Abstract: A merchandising system includes a display fixture placed on a floor in a retail environment. The display fixture includes a first end piece resting supported on the floor, a second end piece supported on the floor, a first member, and a second member, each of the first member and the second member being substantially horizontal with the second member extending substantially parallel to, and vertically offset from the first member. A display fixture accessory is releasably secured to the display fixture by receiving the first member in a first bracket of the display fixture accessory and receiving the second member in a second bracket of the display fixture accessory. A display piece is inserted into the display fixture accessory. Additionally, the display piece is maintained with the display fixture accessory in a substantially vertical position with the display fixture accessory extending above the display fixture.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
September 2, 2010
Date of Patent:
August 2, 2011
Assignee:
Target Brands, Inc.
Inventors:
Jeremy A. Clark, Michael A. Whittier, John Thomas
Abstract: A method for implementing a remote basic input/output system (BIOS) on a multi-blade server is provided. A remote BIOS partition is created on a management module of the multi-blade server for each blade of the multi-blade server residing on the management module. BIOS settings for operation on a first blade of the multi-blade server are defined.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
January 9, 2008
Date of Patent:
July 26, 2011
Assignee:
International Business Machines Corporation
Inventors:
Kevan D. Holdaway, Ivan Ronald Olguin, II
Abstract: A method for transferring corrected data to an external buffer within a tape drive is provided. After the receipt of data from a data recording medium, the data are stored in an external buffer. The data are then transferred from the external buffer to an error correction code (ECC) device. Any error in the data within the ECC device are corrected. The corrected data are subsequently divided into multiple sub-units, and a transfer flag is added to each of the sub-units having corrected data. Only the sub-units having corrected data are transferred from the ECC device back to the external buffer.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
December 21, 2005
Date of Patent:
July 26, 2011
Assignee:
International Business Machines Corporation
Abstract: A hanging display package includes a hanger and a box. The hanger defines a top segment and a bottom segment spaced from and coupled with the top segment and includes a hook extending upwardly from the top segment. The box includes front and rear panels, a top panel extending between and above the front and rear panels, and a side panel extending from the front panel to the rear panel. A cavity is defined between the panels. The top panel borders each of the front and rear panels along first and second fold lines, respectively, and is substantially planar. The side panel defines a topmost edge spaced below the top panel such that a side opening is defined between the topmost edge and the front panel. The bottom segment of the hanger extends through the side opening. Other products, assemblies, and methods are also disclosed.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
June 9, 2009
Date of Patent:
July 26, 2011
Assignee:
Target Brands, Inc.
Inventors:
Neal T. Anderson, Eric Bjerstedt, Brandon R. Ferraro, Timothy M. Magner, Jeffrey P. Pratsch, Jr., Jake Strassberger, Keith C. Cedro
Abstract: A bottle includes a container and a label. The container includes a front portion, a back portion, an opening and a spine portion. The back portion is spaced from the front portion and generally faces away and in an opposite direction from the front portion. The opening is positioned between the front portion and the back portion of the container to at least partially define a first end of the container. The spine portion extends between the front portion and the back portion of the container to define a second end of the container opposite the first end. The label extends over and is in contact with each of the front portion, the back portion and the spine portion of the container. Other bottle and container embodiments are also disclosed herein and provide additional advantages.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
February 15, 2010
Date of Patent:
July 19, 2011
Assignee:
Target Brands, Inc.
Inventors:
Deborah B. Adler, Klaus Rosberg, Patrick L. Douglas, Matthew S. Grisik
Abstract: A transaction product for use as a cake topper includes a body portion, an auxiliary portion and a machine readable account identifier. The body portion defines a support member and a flange extending from the support member. The flange is configured for placement into a frosting layer on a cake. The body portion defines a first part of a character. The auxiliary portion is formed separately from the body portion and defines a second part of the character. The auxiliary portion defines a lip configured for placement into the frosting layer on the cake. The account identifier is coupled to at least one of the body portion and the auxiliary portion and links the transaction product to an account or record for tracking a value associated with the transaction product. Other cards, products, assemblies and methods of encouraging use of such cards, products and assemblies are also disclosed.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
June 13, 2008
Date of Patent:
July 19, 2011
Assignee:
Target Brands, Inc.
Inventors:
Ted C. Halbur, Shawn P. Boyd, John Dudley, Kelly Ryan, Denise Wilson, Rosalin Siv, Raphael Lin, Timothy P. Clegg
Abstract: A method and system for creating, reading and writing compressed files for use with a file access storage. The compressed data of a raw file are packed into a plurality of compressed units and stored as compressed files. One or more corresponding compressed units may be read and/or updated with no need for restoring the entire file whilst maintaining de-fragmented structure of the compressed file.
Abstract: A method for data storage includes creating first and second copies of a logical volume, such that the first and second copies are represented by respective first and second sets of pointers to physical storage locations in which data used by the copies is stored. Responsively to a corruption of at least part of the data that is used by the first copy, the first copy is restored from the second copy by replacing the first set with the pointers in the second set.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
August 15, 2008
Date of Patent:
July 12, 2011
Assignee:
International Business Machines Corporation
Abstract: A method for operating a storage system, including storing data redundantly in the system and measuring respective queue lengths of input/output requests to operational elements of the system. The queue lengths are compared to an average queue length to determine respective performances of the operational elements of the storage system. In response to the average queue lengths and a permitted deviation from the average an under-performing operational element among the operational elements is identified. An indication of the under-performing operational element is provided to host interfaces in the storage system. One of the host interfaces receives requests for specified items of the data directed to the under-performing element, and in response to the indication, some of the requests are diverted from the under-performing operational element to one or more other operational elements of the storage system that are configured to provide the specified items of the data.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
July 30, 2008
Date of Patent:
July 12, 2011
Assignee:
International Business Machines Corporation
Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product for preserving data in a storage subsystem having dual cache and dual nonvolatile storage (NVS) through a failover from a failed cluster to a surviving cluster is provided. A memory preserved indicator is initiated to mark tracks on a cache of the surviving cluster to be preserved, the tracks having an image in an NVS of the failed cluster. A destage operation is performed to destage the marked tracks. Subsequent to a determination that each of the marked tracks have been destaged, the memory preserved indicator is disabled to remove the mark from the tracks. If the surviving cluster reboots previous to each of the marked tracks having been destaged, the cache is verified as a memory preserved cache, the marked tracks are retained for processing while all unmarked tracks are removed, and the marked tracks are processed.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
June 3, 2008
Date of Patent:
July 5, 2011
Assignee:
International Business Machines Corporation
Inventors:
Kevin John Ash, Michael Thomas Benhase, Lokesh Mohan Gupta, Alfred Emilio Sanchez, Kenneth Wayne Todd
Abstract: A method for optimized data record verification when processing data-chained channel control words that span a single count field is provided. The method includes reading a first portion of a count field into a sequence buffer memory buffer and a store count field buffer. The first portion of the count field is copied to a local memory location. A first starting offset based on a size of the first portion of the count field is determined. The first portion of the count field is read into a sequence buffer memory bit bucket. A second portion of the count field, beginning at the first starting offset, is read into the sequence buffer memory buffer and the store count field buffer. The second portion of the count field is copied from the store count field buffer into the local memory location.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
September 13, 2007
Date of Patent:
July 5, 2011
Assignee:
International Business Machines Corporation
Abstract: For use in a storage network comprising a plurality of network elements and operable with a block mode access storage protocol, a method of operating a compression system operatively coupled to at least one computer and to one or more storage devices configured as at least one storage logical unit accommodating data compressed by the compression system, the computer, the storage devices and the compression system are configured as separate network elements. According to the method, the compression system is configured to hold a virtual logical unit, the virtual logical unit is configured to virtually represent in non-compressed form the compressed data stored in the at least one storage logical unit. The size of the virtual logical unit corresponds to an estimated size of raw data which, being compressed, would substantially amount to a size of the storage logical unit.
Abstract: A method, apparatus and program storage device for providing a no context switch attribute that allows a user mode thread to become a near interrupt disabled priority is disclosed. A thread includes a no context switch attribute. Control of a thread based on the no context switch attribute is much more efficient than the real-time priority because the no context switch attribute bypasses the overhead of scheduling. Moreover, the no context switch attribute may be used to detect whether a thread performs any undesirable operations that can cause the thread to become suspended while in a critical section. The no context switch attribute is configurable to indicate whether execution of the thread can be suspended.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
December 1, 2005
Date of Patent:
June 28, 2011
Assignee:
International Business Machines Corporation
Inventors:
Daniel Heffley, Wenjeng Ko, Cheng-Chung Song
Abstract: A food package has a container and a lid. The lid includes a planar surface and a convex dome that is above the planar surface. A transparent window in the convex dome attracts the attention of consumers since it is raised relative to the remainder of the lid. The lid also includes a concave dome that frames a raised logo or raised text within the dome. By framing the logo, the concave dome helps to direct a consumer's attention to the logo or text and helps to protect the logo or text from wear.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
April 30, 2008
Date of Patent:
June 21, 2011
Assignee:
Target Brands, Inc.
Inventors:
Joshua Morenstein, Vivian Barad, Brian Cutter
Abstract: A method, system and program storage device for preventing a real-time application from running out of free threads when the real-time application receives a device interface request. A set of special data packets for the main user application is provided. Shared functions are provided as part of the device interface to indicate the error condition when there is no more free thread and for a utility program to recognize a retry is needed. Thus, the retry mechanism is embedded in the shared functions running on both the main user application and all utility programs.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
April 5, 2006
Date of Patent:
June 14, 2011
Assignee:
International Business Machines Corporation
Abstract: A transaction product includes a housing, a gelatinous substance and an account identifier. The housing defines a storage cavity and is configured to be selectively opened and closed to provide selective access to the storage cavity. The gelatinous substance is selectively enclosed within the storage cavity, and, upon removal of the gelatinous substance from the storage cavity, the gelatinous substance is configured to selectively flow in a plurality of different directions. The account identifier links the transaction product to at least one of an account and a record and is machine readable by a point-of-sale terminal such that value can be added to or deducted from the at least one of the account and the record using the account identifier. Other product, cards, assemblies and associated methods are also disclosed.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
August 23, 2007
Date of Patent:
June 14, 2011
Assignee:
Target Brands, Inc.
Inventors:
Ted C. Halbur, Adam W. Reynolds, Timothy P. Clegg, Primoz Samardzija
Abstract: A method of assembling shopping carts includes providing a basket defining including rear upright frame members. Each rear upright frame member defines includes a lower connecting portion. The method further includes providing a first base and providing a second base. The first base includes a pair of first base supports each configured to be removably secured to one of the lower connecting portions. The second base includes a pair of second base supports each configured to be removably secured to one of lower connecting portions, and the second base is shaped differently than the first base. The method includes selecting one of the first base and the second base having a desired base size and shape, and removably securing the basket to the selected one of the first base and the second base including coupling each lower connecting portion with one of the first base supports and second base supports.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
September 8, 2010
Date of Patent:
June 14, 2011
Assignee:
Target Brands, Inc.
Inventors:
William D. Splain, Robert D. Peota, Alexandre Hennen, Allan Cameron, Mark T. Ryan, David L. Pruitt, Jr.