Patents Assigned to International Business Machine Corporations
  • Patent number: 9031858
    Abstract: A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program code for generating customized marketing messages to increase purchases by a customer. In one embodiment, an item selected by the customer is identified to form a selected item. Biometric readings for the customer are received from a set of biometric devices associated with a retail facility to form the biometric data. The biometric data is data regarding a set of physiological responses of the customer. A set of items is selected from a list of items associated with the selected item using the biometric data for the customer to form a set of promoted items. A customized marketing message for the customer is generated using a set of personalized marketing message criteria for the customer. The customized marketing message comprises a marketing message for the set of promoted items.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Robert Lee Angell, James R. Kraemer
  • Patent number: 9032002
    Abstract: A technique for serializing both logical and physical meta-model information in a single file is disclosed. In an embodiment, the logical meta-model information is serialized in an Extensible Marking Language (XML) schema compliant format, and the physical meta-model information is inserted into the logical meta-model in suitable locations such that the mappings between the logical and physical meta-models are preserved. In an embodiment, an XML “appInfo” annotation is used to carry physical meta-model information used by multiple applications and suitably placed in a nested configuration with its corresponding logical meta-model information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Stephen Michael Hanson, Suman Kumar Kalia, Matthew Colin Lovett, Evangelos Mamas, David Adiel Spriet
  • Patent number: 9029719
    Abstract: The present invention provides an integrated electro-mechanical actuator and a manufacturing method for manufacturing such an integrated electro-mechanical actuator. The integrated electro-mechanical actuator comprises an electrostatic actuator gap between actuator electrodes and an electrical contact gap between contact electrodes. An inclination with an inclination angle is provided between the actuator electrodes and the contact electrodes. The thickness of this electrical contact gap is equal to the thickness of a sacrificial layer which is etched away in a manufacturing process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Michel Despont
  • Patent number: 9031857
    Abstract: A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program code for customizing digital media marketing messages using biometric data. In one embodiment, data is received from a set of biometric devices associated with a retail facility to form the biometric data. The biometric data is associated with a given customer. The biometric data is processed to form dynamic data. The dynamic data is analyzed using a data model to identify personalize marketing message criteria for the customer. A customized marketing message is generated using the personalized marketing message criteria.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Robert Lee Angell, James R. Kraemer
  • Patent number: 9032243
    Abstract: A system, method, and computer program product for performing a bare-metal restore, the system including a target storage device, and a target computer configured to boot independent of the target storage device, expose the target storage device to a restoring computer after the target computer has booted, and act as a conduit for the restoring computer to perform a bare-metal restore of backup data onto the target storage device, and the method including booting a target computer independent of a target storage device, exposing the target storage device to a restoring computer after the target computer has booted, and causing the target computer to act as a conduit for the restoring computer to perform a bare-metal restore of backup data onto the target storage device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ami Kleinman, Dudi Lester, Eran Raichstein, Gil Sasson, Michael Sternberg, Uri Wolloch
  • Patent number: 9032175
    Abstract: A method for data migration between storage devices according to an embodiment of the invention comprises: collecting an original time domain sequence of workload parameters of a data volume in a low speed storage device; evaluating a workload period of the data volume based on the collected original time domain sequence of the workload parameters; and migrating the data in the data volume according to the evaluated workload period so that the data is located in a high speed storage device during a workload peak of the data volume. The embodiments of the invention can improve a data access speed in the storage devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Xue Dong Gao, Hai Bo Qian, Jun Wei Zhang
  • Patent number: 9032507
    Abstract: An access request authentication method, an authorization information generation method, an access request authentication system, and a hardware device. The access request authentication method includes: obtaining the current clock information; receiving a first access request, where the first access request includes a first input code; and determining whether to authorize the first access request based on the current clock information and the first input code.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Chang Jie Guo, Hongbin Lin, Peng Ji, Feng Li, Qian Ma, Lin Yang, Yu Zhang
  • Patent number: 9032034
    Abstract: A method for inserting attachments into an electronic message is provided. The method may include searching a keyword database to determine if a content of the electronic message includes a keyword, a key phrase, or a key sentence defined in the keyword database. The method may also include applying a condition to a file database, if the determination is affirmative, so as to search for at least a candidate item. The candidate item may be presented in a menu to the user. The method may further include enabling, in response to the user's confirmation of the candidate item, the confirmed candidate item to be inserted into the electronic message automatically to become an attachment thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Shen-Jai S J Liao, Bor-Ping Pan, Jenny Tsai, Jacqueline Li-Ling Yen
  • Patent number: 9032157
    Abstract: Disclosed is a computer system (100) comprising a processor unit (110) adapted to run a virtual machine in a first operating mode; a cache (120) accessible to the processor unit, said cache comprising a plurality of cache rows (1210), each cache row comprising a cache line (1214) and an image modification flag (1217) indicating a modification of said cache line caused by the running of the virtual machine; and a memory (140) accessible to the cache controller for storing an image of said virtual machine; wherein the processor unit comprises a replication manager adapted to define a log (200) in the memory prior to running the virtual machine in said first operating mode; and said cache further includes a cache controller (122) adapted to periodically check said image modification flags; write only the memory address of the flagged cache lines in the defined log and subsequently clear the image modification flags.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Sanjeev Ghai, Guy L. Guthrie, Geraint North, William J. Starke, Phillip G. Williams
  • Patent number: 9030047
    Abstract: A redundant path power subsystem comprises a plurality of phase regulators in a multi-phase power converter. The plurality of phase regulators comprises at least N+2 phase regulators. N phases are sufficient to serve an electrical load coupled with the redundant path power subsystem. The redundant path power subsystem also comprises a plurality of power supplies, and a plurality of input and control paths between the plurality of power supplies and the plurality of phase regulators. The plurality of input and control paths comprises a plurality of multiplexing logic devices and a plurality of phase controllers. The plurality of phase controllers is operable to control the plurality of phase regulators. The plurality of multiplexing logic devices is operable to multiplex control signals from the plurality of power supplies and a microprocessor for the plurality of phase controllers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel J. Barus, Kevin R. Covi, William P. Kostenko, Jack P. Lee, Peter A. Wendling
  • Publication number: 20150127767
    Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product for resolving cache lookup of large pages with variable granularity are provided in the illustrative embodiments. A number of unused bits in an available number of bits is identified. The available number of bits is configured to address a page of data in memory, wherein the page exceeding a threshold size, and the page comprising a set of parts. The unused bits are mapped to the plurality of parts such that a value of the unused bits corresponds to existence of a subset of the set of parts in a memory. A virtual address is translated to a physical address of a requested part in the set of parts. A determination is made, using the unused bits, whether the requested part exists in the memory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2013
    Publication date: May 7, 2015
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: AHMED GHEITH, Eric Van Hensbergen, James Xenidis
  • Publication number: 20150128228
    Abstract: Methods and arrangements to check for permission to record Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) messages and to respond to requests for permission are contemplated. Embodiments include transformations, code, state machines or other logic to check for permission to record VoIP messages and to respond to requests by transmitting an inquiry on permission to record a VoIP message of a participant in a VoIP call session comprising the VoIP message, receiving a response to the inquiry, determining by a processor whether the response to the inquiry grants permission to record the VoIP message, and recording the VoIP message based upon the response to the inquiry granting permission to record the VoIP message. Some embodiments may involve querying a participant in a VoIP call session comprising a VoIP message for permission to record the VoIP message through a user interface mechanism for checking for permission to record VoIP messages.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2015
    Publication date: May 7, 2015
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Viktors Berstis, Randolph M. Forlenza
  • Publication number: 20150128034
    Abstract: A method of case management includes receiving a plurality of previously executed case instances, receiving a selection of current case attributes and at least one candidate case outcome during runtime of a currently executing case instance, and generating a visual representation of case distributions using the previously executed case instances. The visual representation depicts a correlation between the current case attributes and the at least one candidate case outcome, and is generated using analytics applied to the plurality of previously executed case instances.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2014
    Publication date: May 7, 2015
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: FRANCISCO CURBERA, Matthew J. Duftler, Geetika T. Lakshmanan, Nirmal K. Mukhi, Szabolcs Rozsnyai, Aleksander A. Slominski
  • Publication number: 20150124812
    Abstract: A mechanism is provided in a logically centralized controller for dynamic multipath forwarding in a software defined network. The mechanism identifies a set of multiple forwarding paths for a flow. The mechanism assigns a virtual destination address for each multiple forwarding path in the set of multiple forwarding paths. The mechanism installs virtual destination address based forwarding rules in switches for each multiple forwarding path and installs rewriting rules in an egress switch for all paths in the set of multiple forwarding paths. Each rewriting rule rewrites one of the virtual destination address to the real destination address. The mechanism configures an ingress switch to dynamically select a path from the set of multiple forwarding paths based on a multipath policy and rewrite the destination address from the real destination address to a virtual destination address corresponding to the selected path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2013
    Publication date: May 7, 2015
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Kanak B. Agarwal, John B. Carter, Colin K. Dixon
  • Publication number: 20150127631
    Abstract: Recommending problem resolution knowledge, in one aspect, may comprise determining a given product information associated with a product by searching an information network. The given product information may comprise a type of the given product, one or more features associated with the given product, and temporal information associated with the given product. One or more related products may be retrieved from the knowledge base. Related product information associated with each of the one or more related products may be determined, e.g., by searching the information network. At least one related product is selected that has the related product information that most closely matches the given product information. A dialog network from the knowledge base associated with the at least one related product is presented for the problem resolution of the given product.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2013
    Publication date: May 7, 2015
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Rangachari Anand, Juhnyoung Lee, Rong Liu, Kohtaroh Miyamoto
  • Publication number: 20150127807
    Abstract: A method for modeling dependencies in a computing system including a plurality of resources, the method includes monitoring data communications made between the resources of the plurality of resources; modeling dependencies, at least among and between the resources, based, at least in part, upon the monitored data communications; and generating a set of topology graph(s), including at least a first topology graph, based upon the modeled dependencies.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2013
    Publication date: May 7, 2015
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ashish Billore, Divya K. Konoor, Nanjangud C. Narendra
  • Publication number: 20150127808
    Abstract: A streams manager monitors performance of a streaming application, and when the performance needs to be improved, the streams manager automatically requests virtual machines from a cloud manager. The streams manager specifies to the cloud manager streams infrastructure and one or more streams application components for the virtual machines. The cloud manager provisions one or more virtual machines in a cloud with the specified streams infrastructure and streams application components. The streams manager then modifies the flow graph so one or more portions of the streaming application are hosted by the virtual machines in the cloud.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2013
    Publication date: May 7, 2015
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Lance Bragstad, Michael J. Branson, Bin Cao, James E. Carey, Mathew R. Odden
  • Publication number: 20150127784
    Abstract: Embodiments herein provide for a method of dynamically converting servers and a computer and storage readable medium configured to do the same. In the method a first server enters a server conversion while a second server performs one or more network services. A current physical hardware configuration and logical hardware configuration of a first server and a second server is verified. Possible conversions are calculated of one or more valid logical hardware configurations and one or more valid physical hardware configurations based on the current hardware configurations of the first server and the second server. A valid physical hardware configuration is selected for both servers from the calculated possible conversions. The physical hardware is updated for the conversion of the physical hardware configuration of the first server. The current logical configuration of the first server converts to a valid logical hardware configuration based on the calculated possible conversions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2013
    Publication date: May 7, 2015
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ya-Huey Juan, Brian C. Kraemer, Michael N. Nguyen, Jing Peng, Tracy N. Waller
  • Publication number: 20150127913
    Abstract: For a plurality of input/output (I/O) operations waiting to assemble complete data tracks from data segments, a process, separate from a process responsible for the data assembly into the complete data tracks, is initiated for waking a predetermined number of the waiting I/O operations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2014
    Publication date: May 7, 2015
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kevin J. ASH, Michael T. BENHASE, Lokesh M. GUPTA, David B. WHITWORTH
  • Publication number: 20150127492
    Abstract: A method for managing an electronic purchase of items. Multiple modes of fulfillment are identified for the items of the electronic purchase. A schedule for the multiple modes of fulfillment is also identified. Payment is received for the electronic purchase. Responsive to receiving the payment, the electronic purchase of the items is processed based on the schedule.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2013
    Publication date: May 7, 2015
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Chandrasekhar Narayanaswami, Ram Sangireddy