Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Matthew W. Baca
  • Patent number: 8332760
    Abstract: A method, system, and program are provided for dynamically mapping chat session invitation history. A chat controller for facilitating a chat session enables chat participants to invite additional users to join in the chat session. The chat controller dynamically generates a mapping of the chat participants to graphically represent a separate correspondence between each invited additional user and each inviting chat participant. The mapping is displayed within a user interface of a current participant or an invited additional user. Further, the displayed mapping is dynamically updated to reflect additional invitation history as the chat session continues.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Susann Keohane, Gerald F. McBrearty, Jessica Murillo, Johnny M. Shieh
  • Patent number: 8327368
    Abstract: A kernel of a SMT enabled processor system facilitates construction of an exclusive set of processors to simulate an ST mode for handling the tasks of the ST workload, wherein the ST workload runs more efficiently on single threaded processors. The kernel schedules the ST workload on the exclusive set of processors by selecting one hardware thread per processor within said exclusive set of processors to handle a separate one of the tasks of the ST workload, while requiring the remaining hardware threads per processor within the exclusive set to idle. As a result, the ST workload is executed on the SMT enabled processor system as if the exclusive set of processors run in ST mode, but without actually deactivating the remaining idle hardware threads per processor within the exclusive set of processors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael G. Mall, James B. Moody, Suresh E. Warrier
  • Patent number: 8327304
    Abstract: A circuit design is partitioned for hardware-accelerated functional verification using a directed hypergraph with edge weights that are a function of slack. Slack may be computed as the difference between the early and late ranks for the source of an edge. The weight may further be computed as the difference between the edge's slack and a maximum slack value. In a preferred implementation each vertex also has multiple weights associated with resource requirements of different node types, and the partitioning is constrained to prevent vertex movement that would result in vertex weights for a given partition exceeding a partition resource capacity based on the accelerator architecture. Edge and vertex weights can be recomputed for the next level of partitioning. The partitioning process can be repeatedly iteratively until a termination criterion is met, the termination criterion being based in part on the number of directed cuts in each of the partitions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael D. Moffitt, Matyas A. Sustik, Paul G. Villarrubia
  • Patent number: 8274987
    Abstract: In an interconnection network, multiple nodes are connected to one of a first layer of switches. The first layer of switches is connected to one another through a second layer of switches. Each of the nodes is connected through one of multiple shared links connecting the first layer switches and the second layer of switches. A pipelined broadcast manager schedules a hierarchical pipelined broadcast through at least one switch of the first layer switches comprising non-root nodes by selecting two nodes among the non-root nodes connected to the at least one switch and scheduling each of multiple broadcast steps for the pipelined broadcast with at least one of an inter-switch broadcast phase and an intra-switch broadcast phase using the selected two nodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Bin Jia
  • Patent number: 8266218
    Abstract: At least one filing folder is suggested for filing a particular electronic message. The suggested filing folder is graphically distinguished from the remainder of the folders in the filing system, such that selection of a folder for filing an electronic message is facilitated. A suggested folder name is attached to an electronic message before it is sent. When the electronic message is received and to be filed, the suggested folder is the one bearing the name of the suggested folder name attached to the electronic message.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Susann Marie Keohane, Gerald Francis McBrearty, Shawn Patrick Mullen, Jessica Murillo, Johnny Meng-Han Shieh
  • Patent number: 8266566
    Abstract: Spare cells are placed in an IC design using stability values associated with logic cones of the design. A desired spare cell utilization rate is assigned to a cone based on its stability value, and an actual spare cell utilization rate for the cone bounding box is calculated. If the actual utilization rate is less than the desired utilization rate, additional spare cells are inserted as needed to attain the desired utilization rate. The stability value is provided by a logic or circuit designer, or derived from historical information regarding the logic cone in a previous design iteration. Spare cells are placed for each logic cone in the design until a global spare cell utilization target is exceeded. The spare cell placement method can be an integrated part of a placement directed synthesis which is followed by early mode padding and design routing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jeremy T. Hopkins, Julie A. Rosser, Samuel I. Ward
  • Patent number: 8234612
    Abstract: Spare cells are placed in an IC design by assigning different spare utilization rates to logic cones, applying the rates to corresponding spare cell regions surrounding cells in the cones, identifying any overlap of regions from different logic cones, and inserting a spare cell at the overlapping region having the highest spare utilization rate. The best location for the spare cell is computed using a hypergraph wherein the cells are edges and the regions are nodes. Any node that is dominated by another node is removed and its edge is extended to the dominating node. The spare cell is inserted in the region having the most edges (the edges can be weighted). The process is repeated iteratively, updating the hypergraph by removing nodes connected to spare cell location, and inserting the next spare cell at a region corresponding to the node which then has the greatest number of connected edges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Benjiman L. Goodman, Nathaniel D. Hieter, Jeremy T. Hopkins, Samuel I. Ward
  • Patent number: 8234160
    Abstract: A particular consumable item, purchased by an individual for potential consumption, is detected. Separate health index values each associated with a separate one of multiple health index components are determined for consumption of the particular consumable item. At least one electronic incentive for the individual is selected based on the separate health index values matching at least one health index value requirement specified in a database of electronic incentives.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Wayne Brown, Rabindranath Dutta, Michael A. Paolini, Newton James Smith, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8205136
    Abstract: A method of handling a stuck bit in a directory of a cache memory, by defining multiple binary encodings to indicate a defective cache state, detecting an error in a tag stored in a member of the directory (wherein the tag at least includes an address field, a state field and an error-correction field), determining that the error is associated with a stuck bit of the directory member, and writing new state information to the directory member which is selected from one of the binary encodings based on a field location of the stuck bit within the directory member. The multiple binary encodings may include a first binary encoding when the stuck bit is in the address field, a second binary encoding when the stuck bit is in the state field, and a third binary encoding when the stuck bit is in the error-correction field. The new state information may also further be selected based on the value of the stuck bit, e.g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Robert H. Bell, Jr., Guy L. Guthrie, William J. Starke
  • Patent number: 8200696
    Abstract: A domain name system (DNS) resolver within a network detects a URL entry including at least a portion of a particular domain name. The DNS resolver automatically selects multiple possible domain names for at least said portion of said particular domain name, wherein each of the multiple possible domain names includes a separate one of multiple ending types available for a domain. The multiending controller directs concurrent output of a separate selectable thumbnail representation of a separate webpage accessible from each of the selection of multiple possible domain names within an interface of a browser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Susann M. Keohane, Gerald F. McBrearty, Shawn P. Mullen, Jessica Murillo, Johnny M. Shieh
  • Patent number: 8180815
    Abstract: A more efficient method of counting the number of zeros in a 4-bit value generates three output bits (q0, q1 and q2) from four input bits (a0, a1, a2 and a3) according to the logic equations q0=not(a1+a2+a3+a4), q1=not(a0+a1), q2=a1(not a0)+not(a0+a2). These output bits yield the number of non-significant (leading or trailing) zeros in the 4-bit value. The invention may be implemented in a 16-bit zero counter having four 4-bit decoders, but is applicable to any number of zero counters. The output bits from the four 4-bit decoders can be combined to yield a 5-bit count whose most significant bit is a one when all input bits from all four of the 4-bit blocks are zero. A multiplexer stage derives two outputs based on a portion of the decode bits. For wider counters, the output stage uses four AOI21 gates to merge additional decode bits from a next lower 16-bit zero counter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Aleksandr Kaplun, Huajun J. Wen
  • Patent number: 8156164
    Abstract: A method for avoiding directory conflicts across a file system having multiple nodes with one node representing a token manager. For each directory, at least one metanode responsible for directory updates. The method involving obtaining a name-based lock on a filename. Querying the token manager for a lock token. If a new token is obtained, sending a Remote Procedure Call (RPC) to the metanode to obtain matching directory entries, and caching the result of the RPC so that subsequent operations on that filename can be satisfied without additional messages sent to the metanode. Updating a cached directory block in memory by creating a new directory entry in the block or deleting an existing directory entry from the block. Information regarding the updating is sent to the metanode on one of: periodic schedule, a subsequent synchronization event, or when the name-based lock token is revoked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Owen T. Anderson, Frank B. Schmuck
  • Patent number: 8136111
    Abstract: A SMT enabled processor system, having multiple processors each activated to interleave execution of multiple hardware threads on each processor, for ST workload, includes a kernel. The kernel of the SMT enabled processor system facilitates construction of an exclusive set of processors to simulate an ST mode for handling the tasks of the ST workload, wherein the ST workload runs more efficiently on single threaded processors. The kernel schedules the ST workload on the exclusive set of processors by selecting one hardware thread per processor within said exclusive set of processors to handle a separate one of the tasks of the ST workload, while requiring the remaining hardware threads per processor within the exclusive set to idle. The ST workload is executed on the SMT enabled processor system as if the exclusive set of processors run in ST mode, but without actually removing the remaining idle hardware threads per processor within the exclusive set of processors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael G. Mall, James B. Moody, Suresh E. Warrier
  • Patent number: 8132190
    Abstract: This invention relates to a management method, more particularly by logging and replay, for software operations performed during the execution of an application process executed on a computer. The method applies in particular to internal operations sending a result datum to the managed process, and comprises the following steps: —carrying out a deterministic software processing, termed prediction function (FH), based on the state of a managed process or of the application (AOP, ASB), to provide a predict result (RP) for said operation; —comparative test to establish whether the value of the predict result (RP) corresponds or does not correspond to the value of the actual result (DR, RRJ); —performance of a complementary management depending on the result of the preceding test.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Marc Vertes
  • Patent number: 8127289
    Abstract: An operating system manages virtualized instances of hardware resources and migration enabled applications partitioned into one of multiple partitions with a separate operating system kernel running in each of the partitions. A migration event controller of the operating system manages the checkpoint and restart process during migration of a virtualized instance of at least one migration enabled application from a departure partition to an arrival partition. The migration event controller supports migration enabled applications to separately specify at least one application specific checkpoint script and restart script to be triggered by checkpoint and restart events by the migration event controller so the at least one migration enabled application can participate in performing the checkpoint and restart process for additional state information during migration of the virtualized instance from the departure partition to the arrival partition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: David J. Craft, Vinit Jain, Lance W. Russell, Srikanth Vishwanathan
  • Patent number: 8108410
    Abstract: A mechanism for determining the veracity of data in a repository. Responsive to receiving a search query from a user, a semantic network is created from the documents in the repository. A determination is made as to whether data from a first document in the semantic network conflicts with data from a second document in the semantic network. If a conflict exists, a determination is made as to whether the data from the first document is obsolete in comparison to data from the second document. If the data from the first document is obsolete in comparison to data from the second document, a portion of the first document corresponding to the obsolete data is automatically annotating with the data from the second document to form an annotated first document. A search result list is then provided to the user comprising the second document and the annotated first document.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ann Margaret Strosaker, Michael Thomas Strosaker
  • Patent number: 8104036
    Abstract: In a multiprocessor system where each processor has the capacity to executing multiple hardware threads, a processor capacity monitor calculates a logical usage percentage of each of the available hardware threads. The processor capacity monitor calculates a physical usage percentage of each of the processors by each of the available threads. The processor capacity monitor calculate a percentage usage of a total capacity of the physical processors from the logical usage percentages and the physical usage percentages, such that the percentage usage reflects the actual use of the physical processors independent of which of the threads is used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Bret Ronald Olszewski, Luc Rene Smolders, Mysore Sathyanarayana Srinivas
  • Patent number: 8086803
    Abstract: A method for managing cache elements in an environment based on Common Information Model is described. Cache elements in the cache are associated with a time attribute and historical data. Cache elements having a time attribute lying in a certain range are polled for from the server and updated at predetermined time points. A new time attribute is calculated for each cache element based on its historical data and this new time attribute assists in adapting the polling frequency for the cache element to its importance and change characteristics. Asynchronous notifications from the server preempt the polling based on the time attribute for a cache element and instead, polling for the cache element is based on the asynchronous notification. A system for cache management includes a client and a server, the client having a cache that is managed based on each cache element's importance and change characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Muthu Annamalai Muthiah, Jayesh V Rane, Sanket S Sangwikar
  • Patent number: 8086246
    Abstract: Provided are a system, program, and data structures for providing user location information with a personal information manager program. Position coordinates of a wireless device associated with a user are generated, along with time information indicating a time when the position coordinates were generated. The position coordinates and time information are processed to determine geographic locations and associated time periods. For each determined geographical location and associated time period, the user of the wireless device was located at the geographical location for the associated time period. A request is received for information on the user for a selected time interval. A determination is then made of time periods associated with geographic locations that are within the selected time interval. Information is then generated on the geographic locations and associated time periods that are within the selected time interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Wayne Brown, Rabindranath Dutta, Michael A. Paolini
  • Patent number: 8078492
    Abstract: A method, system, and program for providing consumer healthy habits incentives are provided. A consumable item, consumed by an individual, is detected. A health factor is detected for the consumable item. An electronic incentive is selected for the individual according to the health factor, such that the individual is encouraged to consume a healthy selection of consumable items. An electronic incentive may be further specified according to the individual health history, exercise history and consumption history of an individual.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Wayne Brown, Rabindranath Dutta, Michael A. Paolini, Newton James Smith, Jr.