Patents Represented by Attorney Lieberman & Brandsdorfer, LLC

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  • High availability multi-processor system
    Patent number: 7562252
    Abstract: A method and system are provided for enabling replacement of a failed processor without requiring redundancy of hardware. The system is a multiprocessing computer system that includes one or more processor chips. Each processor chip may include one or more logical processors. During system initialization, one or more logical processors may be reserved in an inactive state. In the event an error is detected on a logical or physical processor, one or more reserved logical processors may have execution context transferred from the processor experiencing the error. Thereafter, the active processor is designated as inactive and replaced by the inactive processor to which the execution context has been transferred.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Susumu Arai
  • Illuminating utensil
    Patent number: 7556392
    Abstract: A utensil that emits light from a handle portion thereof for a limited period of time. The handle portion may be in the form of a chemiluminescent light stick, wherein a head portion of the utensil receives and holds one end of the light stick until such time as it is detached therefrom. Alternatively, the handle portion of the utensil may be in the form of a conduit sized to receive a chemiluminescent light stick. An opening of the conduit receives the light stick, and the opening is closed following insertion of the light stick into the conduit. Accordingly, the handle portion of the utensil may emit light without the use of batteries or electronic circuitry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2009
    Inventor: James A. Weigl, Jr.
  • Method of virtualizing I/O resources in a computer system
    Patent number: 7539782
    Abstract: A method of virtualizing hardware resources in a multiprocessor computing environment is provided. Each resource is provided a resource address. A hardware resource map is provided to store virtual resource addresses and physical resource addresses. Remapping hardware is utilized to redirect virtual addresses to physical addresses. The method of virtualizing hardware resources may be applied to any resource mapped across the bus, including memory address space, and I/O address space. Accordingly, the method of virtualizing hardware resources through platform firmware enables dynamic routing of resource accesses during run-time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Brad A. Davis, Thomas E. Malone
  • Merge operations of data arrays based on SIMD instructions
    Patent number: 7536532
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided to perform efficient merging operations of two or more streams of data by using SIMD instruction. Streams of data are merged together in parallel and with mitigated or removed conditional branching. The merge operations of the streams of data include Merge AND and Merge OR operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Inoue, Moriyoshi Ohara, Hideaki Komatsu
  • Method of verifying metadata of a migrated file
    Patent number: 7529745
    Abstract: A method and system for maintaining integrity of metadata associated with a migrated file. Following migration of data from a source filesystem to a destination filesystem, a tool is automatically invoked to detect if there are any differences in metadata associated with the files and/or folders at each location. Each select field of the metadata at the source filesystem is reviewed to ensure that it matches with the equivalent field at the destination filesystem. In the event at least one of the reviewed metadata fields does not match, an error is generated and forwarded to an operator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Vikas Ahluwalia, Vipul Paul, Scott A. Piper, Akulavenkatavara Prasadarao
  • User-space return probes
    Patent number: 7523446
    Abstract: A computer system is provided with memory divided by the operating system into kernel space and user space. A probe function is provided in a related user-space application to support dynamic insertion of instrumentation into the application. A breakpoint instruction is provided in an area of the process's user space that will not be overwritten to support execution of an instrumentation subroutine when a probed subroutine in the application returns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: James A. Keniston
  • Coordinated quiesce of a distributed file system
    Patent number: 7523204
    Abstract: A process for quiescing a master (master) and a plurality of subordinate computer systems (subordinates) in a cluster. An original or a pending state may be entered that is a quiesce or an online state. The master instructs the subordinates the quiesce or online state be made the pending state. The subordinates prepare to change accordingly, determine whether successful, and vote to commit or abort. Based on whether all voted to commit, the master instructs the subordinates to either commit or abort. If to commit and the pending state is the quiesce state, an operation is performed in the subordinates. If to commit and the pending state is the online state, the subordinates prepare to resume the original state. The subordinates change from the original to the pending state. Otherwise, if to abort, the subordinates prepare to remain in the original state and reset the pending to the original state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Austin Franky Manuel D'Costa, James John Seeger, David Macnaughton Wolfe, David Daniel Zimmermann
  • Unit for acquiring dental radiographic images
    Patent number: 7515683
    Abstract: A unit for acquiring dental radiographic images of a patient is provided with an x-ray head coupled to a respective supporting arm via a ball joint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2009
    Assignee: CEFLA Società Cooperativa
    Inventors: Eros Nanni, Stefano Malucelli, Dario Righini, Luciano Langella
  • Method, apparatus and program storage device for providing mutual failover and load-balancing between interfaces in a network
    Patent number: 7505401
    Abstract: A method, apparatus and program storage device for providing mutual failover and load-balancing between interfaces in a network is disclosed. An active virtual interface and a passive virtual interface are provided for each of a first and a second computer interface. The active virtual interface of the first computer interface is communicatively coupled with the passive virtual interface of the second interface. The active virtual interface of the second computer interface is communicatively coupled with the passive virtual interface of the first computer interface. Data flow is directed over each of the first computer interface-active virtual interface and second computer interface active virtual interface when the first and second computer interface is available, else data flow is directed to the active virtual interface and passive virtual interface of an available first or second interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Vivek Kashyap
  • Method and apparatus for thermal control of electronic components
    Patent number: 7502952
    Abstract: A method and system are provided for thermal management of a CPU. Both hardware and software data are used to periodically calculate a power consumption index. An internal database is provided to convert power consumption data to rotational speed of an associated cooling fan for the CPU. Based upon a change in the calculated power consumption, the rotational speed of the fan may be adjusted to accommodate the change in power consumption. Accordingly, the method and system monitors and adjusts the rotational speed of the cooling fan based upon available hardware and software data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Yuji Chotoku, Rieko Kataoka, Takayuki Katoh
  • Consistent reintegration of a failed primary instance
    Patent number: 7499954
    Abstract: A method and system are provided for providing a consistent reintegration of a failed primary instance as a new secondary instance with implementation of truncation of log records. Upon failure of a primary instance, a secondary instance may be reassigned as the new primary instance. Prior to reintegration, any portion of the database log of the failed primary that is after the log position of the new primary instance may be truncated, followed by a comparison of the log positions of both the new primary instance and the new secondary instance. In limited circumstances, the truncation of the log data generated by the failed primary instance after the point of failure is possible, and supports reintegration of the failed primary as a new secondary instance with limited overhead.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Kevin J. Cherkauer, Scott D. Lashley, Steven R. Pearson, Effi Ofer, Xun Xue, Roger L. Q. Zheng
  • Quad aware locking primitive
    Patent number: 7500036
    Abstract: A method and computer system for efficiently handling high contention locking in a multiprocessor computer system. The method organizes at least some of the processors in the system into a hierarchy, and processes an interruptible lock in response to the hierarchy. The method utilizes two alternative methods of acquiring the lock, including a conditional lock acquisition primitive and an unconditional lock acquisition primitive, and an unconditional lock release primitive for releasing the lock from a particular processor. In order to prevent races between processors requesting a lock acquisition and a processor releasing the lock, a release flag is utilized. Furthermore, in order to ensure that the a processor utilizing the unconditional lock acquisition primitive is granted the lock, a handoff flag is utilized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Paul E. McKenney, Benedict Jackson, Ramakrishnan Rajamony, Ronald L. Rockhold
  • Priority based LDAP service publication mechanism
    Patent number: 7496566
    Abstract: A method and system are provided for directing a client to a preferred service instance. At creation of a service instance, the service binding attribute of the created instance is extended to include assigned domains and associated priorities. There are then two phases to directing a client to the preferred service instance. The first phase is compilation of a list of domains and priorities for the service in response to a query. Upon completion of the first phase, a second phase is executed to determine a preferred service for the client by comparing fully qualified domain name entries and assigned priority entries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2009
    Assignee: Intenational Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Charles D. Bauman, Scott A. Piper, Gregory Pruett, Carlos Santana
  • Achieving cache consistency while allowing concurrent changes to metadata
    Patent number: 7480654
    Abstract: A method and system for supporting a concurrent recordation of a change in a data file by a server while allowing an application to continue writing changes to a data file. In response to a change in a data file, a near-instantaneous version of the file is created. Metadata reflecting the change to the data file are synchronized with a version of the file in cache and recorded in persistent storage. During the process of recording metadata changes to the file, subsequent changes to the data file may continue, and metadata reflecting the changes may be recorded in a subsequent near-instantaneous version of the file which may also be synchronized with a version of the metadata in persistent storage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Venkateswararao Jujjuri, Malahal R. Nalnenl, Rohit K. Prasad, Senthil Rajaram, Roger C. Raphael
  • Method, apparatus and program storage device for extending dispersion frame technique behavior using dynamic rule sets
    Patent number: 7480828
    Abstract: A method, apparatus and program storage device for providing control of statistical processing of error data over a multitude of sources using a dynamically modifiable DFT rule set is disclosed. The dispersion frame technique is extended in the present invention to provide dispersion frame rules with user-defined parameters thereby creating a dynamically modifiable rule set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael A. Jastad, Thomas G. Phelan, Brent W. Yardley
  • Serviceability and test infrastructure for distributed systems
    Patent number: 7475296
    Abstract: A method and system for capturing a state of a distributed computer system is provided. The state is captured in response to an error or event message received by one of the clients and/or server nodes of the system. In response to receipt of the error or event message, the recipient initiates transmission of a special protocol message of affected members of the system. Upon receipt of the message, all recipients will conduct a freeze of their respective operating system image. Depending upon the characteristics of the error or event, the message may be transmitted to a selection of members of the system, or the entire system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Sudhir G. Rao, Pradeep Satyanarayana
  • System-on-a-chip mixed bus architecture
    Patent number: 7475182
    Abstract: A mixed architecture system on chip is provided by combining a CoreConnect system on chip architecture with an AMBA system on chip architecture. To eliminate data transfer and bus error that could occur in the mixed architecture, an additional peripheral bus and bridge are provided to manage communication with AHB resources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Shuhsaku Matsuse, Makoto Ueda
  • Memory tracking with preservation of alignment semantics
    Patent number: 7475216
    Abstract: A method and system for tracking usage of memory in a computer system is provided. Arguments for both the size of a memory allocation and the type of memory being allocated are reserved in a fixed location. A first fixed location is reserved for small memory allocations, i.e. less than one page, and a second fixed location is reserved for large memory allocations, i.e. one page or larger. The fixed location is selected based upon a determination of the size of an allocation required by a calling application. Upon receipt of a memory allocation request by the calling application, a pointer is returned to the calling application identifying the fixed location. Similarly, upon release of memory by the calling application, a counter is decremented to track the amount of memory in use by the application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Vikas Ahluwalia, Scott A. Piper
  • Mixing chamber for producing compressed air foam for fire extinguishing devices
    Patent number: 7458427
    Abstract: The invention relates to a mixing chamber for producing compressed air foam in fire extinguishing devices. The mixing chamber has a compressed air inlet, an extinguishing agent inlet and a compressed air foam outlet. The contour of the mixing chamber tapers towards the compressed air foam outlet. The invention also includes a fire extinguishing device. The fire extinguishing device includes an extinguishing agent container, a connecting device for connecting a source of compressed air to a mixing chamber of the kind described above.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2008
    Inventors: Ulrich Braun, Helmut Andris
  • Saucepan handle
    Patent number: D589745
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2009
    Assignee: La Termoplastic F.B.M. - S.r.l.
    Inventors: Patrizio Munari, Marco Munari