Patents by Inventor Stephen Mark Igel

Stephen Mark Igel 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).

  • Method and apparatus for formatting vital component data in a field replaceable unit of a computer system
    Patent number: 7085967
    Abstract: A flexible format for heterogeneous data records includes a fixed-length header containing a header ECC, a table of contents descriptor, and a table of contents ECC descriptor; a variable-length table of contents containing multiple entries, each entry containing a record descriptor and a corresponding record ECC descriptor; multiple variable-length records corresponding to the multiple entries in the table of contents; and optional ECCs corresponding to the ECC descriptors. Preferably, the format is used for vital component data in non-volatile memory of a computer system field replaceable unit, and is read by the system to identify the unit and configure the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Herwig G. Elfering, Fritz Freier, Stephen Mark Igel, David Otto Lewis
  • Method to ensure a unique machine serial number
    Publication number: 20040215569
    Abstract: Method, apparatus and article of manufacture for ensuring the uniqueness and non-alterability of vital product data (VPD) of computerized apparatus. To protect the vital product data from undesired alterations, the data is stored in a secure, write-protected location. A copy (or copies) of the VPD may also be stored elsewhere to facilitate recovery in the event the primary copy is lost, corrupted or invalid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2003
    Publication date: October 28, 2004
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Salim Ahmed Agha, Daniel Charles Birkestrand, Stephen Mark Igel, David Otto Lewis
  • Method and apparatus for formatting vital component data in a field replaceable unit of a computer system
    Publication number: 20040163019
    Abstract: A flexible format for heterogeneous data records includes a fixed-length header containing a header ECC, a table of contents descriptor, and a table of contents ECC descriptor; a variable-length table of contents containing multiple entries, each entry containing a record descriptor and a corresponding record ECC descriptor; multiple variable-length records corresponding to the multiple entries in the table of contents; and optional ECCs corresponding to the ECC descriptors. Preferably, the format is used for vital component data in non-volatile memory of a computer system field replaceable unit, and is read by the system to identify the unit and configure the system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2003
    Publication date: August 19, 2004
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Herwig G. Elfering, Fritz Freier, Stephen Mark Igel, David Otto Lewis