Patents Represented by Attorney David A. Mims, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6836889
    Abstract: An improved method to access software components on a server network, such as enterprise beans according to the Enterprise JavaBeans architecture, by using a wrapper called an Access Bean. Access Beans hide the home and remote interface methods of an Enterprise JavaBeans server from a client program so that the task of consuming an enterprise bean is one of consuming a standard Java bean. The home interface method of the enterprise bean is mapped to appropriate constructors in the Access Bean; and the remote interface method of the enterprise bean is mapped to Java Beans methods which in turn call the corresponding business methods on the enterprise bean. More than one type of Access Bean permits caching of attributes of the enterprise bean and indexing the cache so that a plurality of instances of an enterprise bean can be efficiently supported.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2004
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Victor S. Chan, Leonard W. Theivendra
  • Patent number: 6832518
    Abstract: A mass is levitated with respect to a base, at least one of which is comprised of a diamagnetic material, with the levitated mass also having a permanent magnetic property. A second permanent magnet is optionally configured such that it attracts the levitation mass away from the base to overcome gravitational force on the mass, thereby suspending the mass over the surface of the base. The mass is contained in a nonmagnetic, non-shielding and optionally optically-transparent housing so as to limit its excursion within a range of levitation positions. A position measurement means such as a laser interferometer, capacitance detector, or pickup coil is configured to measure positional deviations of the mass in response to incident pressure wave, the output of which being an electronic signal representing the pressure wave.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2004
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Viktors Berstis
  • Patent number: 6834299
    Abstract: A method and system are provided for the development and maintenance of a single configuration file for a storage area network combined with an “intelligent” script which places server configuration files into the appropriate directories for servers which are part of the storage area network. On a server by server basis, each server is configured in accordance with the particular operating system the server itself is using. Once this is accomplished, each server added or removed from the storage area network will be processed in a similar way without the need for reconfiguration of the storage area network as a whole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2004
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Rick Allen Hamilton, II, Steven Jay Lipton
  • Patent number: 6834284
    Abstract: A process and system for providing name service scoping behavior is implemented. In an object-oriented data processing system, a request is received for an initial context for a namespace from a requesting object. A scoped initial context factory object is constructed, and an initial context is requested from the scoped initial context factory object. A class for the scoped initial context factory object may be determined from a variable in a hash table object passed as an argument. In response to the request for an initial context from the scoped initial context factory object, an initial context is requested from a non-scoped initial context factory object. The scoped initial context factory object may be a subclass of the non-scoped initial context factory object. The initial context returned by the non-scoped initial context factory object is scoped to a partition of the namespace, and the scoped initial context is returned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2004
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Liane Elizabeth Haynes Acker, James Irwin Knutson, Karalee Brown LeBlanc
  • Patent number: 6832236
    Abstract: A script is created which accurately monitors filesystem usage. Initially, a filesystem is identified to be monitored. Growth parameters for the particular filesystem are stipulated which, if exceeded, will result in notification to an administrator of the system. Thresholds are set for the selected growth parameters. Script execution timing is set, and the script is automatically executed at the preset time intervals. Each time the script executes, a comparison is made between the system specifics and preset growth thresholds. If a filesystem exceeds a threshold, then notification is provided to the system administrator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2004
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Rick A. Hamilton, II, John Steven Langford
  • Patent number: 6832341
    Abstract: A method for monitoring faults within a computer network. In a preferred embodiment, an event, a host, and a fault monitoring point triplet are received from a monitored network device. A database of valid fault monitoring points is consulted to determine the validity of the event, host, and fault monitoring point triplet received. Responsive to a determination that the event, host, and fault monitoring point triplet received are valid, the appropriate party to notify and the appropriate message to send are determined. The appropriate party is then sent a message alerting them to the network problem. Different parties may be notified depending on the nature of the event or on the location of the event. Furthermore, a new network device may be added without taking down the fault monitoring system by merely adding to the database of valid fault monitoring points a new fault monitoring point corresponding to the added network device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2004
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Geetha Vijayan
  • Patent number: 6831667
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus is provided for managing a set of expansion icons and associated information so that the user can selectively open and close expansion icons with a minimum of network bandwidth. In a preferred embodiment, an expansion flag and the information location is maintained for each expansion icon and information is downloaded on an “on demand” basis. Once an item has been opened and the information downloaded, the information location is changed to a local memory address. The associated information may be in a variety of multimedia formats, including text, URLs, audio, video, or picture information. It is possible to open several expansion icons at the same time while keeping other icons closed. When an expansion icon is closed, the expansion flag is set to false and information location is reset to a server location. In an alternative embodiment, all of the information associated with the expansion icons is downloaded at the time the web page is accessed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2004
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Robert Michael Russin, Cristi Nesbitt Ullmann, Allen Chester Wynn
  • Patent number: 6829771
    Abstract: A method and apparatus in a data processing system for dispatching events. An event from a first object is received. A type for the event is identified. A dispatching strategy is selected for the event based on parameter settings, a source of the event, and default settings to form a selected dispatching strategy. The event is dispatched using the selected dispatching strategy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2004
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Peter C. Bahrs, Raphael Poole Chancey, Barry Alan Feigenbaum, Manish Mahesh Modh
  • Patent number: 6829636
    Abstract: A dead e-mail identification locator discovers dead e-mail addresses without forwarding messages to valid recipients. Existing headers in the mail protocol are extended to include a test header. A mail server that supports the protocol extension of the present invention may send a reply if the address does not exist and may discard the message if the address does exist. The test header allows a sender to test an e-mail address for validity without the message being forwarded to the user, as will be described below. The sender may be a dead e-mail locator program, which tests one or a plurality of e-mail addresses and compiles metrics regarding the quality of service. The metrics may be displayed to an administrator through a graphical user interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2004
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Joseph Kubik, Lorin Evan Ullmann
  • Patent number: 6826716
    Abstract: Testing J2EE applications, wherein J2EE applications comprise modules, the testing including identifying (204), from an application deployment descriptor, modules comprised within the J2EE application; identifying, from an identified module, at least one QOS element; and identifying, from the identified QOS element, a software resource to be tested. Typical embodiments further including generating Java test code; identifying, for the software resource to be tested, a user identification and a user password for a user that is a member of a role intended to protect the software resource; and testing the software resource to be tested by use of the Java test code, including passing as parameters to the Java test code at run time the user identification and user password.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2004
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Carlton Keith Mason
  • Patent number: 6826746
    Abstract: An improved source-level debugger for object-oriented application programs which may include linked native language dynamic load libraries. The debugger is compatible with the Java Platform Debugger Architecture (“JPDA”), and provides new capabilities such as patching of Java variables and reading and writing strings from and to the application under test and being run by a local or remote Java Virtual Machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2004
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: David H. Evans, Christopher James Gay, Anthony Paul Scherk
  • Patent number: 6823368
    Abstract: An enhanced e-mail reader and composer having automatic addressing functions to extract addresses and information regarding previous recipients of chain-forwarded electronic messages and e-mail, and having automatic addressing of new electronic messages in reply to all or some of those previous recipients. The enhanced e-mail reader is also capable of automatically adding these previous recipients to an electronic address book. An enhanced e-mail composer provides an enhanced electronic message header which indicates a chain of addresses for previous recipients of a chain-forwarded message, and interoperates with the enhanced e-mail reader.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2004
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Lorin Evan Ullmann, Joseph Kubik
  • Patent number: 6813634
    Abstract: An enhancement to computer network maintenance technology which reduces redundant and inaccurate fault reporting and alerting based upon implementation of logic which determines the most likely single point of failure. In modern computer and telephone networks, certain single points of failure result in the false appearance of multiple failures. However, by analyzing the pattern of apparent failures in view of the known network topology, a single point of failure can be determined as the root cause of the multiple failure indications. An enhancement to the currently-available network maintenance technology, including software applications executing on network server platforms, provides this fault determination logic, filters spurious and incorrect failure reports, and posts failure reports only for the single point failure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2004
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Mohammad Ahmed
  • Patent number: 6807630
    Abstract: The invention relates to a computer in which an image of the operating system is maintained in a secondary memory. This memory is either powered from a source independent of the main memory, or is non-volatile in nature. When the computer is reinitialized, the loader software that normally builds the operating system from components instead checks the secondary memory for the presence of an operating system image. If such an image is detected, the loader transfers the image from the secondary memory to the primary memory and transfers control of the computing system to the image of the operating system now in the primary memory. If no image is detected, the loader operates in a standard fashion. Additionally, a complete system image may be stored in the secondary memory. This would include the contents of the primary memory, the contents of the virtual memory, and the system state. As such, a preexisting version of an operational computing system may be directly loaded at boot time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2004
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Tatchi Placido Lay, Brien Henry Muschett, Allen Justin Ramlow, Cuong Huu Tran, Dung Huu Tran
  • Patent number: 6801965
    Abstract: A method and system are provided in which broadcast signals are received and converted into data streams for processing. A user is enabled to select preferred broadcast stations for monitoring and signals from the selected stations are converted into digital data streams which are input to first-in first-out (FIFO) memory units to enable a local storage of a segment of predetermined duration of broadcast signals on different FIFO tracks in a user receiving device. The FIFO is dynamically allocated for the selected stations and as each FIFO memory for each selected station becomes full, old information or content is moved out of memory as new information or content is applied to the FIFO. The receiving device includes means for enabling a user to move forward or backward within the stored segment. Partitions or markers are provided to separate broadcast content items, such as sequentially played songs within the stored segment, to enable incremental movement to selected positions within the stored segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2004
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Craig Fellenstein, Carl Phillip Gusler, Rick Allen Hamilton, II, Timothy Moffett Waters
  • Patent number: 6799462
    Abstract: A mass is levitated with respect to a base at least one of which is comprised of a diamagnetic material, and the levitation mass also having a permanent magnetic property. A second permanent magnet is configured such that it attracts the levitation mass away from said base surface with sufficient magnetic force to overcome gravitational force on the mass, thereby suspending the mass over the surface of the base. The mass is levitated at room temperature, eliminating need for cryogenic mechanisms and materials, and is contained in a nonmagnetic, non-shielding optically-transparent housing so as to limit its excursion within a range of levitation positions. A non-intrusive position or distance measurement means may be optionally configured with the system, such as a laser interferometer, thereby allowing the levitated mass to act as a gravimetric device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2004
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Viktors Berstis
  • Patent number: 6799186
    Abstract: The invention provides a method for increasing the efficiency of accessing interdependent data by caching the relevant data in multiple cache buffers. A user may input a preference for an amount of a first level of information and a refresh time period for the first level of information. A user may also input a preference for an amount of a second level of information and a refresh time period for the second level of information. The first level of information and at least one reference to the second level of information may be cached in a first buffer. The second level of information may be cached in a second buffer. The first level of information, along with a reference to the second level of information, and the second level of information may be refreshed based upon user preferences. Upon request for the interdependent data, the first level of data may be retrieved. The reference to the second level of data may be determined and then the second level of data may be retrieved based on the given reference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2004
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Brent R. Phillips
  • Patent number: 6792437
    Abstract: A database is employed for the recording of assigned computer disk drive letters, but database is distribute across multiple drives and media, rather than centralizing the database as prior art systems have done. Fragments of the database are stored within the unused portion of disk space located after partition tables but before the beginning of a partition, thereby forming one or more Shadow Partition Tables. In these Shadow Partition Tables, the drive letter assignments or logical volume assignments for the particular piece of media and partition are stored. A method for automatically determining relationship between entries in the normal partition tables and the Shadow Partition Tables is employed which is compatible with industry standard disk format definitions, while allowing enhanced drive letter assignment management especially useful for removable disk media.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corp.
    Inventor: Benedict Michael Rafanello
  • Patent number: 6791587
    Abstract: A navigation manager component cooperable with a user interface renderer is described. The navigation manager manages one or more navigation units and maintains a navigation unit cursor. Each navigation unit is associated with another navigation unit managed by the same navigation manager. The navigation manager provides a range of navigation services, which operate upon the navigation unit cursor. These services include a service to navigate forwards and a service to navigate backwards. These services take into account the associations between navigation units in order to determine the correct sequence of navigation units for forwards and backwards navigation. The services also determine whether the items represented by each navigation unit include eligible items or items for which data entry is incomplete. In this way, navigation units for which all the items represented by the navigation unit are ineligible can be passed over by the navigation services, to that they never become current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Joseph William Bamford, David John Clark, Andrew John Smith
  • Patent number: 6792595
    Abstract: This invention relates to a method for viewing, writing, and modifying source code in an integrated development environment (IDE). When source code is being edited in a graphical environment, windows in the development environment display the code structure of a project allowing for the visualization of the relationships between components of the project. This invention discloses a system and method that permits editing to be performed directly in the graphical environment where the code structure is being displayed. In the preferred embodiment, editing of the source is performed directly within the graphical environment where a hierarchical model of the code structure of a project at various levels (module, class, function, etc.) is displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Adrian Storistenau, Robert Weisz