Patents Assigned to International Business Machine Corporation
  • Patent number: 8856348
    Abstract: An on-demand network connection for a remote user is provided. Responsive to a failure to receive an electronic communication via an established network connection, a remote user device receives a connection request that indicates that the on-demand network connection is to be established. Responsive to receiving the connection request, the on-demand network connection is established from the remote user device to a network. Then, the electronic communication is received on the remote user device via the on-demand network connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Sandro Piccinini, Luigi Pichetti, Marco Secchi, Stefano Sidoti
  • Patent number: 8856490
    Abstract: A system and method for accessing memory are provided. The system comprises a lookup buffer for storing one or more page table entries, wherein each of the one or more page table entries comprises at least a virtual page number and a physical page number; a logic circuit for receiving a virtual address from said processor, said logic circuit for matching the virtual address to the virtual page number in one of the page table entries to select the physical page number in the same page table entry, said page table entry having one or more bits set to exclude a memory range from a page.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Dong Chen, Alan Gara, Mark E. Giampapa, Philip Heidelberger, Jon K. Kriegel, Martin Ohmacht, Burkhard Steinmacher-Burow
  • Patent number: 8856144
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for configuring an identity resolution system to support distinct relevance types. Identity records are accessed that are assigned relevance scores of distinct relevance types. Upon determining that the identity records refer to a common individual, the identity records are resolved into an entity representing the common individual. Relevance scores of the distinct relevance types are then determined for the entity, based on the identity records.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas B. Allen, Barry M. Caceres
  • Patent number: 8855957
    Abstract: Described are embodiments to ensure that the equipment utilized to detect antigens is reliable and accurate. If it is determined that a read sensor is degraded a method of calibrating a read sensor of a read head is described. In one embodiment, a method of calibrating a magnetic read sensor includes measuring a first resistance of the magnetic read sensor upon an application of a forward bias current to the magnetic read sensor and measuring a second resistance of the magnetic read sensor upon an application of a reverse bias current to the magnetic read sensor. A calibration constant is determined based on at least the first measured resistance and the second measured resistance. In one embodiment the method further includes storing the determined calibration constant for the magnetic read sensor in memory. Further, in one embodiment the head module having the magnetic read sensor is swept over at least one nanoparticle to obtain a read response of the magnetic read sensor to the nanoparticle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: David Berman, Dylan Joseph Boday, Icko E. T. Iben, Wayne Isami Imaino, Stephen Leonard Schwartz, Anna Wanda Topol, Daniel James Winarski
  • Patent number: 8856194
    Abstract: A method and system for garbage collection in a virtualization environment. The virtualization environment includes a virtual machine hypervisor, at least one guest operating system, and at least one application program that runs on each guest operating system. The application program performs memory management using a garbage collection mechanism. The method includes, in response to an operating environment of the application program initiating garbage collection, the garbage collector requesting the guest operating system to assign a memory space and in response, the guest operating system assigns the memory space to the garbage collector. Then garbage collector marks live objects in an original memory space of the application program, and replicates the marked live objects to the assigned memory space. Finally, the garbage collector releases the original memory space of the application program to the guest operating system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ying Chen, Li Li, Liang Liu, Rui Xiong Tian, Hao Wong, Qing Bo Wang
  • Patent number: 8856943
    Abstract: An approach is provided to secure security questions by checking posts directed at a social network. In the approach, requested post is received from one of the social network users. The content of the requested post is compared to previously established security questions and corresponding security answers, either established by the user or by another user. The requested post is allowed when the comparison reveals that the content does not compromise one of the previously established security questions and corresponding security answers. However, the requested post is rejected if the comparison reveals that the content compromises one of the previously established security questions and corresponding security answers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Bernadette Alexia Carter, Al Chakra, Lori Debra Landesman
  • Patent number: 8854230
    Abstract: Reducing traffic signal obstruction, through reproducing the contents of traffic signals, so the driver of a small vehicle blocked by a big vehicle also can be aware of the contents of traffic signals indicated by an obstructed traffic signal indicator. The system of reproducing traffic signals on a vehicle includes: a signal receiver, configured to receive the contents of traffic signals, wherein the contents of traffic signals is indicated by at least one traffic signal indicator; a signal processor, configured to determine whether to reproduce the received contents of traffic signals; and a reproducer, configured to reproduce the contents of traffic signals if it is determined to do so by the signal processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ying Chen, Rong Yao Fu, Qian Ma, Hao Wang, Yue Da Xiong, Yuan Yuan
  • Patent number: 8856450
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a system includes a virtual tape library having a cache, a virtual tape controller (VTC) coupled to the virtual tape library, and an interface for coupling at least one host to the VTC. The cache is shared by all the hosts, and a common view of a cache state, a virtual library state, and a number of write requests pending is provided to all the hosts by the VTC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ralph T. Beeston, Erika M. Dawson, Duke A. Lee, David Luciani, Joel K. Lyman
  • Patent number: 8855401
    Abstract: A method for measuring a dimension of a device includes receiving an image of a portion of the device, receiving a first offset value and a second offset value, processing the image to define a least one graph of a line of pixels, the at least one graph including the brightness level of each pixel in a line of pixels, identifying a location of a first peak and a second peak in the graph, defining a first exclusion area boundary, defining a second exclusion area boundary, setting the brightness level of the pixels between the first exclusion area boundary and the second exclusion area boundary to zero, identifying a first portion of the feature of interest and a second portion of the feature of interest, and measuring a distance between the first portion of the feature of interest and the second portion of the feature of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Charles N. Archie, Anastasios A. Katsetos, Eric P. Solecky, Georgios A. Vakas
  • Patent number: 8856061
    Abstract: A method for adjusting a user's experience of a controllable event including determining a user somatic state, using a computer device, from user sensor data collected from at least one physiological sensor; determining a user cognitive state, using the computer device, from user experience data collected from the user; determining a user experience model, using the computer device, from the user somatic state and the user cognitive state; correlating, using the computer device, at least one user hypothesis with the user experience model; and adjusting the controllable event, using the computer device, based upon the at least one user hypothesis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Aaron K. Baughman, Jennifer R. Mahle, Peter K. Malkin, Russell R. Vane, III
  • Patent number: 8856303
    Abstract: A resource requirements method and system is provided. The method includes identifying dependencies and calculating a utilization value for a source server. The source server is mapped to an application and a source infrastructure is compared to a target infrastructure. Deficiencies and differences associated with the target infrastructure are determined and dependency requirements for fulfillment in the target infrastructure are generated. The utilization value is compared to a resource capability of the target server and resource requirements for fulfillment on the target server are generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Vishal Anand
  • Patent number: 8856070
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, system and computer program product for consistent replication of transactional updates. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for consistent replication of data in a transaction processing system is provided. The method includes recording entries in a replication log of different data updates and corresponding transactions and additionally recording entries in the replication log indicating whether or not the transactions have been backed out. The method also includes replicating only those data updates referenced in the log which do not correspond to transactions indicated in the log to have been backed out. For instance the additionally recorded entries in the replication log indicate when a transaction has been backed out. Alternatively, the additionally recorded entries in the replication log indicate when a transaction has been committed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Paul M. Cadarette, Martin W. Cocks, Robert D. Love, John S. Tilling
  • Patent number: 8856720
    Abstract: A method of locating faulty logic on a semiconductor chip is disclosed. The method may include determining failure rates for the semiconductor chip, which contain one or more logic elements. The method also may include determining a masking pattern using failure rates. The masking pattern may mask less than all of the logic elements using a determination method. The method may also include applying a test vector to a selected logic element, wherein the result from a test vector is compared to a reference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Steven M. Douskey, Ryan A. Fitch, Michael J. Hamilton, Amanda R. Kaufer
  • Patent number: 8853529
    Abstract: Solar cell structures include stacked layers in reverse order on a germanium substrate wherein a n++ (In)GaAs buffer layer plays dual roles as buffer and contact layers in the inverted structures. The absorbing layers employed in such exemplary structures are III-V layers such as (In)GaAs. Controlled spalling may be employed as part of the fabrication process for the solar cell structures, which may be single or multi-junction. The requirement for etching a buffer layer is eliminated, thereby facilitating the manufacturing process of devices using the disclosed structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Stephen W. Bedell, Cheng-Wei Cheng, Bahman Hekmatshoartabari, Ning Li, Devendra K. Sadana, Davood Shahrjerdi
  • Patent number: 8856034
    Abstract: An error condition can be detected at a first point-of-sale (POS) system during a transaction for a customer. The first POS system is a self-service POS system. Responsive to the error condition, the transaction can be transferred to a second POS system using a processor without human intervention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Subil M. Abraham
  • Patent number: 8853790
    Abstract: An integrated circuit apparatus is provided and includes first and second silicon-on-insulator (SOI) pads formed on an insulator substrate, each of the first and second SOI pads including an active area formed thereon, a nanowire suspended between the first and second SOI pads over the insulator substrate, one or more field effect transistors (FETs) operably disposed along the nanowire and a planar device operably disposed on at least one of the respective active areas formed on each of the first and second SOI pads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Josephine B. Chang, Michael A. Guillorn, Isaac Lauer, Jeffrey W. Sleight
  • Patent number: 8856412
    Abstract: A method and a system are provided for displaying information on a hard disk drive assembly. The hard disk drive assembly includes a hard disk drive which further comprises a driver circuit coupled to a display and a display memory. The driver circuit activates the display mounted on the hard disk drive assembly. In response to the activation of the display the driver circuit obtains information from the display memory of the hard disk drive. The driver circuit displays at least a portion of the information obtained from the display memory on the display mounted on the hard disk drive assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Nils Haustein, Craig Anthony Klein, Daniel James Winarski
  • Patent number: 8856462
    Abstract: A system, method and computer program product for seismic imaging implements a seismic imaging algorithm utilizing Reverse Time Migration technique requiring large communication bandwidth and low latency to convert a parallel problem into one solved using massive domain partitioning. Since in RTM, both the forward and reverse wave propagation is iteratively calculated on time step increments, the method implements methods that includes partitioning memory between computation and intermediate results to optimize an RTM computation. The methods make maximum use of the memory to either eliminate storing the snapshot wavefield data to disk, or hide all or a significant portion of the disk I/O time. Furthermore, the schemes can provide the flexibility to vary a number of iterations (step size) for each snapshot to be kept in the memory. If any of the given conditions changes during the process, maximum usage of the available memory is ensured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Ligang Lu
  • Patent number: 8855998
    Abstract: Provided are techniques for parsing a name. A name to be parsed is received. A culture of the name is identified. One or more name phrases from the name are identified. Statistics for the one or more name phrases are identified. It is determined whether to perform a first parsing technique that parses different types of name elements within at least one field of the name. In response to determining that the first parsing technique is to be performed, the name is parsed using the statistics and the first parsing technique. In response to determining that the first parsing technique is not to be performed, the name is parsed using the statistics and a second parsing technique.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Richard T. Gillam, Frankie E. Patman Maguire, Leonard A. Shaefer, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8855963
    Abstract: A system, and computer usable program product for discovering thermal relationships in a data processing environment are provided in the illustrative embodiments. An output temperature of a cooling unit operating in the data processing environment is changed from a previous output temperature to a new output temperature. The difference between the previous and the new output temperatures is a change in the output temperature. A change in an ambient temperature proximate to a data processing system is measured. The change in the ambient temperature is a difference between a previous ambient temperature and a new ambient temperature. An expression that represents a relationship between the change in the output temperature and corresponding change in the ambient temperature is determined. The expression is used to determine a cooling correspondence between the cooling unit and the data processing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Todd Dickson Gatts, Denilson Nastacio, Preethi C Mohan