Patents by Inventor Janel Guillory Barfield

Janel Guillory Barfield 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: 8055761
    Abstract: A client information handling system (IHS) connects to a network in a manner that provides transparent network connectivity. In one embodiment, the client IHS includes a polling application that monitors the network connection to determine if the client IHS exhibits a connected status or a disconnected status. An interceptor application in the client IHS permits transmission of a request for a network task from the client IHS if the client IHS currently exhibits a connected status. However, the interceptor application intercepts and stores a request for a network task if the client IHS currently exhibits a disconnected status. At a later time when the client IHS again exhibits a connected status, the interceptor application transmits the stored request over the network. In this manner, the user of the client IHS experiences transparent network connectivity and need not worry with respect to the network connection status of the client IHS at any particular point in time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Janel Guillory Barfield, Nancy N. Li
  • Publication number: 20080196024
    Abstract: A client information handling system (IHS) includes a dependency database that stores both installation dependency information and operational dependency information for installed software components and candidate software components. The client IHS also includes a request handler that, in response to a request to change the software configuration of the IHS, checks the dependency database for conflicts between a candidate software component and both installation and operational dependencies that the dependency database stores.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2007
    Publication date: August 14, 2008
    Applicant: IBM Corporation
    Inventors: Janel Guillory Barfield, Eric Philip Fried, Joseph Vernon Lampitt, Kevin William Monroe
  • Publication number: 20080183857
    Abstract: A client information handling system (IHS) connects to a network in a manner that provides transparent network connectivity. In one embodiment, the client IHS includes a polling application that monitors the network connection to determine if the client IHS exhibits a connected status or a disconnected status. An interceptor application in the client IHS permits transmission of a request for a network task from the client IHS if the client IHS currently exhibits a connected status. However, the interceptor application intercepts and stores a request for a network task if the client IHS currently exhibits a disconnected status. At a later time when the client IHS again exhibits a connected status, the interceptor application transmits the stored request over the network. In this manner, the user of the client IHS experiences transparent network connectivity and need not worry with respect to the network connection status of the client IHS at any particular point in time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2007
    Publication date: July 31, 2008
    Applicant: IBM Corporation
    Inventors: Janel Guillory Barfield, Nancy N. Li
  • Patent number: 7302452
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer instructions for use in an operating system for managing requests for files. A request for a switch file from an application is received. The application points to the switch file. Many files may point to the same switch file. Location information for the switch file points to a set of files. A file from the set of files based on system information to form an identified file is identified. The identified file passes to the application. The system information may be already present within the system or passed to the system by a user or process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Janel Guillory Barfield, Joseph Vernon Lampitt, Tommy Lucas McLane
  • Publication number: 20040249784
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer instructions for use in an operating system for managing requests for file. A request for a switch file from an application is received. The application points to the switch file. Many files may point to the same switch file. Location information for the switch file points to a set of files. A file from the set of files based on system information to form an identified file is identified. The identified file passes to the application. The system information may be already present within the system or passed to the system by a user or process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2003
    Publication date: December 9, 2004
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Janel Guillory Barfield, Joseph Vernon Lampitt, Tommy Lucas McLane