Neil Hastie, Frank Hellwig, Richard Knight, Antonio Vilela
  • Publication number: 20150242233
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to systems and methods for defining a processor safety privilege level for controlling a distributed memory access protection system. More specifically, a safety hypervisor function for accessing a bus in a computer processing system includes a module, such as a Computer Processing Unit (CPU) or a Direct Memory Access (DMY) for accessing a system memory and a memory unit for storing a safety code, such as a Processor Status Word (PSW) or a configuration register (DMA (REG)). The module allocates the safety code to a processing transaction and the safety code is visible upon access of the bus by the module.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2014
    Publication date: August 27, 2015
    Inventors: Simon Brewerton, Glenn Farrall, Neil Hastie, Frank Hellwig, Richard Knight, Antonio Vilela
  • Patent number: 8880961
    Abstract: A system and method for processing data for use with a microcontroller having a processing unit provides for sending an input data address to a memory as part of a read request for input data stored in the memory, receiving the input data from the memory, generating a plurality of trace signals, generating a first plurality of signatures based upon the plurality of trace signals, receiving a second plurality of corresponding signatures from a second microcontroller, comparing each signature of the first plurality of signatures to each corresponding signature of the second plurality of corresponding signatures, generating a first error signal if the comparison produces at least one mismatch, and utilizing the first error signal to generate one or more disable signals for disabling operation of one or more devices under control of the microcontroller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Simon Brewerton, Neil Hastie, Glenn Farrall, Boyko Traykov, Antonio Vilela
  • Publication number: 20130198571
    Abstract: A system and method for processing data for use with a microcontroller having a processing unit provides for sending an input data address to a memory as part of a read request for input data stored in the memory, receiving the input data from the memory, generating a plurality of trace signals, generating a first plurality of signatures based upon the plurality of trace signals, receiving a second plurality of corresponding signatures from a second microcontroller, comparing each signature of the first plurality of signatures to each corresponding signature of the second plurality of corresponding signatures, generating a first error signal if the comparison produces at least one mismatch, and utilizing the first error signal to generate one or more disable signals for disabling operation of one or more devices under control of the microcontroller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2012
    Publication date: August 1, 2013
    Applicant: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Simon Brewerton, Neil Hastie, Glenn Farrall, Boyko Traykov, Antonio Vilela
  • Publication number: 20110208948
    Abstract: Embodiments relate to systems and methods for reading from and writing to interface peripherals or other shared resources during robust computation utilizing temporally separated redundant execution. Embodiments can be utilized in safety-relevant applications related to automotive, banking and finance, aerospace, defense, Internet payment, and others.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2010
    Publication date: August 25, 2011
    Applicant: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AG
    Inventors: Richard Knight, Neil Hastie, Simon Brewerton, Glenn Farrall
  • Patent number: 7793261
    Abstract: An microcomputer is provided including a processor and a debug circuit including a dedicated link which transfers information between the processor and debug circuit to support debugging operations. In one aspect, the processor provides program counter information, which is stored in a memory-mapped register of the debug circuit. The program counter information may be a value of the processor program counter at a writeback stage of a processor pipeline. Also, trace information including message information is transferred in a non-intrusive manner over the dedicated link. In one aspect, the microcomputer is implemented as a single integrated circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics Limited
    Inventors: David Alan Edwards, Margaret Rose Gearty, Glenn A. Farrall, Atsushi Hasegawa, Anthony Willis Rich
  • Patent number: 6546467
    Abstract: A computer system has a processor, a cache and a main memory. A cache coherency mechanism ensures that the contents of the cache are coherent with respect to main memory by the provision of cache coherency instructions which each specify: 1) an operation to be executed on the contents of a location in the cache; and 2) an address in main memory. The operation is executed for the contents of the location in the cache which could be filled by an access to that address in main memory if the executing process normally has access to that address in main memory, regardless of whether or not the contents of the specified address in main memory are held at that location in the cache. This provides an extra degree of freedom because it is not necessary for the cache coherency operation to be requested in respect of a particular address stored in the cache. The instruction can specify any address which would map onto that cache location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2003
    Assignee: SGS-Thomson Microelectronics Limited
    Inventors: Glenn Farrall, Bruno Fel, Catherine Barnaby
  • Patent number: 6453385
    Abstract: A cache system and method of operating are described in which a cache is connected between a processor and a main memory of a computer. The cache system includes a cache memory having a set of cache partitions. Each cache partition has a plurality of addressable storage locations for holding items fetched from said main memory for use by the processor. The cache system also includes a cache refill mechanism arranged to fetch an item from the main memory and to load said item into the cache memory at one of said addressable storage locations in a cache partion wich depends on the address of said item in the main memory. This is achieved by a cache partition access table holding in association with addresses of items to be cached respective multi-bit partition indications identifying one or more cache partition into which the item is to be loaded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2002
    Assignee: SGS-Thomson Microelectronics Limited
    Inventors: Andrew Craig Sturges, David May, Glenn Farrall, Bruno Fel, Catherine Barnaby
  • Publication number: 20020007442
    Abstract: A computer system has a processor, a cache and a main memory. A cache coherency mechanism ensures that the contents of the cache are coherent with respect to main memory by the provision of cache coherency instructions which each specify: 1) an operation to be executed on the contents of a location in the cache; and 2) an address in main memory. The operation is executed for the contents of the location in the cache which could be filled by an access to that address in main memory if the executing process normally has access to that address in main memory, regardless of whether or not the contents of the specified address in main memory are held at that location in the cache.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 1998
    Publication date: January 17, 2002
    Inventors: GLENN FARRALL, BRUNO FEL, CATHERINE BARNABY