Patents by Inventor Reed Hastings

Reed Hastings 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: 6618824
    Abstract: An object code expansion program inserts new instructions and data between preexisting instructions and date of an object code file; offsets are modified to reflect new positions of the preexisting instructions and data. For each item of preexisting object code (instructions or data), the following steps are performed: making a new code block comprising any desired new instructions and the item, and storing it as new object code; tracking the location of the item and the new code block within the new object code; and tracking items that contain inter-item offsets. Then, each inter-item offset is updated using the new location of the item or new code block, as required. Finally, offsets in symbol tables and relocation structures are updated with the new location of the item.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2003
    Assignee: Rational Software Corporation
    Inventor: Reed Hastings
  • Patent number: 6584450
    Abstract: According to a computer-implemented approach for renting items to customers, customers specify what items to rent using item selection criteria separate from deciding when to receive the specified items. According to the approach, customers provide item selection criteria to a provider provides the items indicated by the item selection criteria to customer over a delivery channel. The provider may be either centralized or distributed depending upon the requirements of a particular application. A “Max Out” approach allows up to a specified number of items to be rented simultaneously to customers. A “Max Turns” approach allows up to a specified number of item exchanges to occur during a specified period of time. The “Max Out” and “Max Turns” approaches may be used together or separately with a variety of subscription methodologies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2003
    Assignee: Netflix.com, Inc.
    Inventors: W. Reed Hastings, Marc B. Randolph, Neil Duncan Hunt
  • Publication number: 20020049934
    Abstract: Systems and methods for remotely monitoring the execution of computer programs are provided. Monitoring instructions are added the computer program so that during execution of the program, data may be collected regarding the program execution. The collected data may be automatically sent to a remote system or site for analysis. The monitoring instructions create little or no performance impact on the client yet provide valuable information to the developer of the program. Additionally, the monitoring instructions may be changes during computer program development.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2001
    Publication date: April 25, 2002
    Inventors: Mark D. Anderson, Evan J. Bigall, Christine Clifford, Reed Hastings, Jon Sorensen, Douglas Pan
  • Patent number: 6263457
    Abstract: Systems and methods for remotely monitoring the execution of computer programs are provided. Monitoring instructions are added the computer program so that during execution of the program, data may be collected regarding the program execution. The collected data may be automatically sent to a remote system or site for analysis. The monitoring instructions create little or no performance impact on the client yet provide valuable information to the developer of the program. Additionally, the monitoring instructions may be changes during computer program development.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2001
    Assignee: Rational Software Corporation
    Inventors: Mark D. Anderson, Evan J. Bigall, Christine Clifford, Reed Hastings, Jon Sorensen, Douglas Pan
  • Patent number: 6206584
    Abstract: An object code expansion program inserts new instructions and data between preexisting instructions and data of an object code file; offsets are modified to reflect new positions of the preexisting instructions and data. For each item of preexisting object code (instructions or data), the following steps are performed: making a new code block comprising any desired new instructions and the item, and storing it as new object code; tracking the location of the item and the new code block within the new object code; and tracking items that contain inter-item offsets. Then, each inter-item offset is updated using the new location of the item or new code block, as required. Finally, offsets in symbol tables and relocation structures are updated with the new location of the item. This expansion program is used to add instructions to object code files of a second program, to monitor substantially all of the memory accesses of the second program.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2001
    Assignee: Rational Software Corporation
    Inventor: Reed Hastings
  • Patent number: 6126329
    Abstract: An object code expansion profiler equips a program for execution profiling by preprocessing the object code files of the program so as to add profiling monitoring code to the beginning of all or substantially all functions. The preprocessing includes, for each function, the steps of grouping the function's instructions into basic blocks, counting the number of cycles required to execute the instructions of the basic block, and inserting special monitoring code with the basic block. The special monitoring code is executed each time the basic block is executed, and updates the profiling information to reflect the number of cycles required to execute the basic block. Special handling is provided for profiling calls to the Operating System (OS). The resultant profiling information is converted into a call graph image most useful for human users.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2000
    Assignee: Rational Software Coporation
    Inventors: James Bennett, Mark Anderson, Choon Piaw Na, Reed Hastings
  • Patent number: 6049666
    Abstract: An object code expansion profiler equips a program for execution profiling by preprocessing the object code files of the program so as to add profiling monitoring code to the beginning of all or substantially all functions. The preprocessing includes, for each function, the steps of grouping the function's instructions into basic blocks, counting the number of cycles required to execute the instructions of the basic block, and inserting special monitoring code with the basic block. The special monitoring code is executed each time the basic block is executed, and updates the profiling information to reflect the number of cycles required to execute the basic block. Special handling is provided for profiling calls to the Operating System (OS). The resultant profiling information is converted into a call graph image most useful for human users.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2000
    Assignee: Rational Software Corp.
    Inventors: James Bennett, Mark Anderson, Choon Piaw Na, Reed Hastings
  • Patent number: 5918004
    Abstract: Systems and methods for remotely monitoring the execution of computer programs are provided. Monitoring instructions are added the computer program so that during execution of the program, data may be collected regarding the program execution. The collected data may be automatically sent to a remote system or site for analysis. The monitoring instructions create little or no performance impact on the client yet provide valuable information to the developer of the program. Additionally, the monitoring instructions may be changes during computer program development.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1999
    Assignee: Rational Software Corporation
    Inventors: Mark D. Anderson, Evan J. Bigall, Christine Clifford, Reed Hastings, Jon Sorensen, Douglas Pan
  • Patent number: 5835701
    Abstract: An object code expansion program inserts new instructions and data between preexisting instructions and data of an object code file; offsets are modified to reflect new positions of the preexisting instructions and data. For each item of preexisting object code (instructions or data), the following steps are performed: making a new code block comprising any desired new instructions and the item, and storing it as new object code; tracking the location of the item and the new code block within the new object code; and tracking items that contain inter-item offsets. Then, each inter-item offset is updated using the new location of the item or new code block, as required. Finally, offsets in symbol tables and relocation structures are updated with the new location of the item.This expansion program is used to add instructions to object code files of a second program, to monitor substantially all of the memory accesses of the second program.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 10, 1998
    Assignee: Rational Software Corporation
    Inventor: Reed Hastings
  • Patent number: 5535329
    Abstract: An object code expansion program inserts new instructions and data between preexisting instructions and data of an object code file; offsets are modified to reflect new positions of the preexisting instructions and data. For each item of preexisting object code (instructions or data), the following steps are performed: making a new code block comprising any desired new instructions and the item, and storing it as new object code; tracking the location of the item and the new code block within the new object code; and tracking items that contain inter-item offsets. Then, each inter-item offset is updated using the new location of the item or new code block, as required. Finally, offsets in symbol tables and relocation structures are updated with the new location of the item. This expansion program is used to add instructions to object code files of a second program, to monitor substantially all of the memory accesses of the second program.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 9, 1996
    Assignee: Pure Software, Inc.
    Inventor: Reed Hastings
  • Patent number: 5335344
    Abstract: An object code expansion program inserts new instructions and data between preexisting instructions and data of an object code file; offsets are modified to reflect new positions of the preexisting instructions and data. For each item of preexisting object code (instructions or data), the following steps are performed: making a new code block comprising any desired new instructions and the item, and storing it as new object code; tracking the location of the item and the new code block within the new object code; and tracking items that contain inter-item offsets. Then, each inter-item offset is updated using the new location of the item or new code block, as required. Finally, offsets in symbol tables and relocation structures are updated with the new location of the item.This expansion program is used to add instructions to object code files of a second program, to monitor substantially all of the memory accesses of the second program.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 2, 1994
    Assignee: Pure Software Inc.
    Inventor: Reed Hastings
  • Patent number: 5193180
    Abstract: An object code expansion program inserts new instructions and data between preexisting instructions and data of an object code file; offsets are modified to reflect new positions of the preexisting instructions and data. For each item of preexisting object code (instructions or data), the following steps are performed: making a new code block comprising any desired new instructions and the item, and storing it as new object code; tracking the location of the item and the new code block within the new object code; and tracking items that contain inter-item offsets. Then, each inter-item offset is updated using the new location of the item or new code block, as required. Finally, offsets in symbol tables and relocation structures are updated with the new location of the item.This expansion program is used to add instructions to object code files of a second program, to monitor substantially all of the memory accesses of the second program.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 9, 1993
    Assignee: Pure Software Inc.
    Inventor: Reed Hastings