Patents by Inventor Colin Ian Holyoake

Colin Ian Holyoake 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: 11677440
    Abstract: Method and system are provided for power path identification in a power distribution system. The method transmits a data signal through a power line infrastructure including adding an identifier value at multiple points of the infrastructure to the data signal to form a concatenated path identifier formed of the identifier values. The method reads the path identifier at a reading point of the infrastructure to obtain power path information to or from the reading point in the power line infrastructure. A system may include a plurality of path identification devices each provided at a connection point of the power distribution system to transmit connection point identifiers to form a concatenated path identifier with identifier values of other connection points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Colin Ian Holyoake, Richard Postlethwaite, Simon Salter
  • Patent number: 11564196
    Abstract: A computer apparatus is provided for determining one or more peripheral device positions. A primary display of the computer apparatus may be provided with two or more signal receivers disposed at different locations in relation to the primary display and may be configured to receive signals from a signal transmitter at a peripheral device. The computer apparatus may include a processor and a memory configured to provide computer program instructions to the processor to execute a method of: determining a distance from the signal transmitter to each of the two or more signal receivers based on a strength of the received signal; using positioning determination to determine a direction and/or distance to a position of the signal transmitter from the primary display; and configuring the peripheral device based on the determined direction and/or distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Colin Ian Holyoake, John A. Owen
  • Patent number: 11521448
    Abstract: A method includes: reading, by a tile lifter, a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag within a floor tile that is locked to a support structure; comparing, by the tile lifter, a personal identification number (PIN) of the RFID tag to an access code within the tile lifter; determining, by the tile lifter, a match between the PIN of the RFID tag and the access code; and actuating, by the tile lifter and in response to the determining the match, an actuator in the floor tile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Colin Ian Holyoake, Michael James Bettle-Shaffer, Graham Jon Eames, Maurice Francis Gray
  • Patent number: 11439047
    Abstract: A standard server rack is modified to be able to detect if a blanking panel is missing from an unoccupied slot. Detection can be achieved electrically by providing switch elements in the holes on the rack siderails, whose switching state depends on whether a fastening pin is in the hole. A blanking panel, when fitted to a particular slot, thus switches the switch elements for that slot, which can be detected by a make/break circuit including the switch elements. Alternatively, detection of a missing blanking panel can be achieved optically by arranging a bank of forward pointing optical sensors at the back of the server rack, which point forward to detect the presence of a blanking panel. The optical sensors are distributed vertically so that at least one optical sensor covers each slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Colin Ian Holyoake, Maurice Francis Gray, Michael James Bettle-Shaffer
  • Publication number: 20220270422
    Abstract: A method includes: reading, by a tile lifter, a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag within a floor tile that is locked to a support structure; comparing, by the tile lifter, a personal identification number (PIN) of the RFID tag to an access code within the tile lifter; determining, by the tile lifter, a match between the PIN of the RFID tag and the access code; and actuating, by the tile lifter and in response to the determining the match, an actuator in the floor tile.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2021
    Publication date: August 25, 2022
    Inventors: Colin Ian Holyoake, Michael James Bettle-Shaffer, Graham Jon Eames, Maurice Francis Gray
  • Publication number: 20220141792
    Abstract: A computer apparatus is provided for determining one or more peripheral device positions. A primary display of the computer apparatus may be provided with two or more signal receivers disposed at different locations in relation to the primary display and may be configured to receive signals from a signal transmitter at a peripheral device. The computer apparatus may include a processor and a memory configured to provide computer program instructions to the processor to execute a method of: determining a distance from the signal transmitter to each of the two or more signal receivers based on a strength of the received signal; using positioning determination to determine a direction and/or distance to a position of the signal transmitter from the primary display; and configuring the peripheral device based on the determined direction and/or distance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2020
    Publication date: May 5, 2022
    Inventors: Colin Ian Holyoake, John A. Owen
  • Publication number: 20220098878
    Abstract: A load bearing raised flooring system panel, having an integrated pressure sensitive layer adapted to generate a visual indication when excess load is applied to the load bearing raised flooring system panel. The pressure sensitive layer determines how much pressure (or load) is applied to the load bearing raised flooring system panel, and upon detecting pressure above a threshold, indicative of excess load, a visual indication is generated and displayed on the load bearing raised flooring system panel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Publication date: March 31, 2022
    Inventors: Colin Ian Holyoake, Maurice Francis Gray, Graham Jon Eames, Michael James Bettle-Shaffer
  • Patent number: 11181437
    Abstract: Concepts for determining a structural integrity of a raised floor comprising an array of stringers and stanchions are presented. Each stringer is supported at opposite ends by a respective pair of stanchions. One example comprises a system having a transmitter configured to transmit a signal between a pair of stanchions via a respective stringer and a receiver configured to receive the transmitted signal. The system further comprises a processing unit configured to determine a status of the stringer based on the received signal, then determine an indicator of a structural integrity of a raised floor based on the determined status.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Colin Ian Holyoake, Michael James Bettle-Shaffer, Maurice Francis Gray, Graham Jon Eames
  • Patent number: 11150708
    Abstract: A system for a cooling control component for a computing device is provided. A computing device monitors weight distribution from data received from one or more sensors distributed on a base of the housing of the computing device. A computing device determines that the weight distribution is uneven for a defined period of time. A computing device executes a first overheating prevention measure that uses a hardware operation profile to reduce heat generation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Sarah Michelle Drewery, Colin Ian Holyoake, Richard Postlethwaite
  • Patent number: 11120239
    Abstract: A method and related system are used for device management in a datacenter having multiple racks adapted to house multiple devices. The system may comprise an optical sensor and a reporting unit. The optical sensor may be provided at a position in a rack in a datacenter, the optical sensor configured to sense device identifying data of a device inserted in the rack. The reporting unit may transmit the sensed device identifying data and the position in a message to a central data processing system for the datacenter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: John A. Owen, Colin Ian Holyoake
  • Publication number: 20210157375
    Abstract: A system for a cooling control component for a computing device is provided. A computing device monitors weight distribution from data received from one or more sensors distributed on a base of the housing of the computing device. A computing device determines that the weight distribution is uneven for a defined period of time. A computing device executes a first overheating prevention measure that uses a hardware operation profile to reduce heat generation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2019
    Publication date: May 27, 2021
    Inventors: Sarah Michelle Drewery, Colin Ian Holyoake, Richard Postlethwaite
  • Publication number: 20210150166
    Abstract: A method and related system are used for device management in a datacenter having multiple racks adapted to house multiple devices. The system may comprise an optical sensor and a reporting unit. The optical sensor may be provided at a position in a rack in a datacenter, the optical sensor configured to sense device identifying data of a device inserted in the rack. The reporting unit may transmit the sensed device identifying data and the position in a message to a central data processing system for the datacenter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2019
    Publication date: May 20, 2021
    Inventors: John A. Owen, Colin Ian Holyoake
  • Publication number: 20210131909
    Abstract: Concepts for determining a structural integrity of a raised floor comprising an array of stringers and stanchions are presented. Each stringer is supported at opposite ends by a respective pair of stanchions. One example comprises a system having a transmitter configured to transmit a signal between a pair of stanchions via a respective stringer and a receiver configured to receive the transmitted signal. The system further comprises a processing unit configured to determine a status of the stringer based on the received signal, then determine an indicator of a structural integrity of a raised floor based on the determined status.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2019
    Publication date: May 6, 2021
    Inventors: Colin Ian Holyoake, Michael James Bettle-Shaffer, Maurice Francis Gray, Graham Jon Eames
  • Publication number: 20210136959
    Abstract: A standard server rack is modified to be able to detect if a blanking panel is missing from an unoccupied slot. Detection can be achieved electrically by providing switch elements in the holes on the rack siderails, whose switching state depends on whether a fastening pin is in the hole. A blanking panel, when fitted to a particular slot, thus switches the switch elements for that slot, which can be detected by a make/break circuit including the switch elements. Alternatively, detection of a missing blanking panel can be achieved optically by arranging a bank of forward pointing optical sensors at the back of the server rack, which point forward to detect the presence of a blanking panel. The optical sensors are distributed vertically so that at least one optical sensor covers each slot.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2019
    Publication date: May 6, 2021
    Inventors: Colin Ian Holyoake, Maurice Francis Gray, Michael James Bettle-Shaffer
  • Publication number: 20210083722
    Abstract: Method and system are provided for power path identification in a power distribution system. The method transmits a data signal through a power line infrastructure including adding an identifier value at multiple points of the infrastructure to the data signal to form a concatenated path identifier formed of the identifier values. The method reads the path identifier at a reading point of the infrastructure to obtain power path information to or from the reading point in the power line infrastructure. A system may include a plurality of path identification devices each provided at a connection point of the power distribution system to transmit connection point identifiers to form a concatenated path identifier with identifier values of other connection points.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2019
    Publication date: March 18, 2021
    Inventors: Colin Ian Holyoake, Richard Postlethwaite, Simon Salter
  • Patent number: 10709032
    Abstract: A datacenter rack for vertically stacking a plurality of electronic devices is provided. The rack has a frame assembly having two vertical support components and a plurality of removeable trays configured to be inserted between and supported by the vertical support components. Each tray has a pair of opposing sides extending parallel to a longitudinal axis and each of the pair of opposing sides has a tensioned adjustment mechanism to shorten a length of each side to compress the tray in the longitudinal axis, with the tensioned adjustment mechanisms providing a tensioning force against the compression. Each tray also has a top surface with a movement facilitating arrangement for facilitating movement of an electronic device along the tray in the longitudinal axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Colin Ian Holyoake, Barbara Sharon Bishop, Graham Jon Eames