Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Matthew W. Baca
  • Patent number: 7921081
    Abstract: In one embodiment, at least one snapshot thread manages a point in time snapshot of a file system stored within the space allocated to the file system. The snapshot thread tracks, for at least one block of the plurality of blocks of the file system, a separate entry in a snapshot map specifying if each at least one block is newly allocated following the creation of the point in time snapshot and specifying an addressed location of a snapshot copy of the at least one block if copied. Separately, a file system handling thread tracks a mapping of an allocation state of each of said plurality of blocks of the file system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Janet E. Adkins, Joon Chang
  • Patent number: 7912913
    Abstract: A method, system, and program for facilitating presentation and monitoring of electronic mail messages with reply by constraints are provided. Within a network environment, a server receives electronic mail messages with separate selected reply by dates, wherein each electronic mail message is addressed for delivery by the server to at least one particular recipient. The server enables, for display within a user interface accessible to the particular recipient, a separate record for each electronic mail message within an inbox. The inbox include at least one selectable sublevel, wherein upon selection of the particular selectable sublevel of the inbox, only a selection of records for electronic mail messages with a same reply by date as the selectable sublevel are displayed within the user interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jos M. Accapadi, Andrew Dunshea
  • Patent number: 7904564
    Abstract: A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program code for providing access to block storage. A source virtual input/output server is retrieved, parameters are used by the source virtual input/output server to provide a client access to the block storage when the client is located on a first logical partitioned data processing system with the source virtual input/output server, wherein the client accesses the block storage through the source virtual input/output server. Access for the client to the block storage is migrated to a target virtual input/output server located on a second logical partitioned data processing system using the parameters, wherein the parameters are used on the target virtual input/output server to provide the client access to the block storage when the client is migrated to the second data processing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: James A. Pafumi, Dac D. Nguyen
  • Patent number: 7890727
    Abstract: A processing unit includes an authority check for controlling access by the processing unit to pages of memory according to whether a hardware protection key set currently loaded in an authority mask register allows access to the pages. In particular, each page of memory is assigned a page key number that indexes into the hardware protection key set. The currently loaded hardware protection key set specifies those page key numbers that are currently accessible to the processing unit for the execution context. Each hardware key within the hardware protection key set is associated with a particular data object or group of data objects. Thus, effectively, the currently loaded hardware protection key set identifies which data objects or groups of data objects are currently accessible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas S. Mathews, Bruce Mealey, Pratap Chandra Pattnaik, Ravi A. Shankar
  • Patent number: 7890603
    Abstract: A system, apparatus and method of performing e-mail message searches across multiple mailboxes are provided. The system, apparatus and method perform the e-mail message searches across multiple mailboxes by launching a search feature of a currently accessed mailbox where at least one search term for a search is entered. Then, if multiple mailboxes are to be simultaneously searched, each mailbox is identified. The mailboxes are identified by their address, the username and password that are used to access them. Each mailbox is then accessed using the provided address, username and password. After accessing the mailbox, its search feature is launched and the search criteria passed to each launched search feature in order to perform the search. The mailboxes may be further identified by a particular name.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Susann Marie Keohane, Gerald Francis McBrearty, Shawn Patrick Mullen, Jessica Kelley Murillo, Johnny Meng-Han Shieh
  • Patent number: 7890766
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method, apparatus, and computer instructions for warning of a presence of a person in a zone having an inadequate security clearance. Movement of the person in the zone is detected. A message is broadcast to selected data processing systems associated with the zone, wherein the data processing systems initiate actions to protect data in the selected data processing systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Janice Marie Girouard, Mark Joseph Hamzy, Emily Jane Ratliff
  • Patent number: 7886312
    Abstract: A computer program product having code for invoking remote objects in a data processing system including generating a serialized byte stream containing the remote object and its arguments, responsive to executing a remote object call. The serialized byte stream is sent to a server containing the object. Responsive to receiving a second serialized byte stream containing a result produced by the remote object and determining the presence of a second remote object, in the second byte stream, for which no reference can be found, using information contained in second serialized byte stream to determine the class type of the second remote object. A proxy compatible with the second remote object's class type, if not already existing, is automatically generated and compiled on the client or, if the proxy does exist, is loaded at run time to call the second remote object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Scott J Broussard, Ying Liu, Eduardo N Spring
  • Patent number: 7885412
    Abstract: Generic session keys are pre-generated and stored in a pool of session keys for later use in communicating within a communications environment. The session keys that are stored in the pool are pre-encrypted with the private key of the entity storing those keys. To communicate between entities, a pre-encrypted session key is extracted from the pool and then further encrypted with the destination entity's public key to ensure data integrity and data confidentiality. The encrypted key is then forwarded to the destination entity and used during communications between the two entities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher V. DeRobertis, Robert R. Gensler, Jr., Serban C. Maerean
  • Patent number: 7882183
    Abstract: A method, system, and program are provided for managing a response to an email by a hidden email recipient. A hidden recipient manager detects a request to respond to an electronic communication by a hidden recipient of that electronic communication from among a plurality of recipients of the electronic communication. The hidden recipient detects whether the request to respond is addressed to at least one recipient other than a sender of the electronic communication. If the request to respond is addressed to at least one recipient other than a sender of the electronic communication, then the hidden recipient manager warns the hidden recipient that the request to respond is addressed to at least one recipient who is unaware of the recipient of the electronic communication by the hidden recipient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: David J. Craft, Vinit Jain, Rajeev Mishra, Lance W. Russell
  • Patent number: 7881710
    Abstract: A portable communication device detects a current speed of travel of the portable communication device independent of any vehicle temporarily transporting the portable communication device. A speed based setting controller of the portable communication device compares the current speed to at least one threshold value set at the portable communication device. Responsive to the current speed exceeding the threshold value, the speed based setting controller automatically assigns a separate speed based setting to a current setting for each feature assigned to the threshold value, wherein each current setting for each feature designates the operability of that feature within the portable communication device, such that the current setting for each feature adjusts with a speed of travel as detected by the portable communication device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Susann M. Keohane, Gerald F. McBrearty, Shawn P. Mullen, Johnny M. Shieh
  • Patent number: 7873259
    Abstract: A recording system receives a broadcast signal from at least one service provider. An offset controller of the recording system samples a portion of the current broadcast signal on a particular channel over a particular interval of time. The offset controller then compares the sampled portion with a selection of features anticipated to be broadcast during the particular interval of time. Next, if the offset controller detects that a particular feature from among the selection of features matches within the portion of the current broadcast signal, then the offset controller calculates an offset time from a difference between an expected time for broadcast of the particular feature and an actual time of broadcast. The recording time for a program to be recorded is initially set to the start time and end time from a predetermined broadcast schedule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Mark J. Hamzy, Johnny M. Shieh
  • Patent number: 7844354
    Abstract: A scroll-based volume controller detects a user selection to scroll through a browser window loaded with data comprising at least one display element, wherein an audio element is associated with the display element and wherein the size of the displayable data is larger than the display area of the browser window. The scroll-based volume controller, responsive to detecting the user selection to scroll through the browser window, calculates a change in position of the display element relative to the browser window. The audio element may include an audio file that is downloaded or streamed to the browser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Susann Keohane, Gerald F. McBrearty, Shawn P. Mullen, Jessica Murillo, Johnny M. Shieh
  • Patent number: 7840643
    Abstract: A method is provided for transferring data between first and second nodes of a network. Such method includes requesting first data to be transferred by a first upper layer protocol (ULP) operating on the first node of the network; and buffering second data for transfer to the second node by a lower protocol layer lower than the first ULP, the second data including an integral number of standard size units of data including the first data. The method further includes posting the second data to the network for delivery to the second node; receiving the second data at the second node; and from the received data, delivering the first data to a second ULP operating on the second node. The method is of particular application when transferring the data in unit size is faster than transferring the data in other than unit size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Rama K. Govindaraju, Chulho Kim, Hanhong Xue
  • Patent number: 7831469
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for verifying the audio output at a client device are provided. With the apparatus and method, when a user requests access to resources, a profile for the user is retrieved and used to determine whether the user is to be presented with audio advertisements. If so, a test audio advertisement is sent to the client device. An agent application on the client device outputs the audio advertisement, via a speaker, to the user and records the audio that is being output by the speaker using a microphone or other recording device. The recording of the audio output is then sent back to the server that sent the original test audio advertisement for comparison. The server then compares the recording of the audio output to the original test audio advertisement. If the recording matches the original test audio advertisement, access to the resources is granted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Dharmesh Bhakta, Juan F. Obas
  • Patent number: 7818576
    Abstract: A method, system, and program for user controlled anonymity when evaluating into a role are provided. An anonymous authentication controller enables a user to control anonymity of the user's identity for role based network accesses to resources, without requiring reliance on any single third party to maintain user anonymity. First, a role authentication certificate is received from a role authenticator, wherein the role authentication certificate certifies that the holder of the role authentication certificate is a member of a particular role without allowing the role authenticator issuing the role authentication certificate the ability to track an identity of a user holding the role authentication certificate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Austin Halcrow, Dustin C Kirkland, Emily Jane Ratliff
  • Patent number: 7813482
    Abstract: A method, system, and program provide for voice mail management. A voice mail filtering controller calculates a separate Bayesian score for each voice mail message from among multiple voice mail message entries received into a voice mailbox for a user, wherein each separate Bayesian score indicates a probability that the associated voice mail message is unwanted by said user. During playback, the voice mail filtering controller automatically deletes a selection of the voice mail messages each with a separate Bayesian score greater than a particular Bayesian score of the last played voice mail message from the voice mailbox.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Janice M. Girouard, Dustin Kirkland, Emily J. Ratliff, Kimberly D. Simon
  • Patent number: 7814130
    Abstract: A method, system, and program for efficient parallel bitwise sweeps of larger objects during garbage collection are provided. During a bitwise sweep, a helper thread scans a mark vector looking for a consecutive sequence of unmarked bits of a sufficient length following a marked bit. Once a consecutive sequence of unmarked bits of a sufficient length following a marked bit is detected, the helper thread fetches the size of a marked object corresponding to the marked bit. If the size of the marked object exceeds a size represented by the consecutive sequence of unmarked bits, the remainder of the bits representing the marked object are skipped, such that once a marked object is identified as potentially exceeding an object fetch threshold the helper thread efficiently skips the remainder of the bits represents the marked object and continues scanning for a number of consecutive zeroes indicating free space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Geoffrey Owen Blandy
  • Patent number: 7804780
    Abstract: The present invention provides receiving and transmitting devices for providing fragmentation at a transport level along a transmission path. The transmitting device comprises an interface and a control unit coupled to the interface. The control unit is adapted to negotiate a packet size with a remote device. The control unit is also adapted to transmit a data packet of up to the negotiated size. The control unit is further adapted to receive acknowledgments from the remote device associated with one or more fragments, fragmented at the transport-level, of the transmitted data packet. The receiving device comprises an interface and a control unit coupled to the interface. The control unit is adapted to receive two or more fragments of a data packet transmitted by a remote device. The control unit is also adapted to transmit one or more acknowledgments to the remote device based on the received fragments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Kavitha V. M. Baratakke, Vinit Jain, Kiet H. Lam, Venkat Venkatsubra
  • Patent number: 7792995
    Abstract: A NAT data processing system is located behind a NAT enabled network with a NAT device as a gateway to the NAT enabled network. A client system located outside the NAT enabled network queries the NAT device for the address of the NAT data processing system located behind the NAT enabled network. The query is automatically routed through the NAT device to a DNS server. The DNS server then returns an address for the NAT data processing system and source routing for the NAT device. The NAT device forwards the address and source routing to the client system. Then, the client system sends packets to the NAT data processing system at the address with source routing through the NAT device, such that the NAT data processing system behind the NAT enabled network is directly accessed by the client system from outside the NAT enabled network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Dwip N Banerjee, Vinit Jain, Vasu Vallabhaneni
  • Patent number: 7788552
    Abstract: A multi-chip module (MCM) assembly has two modules interconnected by respective interposers and a printed circuit board, and diagnostic logic within the modules uses the principal of signal reflection to located any open fault in the circuit path across the interposers. A first test signal is sent from module to the other and a determination is made as to whether any reflected signal represents an open fault of the circuit path at either of the interposers. If a reflected signal is received during a predetermined time, the diagnostic logic concludes that a single open fault exists only at the far interposer. If no reflected signal is received then the diagnostic logic concludes that there is at least one open fault at the near interposer, and the second module runs a similar test to check to see if both interposers have failures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ghadir R. Gholami, Mark D. McLaughlin, Jorge N. Yanez