Patents Represented by Attorney Kunzler Needham Massey & Thorpe
  • Patent number: 8120900
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, and system are disclosed for a planar adapter card retainer bracket that is removably attachable to a computer chassis and is formed with a plurality of plunger openings. Each plunger opening is configured to receive a respective adapter card retainer plunger. The adapter card retainer plunger is configured to extend from the bracket into the computer chassis to engage an edge of an adapter card thereby retaining the adapter card in a selected slot even if the adapter card is a low-profile adapter card.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Albert V. Makley, Timothy S. Farrow, William F. Martin-Otto, Marc R. Pamley
  • Patent number: 8118602
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for providing electrical connections for an area array device. Each of a plurality of holes in a circuit board has a conductor within it and has an opening on a side of the circuit board. Electrically conductive contact posts extend from the openings of the holes. The contact posts are in a pattern corresponding to contact pads on an area array device. A compliant portion of each contact post is inserted within a hole. The conductor compresses the compliant portion to removably secure the contact post within the hole. The conductors form an electrical connection with the contact post. A spring portion of each contact post extends away from the circuit board. The spring portion is compressible toward the circuit board, and provides an electrical connection between a contact post and a contact pad in response to contact with the contact pad.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Brian S. Beaman
  • Patent number: 8118338
    Abstract: An apparatus and a system are disclosed for protecting the side doors of an automobile when it is parked. The apparatus includes an elongated pad having two opposing ends and a central portion disposed between the two endings, and a protrusion extending from the central portion of the elongated pad and formed of a material sufficiently compressible to be shut within the door of an automobile. The system includes an elongated pad having two opposing ends and a central portion disposed between the two endings, and an adjustable protrusion extending from the central portion of the elongated pad, the adjustable protrusion movable to different locations along the length of the elongated pad, the protrusion is formed of a material sufficiently compressible to be shut within the door of an automobile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Inventor: Craig Kimball
  • Patent number: 8122359
    Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for topological display of user interface elements. An input/output module receives the selection of a UIE. A topology display module displays a topology view of the selected UIE and a child UIE of the selected UIE. A relationship display module displays a modified navigation relationship indicator (NRI) for each navigation relationship between UIEs wherein at least one UIE in the navigation relationship comprises modified functionality, a new NRI for each navigation relationship between UIEs wherein at least one UIE in the navigation relationship comprises new functionality, and an existing NRI for each navigation relationship between UIEs wherein no UIE in the navigation relationship comprises modified functionality. The modified functionality may comprise plug-in functions and upgraded functions. The new functionality may comprise a new object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Mark E. Molander, Kerry A. Ortega
  • Patent number: 8120300
    Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for fault tolerant cooling in a redundant power system. The apparatus receives power from a common power bus to power one or more power supply fans. The apparatus detects a non-functioning redundant power supply. The apparatus receives a fan control signal within a non-functioning redundant power supply. In addition, the apparatus uses the received fan control signal to synchronize a fan speed of a power supply fan within the non-functioning redundant power supply. The fan speed is synchronized with at least one fan control signal of a power supply fan within a functioning redundant power supply. Thus, the power supply fans of a non-functioning power supply continue to operate and are synchronized with power supply fans in functioning power supplies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: C. Charles Dishman, Ted A. Howard, Randhir S. Malik, Trung M. Nguyen
  • Patent number: 8122294
    Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for rapidly grading the operating condition of computer storage. A storage log module 312 logs error information regarding any error in a storage subsystem 302 that occurs during normal operation. A storage test module 314 performs a cursory check 318 of the storage subsystem 302 as requested by a user. A storage diagnostic module 316 grades the storage subsystem 302 on an operating condition scale based at least in part upon the error information logged and upon results of the cursory check 318. In one embodiment, the storage subsystem 302 is graded as pristine if no error has been logged and no error was detected by the cursory check 318, as potentially failing if any error has been logged but no error was detected by the cursory check 318, and as failing if any error was detected by the cursory check 318.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Philip Lee Childs, Jeffrey R. Hobbet, Michael Terrell Vanover
  • Patent number: 8117619
    Abstract: An apparatus, system and method to optimize load distribution across logical and physical resources in a storage system. An apparatus in accordance with the invention may include an availability module and an allocation module. The availability module may dynamically assign values to resources in a hierarchical tree structure. Each value may correspond to an availability parameter such as allocated volumes, current resource utilization, and historic resource utilization. The allocation module may serially process the values and allocate a load to a least busy resource in the hierarchical tree structure based on the assigned values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Lee Charles LaFrese, Joshua Douglas Martin, Justin Thomson Miller, Vernon Walter Miller, James Russell Thompson, Yan Xu, Olga Yiparaki
  • Patent number: 8117315
    Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for improving the loading time of a web page. The present invention includes selecting archivable objects in a web page for inclusion in an archive file, the web page referencing at least one archivable object and generating the archive file from the selected archivable objects. A web page is generated, the web page configured to display in a script enabled web browser, wherein the web page comprises executable code configured to retrieve the archive file, executable code configured to unpackage the archivable objects from the archive file, and executable code configured to render the web page in a web browser using the unpackaged archivable objects from the archive file. Beneficially, the apparatus, system, and method improve the load time for web pages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Catherine C. Diep, Xing X. Fang, Dong J. Lan, Sheng Lu, Luis J. Ostdiek, Qing B. Wang, Meng Ye
  • Patent number: 8117182
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for optimizing descendant path evaluation in XPath/XQuery includes generating a list of unique paths in a tree structure of an XML document. Each unique path includes one or more nodes of the tree structure. A query is received specifying a descendant node for retrieval from the tree structure. From the list, unique paths are identified that include the descendant node. A navigation aid is then generated to assist in traversing the unique paths that include the descendant node. Using the navigation aid as a guide, descendant nodes in the tree structure may be retrieved by traversing only unique paths that include the descendant node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Kevin S. Beyer, Edison L. Ting, Tuong C. Truong
  • Patent number: 8109079
    Abstract: Various embodiments of an apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for reducing NOx emissions on an SCR catalyst. For example, according to one representative embodiment, an apparatus for reducing NOx emissions in an engine exhaust includes a NOx reduction target module that is configured to determine a NOx reduction requirement that includes an amount of NOx in the exhaust gas stream to be reduced on a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalyst. The apparatus also includes an ammonia target module that is configured to determine an ammonia addition requirement that includes an amount of ammonia added to the exhaust gas stream to achieve the NOx reduction requirement. The apparatus also includes a reductant target module that is configured to determine a reductant injection requirement that includes an amount of reductant added to the exhaust gas stream to achieve the ammonia addition requirement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Assignee: Cummins IP, Inc.
    Inventors: Joan M. Wills, Phanindra Garimella, John N. Chi
  • Patent number: 8109057
    Abstract: Described herein are various embodiments of a tower foundation system for an above-ground tower. For example, according to one representative embodiment, a tower for supporting a structure above the ground includes a foundation and a second support column section. The foundation includes a first support column section and a plurality of arms that extend radially outward away from an outer surface of the first support column. Additionally, the foundation includes a plurality of elongate anchors coupled to the plurality of arms. The first and second support column sections include each include a plurality of engagement elements engageable with each other to splice the first and second support column sections together. More specifically, the second support column section is insertable into and rests upon the first support column section such that the plurality of engagement elements engage each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Inventor: Daniel Stark
  • Patent number: 8112414
    Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus and system for reducing locking in materialized query tables (MQT) for distributive functions. The apparatus includes an insert module that inserts into an MQT table a child record when a new record is inserted into a base table associated with the MQT. The child record includes values associated with the insert operation. Also included is a delete module that inserts into the MQT a child record that includes measure values that are the negative of the measure values in the base table row that is the subject of the delete operation. An update module inserts two child rows into the MQT, one negating the affected record and the other adding the values of the update operation. Each inserted child row includes a unique identifier that relates the inserted row to a parent row. An execution module generates responses using the values indicated by the cumulative records in a family.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: James P. Bates, Jonathan Sloan, Calisto P. Zuzarte
  • Patent number: 8107181
    Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for measuring magnetoresistive head assembly resistance. A measurement module measures a reference voltage across a reference resistance while applying a reference current to the reference resistance. In addition, the measurement module measures a test voltage across a first biasing resistor, a MR head assembly, and a second biasing resistor connected in series while applying the reference current to the first biasing resistor, the MR head assembly, and the second biasing resistor. A computation module calculates the MR head assembly resistance from the reference voltage, the test voltage, the reference resistance, and the resistances of the first and second biasing resistors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Larry LeeRoy Tretter
  • Patent number: 8108857
    Abstract: A computer system determines an optimal hardware system environment for a given set of workloads by allocating functionality from each workload to logical partitions, where each logical partition includes resource demands, assigning a priority weight factor to each resource demand, configuring potential hardware system environments, where each potential hardware system environment provides resource capacities, and computing a weighted sum of least squares metric for each potential hardware system environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Marcus A. Tylutki, Noshir C. Wadia, Qi He
  • Patent number: 8108880
    Abstract: A method of enabling state save and debug operations for co-routines for first failure data capture (FFDC) in an event-driven environment. A stack management utility allocates space for a context structure, which includes a state field, and a stack pointer in a buffer. A context management utility initializes a first context structure of a first co-routine and saves a state of the first context structure in response to an execution request for a second co-routine. The context management utility sets a second context structure as a current context. When execution of the current context is complete, the context management utility restores the first context structure of the first co-routine as the current context. If the state field is not set to a valid value, a state save function “state saves” all allocated co-routine stacks and context structures, restores the entire system to a previous valid state, and restarts operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Douglas W. Dewey, Sangram Singh Ghoman, William G. Sherman, Shachar Fienblit
  • Patent number: 8108733
    Abstract: Techniques for monitoring distributed software health and membership of nodes and software components operating in a compute cluster are disclosed. In one embodiment, each node in the compute cluster operates a watchdog monitoring component in addition to software operating components. The watchdogs are provided with a list of all nodes in a compute cluster that identifies every node's neighboring nodes. Each watchdog checks the health of one of its neighboring node, ensuring that this neighboring node is healthy and is operating successfully. Additionally, each watchdog verifies the cluster membership of its other neighboring nodes to ensure that the cluster is operating an adequate number of operating nodes, and that an adequate number of watchdogs are present in the cluster. If an unhealthy or non-member node is identified, the watchdog may initiate corrective action and attempt to restore the node to a correct operational state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Michael A. Richmond
  • Patent number: 8108573
    Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for enqueue prioritization. The apparatus for enqueue prioritization is provided with a plurality of modules configured to functionally execute the necessary steps of anticipating a need to access a computing resource, generating a dummy request, the dummy request configured to hold a place for an actual request in a queue of requests to access the computing resource, and generating an actual request to access the computing resource, wherein the actual request is configured to replace the dummy request in the queue. These modules in the described embodiments include a forecast module, a dummy generator, and a request generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Douglas Lee Lehr, Franklin Emmert McCune, David Charles Reed, Max Douglas Smith
  • Patent number: 8103621
    Abstract: One aspect of the present invention provides an operation for recovering lost space and maintaining data consistency in a storage environment by providing a two-way orphan reconciliation method for extremely large file systems, such as a Hierarchical Storage Management (HSM) system which manages billions of files. This highly scalable and parallelizable orphan identification process may be used in a HSM controlled environment to enable the execution of a two-way file orphan check. In one embodiment, this orphan check identifies file system client orphans and server object orphans in a single pass by comparing a queue containing a list of migrated files on a storage repository server with a queue containing a list of stub files on a file system. If the queue elements do not match, a file system orphan or server object orphan can appropriately be identified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Carsten Brixius, Dietmar Fischer, Wayne C. Hineman, Christian Mueller, Douglas S. Noddings, Wayne A. Sawdon
  • Patent number: 8104046
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for improving event delivery efficiency in a polling adapter system is configured to poll an enterprise information system (EIS) to obtain a list of events occurring in the EIS. Each event may be associated with an object key. These events may then be allocated to multiple delivery lists wherein events associated with the same object key are allocated to the same delivery list. Multiple delivery threads may then be generated, with each delivery thread being associated with a delivery list. Each delivery thread is configured to retrieve, from the EIS, events listed in the delivery list associated with the thread and deliver the events to a client.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Travis E. Nelson
  • Patent number: 8103672
    Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for determining a partial class membership of a data record in a class. The apparatus includes a record set acquisition module that receives a set of reference records having the same independent variables and belonging to a known class within a group of classes. An unknown-class record receiving module receives an unknown-class record having same independent variables as reference records. A class identification module creates a class vector for each reference record identifying whether the record is in a class. A weighting module calculates a set of unknown-class record weights for the unknown-class record. A classification module determines a partial class membership for the unknown-class record for each class in the group of classes using the set of unknown-class record weights. Each partial class membership identifies a probability that the unknown-class record belongs to a corresponding class in the group of classes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Detectent, Inc.
    Inventors: Jack E. Mott, Michael A. Madrazo