Patents Represented by Attorney Marilyn Smith Dawkins
  • Patent number: 7298831
    Abstract: A method, system, and program for automated distribution of an instant messaging request for an unavailable intended recipient to a backup recipient are provided. A chat support system detects a particular messaging request from a requester for initiating a communication with an intended recipient who is unavailable to respond to the messaging request and, in response, the chat support system selects a backup recipient designated to receive the particular messaging request. The chat support system then directs the opening of a communication channel for a messaging session between the requester and the backup recipient. Then, the chat support system detects a message log of at least one message entry for the messaging session between the requester and the backup recipient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Susann Marie Keohane, Gerald Francis McBrearty, Shawn Patrick Mullen, Jessica Murillo, Johnny Meng-Han Shieh
  • Patent number: 7295657
    Abstract: A method, system, and program for automated selection of a backup recipient and distribution of an instant messaging request to the backup recipient are provided. A communication support system detects a messaging request initiated by a requester for an intended recipient. The communication support system determines whether the intended recipient is available to respond to the messaging request from the requester. If the intended recipient is unavailable to respond to the messaging request from the requester, the communication support system searches at least one of a directory entry, a backup directory entry, and a schedule entry for the intended recipient to identify a designated backup for the messaging request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Susann Marie Keohane, Gerald Francis McBrearty, Shawn Patrick Mullen, Jessica Murillo, Johnny Meng-Han Shieh
  • Patent number: 7269622
    Abstract: A method, system and program is provided for watermarking messaging sessions such that the origin of recorded messaging sessions is traceable. A distinguishable watermark is applied to message entries within a messaging session. The messaging entries are then recorded with the distinguishable watermark applied, such that the origin of the message entries is traceable according to the distinguishable watermark. Users participating in the messaging session receive a recording of the watermarked message entries for the messaging session, wherein user of the recording of the messaging session is traceable according to the watermark.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Wayne Brown, Rabindranath Dutta, Michael A. Paolini
  • Patent number: 7266774
    Abstract: A method, system, and program for using a second computer system as an input interface for a first computer system are provided. A second independent computer system is docked into a first computer system. Then, the first computer system uses at least one of an input interface and an output interface of the second independent computer system as a peripheral device for interfacing with the first computer system. While the second independent computer system is undocked from the first computer system at least one of the input interface and the output interface of the second independent computer system are peripheral devices for interfacing solely with the second independent computer system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Jeffrey Allen Jones
  • Patent number: 7257617
    Abstract: A method, system and program for notifying users when messaging sessions are recorded are provided. In response to receiving a request to record a messaging session, a requested selection of multiple message entries associated with the messaging session are recorded. Then, multiple users participating in the messaging session are notified of the recording of the requested selection of the multiple message entries from the messaging session. In particular, the output of the messaging session is adjusted for each of the multiple users to distinguish a selection from among the multiple message entries being recorded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Wayne Brown, Rabindranath Dutta, Michael A. Paolini
  • Patent number: 7249313
    Abstract: A wizard is utilized when creating a server-based transactional Web page application. The wizard keeps track of the interdependencies of the Web pages, any data accesses required for any of the Web pages, and any rules for presenting a different sequence of Web pages based upon differing aspects of anticipated user input. The wizard can then be used to access the required data if a user selection is made to download the application and run the application off-line at a client that is disconnected from the network. When running off-line, the wizard plays back the downloaded pages of the application in a sequence dependent upon the tracked interdependencies and received user input. When running off-line, the wizard controls the dynamic presentation of the downloaded pages and provides the required data to enable the transactional pages of the application to be completed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Wayne Brown, Jerry Walter Malcolm, Aaron Keith Reed, Cristi Nesbitt Ullmann
  • Patent number: 7137070
    Abstract: A method, system, and program for sampling responses to communication content for use in analyzing reaction responses to other communications are provided. Responses specified by a user to varying portions of the content of a communication are gathered. These specified responses are then stored in a database according to the types of content responded to, wherein the stored responses are then accessible for use in determining reaction responses by the user in another communication comprising at least one of the types of content. In particular, the communication may include sample content to which a response is requested. Further, the communication may include a proposed communication or a transmitted communication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Wayne Brown, Michael A. Paolini, Newton James Smith, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7128693
    Abstract: In accordance with the method, system and program of the present invention, at least one type of exercise indicator signal associated with exercise performed by a particular user is received from a particular exercise machine in a common transmittable data format at a portable computer system provided the particular user. Cumulative fitness activity is computed and stored for the particular user at the portable computer system utilizing the at least one type of exercise indicator signal and previously accumulated fitness activity data at the portable computer system, such that an independent portable computer system associated with the particular user monitors the real-time cumulative fitness activity of the particular user from at least one type of exercise indicator signal received from at least one exercise machine over a period of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Wayne Brown, Kelvin Roderick Lawrence, Michael A. Paolini
  • Patent number: 7100122
    Abstract: A system, method, and program controls the occurrence of unsolicited browser windows by enabling a user to specify a maximum depth of a window that can be opened. Before opening a new window, the browser determines the window depth in relation to the specified depth. If the new window to be opened has a given depth in relation to the specified setting which allows the new window to be opened, the window will be opened. If the new window to be opened has a given depth in relation to the specified setting which does not allow the new window to be opened, the window will not be opened. Furthermore, the browser prevents a new window from being opened from a current window if the current window is being closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: David Earl Blaschke, Scott Thomas Jones
  • Patent number: 7100053
    Abstract: In accordance with the method, system and program of the present invention, authority-designated settings are stored on a portable data storage medium in association with a particular user, wherein the authority-designated settings designate levels of access to particular types of content as determined by multiple authorities to the particular user. Transmittal of a selection of the authority-designated settings is required from the portable data storage medium in a transmittable data format to a particular authority-enabled system from among multiple authority-enabled systems, wherein each of the multiple authority-enabled systems provides access to multiple diverse types of content. The particular user is only allowed access to a selection of the multiple types of content that are enabled according to the authority-designated settings at the particular authority-enabled system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Wayne Brown, Kelvin Roderick Lawrence, Michael A. Paolini
  • Patent number: 7093260
    Abstract: A method, system, and program product for saving a state of a task and executing the task by processors such that following the termination of execution of the first task in a first processor, at least a portion of a state of the first task is maintained in registers of the first processor until the first processor executes a second task. Prior to executing the first task on the second processor, a determination is made as to whether the state of the first task is at least partially stored in the registers of another processor, such as the first processor. If the state of the first task is at least partially stored in the registers of the first processor, then contents of said registers in the first processor are stored into a memory system. Thereafter, the first task is executed in the second processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Scott Garfinkle, William Henry Hartner
  • Patent number: 7080220
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, processor, system, and signal-bearing medium that in an embodiment determine which page to replace in memory when the memory is full based on reference and re-reference indicators in page table entries. In an embodiment, a reference indicator in an entry is set when its associated page is accessed in memory and the reference indicator was previously clear. The re-reference indicator in an entry is set when its associated page is accessed and the reference indicator was previously set. Both the reference and re-reference indicators are cleared if their associated page is accessed and both were previously set. When a new page is accessed and the memory is full, a page in the memory is not available for replacement if both its reference and its re-reference indicators are set. Otherwise, the page is available for replacement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Andrew Dunshea, Dirk Michel
  • Patent number: 7062533
    Abstract: A method, system, and program for specifying monitored user participation in a messaging session is provided. A time status for a messaging system element is determined. The time status corresponds to a type of participation by at least one user in a messaging session. An output attribute is assigned to the messaging system element according to the time status, such that output of the messaging system element is specified to depict time status for the messaging session. A client messaging system, receiving the messaging system element with the output attribute, graphically displays the messaging system element in order to graphically reflect user participation in a messaging session.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Wayne Brown, Kelvin Roderick Lawrence, Michael A. Paolini
  • Patent number: 7046254
    Abstract: A method, system and program for displaying transparent resource aids are provided. A user interface is displayed comprising at least one displayable object within a display area controlled by a computer system. Responsive to an initiating event, a transparent resource aid is placed within the display area in association with the initiating event, such that the at least one displayable object is not obscured by the transparent resource aid. The transparency resource aid may indicate resource usage of hardware, software, and graphical characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Wayne Brown, Andrew Douglas Hately, Kelvin Roderick Lawrence, Michael A. Paolini
  • Patent number: 7039709
    Abstract: A method, system and program product for utilization within a client that provides an optimal connection between the client and a network. The method, system and program product provides a graphical user interface for receiving user selection and connection requests and a connection utility for connecting the client system with a selected server of the network. The selected server and connection route is dynamically selected from a plurality of servers in response to the receipt of a connection request, based on a determination of a best route for completing the connection request. The client is provided with multiple connection media and the determination of the best route includes a selection of the connection medium to utilize for the connection. Also, a table of connection information is stored within the client and utilized in evaluating which connection route is optimal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Bruce A. Beadle, Michael Wayne Brown, Randolph Michael Forlenza, Douglas Scott Rothert, Miguel Sang
  • Patent number: 7039676
    Abstract: The system, method, and program of the invention captures actual physical gestures made by a participant during a chat room or instant messaging session or other real time communication session between participants over a network and automatically transmits a representation of the gestures to the other participants. Image processing software analyzes successive video images, received as input from a video camera, for an actual physical gesture made by a participant. When a physical gesture is analyzed as being made, the state of the gesture is also determined. The state of the gesture identifies whether it is a first occurrence of the gesture or a subsequent occurrence. An action, and a parameter for the action, is determined for the gesture and the particular state of the gesture. A command to the API of the communication software, such as chat room software, is automatically generated which transmits a representation of the gesture to the participants through the communication software.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Don Rutledge Day, Rabindranath Dutta
  • Patent number: 7019757
    Abstract: A method, system, and program for changing the alpha levels of an application window to reflect the status of a non-interactive computing task are provided. An alpha level is determined to represent a status of a non-interactive computing task. A transparency of at least a selected portion of a displayable object associated with the non-interactive computing task is graphically adjusted according to the alpha level, such that the status of the non-interactive computing task is displayed by the associated displayable object, where one type of displayable object includes an application window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Wayne Brown, Andrew Douglas Hately, Kelvin Roderick Lawrence, Michael A. Paolini
  • Patent number: 7013423
    Abstract: A system, method, and program controls a display of pages retrieved over a network by a browser program. A predetermined minimum threshold of time for displaying a page is required before the page can be included in a browser history list that is used to satisfy “Back” and “Forward” requests from a user. For each page, if the length of time that the page is displayed is less than the minimum threshold of time, then the page, or a reference to the page, is not stored in memory in the history list. In this way, pages that merely forward or reference another page, i.e., forwarder pages, are not included in the history list. As such, a forwarder page will not be included in the sequence of pages when a “Back” function is utilized by a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: David Earl Blaschke, Scott Thomas Jones
  • Patent number: 6996783
    Abstract: A method, system and program for selectively adjusting transparency of windows within a user interface are provided. An n-level is determined within a z-order of at least one displayable object from among multiple displayable objects distributed within the z-order. A transparency level is selectively adjusted of the at least one displayable object within a user interface positioned at the n-level within the z-order, such that the transparency level of the at least one displayable object is selectively adjusted without adjusting the z-order of the displayable objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Wayne Brown, Andrew Douglas Hately, Kelvin Roderick Lawrence, Michael A. Paolini
  • Patent number: 6983461
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of operating a computer system supporting multiple processes, and the intention is to avoid deadlock (an example of which is where process A owns resource A, and is waiting on resource B, but resource B is currently owned by process B, which is waiting on resource A). The method commences with receipt of a request from a first process for access to a resource of said computer system. If the requested resource is currently unavailable because it is currently owned by another process, the system examines which processes own or are waiting for other resources on the system, in order to try to detect whether adding the first process to a queue for the requested resource would cause a deadlock situation to arise. If so, the system will typically throw an exception, or possibly return an error to the request for the resource.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Gordon Douglas Hutchison, Brian David Peacock