Patents by Inventor Kenneth A. Ferguson

Kenneth A. Ferguson 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).

  • Publication number: 20230398253
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for automated detection and disinfection of microbes in autonomous vehicles, to prevent possible transmission of diseases or illness to subsequent users. Automated detection and disinfection of a vehicle includes autonomously scanning various parts of the autonomous vehicle for microbes, selecting a disinfectant based on detected microbes, and autonomously disinfecting at least a portion of the autonomous vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2023
    Publication date: December 14, 2023
    Applicant: GM Cruise Holdings LLC
    Inventors: Samuel Harrison Glidden, Erik Nielsen, Sriram Salem Kannan, Kenneth Ferguson, Maximilian Gerrit Euchenhofer, Michael Frank Schmidt
  • Publication number: 20230242151
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method comprising receiving a rideshare request from a user, the rideshare request including a destination; transporting the passenger to the destination using an autonomous vehicle (AV) having a plurality of windows comprising electrically switchable smart glass; during the transporting, monitoring a metric related to arrival of the AV at the destination; and untinting the windows when the monitored metric has a prescribed relationship to a threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2023
    Publication date: August 3, 2023
    Applicant: GM Cruise Holdings LLC
    Inventors: Kenneth Ferguson, Samuel Harrison Glidden, Maximilian Gerrit Euchenhofer, Jeffrey Brandon, Michael Frank Schmidt
  • Patent number: 10997349
    Abstract: In the context of electronic design automation and particularly circuit layout design software tools, systems and methods for incremental chaining of circuit devices (or, more generally, “figures,” which can include instances and pins) permit user-interactive abutment and placement. Selection of one or more anchor figures highlights chaining candidates which can be automatically chained to the anchor figure(s) upon selection, as with a single mouse click. As compared to manual interactive abutment or automatic batch-mode chaining, incremental chaining offers improved usability, reduced manual effort, and the opportunity for user interaction as a chain is constructed, because the user is permitted interventions at any point in the chaining process for altering device parameters or characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: CADENCE DESIGN SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: David Mallon, Gilles Lamant, Kenneth Ferguson, Christopher Stewart, Kenneth Mackie
  • Patent number: 10235490
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are embodiments of systems, methods, and products using a center access direction for pin figures during an abutment of instances in an integrated circuit (IC) design. Using a center access direction allows an electronic design automation (EDA) tool to overlap the centers of the pin figures to be merged. Once the centers of the pin figures are overlapped, the EDA tool runs one or more merging and optimization algorithms to abut the circuit devices containing the pin figures. The EDA tool therefore is computationally efficient and yet provides more functionality: unlike the conventional system, the EDA tool does not have to align the pin figures and calculate an offset to overlap the pin figures post alignment. Furthermore, the EDA tool can overlap the pin figures from any angle and is not confined to rectilinear access direction of the conventional systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Cadence Design Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: David Mallon, Gilles S. C. Lamant, Kenneth Ferguson, Monika Bijoy
  • Patent number: 9842178
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and methods that allow a layout editor function, presented in a graphical user interface, of an EDA, to indicate certain layout instances or “cell views” as “transparent.” The instances are indicated as transparent using various layout editor commands or layout designer markers. Unlike conventional solutions, a binder within the layout editor of the EDA is not required to bind layout transparent instances to corresponding instances in a related schematic design file or records. Instead, the EDA may identify non-transparent instances at a lower-level of the layout design's hierarchy to bind, because the systems and methods described herein provide for a transparent instance container at a hierarchically higher-level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: Cadence Design Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth Ferguson, Jean-Marc Bourguet
  • Patent number: 9690893
    Abstract: Methods and systems of an electronic circuit design system described herein provide a new abutment tool in which a chain post-processing function is called once per resultant chain of abutted instances after each chain is fully formed in a layout. In an embodiment, a process design kit (PDK) abutment update function is enhanced to support a new chain processing event that facilitates a creation of new top level figures in a cell view in which the chain lives, and further facilitate adjustment of parameters of instances of programmable cells in the chain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: Cadence Design Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth Ferguson, Gilles S. C. Lamant, Min-Ching Lin, David J. Mallon
  • Publication number: 20170124235
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and methods that allow a layout editor function, presented in a graphical user interface, of an EDA, to indicate certain layout instances or “cell views” as “transparent.” The instances are indicated as transparent using various layout editor commands or layout designer markers. Unlike conventional solutions, a binder within the layout editor of the EDA is not required to bind layout transparent instances to corresponding instances in a related schematic design file or records. Instead, the EDA may identify non-transparent instances at a lower-level of the layout design's hierarchy to bind, because the systems and methods described herein provide for a transparent instance container at a hierarchically higher-level.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2015
    Publication date: May 4, 2017
    Applicant: CADENCE DESIGN SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: Kenneth Ferguson, Jean-Marc Bourguet
  • Patent number: 8910100
    Abstract: The subject system and method are generally directed to the user-friendly insertion of at least one device, and optionally chains of devices, into at least one pre-existing chain of interconnected devices within a graphical representation of a circuit design such as a circuit layout, circuit mask, or a schematic. The system and method provide for discerning the intended insertion points and performing remedial transformations of the devices within the chains to ensure compliance with both structural and operational requirements of the circuit design.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Cadence Design Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Wilson, Arnold Ginetti, Kenneth Ferguson, Yuan-Kai Pei
  • Patent number: 8046730
    Abstract: Systems and methods to enable a user to edit subMaster content of selected instances of an electronic layout design, including editing the contents of selected instances of an existing subMaster of an EDA design, generating a new subMaster to incorporate the modified contents of the selected instances, and binding the new subMaster to the selected instances without losing the design hierarchy of the layout design.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Cadence Design Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth Ferguson, Randy Bishop, Arnold Ginetti, Gilles Lamant
  • Patent number: 7805698
    Abstract: In one embodiment a new method to address configuring a logical design and libraries of design elements with additional information is proposed that may be used to create a physical design from that logical design. Logical designs may be generic, while physical design libraries are normally targeted towards specific technology. Consequently, there can be a mapping from the cells in a logical library to cells which correspond to their implementation in a physical library. In one embodiment, annotations required to map from logical design to physical design may be stored in a separate design view. In one embodiment the user can modify the physical mapping attributes of cells, instances, and occurrences in the logical design and save the modifications back to the physical configuration view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2010
    Assignee: Cadence Design Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth Ferguson, Kenneth Mackie, Gilles S. C. Lamant, Sravasti Gupta Nair
  • Publication number: 20070093493
    Abstract: A method of treating symptoms of benign prostatic hypertrophy and a method of treating lower urinary tract symptoms, are disclosed. The method includes administering to a mammal about 1 to about 20 milligrams of an agent that inhibits cyclic guanosine 3,5-monophosphate specific phosphodiesterase type 5.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2006
    Publication date: April 26, 2007
    Applicant: LILLY ICOS LLC
    Inventors: Bela Denes, Kenneth Ferguson, John Whitaker
  • Publication number: 20060222647
    Abstract: The present invention provides agents such as agonists, antibodies, antagonists or inhibitors to modulate the activity of PDE5 proteins. These compositions and methods are useful for the diagnosis or treatment of conditions associated with the presence, the deficiency, altered levels, or altered activity of PDE5 proteins.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2003
    Publication date: October 5, 2006
    Inventors: Joseph Beavo, Jackie Corbin, Kenneth Ferguson, Sharron Francis, Ann Kadlecek, Linda McAllister-Lucas, Kate Loughney, William Sonnenburg, Melissa Thomas, Sergei Rybalkin
  • Publication number: 20060216809
    Abstract: The present invention provides novel purified and isolated nucleotide sequences encoding the cGMP-binding, cGMP-specific phosphodiesterase designated cGB-PDE. Also provided by the invention are methods and materials for the recombinant production of cGB-PDE polypeptide products and methods for identifying compounds which modulate the enzymatic activity of cGB-PDE polypeptides.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2005
    Publication date: September 28, 2006
    Applicants: ICOS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Joseph Beavo, Jackie Corbin, Kenneth Ferguson, Sharron Francis, Ann Kadlecek, Kate Loughney, Linda McAllister-Lucas, William Sonnenburg, Melissa Thomas
  • Publication number: 20050196833
    Abstract: The present invention provides novel purified and isolated nucleotide sequences encoding the cGMP-binding. cGMP-specific phosphodiesterase designated cGB-PDE. Also provided by the invention are methods and materials for the recombinant production of cGB-PDE polypeptide products and methods for identifying compounds which modulate the enzymatic activity of cGB-PDE polypeptides.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2003
    Publication date: September 8, 2005
    Inventors: Joseph Beavo, Jackie Corbin, Kenneth Ferguson, Sharron Francis, Ann Kadlecek, Linda McAllister-Lucas, Kate Loughney, William Sonnenburg, Melissa Thomas
  • Patent number: 6157286
    Abstract: A high voltage, current limiting device is connected in series with a high voltage power source and a protected load to interrupt current for an over-current condition [Typically 50 kA]. The current limiting device includes a current sensor/isolator and a switch connected in series. A current limiter, which may include a fuse or polymer current limiting material, is connected in parallel to the current sensor/isolator. The current sensor/isolator includes a pair of electrically insulated supports secured to a plurality of support rods to maintain the insulated supports at a predetermined fixed spacing to support an expulsion fuse. The expulsion fuse link includes a pair of copper conductors of adequate current carrying capability that are attached to ends of a main weak link fuse. A pair of coil springs hold the weak link fuse under tension to repel the conductors apart when the weak link fuse melts open during an over-current condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2000
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Radhakrishnan Ranjan, Donald Kenneth Ferguson, Anil Raj Duggal, Minyoung Lee
  • Patent number: 5671432
    Abstract: A programmable array having programmable logic cells, a programmable interconnect network and a programmable I/O system. Two I/O interfaces are provided for respective logic cells about the perimeter of the array. The I/O interfaces comprise input, output and enable paths. Each of these paths has an associated multiplexer. An I/O routing network is positioned about the perimeter of the array. Conductors connecting the I/O interface multiplexers to the programmable interconnect network also intersect, and can be programmably connected to, buses of the I/O routing network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 23, 1997
    Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation, Cadence Design Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Allan Robert Bertolet, Kenneth Ferguson, Scott Whitney Gould, Eric Ernest Millham, Ronald Raymond Palmer, Brian Worth, Terrance John Zittritsch
  • Patent number: 5386658
    Abstract: A metallic bead of appropriate size and shape for use as the head of a fishing fly has a bore for accepting a hook shank. The bore is of a smaller diameter at the front end and of a larger diameter at the rear end for approximately two thirds of the length of the bead. The bead is cut off at each end so that the overall length of the bore is 85% of the major diameter of the bead itself.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 1993
    Date of Patent: February 7, 1995
    Assignee: Spirit River, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth A. Ferguson, William J. Black
  • Patent number: 5195269
    Abstract: A fly tying film constructed by the lamination, coloring, and stretching of sheets of low-density polyethylene plastic stretch wrap film. Layers of the stretch wrap film are pressed together either, with or without paint sprayed between them. The combined layers are then stretched just short of the failure point. This stretching work-hardens the fly tying film and eliminates the resilient characteristics of the unprocessed stretch wrap. Pieces of the fly tying film are secured to a fishing hook in combination with other materials to build an artificial fishing fly for use in the sport angling pursuit of game fish. Pieces of the fly tying film can be pre-cut to the required shape or it may be formed and trimmed to the desired appearance as part of the fly tying process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 23, 1993
    Inventors: William J. Black, Kenneth A. Ferguson