Patents by Inventor Ronald L. Billau

Ronald L. Billau 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: 8559941
    Abstract: A mobile data network includes a radio access network and a core network. A first service mechanism in the radio access network breaks out data coming from a basestation. When data is broken out by the first service mechanism, the data is delivered at the edge, which means the true activity of the channel is not visible to the core network. In order to maintain the high-speed channel, channel maintenance data packets are sent to and from the radio network controller on the network tunnel. The maintenance channel is also used to send cache miss data to a subscriber when a cache miss occurs at the edge of the mobile data network, without regard to a need for channel maintenance data packets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ronald L. Billau, Canio Cillis, Vincenzo V. Di Luoffo, Ekkart Leschke
  • Patent number: 8521153
    Abstract: A mobile data network includes a radio access network and a core network. A first service mechanism in the radio access network breaks out data coming from a basestation. When data is broken out by the first service mechanism, the data is delivered at the edge, which means the true activity of the channel is not visible to the core network. In order to maintain the high-speed channel, channel maintenance data packets are sent to and from the radio network controller on the network tunnel. The maintenance channel is also used to send cache miss data to a subscriber when a cache miss occurs at the edge of the mobile data network, without regard to a need for channel maintenance data packets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ronald L. Billau, Canio Cillis, Vincenzo V. Di Luoffo, Ekkart Leschke
  • Publication number: 20130218915
    Abstract: Software validation is provided for a breakout system having multiple subsystems at the edge of a mobile data network. The software validation utilizes one or more trusted platform modules (TPM) to secure multiple subsystems including virtual machines in the breakout system. Hash values for the software in the various subsystems are placed in Platform Configuration Registers (PCRs) of the TPM. The TPM cryptographically signs quotes, which are a collection of hash values from the PCRs. The breakout system produces an extensible markup language (XML) file with the signed quotes related to the subsystems and sends them to a network management system for verification. The network management system validates the software configured on the breakout system using a public key to access the quotes and compares the values to known good values stored in an inventory record associated with the specific breakout system being validated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2012
    Publication date: August 22, 2013
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ronald L. Billau, Vincenzo V. Di Luoffo, Terence K. Hennessy
  • Patent number: 8493898
    Abstract: Macro diversity is managed at the edge in a mobile data network with edge data Macro diversity is managed at the edge in a mobile data network with edge data breakout with a component in a Mobile Internet Optimization Platform (MIOP) referred to as MIOP@NodeB. A set of NodeBs that are in simultaneous communication with user equipment are defined as an active set. One of the MIOP@NodeBs of the active set is selected as a master, with the remaining MIOP@NodeBs in the active set being designated slaves. During uplink of signaling data, the signaling data is sent from the UE to all the NodeBs in the active set, which send the signaling data to each of their corresponding MIOP@NodeBs. Each slave MIOP@NodeB sends its data to the master MIOP@NodeB, which combines the data from all into a best packet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ronald L. Billau, Canio Cillis
  • Publication number: 20130173898
    Abstract: A secure boot is provided for a breakout system having multiple subsystems at the edge of a mobile data network. The secure boot utilizes two trusted platform modules (TPM) to secure multiple subsystems. Further described is utilizing a first TPM to boot a service processor and then utilizing a second TPM to secure boot two additional subsystems. Booting of the final subsystem is accomplished in a two step process which first loads a boot loader and verifies the boot loader, and then second loads an operating system load image and verifies the operating system code.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2011
    Publication date: July 4, 2013
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: William F. Berg, Ronald L. Billau, Jeremiah D. Carlin, Vincenzo V. Di Luoffo
  • Publication number: 20130156020
    Abstract: Mobile network services are performed in a mobile data network in a way that is transparent to most of the existing equipment in the mobile data network. The mobile data network includes a radio access network and a core network. A breakout component in the radio access network breaks out data coming from a basestation, and performs one or more mobile network services at the edge of the mobile data network based on the broken out data. These services may require the use of keys. Keys are stored and retrieved from a non-volatile key storage in a way that assures subsystems that need the keys have access to the keys. The keys retrieved from the non-volatile key storage are stored in a shared memory in the requesting subsystem, which allows any applications that requires access to the keys to directly access the keys in the shared memory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2011
    Publication date: June 20, 2013
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ronald L. Billau, Vincenzo V. Di Luoffo, Philip E. Grady, George W. Van Leeuwen
  • Publication number: 20130121139
    Abstract: A fail-to-wire (FTW) module that preserves a primary data path connection from an upstream computer to a downstream computer if there is any kind of failure in a breakout data path to a breakout system. The FTW module provides switches between the incoming data network data and the breakout system such that when the breakout system encounters a failure, the switches are de-activated to bypass the breakout system. The switches in the FTW module are activated by a system health signal from the breakout system. The breakout system can be serviced without interrupting the data network connections since the FTW module can be extracted from the failed breakout system with data network connections intact. The FTW module is preferably a compact modular element that fits within the breakout chassis and is easily inserted and removed from the breakout system during servicing operations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2011
    Publication date: May 16, 2013
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Raymond F. Babcock, Ronald L. Billau, Matthew A. Butterbaugh, Philip E. Grady, George W. Van Leeuwen
  • Publication number: 20130121159
    Abstract: Mobile network services are performed in a mobile data network in a way that is transparent to most of the existing equipment in the mobile data network. The mobile data network includes a radio access network and a core network. A first service mechanism in the radio access network breaks out data coming from a basestation, and performs one or more mobile network services at the edge of the mobile data network based on the broken out data. These services may include caching of data, data or video compression techniques, push-based services, charging, application serving, analytics, security, data filtering, and new revenue-producing services, as well as others. This architecture allows performing new mobile network services at the edge of a mobile data network within the infrastructure of an existing mobile data network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2011
    Publication date: May 16, 2013
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Bruce O. Anthony, JR., Ronald L. Billau, Canio Cillis, Vincenzo V. Di Luoffo, Philip E. Grady, Ravinder K. Sabhikhi, Raj K. Singh, George W. Van Leeuwen
  • Publication number: 20130070687
    Abstract: Macro diversity is managed at the edge in a mobile data network with edge data Macro diversity is managed at the edge in a mobile data network with edge data breakout with a component in a Mobile Internet Optimization Platform (MIOP) referred to as MIOP@NodeB. A set of NodeBs that are in simultaneous communication with user equipment are defined as an active set. One of the MIOP@NodeBs of the active set is selected as a master, with the remaining MIOP@NodeBs in the active set being designated slaves. During uplink of signaling data, the signaling data is sent from the UE to all the NodeBs in the active set, which send the signaling data to each of their corresponding MIOP@NodeBs. Each slave MIOP@NodeB sends its data to the master MIOP@NodeB, which combines the data from all into a best packet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2011
    Publication date: March 21, 2013
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ronald L. Billau, Canio Cillis
  • Publication number: 20130070618
    Abstract: Mobile network services are performed in a mobile data network in a way that is transparent to most of the existing equipment in the mobile data network. The mobile data network includes a radio access network and a core network. A first service mechanism in the radio access network breaks out data coming from a basestation, and performs one or more mobile network services based on the broken out data. A second service mechanism in the core network performs one or more mobile network services based on the network traffic remaining after the first service mechanism performs its breakout. An optional third service mechanism coupled to the core network provides one or more mobile network services in the mobile data network. An overlay network allows the first, second and third service mechanisms to communicate with each other. The overlay network is preferably a private virtual network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2011
    Publication date: March 21, 2013
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Bruce O. Anthony, JR., Ronald L. Billau, Canio Cillis, Robert B. Nicholson
  • Publication number: 20130070619
    Abstract: A mobile data network includes a radio access network and a core network. A first service mechanism in the radio access network breaks out data coming from a basestation. When data is broken out by the first service mechanism, the data is delivered at the edge, which means the true activity of the channel is not visible to the core network. The reduction of data in the core network due to serving data at the edge risks causing a switch from a high-speed channel to a low-speed channel by the mechanism in the core network that monitors and assigns channel speeds. In order to maintain the high-speed channel, the on-going data rate for a subscriber session is monitored and channel maintenance traffic is injected towards and from the radio network controller (in both directions). The amount of channel maintenance traffic depends on thresholds that determine a desired data rate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2011
    Publication date: March 21, 2013
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Bruce O. Anthony, JR., Ronald L. Billau, Canio Cillis, Robert B. Nicholson
  • Patent number: 7793298
    Abstract: At least one input/output (I/O) firmware partition is provided in a partitioned environment to facilitate access to I/O resources owned by the at least one I/O firmware partition. The I/O resources of an I/O firmware partition are shared by one or more other partitions of the environment, referred to as consumer partitions. The consumer partitions use the I/O firmware partition to access the I/O resources. Since the I/O firmware partitions are responsible for providing access to the I/O resources owned by those partitions, the consumer partitions are relieved of this task, reducing complexity and costs in the consumer partitions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ronald L. Billau, Charles S. Graham, Harvey G. Kiel, Chetan Mehta, Jaya Srikrishnan
  • Patent number: 7530071
    Abstract: At least one input/output (I/O) firmware partition is provided in a partitioned environment to facilitate access to I/O resources owned by the at least one I/O firmware partition. The I/O resources of an I/O firmware partition are shared by one or more other partitions of the environment, referred to as consumer partitions. The consumer partitions use the I/O firmware partition to access the I/O resources. Since the I/O firmware partitions are responsible for providing access to the I/O resources owned by those partitions, the consumer partitions are relieved of this task, reducing complexity and costs in the consumer partitions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ronald L. Billau, Charles S. Graham, Harvey G. Kiel, Chetan Mehta, Jaya Srikrishnan
  • Publication number: 20090063894
    Abstract: A system with an autonomic PCI Express hardware detection and failover mechanism includes a plurality of combination root complex capable and endpoint capable devices. A combination root complex capable and endpoint capable device may be selectively configured to operate in either a root complex mode or an endpoint mode. One of the devices assumes the root complex mode and the remaining devices each assume the endpoint mode. Each of the endpoint mode devices is adapted to detect a failure of the root complex mode device. In response to detection of the failure of the root complex mode device, one of the endpoint mode devices assumes root complex mode. An endpoint device may include a timer with a timeout value. Whenever, an endpoint device receives a communication from the root complex device, the endpoint device restarts its timer. If the timer times out with the endpoint device receiving a communication from the root complex device, the endpoint device issues a read request to the root complex device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2007
    Publication date: March 5, 2009
    Inventors: Ronald L. Billau, John D. Folkerts, Ross L. Franke, James S. Harveland, Brian G. Holthaus
  • Publication number: 20080301692
    Abstract: At least one input/output (I/O) firmware partition is provided in a partitioned environment to facilitate access to I/O resources owned by the at least one I/O firmware partition. The I/O resources of an I/O firmware partition are shared by one or more other partitions of the environment, referred to as consumer partitions. The consumer partitions use the I/O firmware partition to access the I/O resources. Since the I/O firmware partitions are responsible for providing access to the I/O resources owned by those partitions, the consumer partitions are relieved of this task, reducing complexity and costs in the consumer partitions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2008
    Publication date: December 4, 2008
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ronald L. Billau, Charles S. Graham, Harvey G. Kiel, Chetan Mehta, Jaya Srikrishnan
  • Patent number: 7330417
    Abstract: A storage device comprising a storage medium having a plurality of sectors and a superset format. Each sector includes a header, a data section and a trailer, the data section sized to contain a number of bytes per sector equal to or greater than a maximum of subset formats to be supported. Meta data in a non-user portion of the storage medium includes a flag for indicating a subset format such that each sector is formatted to store less than the number of bytes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2008
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ronald L. Billau, Lee D. Cleveland, James R. Gathman, James A. O'Connor
  • Patent number: 6438639
    Abstract: A method and apparatus that prevents data corruption and power supply failure caused by device connection transition on an active SCSI bus is provided. A bus initiator pauses communication on the SCSI bus such that only communication by the bus initiator is allowed over the data communication bus. All other communication between peripheral devices attached to the data communication bus is paused. A shutdown signal from the bus initiator is transmitted over the data communication bus to a power controller, which eliminates power to a device slot corresponding to the received shutdown signal. After a connection transition of an electrical device in the device slot, a power reset signal is transmitted from the bus initiator over the data communication bus to the power controller, which then restores power to the device slot upon receiving the reset power signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2002
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Brian E. Bakke, Ronald L. Billau, Lee D. Cleveland, William S. Gartmann