Patents Represented by Attorney David A. Mims, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7707546
    Abstract: A method and implementing system are provided in which a user is enabled to view source code within a context of the screen presentation which is created by the source code. In an exemplary embodiment, a graphical user interface (GUI) is selectively overlaid upon a content screen display. The GUI displays markers to indicate beginning and ending points of source code elements for screen areas which are proximate to the hot-spot area in the GUI. Where a marker indicates additional code is present, the user is enabled to select the marker and a detailed presentation of the related source code is presented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Anthony Edward Martinez, Michael D. Rahn
  • Patent number: 7694178
    Abstract: Method, apparatus and computer program product for transaction resolution in a system comprising a transaction manager, a plurality of resource managers and a connection distributor for distributing transaction requests from the transaction manager amongst the plurality of resource managers. The transaction manager is allocated a first resource manager via which to conduct its transactions and the first resource manager has a transaction resolution queue associated with it. The system also comprises an asynchronous messaging infrastructure able to transmit messages originating at the transaction manager to the transaction resolution queue. The resource managers may comprise part of the asynchronous messaging infrastructure. Responsive to a failure between the transaction manager and the first resource manager, state data is received from the transaction manager at a second resource manager, the state data being addressed to the transaction resolution queue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Steve J Hobson
  • Patent number: 7664853
    Abstract: A system, system, and program for automatically inferring and updating an availability status of a user are provided. At least one current activity of a user is detected, where the current activity includes at least one system level event within a computer environment accessible to the user. A current availability status for a particular communication request is inferred from the current activity of the user in view of multiple availability rules, where the multiple availability rules map current activity to multiple possible availability statuses. In addition, inference of the current availability status is determined based on the identity of the requester of communication with the user, where the multiple availability rules map the requester identity in combination with the current activity to multiple availability rules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Anthony Richard Hagale, Jason Ernest Kelley, Ryan Rozich
  • Patent number: 7660702
    Abstract: The present invention provides a means of monitoring the progress of an IT implementation of a process or activity through a defined set of situation types and event objects corresponding to said situation types whereby, if the IT implementation of the process or activity is changed, provided the event objects corresponding to the defined situation types are still generated by the new IT implementation or are able to be derived from the new IT implementation through mapping and/or the instrumentation of new events, the monitor is able to receive or retrieve said event objects and thus perform its monitoring function. This has the advantage of de-coupling the monitor from the specific IT implementation of the process or activity and thus allows a generic monitoring solution to be provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jeffrey Blight, Graham Castree Charters, Amanda Elizabeth Chessell, Michael Friess, Pete Stretton, Vernon Maurice Green
  • Patent number: 7634683
    Abstract: A primary node and a secondary node each run the same J2EE compliant middleware stack comprising layers including a load balancer, a web server, a web application server, a message control server, a monitoring server, and a database control server. In the primary node, all layers are active. In the secondary node, part of the layers are active and part of the layers are in standby. A data replication partition shared between the primary node and the secondary node includes persistent resource data accessible to a selection of the layers of the primary node. A heartbeat controller monitors each node, including the middleware stack, and upon detection of a failure, controls transfer of the services provided by the primary node to the secondary node by transferring virtual IP addresses from the primary node to the secondary node, remounting the data replication partition for access by the secondary node, and activating the standby layers which require access to the data in the data replication partition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Francisco De La Cruz, Michael A. Paolini, Douglas Scott Rothert, Radhakrishnan Sethuraman
  • Patent number: 7627833
    Abstract: A system and method for integrating command shell into a graphical user interface (GUI) in order to provide a single user interface (UI), so that a user need not work in different environments for different tasks are provided. An output response from the command shell is typically one or more lines of text from an output stream such as standard error or standard output. To accomplish the integration, a user is enabled to enter shell commands from the GUI. Output responses from the commands are interpreted to determine how to represent objects in the responses. The interpretation may be by pattern matching with regular expressions. If a shell command produces lines of command output, which when interpreted (e.g. indicating a file or folder), map to some other object model (e.g. a file subsystem) in the GUI, appropriate model objects (e.g., a file or folder icon) are created and rendered into the GUI as a response to the shell command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: David McKnight, Jeffrey Turnham
  • Patent number: 7620362
    Abstract: A wireless broadcast of an electronic work with digital rights rules is received from a primary player at a secondary player. Synchronous play of the electronic work at the secondary player is enabled while the secondary player is within reception range of the primary player. A sample of the streamed electronic work with digital rights rules is stored at the secondary player. Responsive to detecting that the secondary player has moved outside reception range of the primary player, the secondary player only allows playback of the stored electronic work according to the digital rights rules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Wayne Brown, Michael A. Paolini, Newton James Smith, Jr., Cornell G. Wright, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7587447
    Abstract: A method of responding to a request from a client to a Web service is disclosed. The method includes the steps of: a) processing the request to identify a resource file and a requested action, wherein the request is encoded in one of a plurality of protocols; b) accessing the resource file which includes data describing the Web service; c) processing the request using at least a portion of the data to produce a response; and d) returning a response to the client. A computer system is also disclosed. The computer system includes a client adapted to send a request to a Web service, and a middleware which receives the request from the client. The computer system also includes a resource file accessible to the middleware. The resource file includes data describing the Web service. The middleware identifies the resource file and requested action from the request, which is encoded in one of a plurality of protocols.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Arthur G. Ryman
  • Patent number: 7573386
    Abstract: The present invention is a method system that detects the altering of the contents of a package. This system comprises a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag that is affixed to a package. This RFID can receive, store and transmit information received related to the package contents. A pressure sensitive material is positioned in the package such that this material can sense the weight of the package contents. When the weight of the package contents changes, the RFID tag will receive a signal directly or indirectly from the pressure sensitive material. This weight change is recorded in the RFID. When a RFID reader energizes the RFID, this current package weight is transmitted to the RFID tag reader. The RFID tag reader can then determine if the weight transmitted by the RFID tag is the original package weight or a new package weight. A new package weight would indicate some altering of the original package contents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Sandip Lahiri
  • Patent number: 7570015
    Abstract: A method and system are provided in which a charging process for rechargeable batteries is controlled in accordance with selected predetermined variable conditions. In an exemplary embodiment, a user is enabled to select the predetermined conditions under which the charging of a battery is suspended until such conditions have changed. Such conditions include, for example, physical location of the battery being charged and/or the time and/or date when the battery is being charged. A user GUI is provided to enable a user to input selected times and/or dates and/or locations when the device containing the battery is likely to be away from a charging source and needs to be fully charged, and/or selected times and/or dates and/or locations when the device is likely to have access to a power source and the battery is enabled to be charged only to a storage level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ravi Prakash Bansal, Rick Allen Hamilton, II, Brian Marshall O'Connell, Keith Raymond Walker
  • Patent number: 7565650
    Abstract: A method for deploying software includes providing a Web site on a server coupled to a network for presenting a user with an interface. The server has an array of post-load images stored thereon for combinations of the software and hardware that the user may select. The server receives a user selection of software applications for deploying to a target computer system and of hardware for the target system and responsively determines what drivers correspond to the indicated hardware. The server then selects a certain one of the post-load images having the software applications that have been selected by the user and has the drivers for the hardware that have been selected by the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Kulvir Singh Bhogal
  • Patent number: 7562143
    Abstract: A job is submitted into a first selection of resources in a grid environment from among a hierarchy of discrete sets of resources accessible in the grid environment. Discrete sets of resources may include locally accessible resources, enterprise accessible resources, capacity on demand resources, and grid resources. The performance of the first selection of resources is monitored and compared with a required performance level for the job. If the required performance level is not met, then the discrete sets of resources are queried for available resources to meet the required performance level in an order designated by said hierarchy. Available resources in a next discrete set of resource from the hierarchy of discrete sets of resources are added to a virtual organization of resources handling the job within the grid environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Craig Fellenstein, Rick Allen Hamilton, II, Joshy Joseph, James Seaman
  • Patent number: 7533170
    Abstract: A grid change controller within a particular grid environment detects an unintended change within that grid environment. In particular, grid change controller monitors potential change indicators received from multiple disparate resource managers across the grid environment, where each resource manage manages a selection of resources within the grid environment. The grid change controller then determines a necessary response to the unintended change within the grid environment and communicates with at least one independent manager within the grid environment to resolve the unintended change, such that the grid environment to maintain performance requirements within the grid environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Craig William Fellenstein, Rick Allen Hamilton, II, Joshy Joseph, James W. Seaman
  • Patent number: 7522895
    Abstract: A method and system are provided in which a user is enabled to create a preferred playlist of the user's favorite songs. An input device allows the user to add and/or delete songs from this preferred playlist. In an exemplary embodiment, songs playing on several radio stations are monitored and when a song from the user's favorites list begins to play on a station other than the station to which the user is currently tuned, an audio and/or visual signal is provided to alert the user, and the user may change stations manually or tune to the new station automatically.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Fabian F. Morgan
  • Patent number: 7502850
    Abstract: When a new resource is allocated to a particular execution environment within a grid environment managed by a grid management system, then a grid verification service automatically selects and runs at least one functionality test on the new resource as controlled by the grid management system. Responsive to a result of the functionality test, the grid verification system verifies whether the result meets an expected result before enabling routing of the grid job to the new resource, such that the functionality of the new resource is automatically verified before access to the new resource is allowed to maintain quality of service in processing grid jobs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Craig William Fellenstein, Rick Allen Hamilton, II, Joshy Joseph, James W. Seaman
  • Patent number: 7484107
    Abstract: The present invention allows the user (author or creator) of a document to specify that certain portions of a document be selected for encryption while other portions of the document remain displayed as created. In addition, each encrypted section could have multiple encryption keys such that some viewers can review certain parts of the document while other viewers will not have that same access. The user could employ a standard word processing editor technique to highlight (or swipe) portions of a document that the user desires to be encrypted. The highlighted portion would then be ‘tagged’ with a surrounding attribute indicating to the word processor that this highlighted portion of the document is to be encrypted. The highlighted sections would also have encryption keys associated with the highlighted and encrypted section. Any one of the encryption keys for that section would decrypt that section. With proper authorization, any encrypted portion of a document would be displayed as part of the document.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Randolph Michael Forlenza, Viktors Berstis
  • Patent number: 7475114
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method to alert the recipient of an electronic message of some action that is required from the recipient. The invention also provides a method to alert the sender of the electronic message of the completion of the action required in the original electronic mail message. In the method of the present invention, the originator or recipient of an electronic mail message can choose to designate the message as one that requires an action by the message recipient. The recipient will notice the ‘Action Required’ icon and will be alerted to the fact that an action is required with this message. At the completion of the action, the sender of the original message will receive a notification that the requested action has been taken by the recipient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Steven Jay Lipton, James Wesley Seaman, Carl Phillip Gusler, Rick Allen Hamilton, II
  • Patent number: 7471701
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method that will enable a wireless telephone user to more easily download information and data by from locations accessed via a communication network. This invention accomplishes this task by expanding the bandwidth of the receiving telephone device such that the bandwidth is sufficient to receive the transmitted data. The present invention expands this bandwidth at the receiver location by combining the bandwidth of the additional wireless telephones with the bandwidth of one requester telephone and receiving a portion of the information at each of the wireless telephones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Dharmesh N. Bhatkata, Trung Ly, Juan Francisco Obas, Lakshmi Potluri
  • Patent number: 7472379
    Abstract: A workflow application is represented by a graph comprising a plurality of components, some of which may be processes. At least two of the processes are interpreted according to different respective sets of rules. The sets of rules are implemented in either a plurality of respective navigation engines or in a single engine implementing multiple sets of rules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Amanda E. Chessell, Vernon M. Green, Catherine S. Griffin, David J. Vines
  • Patent number: 7464159
    Abstract: A method, system, and program managing analysis of a degraded service in a grid environment are provided. In a grid environment of multiple diverse systems, a service availability management agent is enabled to receive multiple types of error messages generated from the multiple diverse systems within the grid environment. Each error message is parsed to determine a general error indicator. Then, the service availability management agent attempts to resolve the general error indicator and return a solution to each parsed error message. Solutions may include an adjustment of resource usage by a particular service, an explanation of a particular error message, or a recommendation of alternate resources. The service availability management agent preferably specifies the transmission of the solution in a format specified for the requester system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2008
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Vincent Valentino Di Luoffo, Craig Fellenstein, Rick Allen Hamilton, II, Joshy Joseph