Patents by Inventor Paul F. McMahan

Paul F. McMahan 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: 20120179539
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a fraud prevention method for a pay-per-click data processing system. The method can include receiving a click through for a link in a host site which references a marketed site. The method also can include identifying a link address for the link in the click through. The method yet further can include comparing the identified link address to a modified link address recorded for an actual link address for the marketed site. Finally, the method can include quashing the click through if the identified link address is not the modified link address. Conversely, the method can include redirecting the click through to the marketed site if the identified link address is the modified link address.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2012
    Publication date: July 12, 2012
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Fonda J. Daniels, Pooja Kohli, Paul F. McMahan, Robert T. Uthe
  • Patent number: 8195822
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method, system, and computer program product for preventing a browser from loading content from undesirable sources. A method in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention includes: selecting an area of a web page containing undesirable content; substituting an alternate Internet Protocol (IP) address for a hostname of a website that provided the undesirable content based on a profile; and redisplaying the web page with content from the alternate IP address displayed in the selected area of the web page.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Paul F. McMahan, Fonda J. Daniels, Patrick R. Guido, Wesley J. Gyure, Kent F. Hayes, Jr., Robert C. Leah
  • Patent number: 8160924
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a fraud prevention method for a pay-per-click data processing system. The method can include receiving a click through for a link in a host site which references a marketed site. The method also can include identifying a link address for the link in the click through. The method yet further can include comparing the identified link address to a modified link address recorded for an actual link address for the marketed site. Finally, the method can include quashing the click through if the identified link address is not the modified link address. Conversely, the method can include redirecting the click through to the marketed site if the identified link address is the modified link address.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Fonda J. Daniels, Pooja Kohli, Paul F. McMahan, Robert T. Uthe
  • Patent number: 8140628
    Abstract: In an email message method and system, an email server receives at least one user-defined constraint for a first email message, where the user-defined constraint comprises at least one of an expected format and expected content of a reply email message. The email server associates the at least one user-defined constraint with the first email message and sends the first email message to a recipient. In response to receiving the reply email message, the email server validates the reply email message against the at least one user-defined constraint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jaroslaw Gawor, Richard K. McGuire, Paul F. McMahan, Lin Sun
  • Publication number: 20110320954
    Abstract: At least one element of received first feed content of a first feed is determined by a computer client device to include a first feed correlation identifier. The first feed correlation identifier identifies a portion of a second feed associated with the at least one element of the received first feed content. The received first feed content is displayed with a first selectable user interface element associated with the at least one element of the received first feed content determined to include the first feed correlation identifier. A selection of the first selectable user interface element is detected. In response to detecting the selection of the first selectable user interface element, a feed server is queried for the portion of the second feed identified by the first feed correlation identifier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2010
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Craig M. Lawton, Paul F. McMahan, Douglas B. Mueller, John P. Whitfield
  • Publication number: 20110264953
    Abstract: Systems, devices, methods, and articles of manufacture employing repair modules are provided. The modules may be automatically deployed in conjunction with dependency mechanisms upon identifying a malfunctioning application. The modules may be specifically tailored for certain diagnosis or repair and may be selected for deployment to a second application using information regarding the malfunction of a first application.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2010
    Publication date: October 27, 2011
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jaroslaw Gawor, Paul F. McMahan, Lin Sun
  • Publication number: 20110264757
    Abstract: Embodiments include devices, systems, methods, and articles of manufacture that facilitate sending notices that a previously identified malfunctioning link or pointer has been restored or otherwise rendered useable. Embodiments can include systems with a registry wherein when a user discovers that a link is not functioning properly the registry may register the malfunctioning link, may facilitate further queries of the malfunctioning link, and may provide updates to one or more user portals that the previously malfunctioning link or pointer is no longer malfunctioning.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2010
    Publication date: October 27, 2011
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jaroslaw Gawor, Paul F. McMahan, Lin Sun
  • Patent number: 7930356
    Abstract: A method and system are provided for managing email threads. The method includes receiving a plurality of separate email threads. The method further includes generating associations between at least two email threads of the plurality of separate email threads. The method further includes displaying the associations of the at least two email threads. As a result, users can conveniently view the associated email threads and perform operations on particular email threads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jaroslaw Gawor, Paul F. McMahan, Lin Sun
  • Patent number: 7921380
    Abstract: A portal environment may include at least one detachable and reattachable portal page. The detachable and reattachable portal page may include a detach feature to detach the portal page from the portal environment. A reattach feature may be provided to reattach a detached portal page to the portal environment. In another embodiment, a method to detach and reattach at least one portal page may include detaching a selected portal page in response to activating a detach feature. The method may also include reattaching the detached portal page in response to activating a reattach feature. The selected, detached portal page may be transferred to a window in response to activating the detach feature. Tunneling communication may be provided between the detached portal page and the portal environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Patrick R. Guido, Steven P. Kim, Robert C. Leah, Paul F. McMahan
  • Publication number: 20110055704
    Abstract: A method to control a portlet associated with a portal page may include deactivating a selected portlet in response to operating a deactivation feature. The method may also include reactivating the selected portlet in response to operating a reactivation feature. The method may also include freezing a portlet content in the selected portlet in response to deactivating the selected portlet. The method may further include disabling hyperlinks, buttons and other inputs to the selected portlet in response to deactivating the selected portlet. The method may further include reconfiguring a portal server to ensure that a portlet content of a selected portlet cannot be affected while the selected portlet is deactivated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2007
    Publication date: March 3, 2011
    Inventors: Patrick R. Guido, Robert C. Leah, Paul F. McMahan, Wayne B. Riley
  • Publication number: 20110004865
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to software testing and provide a method, system and computer program product for serializing a templated markup language representation of test artifacts. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for configuring a test plan for serialization can be provided. The method can include selecting a template of a test plan through a graphical user interface of a test plan markup generation module executing in memory by a processor of a host computer. The method also can include extracting a table of contents from the selected template such that the table of contents includes at least one reference to at least one test case. Finally, the method can include transforming at least one portion of the table of contents including a test case into a markup language representation of the template of the test plan, for instance an XML representation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2009
    Publication date: January 6, 2011
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael S. Brown, Paul F. McMahan, Sachin P. Patel
  • Publication number: 20100318933
    Abstract: Described is a method for managing test artifacts. According to an embodiment of the method, a test plan for a product is selected by a user. The test plan has multiple test artifacts that include the test plan and at least one of a test case, an execution record defining a configuration of the product, and a product requirement. One of the test artifacts is selected for a snapshot and the snapshot is acquired. The snapshot acquisition includes storing a current state of the selected test artifact, storing a current state of relationships of the selected test artifact to the other test artifacts, and storing a current state of the other test artifacts that have a relationship with the selected test artifact.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2009
    Publication date: December 16, 2010
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Paul F. McMahan, Sachin P. Patel, John P. Whitfield, David Colasurdo
  • Patent number: 7853883
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for controlling where dynamically-added content will be positioned within the layout of a content aggregation view (e.g., for controlling where content that is created by a portlet will be rendered within a portal page). In preferred embodiments, weighting values are assigned to the portlet, and these values are used to determine the portlet's relative placement. The values may be assigned at development time, at deployment time, and/or at run time. Using disclosed techniques, content placement is more predictable and consistent, and related content can be grouped together when rendered even though that content is not simultaneously rendered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Patrick R. Guido, Steven P. Kim, Robert C. Leah, Paul F. McMahan
  • Patent number: 7849403
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for efficiently updating rendered content (such as content of a Web page) using a “slow-loading” content element, such as a slow-loading image. A reference is embedded within the markup language notation for the content to be rendered, where this reference identifies the source of the slow-loading content element. Delivery of the slow-loading content therefore begins automatically, when the content is rendered. Event handling attributes are specified with the reference, where values of these attributes identify client-side logic to be invoked when the associated event occurs. If the server determines that the rendered content, or some portion thereof, should be asynchronously updated, it abruptly terminates delivery of the slow-loading content. This termination triggers an event handler, which operates to automatically request reloading of the content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Niraj P. Joshi, Robert C. Leah, Paul F. McMahan
  • Patent number: 7809825
    Abstract: A network monitoring application deploys conventional monitor applications to network nodes and receives diagnostic events from the monitors. In response to a monitor reporting a high severity event or condition, the monitor application automatically deploys a dissolving monitor to the network node that automatically ceases operation at the conclusion of a predetermined lifespan. The dissolving monitor automatically reports verbose diagnostic events to the monitoring application, including diagnostic events not reported by the conventional monitor. The dissolving monitor removes itself from the node at the end of its lifespan by freeing all resources of said node that it consumed. In some embodiments, the dissolving monitor reports diagnostic events with decreasing frequency prior to its dissolution. The dissolution of the dissolving monitor may be triggered by time since its deployment, performance and status of the monitored node, error or anomaly counts, or combinations thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Paul F. McMahan, Patrick R. Guido, Robert C. Leah, Kent F. Hayes, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7742432
    Abstract: A solution for comparing topologies is provided. In an embodiment of the invention, a set of differences between the nodes and/or connectors of two or more topologies is obtained. Each difference can comprise a missing node/connector and/or a difference in an item/relationship attribute. A user interface is generated that displays one or more of the differences by displaying a subset of each topology that corresponds to the difference. In an embodiment of the invention, a user interface for comparing topologies is provided that displays each subset in a unique display area and enables a user to select the difference(s) and/or limit the difference(s) that can be selected based on the type of difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2010
    Assignee: International Busniness Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Scott M. Dominick, Paul F. McMahan
  • Publication number: 20100017485
    Abstract: In an email message method and system, an email server receives at least one user-defined constraint for a first email message, where the user-defined constraint comprises at least one of an expected format and expected content of a reply email message. The email server associates the at least one user-defined constraint with the first email message and sends the first email message to a recipient. In response to receiving the reply email message, the email server validates the reply email message against the at least one user-defined constraint.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2008
    Publication date: January 21, 2010
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jaroslaw Gawor, Richard K. McGuire, Paul F. McMahan, Lin Sun
  • Publication number: 20090319995
    Abstract: The present invention provides the ability to enable a special view of source code in which the textual name of classes, variables, methods and object instances can be replaced with graphical symbols. A method of displaying computer source code according to the present invention comprises assigning unique graphical symbols to a plurality of corresponding textual names of source code classes, methods, and variables, replacing the plurality of textual names of the classes, methods, and variables with the corresponding assigned unique graphical symbols, and displaying the source code with the unique graphical symbols in place of the corresponding textual names of the classes, methods, and variables.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2008
    Publication date: December 24, 2009
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jaroslaw Gawor, Paul F. McMahan, Lin Sun
  • Publication number: 20090282388
    Abstract: The present invention can include a solution for optimizing the handling of source code requests by a software configuration management (SCM) system by using projected ancillary data. When a SCM system receives a request for a source code file from a software integrated development environment (IDE), ancillary data can be projected for the requested source code file. Ancillary data can represent supplementary source code files and/or a revision update for an existing source code file. The projected ancillary data can be appended to a response message that already contains the requested source code file. The response message can then be sent to the software IDE.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2008
    Publication date: November 12, 2009
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: JAROSLAW M. GAWOR, PAUL F. MCMAHAN, LIN SUN
  • Patent number: 7617233
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method, system, and computer program product for automatically sharing information between HTML forms using a cookie. A method in accordance with the present invention comprises: providing a cookie containing at least one name-value pair; determining if an input element of a form contains a variable indicating that the input element is enabled for automatic populating, wherein the variable includes a name attribute; and automatically populating the input element of the form using the value in the corresponding name-value pair if the name attribute of the variable corresponds to a name-value pair in the cookie.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Patrick R. Guido, Robert C. Leah, Paul F. McMahan, Wayne B. Riley