Patents Represented by Attorney Lieberman & Brandsdorfer, LLC
  • Patent number: 8347346
    Abstract: Granular policy management is provided based upon an active status of a process and the display status of an associated visual display. A policy is constructed and applied to a process by a combination of individual control policy parameters associated with the status of a process or a graphical user interface. Each active policy is dynamically adjusted in response to a change in at least one policy condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Sanehiro Furuichi, Atsumi Ikebe, Takuya Mishina, Masami Tada
  • Patent number: 8327369
    Abstract: A driver is provided to manage launching of tasks at different levels of priority and within the parameters of the firmware interface. The driver includes two anchors for managing the tasks, a dispatcher and an agent. The dispatcher operates at a medium priority level and manages communication from a remote administrator. The agent functions to receive communications from the dispatcher by way of a shared data structure and to launch lower priority level tasks in respond to the communication. The shared data structure stores communications received from the dispatcher. Upon placing the communication in the shared data structure, the dispatcher sends a signal to the agent indicating that a communication is in the data structure for reading by the agent. Following reading of the communication in the data structure, the agent launches the lower priority level task and sends a signal to the data structure indicating the status of the task.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Fred A. Bower, III
  • Patent number: 8315013
    Abstract: A magnetic write head with a flux diverting structure for diverting stray flux received from an external source. The write head includes a yoke with two poles and a non-magnetic gap formed there between, and functions to write data to a magnetic storage medium. The flux diverting structure is proximate to the first pole and has a magnetic connection toward the back of the structure, and a non-magnetic separation toward the front of the structure. The flux diverting structure is comprised of a magnetic permeable material such that stray flux is diverted away from portions of the write head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Robert G. Biskeborn, Philipp Herget
  • Patent number: 8291384
    Abstract: A method, system, and article are provided for evaluating software test comprehensiveness of an application. A subset of the software-under-test basic blocks is identified for emphasized and/or deemphasized testing. During test, execution of the basic blocks is monitored, and then aggregated into a weighted code coverage result which factors in the prioritization assignments of the subset of basic blocks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: James M. Takahashi
  • Patent number: 8277758
    Abstract: In an assembly for actuating a syringe, two gripping devices are designed to receive and withhold a containment cylinder and, respectively, a piston of the syringe, and are defined by respective pairs of jaws for gripping a flange of the containment cylinder and, respectively, of an end head of the piston, the jaws of at least one gripping device being mobile with respect to one another between a gripping position and a release position under the thrust of a corresponding actuation device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: AEA, S.r.l.
    Inventor: Graziano Mattioli
  • Patent number: 8271440
    Abstract: An apparatus is provided with base table storage sections that store base tables and delta tables for the base tables, a summary table storage section that stores a summary table for storing results of queries to a plurality of base tables and delta information about the summary table, delta data processing sections that insert delta data of the base tables into the delta tables, and a delta computation processing section that generates delta information about the summary table. The delta computation processing section is provided with a generation section that generates delta information about a specified base table on the basis of an update that has been performed for the base table, in a situation where a subsequent update of the specified base table is permitted; and a control section that performs control so that, when a different base table is specified, delta information is generated in a different transaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Hirofumi Matsuzawa, Masahiro Ohkawa
  • Patent number: 8266135
    Abstract: A method, system, and article are provided for evaluating regular expressions over large data collections. A general purpose index is built to handle complex regular expressions at the character level. Characters, character classes, and associated metadata are identified and stored in an index of a collection of documents. Given a regular expression, a query is generated based on the contents of the index. This query is executed over the index to identify a set of documents in the collection of documents over which the regular expression can be evaluated. Based upon the query execution, the identified set of documents is returned for evaluation by the regular expression responsive to execution of the query over the index.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ting Chen, Rajasekar Krishnamurthy, Shivakumar Vaithyanathan
  • Patent number: 8259613
    Abstract: A method of selecting a network connection for use with a data processing system includes detecting environmental information indicative of a current environment in which the system is operating, determining whether the current environment is a known environment, and, rapidly selecting a current network connection by identifying a known environment network connection. Detecting environmental information may include detecting time information and detecting whether specified hardware (e.g., docking station, external monitor, printer, external network adapter) is present. The determining may include accessing a network connection data structure containing historical network connection information. The network connection data structure may include a plurality of records, each record identifying an environmental state and a network connection used in conjunction with the respective environmental state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Daryl Carvis Cromer, Philip John Jakes, Howard Jeffrey Locker, Raymond Gary Octaviano, II
  • Patent number: 8250310
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture are provided for managing a hybrid storage device based upon the properties associated therewith. The storage device includes flash memory and physical storage. Select data is written to the flash memory and is not subject to flushing to the physical storage, and select data is either written directly to the physical storage or written to the flash memory and is subject to flushing to the physical storage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Steven D. Cook
  • Patent number: 8245231
    Abstract: A driver is provided to manage launching of tasks at different levels of priority and within the parameters of the firmware interface. The driver includes two anchors for managing the tasks, a dispatcher and an agent. The dispatcher operates at a medium priority level and manages communication from a remote administrator. The agent functions to receive communications from the dispatcher by way of a shared data structure and to launch lower priority level tasks in respond to the communication. The shared data structure stores communications received from the dispatcher. Upon placing the communication in the shared data structure, the dispatcher sends a signal to the agent indicating that a communication is in the data structure for reading by the agent. Following reading of the communication in the data structure, the agent launches the lower priority level task and sends a signal to the data structure indicating the status of the task.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Fred A. Bower, III
  • Patent number: 8239837
    Abstract: An apparatus for communicating between a child test program and a parent test program in a test environment. A child test framework is provided to catch an exception thrown by the child test program. In addition, a marshalling component is provided in communication with the child test program and the child test framework. The marshalling component converts exception data for the exception into a format for transmission by a communication means to a parent test framework.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Cameron J. McAllister
  • Patent number: 8234309
    Abstract: A method and system are provided to support automated modification to a multiple node tree structure. Each clause and each logical operator are defined in the tree structure as nodes. In addition, each link emanating from a child node to a parent node is defined as a child link, and each link emanating from a parent node to a child node is defined as a parent link. The selection and location of an operator for placement in the tree structure will be automated in response to the position selected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Masahiro Furukawa, Tomohiro Miyahira, Yoshiroh Kamiyama, Chris Schaubach
  • Patent number: 8234636
    Abstract: A modification to source code is applied in an automated manner to improve program performance while maintaining the meaning of an associated program. Source code is rewritten to improve the operation of the associated program. Prior to applying the source code optimization to the program, confirmation of approval by the programmer must be maintained. In one embodiment, the programmer is presented with numerical data pertaining to an improvement ratio associated with application of the source code optimization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Motohiro Kawahito, Hideaki Komatsu, Toshio Nakatani
  • Patent number: 8225278
    Abstract: Hierarchical state diagrams are reflected in a tree structure with the initial state of the diagram represented as the parent node, intermediate states represented as intermediate levels of the hierarchy, and final states represented as the lowest level in the hierarchy. Information on the modification(s) on a child or subsequent level is transferred to the parent node. Such information includes quantifying and displaying of the modification(s). Accordingly, content and extent of any modifications to the diagram can be viewed at the parent node without requiring review of different levels in the hierarchy to view modifications to the state and/or transition in such levels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Eiichi Tazoe, Tsuyoshi Matsuzaki, Munetaka Ohtani
  • Patent number: 8200999
    Abstract: Managing delivery of power to one or more hardware memory devices in a computer system. The computer system is configured with a processor and at least two hardware memory devices. An energy exchange threshold for the computer system is set, and management of one or more of the hardware memory devices is employed when the computer system exceeds an energy exchange threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Gerrit Huizenga, Vivek Kashyap, Badari Pulavarty, Russell H. Weight
  • Patent number: 8195620
    Abstract: A storage control apparatus cooperable with a plurality of controlled storage apparatus arranged in a cascade of point-in-time copy relationship. The apparatus includes: a rate control component operable to set a desired rate for making clean a first target one of the plurality of controlled storage apparatus; a comparator component responsive to a signal from the rate control component to request and receive metadata from the plurality of controlled storage apparatus and to identify discrepant metadata; and a copy initiator, responsive to the comparator component to identify discrepant metadata and to initiate a copy operation from a first target one of the plurality of controlled storage apparatus to a second target one of the controlled storage apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: John P. Agombar, Christopher B. E. Beeken, Carlos F. Fuente, William J. Scales
  • Patent number: 8187158
    Abstract: A paper folding station with a paper-feeder and a first pair of motorized rollers supported at a delivery end of the paper-feeder about respective parallel axes to draw sheets of paper from the feeder. One of the rollers is mounted on a first adjustable support. A folding buckle is provided to receive the sheets from the first pair of rollers through an inlet mouth. The buckle has a barrier causing the sheets to stop and bend into the shape of a groove below the inlet mouth. A second pair of rollers is supported near the inlet mouth about respective parallel axes to pinch the groove and to make a transverse fold on the sheet. The paper-folding station further comprises at least one transverse beam to guide the sheet near the inlet mouth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: Petratto S.r.l.
    Inventor: Joseph B. Vallonthaiel
  • Patent number: 8185908
    Abstract: A method and system is provided for assigning programs in a workflow to one or more nodes for execution. Prior to the assignment, a priority of execution of each program is calculated in relation to its dependency upon data received and transmitted data. Based upon the calculated priority and the state of each of the nodes, the programs in the workflow are dynamically assigned to one or more nodes for execution. In addition to the node assignment based upon priority, preemptive execution of the programs in the workflow is determined so that the programs in the workflow may not preemptively be executed at a selected node in response to the determination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Masaaki Taniguchi, Harunobu Kubo
  • Patent number: 8176489
    Abstract: A method, apparatus and program storage device for performing a return/rollback process for RCU-protected data structures is provided that includes checking a user-level state of a preempted thread having a RCU read-side critical section, and executing the critical section of the thread after preemption when the user-level state of the thread indicates execution, otherwise returning to a point of preemption, resuming execution of the thread and disabling checking the user-level state when the user-level state of the thread indicates return.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Robert T. Bauer, Paul E. McKenney, Paul F. Russell
  • Patent number: 8171000
    Abstract: A method and system for conducting an integrity check of system and user metadata when the metadata is mounted. A filesystem reviewer is embedded within software of a server node. A mutual exclusion lock is obtained on the selected metadata. An automated verification of the locked metadata is conducted while the filesystem is mounted. In addition, an automated salvage of the locked metadata may be conducted while the filesystem is mounted. The verification and/or salvage of the locked metadata can be applied to system, user, and/or a portion of the user metadata.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: James J. Seeger, Thomas K. Clark, Andreas J. Moran, Jason C. Young