Patents Assigned to International Business Machine Corporations
  • Patent number: 9026523
    Abstract: A method is provided for constructing a cache for storing results of previously evaluated queries in a binary tree based on a cache key. The cache is searched, by a processing device, for a node representing a set of previously evaluated queries that match a given record using an instance of the cache key. In response to finding a representative node that matches the instance of the cache key, the method performs processing associated with the set of previously evaluated queries. In response to finding no representative nodes, the method creates a new node using the instance of the cache key. The method of the invention then updates the cache by classifying the compatibility of newly registered queries with the cache key and evaluating whether compatible newly registered queries match the record.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Alexei L. Pytel, Kevin J. Kathmann, Steven J. Simonson, Thomas J. Wasik
  • Patent number: 9026458
    Abstract: A method, system and program product for brokering advertising of products and services in a virtual world. The method includes accepting subscriptions from advertisers willing to pay for advertising products and services on a persona associated with a virtual space belonging to a virtual world user, creating a user profile based on specified likes/dislikes and establishing whether a user is willing to display advertising on their persona in the virtual world in exchange for receiving a benefit. Further, the method includes displaying advertisements on the persona, such that, the one or more advertisements displayed on the persona dynamically changes based on a viewing user viewing the persona of the advertising user, the one or more advertisements displayed to the viewing user being based on a viewing user profile, such that, the advertisements displayed on the persona varies simultaneously in real time mode from one viewing user to another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Robert D. Blatchley, Jurij M. Deputat, Donald P. Taylor, III, Stephen E. Zimmermann
  • Patent number: 9023697
    Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor structure includes growing an epitaxial doped layer over an exposed portion of a plurality of fins. The epitaxial doped layer combines the exposed portion of the fins to form a merged source and drain region. An implantation process occurs in the fins through the epitaxial doped layer to change the crystal lattice of the fins to form amorphized fins. A nitride layer is deposited over the semiconductor structure. The nitride layer covers the merged source and drain regions. A thermal treatment is performed in the semiconductor structure to re-crystallize the amorphized fins to form re-crystallized fins. The re-crystallized fins, the epitaxial doped layer and the nitride layer form a strained source and drain region which induces stress to a channel region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Kevin K. Chan, Dae-Gyu Park, Xinhui Wang, Yun-Yu Wang, Min Yang, Qi Zhang
  • Patent number: 9027093
    Abstract: A method, system and computer program for business process automation facilitates transforming a user's identity/credentials as part of the enablement of transaction fulfillment, e.g., within a SOA environment. In one embodiment, identity and attribute information is added to one or more business process models that each represents a sub-transaction within an overall transaction fulfillment business process flow. As the business model is mapped to an execution environment, the identity and attribute information in the model is used to configure appropriate tooling to define the identity/attribute transformation required to complete the particular portion of the transaction represented by the model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Heather Maria Hinton, Venkat Raghavan, Sridhar R. Muppidi, Casey M. Plunkett
  • Patent number: 9021864
    Abstract: A mechanism is provided for sensing molecules. A twin-nanopore probe includes a first channel and a second channel. A first pressure-controlled reservoir is connected to the first channel to generate a positive pressure. A second pressure-controlled reservoir is connected to the second channel to generate a negative pressure. A container includes ionic solvent with molecules, and a tip of the twin-nanopore probe is submerged in the container of the ionic fluid with the molecules. The first channel, the second channel, the first pressure-controlled reservoir, and the second pressure-controlled reservoir are filled with the ionic fluid. The first pressure-controlled reservoir drives the ionic fluid out of the first channel and the second pressure-controlled reservoir draws in the ionic fluid with the molecules and solvent through the second channel. A change in magnitude of ionic current through the second nanopore of twin-nanopore probe is detected when molecules pass through the second nanopore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Hongbo Peng
  • Patent number: 9026916
    Abstract: A method for managing user-generated questions and answers across multiple social media data sources can begin with the receiving of query parameters, including a user-entered question, via the user interface of a social media Q&A manage. Social media data sources can be queried for knowledge related to the user-entered question. When knowledge related to the user-entered question exists, the existing related knowledge can be organized and presented in the user interface according to a determined answer quality. When knowledge related to the user-entered question does not exist or is deemed unsatisfactory by a user, the user-entered question can be automatically submitted to applicable social media data sources by the social media Q&A manager on behalf of the user. A status of the submitted user-entered question can be monitored. When the status of the submitted user-entered question changes, the method can be re-executed at the querying step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Rose Catherine Kanjirathinkal, Srujana Merugu, Amit K. Singh, Karthik Visweswariah
  • Patent number: 9026730
    Abstract: Embodiments relate to a method for data management. An aspect includes a method for assigning storage types to data based on access frequency. Past or historical data associated with current data usage is also considered prior to assignment. Once data frequency access is determined, the current data is assigned to a first tier of a plurality of hierarchical ordered tiers, each tier corresponding to at least one class of storage. In one embodiment, there may be a condition that overrides the assignment with option to override it. The tier assignment may also be preserved the tier so that the current data can be appropriately assigned in the future.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: David D. Chambliss, Chiahong Chen, Lawrence Y. Chiu, Yu-Cheng Hsu, James A. Ruddy, Harry M. Yudenfriend
  • Patent number: 9026561
    Abstract: In a method for reporting data loaded to a database that does not adhere to referential constraints of the database that are not enforced, a computer receives a file of Data Definition Language (DDL) statements for creating a database. The computer identifies statements from the DDL statements that comprise text indicating the statements are referential constraints that are not to be enforced. The computer converts indentified statements to create view statements. The computer generates a file comprising the create view statements. Create view statements are used to generate database views during database build. The computer generates a file, comprising the received DDL statements without the statements that comprise the text indicating the one or more DDL statements are referential constraints not to be enforced in the database. The computer, responsive to new data being loaded to the database, creates a report comprising data from the database views.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Kathleen F. Hills, Thomas Kersjes, Mark A. Musa, Fu-Chen Pan
  • Patent number: 9026600
    Abstract: An approach for unfiltering a filtered electronic communication is provided. In one aspect, a computer system receives filtered electronic communication, wherein the filtered electronic communication is a status message. Moreover, the computer system determines a requestor of the filtered electronic communication. The computer system also detects an attempt made to communicate with the requestor. Furthermore, the computer system unfilters, in response to the attempt, the filtered electronic communication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Al Chakra, Michael S. Thomason, Tong Yu
  • Patent number: 9022227
    Abstract: A polymeric membrane includes an active layer over a support, wherein the active layer includes at least two chemically distinct polyamide films. A first one of the films is in contact with the support, and a second one of the films is not in contact with the support. The second polyamide film is crosslinked with the first polyamide film at an interface therewith, and the second polyamide film includes a structure having a side chain group including an ammonium salt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Young-Hye Na, Ratnam Sooriyakumaran, Ankit Vora
  • Patent number: 9026925
    Abstract: A method to create an aspect oriented, color coding algorithm for a graphical user interface, wherein a graphical user interface (“GUI”) is generated when a code base is executed, and wherein the GUI comprises a plurality of interactable graphical objects, wherein the method compiles the code base, identifies in the compiled code base a first object join point, wherein the compiled code base at the first object join point creates and displays a first interactable graphical object, and determines a first address in the code base for the first object join point. The method further creates a mapping table, writes the first interactable graphical object and the first address to that mapping table, and encodes the mapping table in an aspect oriented, color coding algorithm written to a computer readable medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ezequiel Cervantes, Paul Anthony Jennas, II, Jason Lee Peipelman, Matthew John Ward
  • Patent number: 9026968
    Abstract: To assist verification of a digital circuit design, a data processing system presents, within a graphical user interface of a display device, a presentation including a plurality of verification notifications arising from verification of a digital circuit design. The data processing system detects one or more user operations by which a user interacts with the plurality of verification notifications utilizing one or more user input devices and stores, in a memory, user operation information regarding the one or more user operations detected by the data processing system. The data processing system determines, based on said user operation information, a recommended subsequent user operation and presents, within the graphical user interface, an indication of the recommended subsequent user operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Carsten Greiner, Gerrit Koch, Juergen Ruf, Ken Werner
  • Patent number: 9026541
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention relate to optimizing user response rate in social media. One embodiment includes generating a statistical model for modeling a likelihood of social media user response from data collected from social media using a set of available features. The social media users are ranked in an estimation set based on the statistical model. The ranked social media users are placed in a rank ordered list. A sub-interval on the rank ordered list is selected for maximizing the response rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jalal U. Mahmud, Nimrod Megiddo, Jeffrey W. Nichols, Michelle X. Zhou
  • Patent number: 9026990
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to filtering technical documentation and provide a method, system and computer program product for rapid filtering technical documentation. In one embodiment, a data processing system for dynamically filtering technical documentation can include a rapid filter coupled to a viewer configured for rendering technical documentation in a window. The rapid filter can include program code enabled to concurrently render a summarized form of the technical documentation in a separate window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Lloyd W. Allen, Jr., Jana H. Jenkins, Rebecca J. Schaller, Tricia E. York
  • Patent number: 9025271
    Abstract: A storage system includes a plurality of tape drives connected to a host, and a buffer configured to temporarily hold data read from the drives. A mechanism loads a plurality of media on which a file has been written to the plurality of drives so as to mount the plurality of media in the plurality of drives and divides the file into a plurality of data portions in an order. The mechanism determines a medium that takes the shortest time to move from a current position of a read head of a corresponding drive to a beginning position of the file and one or more media from which following data portions of the beginning data portion are to be read. The mechanism executes reading of the following data portions from the next media and temporarily holding of the read following data portions in the buffer of the storage system while reading the beginning data portion of the file from the first medium to the host.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Ashida, Hiroshi Itagaki, Setsuko Masuda, Tsuyoshi Miyamura, Terue Watanabe
  • Patent number: 9024355
    Abstract: Fin-defining mask structures are formed over a semiconductor material layer having a first semiconductor material and a disposable gate structure is formed thereupon. A gate spacer is formed around the disposable gate structure and physically exposed portions of the fin-defining mask structures are subsequently removed. The semiconductor material layer is recessed employing the disposable gate structure and the gate spacer as an etch mask to form recessed semiconductor material portions. Embedded planar source/drain stressors are formed on the recessed semiconductor material portions by selective deposition of a second semiconductor material having a different lattice constant than the first semiconductor material. After formation of a planarization dielectric layer, the disposable gate structure is removed. A plurality of semiconductor fins are formed employing the fin-defining mask structures as an etch mask. A replacement gate structure is formed on the plurality of semiconductor fins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Josephine B. Chang, Paul Chang, Michael A. Guillorn, Jeffrey W. Sleight
  • Patent number: 9025736
    Abstract: A method, information processing system, and computer program storage product for automatically generating auditory archives in a customer service environment are disclosed. A communication link with an end user is established. An information form is retrieved. The information form includes at least a category choice information set and at least one audio recoding information set. The end user is prompted to answer a set of questions based on information in the information form. A data set associated with each answer to each question in the set of questions given by the end user is stored. The data is stored under a set of fields corresponding to a question. Each data set stored under the set of fields for each question in the set of questions are combined with each other. An audio archive file is generated including the data sets that have been combined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Fan Ping Meng, Yong Qin, Qin Shi, Zhi Wei Shuang
  • Patent number: 9026904
    Abstract: Cascading style sheet rules are managed by identifying a markup page of content items and designating a plurality of super-themes using markup elements. Super-themes associate at least one content item of the markup page with a corresponding cascading style sheet class. Cascading style sheet rules are further managed by loading a common cascading style sheet and automatically modifying the common cascading style sheet to use each super-theme as a parent selector for at least one cascading style sheet rule applied to at least one content item within the markup element associated with the super-theme.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Paul L. H. Carroll
  • Patent number: 9026976
    Abstract: In congestion aware point-to-point routing using a random point in an integrated circuit (IC) design, the random point is selected in a bounding area defined in a layout of the IC design. A set of pattern routes is constructed between a source pin and a sink pin in the bounding area, a pattern route in the set of pattern routes passing through the random point. A set of congestion cost corresponding to the set of pattern routes is computed. A congestion cost in the set of congestion costs corresponds to a pattern route in the set of pattern routes. A preferred pattern route is selected from the set of pattern routes, the preferred pattern route having the smallest congestion cost in the set of congestion costs. The preferred pattern route is output as a point-to-point route between the source pin and the sink pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Charles Jay Alpert, Zhuo Li, Chin Ngai Sze, Yaoguang Wei
  • Patent number: 9027021
    Abstract: A mechanism is provided in a logically partitioned data processing system for controlling depth and latency of exit of a virtual processor's idle state. A virtualization layer generates a cede latency setting information (CLSI) data. Responsive to booting a logical partition, the virtualization layer communicates the CLSI data to an operating system (OS) of the logical partition. The OS determines, based on the CLSI data, a particular idle state of a virtual processor under a control of the OS. Responsive to the OS calling the virtualization layer, the OS communicates the particular idle state of the virtual processor to the virtualization layer for assigning the particular idle state and wake-up characteristics to the virtual processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Richard L. Arndt, Naresh Nayar, Christopher Francois, Karthick Rajamani, Freeman L. Rawson, III, Randal C. Swanberg