Patents Represented by Attorney Toler Law Group
  • Patent number: 8172140
    Abstract: A method and apparatus include conductive material doped within a microchip that accumulates a detectable charge in the presence of ions. Such ions may result from a focused ion beam or other unwelcome technology exploitation effort. Circuitry sensing the charge buildup in the embedded, doped material may initiate a defensive action intended to defeat the tampering operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Gerald K Bartley, Darryl J. Becker, Todd A. Christensen, Paul E. Dahlen, Philip R. Germann, Andrew B. Maki, Mark O. Maxson, John E. Sheets, II
  • Patent number: 8175238
    Abstract: In a particular embodiment, a method of managing calls to a toll-free telephone number is disclosed. The method includes modifying a calling party identification (ID) privacy indicator associated with a received telephone call directed to a toll-free number. The calling party ID privacy indicator is modified based at least in part on a day that the telephone call is received.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, LP
    Inventors: Tuan Thai, Elizabeth Smith, Dimitris Karagiannis, Anup D. Karnalker
  • Patent number: 8176160
    Abstract: This invention relates to a network management system accelerated event channel. This invention also relates to a method and computer program product for controlling an accelerated event channel in a network management system. The network management system comprising: a probe for intercepting a system event from a monitored system and creating an event item or modifying an event item associated with the system event; a collection database server collecting, in database of event items, a new event item or modification to an existing event item; a client; a notifying means for notifying a client of the new event item or event item modification; a channel table for storing an association between a channel and a client id; and wherein the probe associates the event item with a channel and the notifying means uses the channel table to find the client association.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Chris Appleton, Kristian Stewart
  • Patent number: 8176407
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer-readable media to compare values of a bounded domain are disclosed. A particular method includes, for each value in a bounded domain, determining a corresponding set of allowable errors associated with the value. The sets of allowable errors are stored at a memory. The method includes determining a comparison score between a first value of the bounded domain and a second value of the bounded domain based on a comparison of a first set of allowable errors corresponding to the first value and a second set of allowable errors corresponding to the second value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventor: Grant Dickinson
  • Patent number: 8175253
    Abstract: A system and method for monitoring and reporting automated call-processing performance is disclosed. Initially, performance metrics can be established for normal or acceptable system performance. Performance metrics may be determined for individual components and/or a combination of components in a system, wherein the individual metric may help to provide a performance indicator for the call processing system. The performance metrics can be established by utilizing historical data gathered from past operating characteristics or operating parameters. The performance metric can be calculated from past operating characteristics and could be a statistical distribution or a statistical value. This statistical distribution will often conform to a Gaussian distribution also known as a bell curve. However, acceptable performance limits can be set based on nearly any statistical distribution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: Benjamin Anthony Knott, Robert R. Bushey, John Mills Martin
  • Patent number: 8171134
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to characterize and predict network health status are presented. A particular method of characterizing and predicting a health status of a network node includes receiving a plurality of report values associated with the network node, where each report value is one of alert and normal, and where each report value is received at a corresponding time. The method includes calculating a current report weight associated with a current report value received at a current time. When a first previous report value was received at a first previous time before the current time, the current report weight is calculated based at least partially on the current report value and at least partially on a first previous report weight associated with the first previous value. The method includes storing the current report weight at a memory device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: Min-Hsuan Chen, Li-Jin Chung, Chee Ching, David H. Lu
  • Patent number: 8170814
    Abstract: In a particular embodiment, a method is disclosed that includes receiving data related to a customer premise equipment (CPE) device and determining an impedance mismatch between a transmission line and the CPE device based on the received data. The method further includes initiating removal of a source of the impedance mismatch in response to determining the impedance mismatch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: Jin Wang, Kapil Shrikhande, Richard D. Hart, Raghvendra Savoor
  • Patent number: 8171251
    Abstract: A storage device includes a local memory, wherein data are locally stored, and a controller that is operative, in accordance with a reduction policy, to modify the data on the local memory, thereby freeing storage area on the local memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Sandisk IL Ltd.
    Inventors: Aran Ziv, Eyal Bychkov, Aryeh Mergi, Itzhak Pomerantz
  • Patent number: 8171078
    Abstract: A particular method includes receiving, via an interactive voice response unit, an audio content item during a first call. An indication of an insertion point at which to insert audio advertising in the audio content item is also received. The method further includes receiving via the interactive voice response unit an audio advertisement during a second call. The audio advertisement is automatically inserted into the audio content item at the insertion point to create a package.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: Matthew A. Rakers, David L. Dunmire, Brian M. Novack
  • Patent number: 8171310
    Abstract: A software entity on a host device attempting to access protected content in a secure memory device must be authenticated using a challenge/response authentication mechanism before the secure file system can be accessed. A file system filter determines whether requested content is protected. If the content is protected, the file system filter provides a challenge to the software entity and generates a file system filter response using the same challenge. The software entity must then send a software entity response using the challenge to the file system filter. If the file system filter determines that the software entity response matches the file system filter response, the software entity is allowed to access the protected content through a secure file system installed on the host device for the memory device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: SanDisk Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Mei Yan, Chieh-Hao Yang, Junzhi Wang, Paul McAvoy, Bahman Quwami, Farshid Sabet-Sharghi, Patricia Dwyer, Po Yuan
  • Patent number: 8171337
    Abstract: Shared storage systems and methods are provided. A particular shared storage system is a system including multiple instances of shared storage. Each of the instances of shared storage includes data and file system metadata separated from the data. The file system metadata includes location data specifying storage location information related to the data. A persistent common view is provided of local and remote files, file systems, and services in the shared storage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Marc A. Peters, Dennis L. Kuehn, David D. Bettger, Kevin A. Stone
  • Patent number: 8164283
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for capturing and using power generated by the application of an external force or by an inertial force on a vehicle control device that back-drive or forward-drive an actuator coupled to the control device. An actuator is coupled to a control device configured to apply a force related to operation of a vehicle. A bus is configured to conduct power to the actuator. An actuator control system is configured to receive power from a power source via an electrical bus and direct the power to the actuator. The actuator control system is also configured to monitor an actuator power level to determine when the actuator power level does not meet an anticipated power level. When the actuator power level exceeds the anticipated power level, the excess power generated is directed to an energy storage device. When the actuator power level is less than the anticipated power level, supplemental power is distributed from the energy storage device to the bus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: James J. Sheahan, Jr., Thomas W. Omohundro, James L. Peck, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8166498
    Abstract: A system includes a multimedia data interface to receive data representative of one or more multimedia channels and a display interface to a display device, the display interface to provide processed multimedia data. The system further includes a security control module to receive alarm sensor data associated with one or more alarm sensors and an alarm premises display module coupled to the security control module and the display interface. The alarm premises display module includes logic to provide a premises diagram for display via the display interface, wherein the premises diagram illustrates a layout of monitored premises and logic to provide a representation of an alarm status of one or more premises locations based on the alarm sensor information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventor: Edward Walter
  • Patent number: 8165281
    Abstract: A system and method of processing a call at a call center is provided. In a particular embodiment, the method includes receiving the call at the call center, receiving an indication element associated with a call center transaction, retrieving call center transaction data based on the indication element, and generating a sequence of pre-populated call center agent terminal transaction processing screens based on at least a portion of the call center transaction data. In a particular embodiment, a set of prioritized transactions based on likelihood of matching a customer request is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: Kurt M. Joseph, Theodore Pasquale, Benjamin Anthony Knott, Robert R. Bushey
  • Patent number: 8166188
    Abstract: A protocol converter includes a computer-readable storage medium that includes operational instructions that, when executed by a processor, allows communications between a first node and a second node which use different communications protocols. In a particular embodiment, the computer-readable storage medium includes operational instructions to use a first facility to receive first data from a first node, where the first data complies with a first protocol, and where the first facility supports at least one of a first link layer and a first line layer communications protocol. The computer-readable storage medium includes operational instructions that spawn a utility in response to receiving the first data. The computer-readable storage medium also includes operational instructions that use the utility to translate the first data into second data in a second protocol and that use a second facility to send the second data to a second node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: John K. Hadland
  • Patent number: 8166220
    Abstract: A dual-interface connector for providing an interface to a storage device and an interface to a host and for connecting between a storage device and a host includes a storage device interface, for connecting with a storage device, and a host interface, for connecting with a host. A controller is operable in at least two distinct modes of operation. In a first mode of operation, the controller enables a session to be opened, by the host, between the storage device and the host when the storage device is connected to the storage device interface and the host is connected to the host interface. In a second mode of operation, the controller is operative, if an open session exists between the storage device and the host, to maintain the open session between the storage device and the host even after the storage device is disconnected from the storage device interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Sandisk IL Ltd.
    Inventors: Shai Ben-Yacov, Itzhak Pomerantz, Judah Gamliel Hahn
  • Patent number: 8165116
    Abstract: A communication system includes an application server that includes logic to recognize that preference data in each of a plurality of data record entries of a subscriber record has a common value. Each data record entry includes a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI), and the subscriber record is stored in a telephone number mapping (ENUM) server. The application server also includes logic to issue a command to initiate contact concurrently with devices identified by URIs in the subscriber record via an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: Bernard Ku, Mehrad Yasrebi, Chaoxin Qiu
  • Patent number: 8166172
    Abstract: A method includes receiving at least one performance parameters from a customer premises equipment at a controller. The method includes storing the at least one performance parameter for the customer premises equipment in a line table. The method includes determining a difference between each performance parameter and a corresponding performance standard for each performance parameter entry in the line table. The method includes adjusting a customer profile for the customer premises equipment when at least one difference indicates a violation. The method also includes removing from the line table each performance parameter entry associated with the at least one difference that indicates the violation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: Carlton Ligar Brown, G. Keith Cambron
  • Patent number: 8166067
    Abstract: A storage device provides a file system to a host based on the access rights of a user determined during authentication. If the authentication does not succeed, the storage device provides to the user a file system restricted to files authorized by public access rights. If the authentication does succeed, and the user is a device owner, the storage device provides to the user the native file system. If the authentication succeeds, and the user is not a device owner, the storage device provides a file system that is restricted to files that the given user is authorized to access. Due to the internal nature of the mechanism for safeguarding files, this security measure cannot be circumvented by simply connecting the storage device to another host that does not respect the permission rules of the file system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Sandisk IL Ltd.
    Inventor: Judah Gamliel Hahn
  • Patent number: 8165600
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for providing information related to goods available for purchase in a building. The method includes establishing a plurality of boundary zones where each of the plurality of boundary zones corresponding to a physical boundary zone within a wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) network. The method also includes storing product information related to the goods available for purchase that are located within at least one boundary zone of the plurality of boundary zones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventor: Edward Walter