Patents Assigned to International Business Machines
  • Patent number: 7632127
    Abstract: The illustrative embodiments provide a socket, a method for manufacturing the socket, a device, and a method for compensating for differing coefficients of thermal expansion between a socket and a printed circuit board. The socket includes surface mounted contacts and an elongated housing. The elongated housing comprises at least two members that are coupled together and disposed to form an aperture in between the at least two members, wherein the surface mounted contacts extend from the aperture, and wherein at least one dimension of the at least two members is selected to compensate for a difference between the coefficients of thermal expansion between the socket and a printed circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Brian Samuel Beaman, Joseph Kuczynski, Theron Lee Lewis, Amanda Elisa Ennis Mikhail, Arvind Kumar Sinha
  • Patent number: 7634690
    Abstract: A run-time monitor allows defining sets of run-time error criteria and corresponding diagnostic action to take when the run-time error criteria is satisfied. One way to define the run-time error criteria is to take a baseline measurement of run-time errors that occur during normal processing conditions. A run-time error criteria may then be defined that is based on the baseline measurement. In this manner, a rate of run-time errors that normally occur may be ignored, while a rate of run-time errors in excess of the run-time error criteria could automatically initiate diagnostic action. In this manner, the ability of a programmer to debug run-time errors is significantly enhanced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Eric Lawrence Barsness, Cary Lee Bates, Mahdad Majd, John Matthew Santosuosso
  • Patent number: 7634561
    Abstract: Generally speaking, systems, methods and media for managing an application usage metering system are disclosed. Embodiments of the method may include initiating discovery agents for one or more server resources and interrogating by the discovery agents the one or more server resources to discover a plurality of discrete server processes and associated discovery data for each process. Embodiments may also include collecting discovery data for the discovered discrete server processes in a centralized repository and mapping one or more of the processes to an application and a customer based on the collected discovery data. Further embodiments may also include performing an administrative function based on the mapped discrete server processes, such as generating a customer bill, generating a report based on the mapped discrete server processes, assigning a customer to a process, or changing a status of a discrete server process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Bonita S. Brans, Kenneth D. Christiance, Michael B. Oliver, Ravirajan Rajan, Richard J. Sheftic, Michael J. Spisak
  • Patent number: 7634728
    Abstract: A computer program product provides an active interactive document resource with an active shell surrounding its data. The shell operates in a runtime environment, a nest, and can operate with a helper process for the coordination and distribution of tasks. The active document in conjunction with its shell provides functionality in basic document management features, interactivity features, search, and other miscellaneous features such as imbedding dynamically generated content. Basic document features include automatic update or synchronization of document content, maintaining a list of similar documents, adding related or updated content, automatic update of the document's index, and automatic update and conversion of the underlying document format. Interactivity features include interacting with other documents within the same nest or other nests, interacting with users, and maintaining security.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Reiner Kraft
  • Patent number: 7634591
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for tracking dependencies of commands to be executed by a command processor are provided. By determining the dependency of incoming commands against all commands awaiting execution, dependency information can be stored in a dependency scoreboard. Such a dependency scoreboard may be used to determine if a command is ready to be issued by the command processor. The dependency scoreboard can also be updated with information relating to the issuance of commands, for example, as commands complete.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: John David Irish, Chad B. McBride
  • Patent number: 7634708
    Abstract: Storage protection keys and system data share the same physical storage. The key region is dynamically relocatable by firmware. A Configuration Array is used to map the absolute address of the key region in to its physical address. The absolute address of keys can be fixed even though the physical location of the keys is relocated into a different region. A triple-detect double correct ECC scheme is used to protect keys. The ECC scheme is different from regular data in the storage and can be used to detect illegal access. Extra firmware and hardware is also designed to restrain customer's applications from directly accessing keys. With the key region being relocatable, the firmware could move the key region away from a known faulty area in a memory to improve system RAS. We also achieved the commonality objective that key memory device can use the same memory devices with other server systems that do not use keys.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Kevin W. Kark, Liyong Wang, Carl B. Ford, III, Pak-kin Mak
  • Patent number: 7634589
    Abstract: A method provides adaptive interrupt latency to improve performance in a processing system. A ration of transmit queue depth to receive queue depth of the adapter is compared to its historical value in order to provide an estimate of processor load. The estimated processor load is then used to set a parameter that controls the frequency of an interrupt generator, which may be controlled by setting an interrupt queue depth threshold, packet frequency threshold or interrupt hold-off time value. The historical value may be predetermined, user-settable, obtained during a calibration interval or obtained by taking a long-term average of the ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Vaijayanthimala K. Anand, Janice Marie Girouard, Emily Jane Ratliff
  • Patent number: 7633079
    Abstract: A programmable phase change material (PCM) structure includes a heater element formed at a BEOL level of a semiconductor device, the BEOL level including a low-K dielectric material therein; a first via in electrical contact with a first end of the heater element and a second via in electrical contact with a second end of the heater element, thereby defining a programming current path which passes through the first via, the heater element, and the second via; a PCM element disposed above the heater element, the PCM element configured to be programmed between a lower resistance crystalline state and a higher resistance amorphous state through the use of programming currents through the heater element; and a third via in electrical contact with the PCM element, thereby defining a sense current path which passes through the third via, the PCM element, the heater element, and the second via.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Kuang-Neng Chen, Bruce G. Elmegreen, Deok-Kee Kim, Chandrasekharan Kothandaraman, Lia Krusin-Elbaum, Chung H. Lam, Dennis M. Newns, Byeongju Park, Sampath Purushothaman
  • Patent number: 7632724
    Abstract: A method is provided for fabricating a field effect transistor (“FET”) having a channel region in a semiconductor-on-insulator (“SOI”) layer of an SOI substrate. Desirably, in such method, a sacrificial stressed layer is formed to overlie a first portion of an active semiconductor region but not overlie second portion of the active semiconductor region which shares a common boundary with the first portion. After forming trenches in the SOI layer, the SOI substrate is heated with the stressed layer thereon sufficiently to cause the stressed layer to relax, thereby causing the stressed layer to apply a first stress to the first portion and to apply a second stress to the second portion. For example, when the first stress is tensile, the second stress is compressive, or the first stress can be compressive when the second stress is tensile. Desirably, the stressed layer is then removed to expose the first and second portions of the active semiconductor region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Dureseti Chidambarrao, William K. Henson, Yaocheng Liu
  • Patent number: 7634527
    Abstract: In a first aspect, a first method of reciprocal estimate computation using floating point pipeline logic is provided. The first method includes the steps of (1) receiving an input value having an exponent and a mantissa when represented as a floating point number on which a reciprocal estimate computation is to be performed; (2) determining whether the exponent is one of a plurality of predetermined numbers; and (3) if the exponent is one of the plurality of predetermined numbers, adjusting at least one of a plurality of modified mantissa bits (e.g., mantissa bits internal to leading zero anticipator (LZA) logic) and the exponent so as to prevent an underflow result of the reciprocal estimate computation. Numerous other aspects are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Sherman Matthew Dance, Andrew Patrick Freemyer, Matthew Ray Tubbs
  • Publication number: 20090306904
    Abstract: Techniques for protein structure analysis are provided. In one aspect, an apparatus for characterizing a multi-domain protein structure comprises the following steps. For at least one domain, a hydrophobic dipole, e.g., defined as a first-order hydrophobic moment of the domain, is calculated. A score representing the orientation of the hydrophobic dipole of the at least one domain relative to a hydrophobic dipole of one or more other domains of the multi-domain protein structure is then calculated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2009
    Publication date: December 10, 2009
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Prasanna Athma, Ajay Royyuru, Benjamin David Silverman, Ruhong Zhou
  • Publication number: 20090302372
    Abstract: Improved fin field effect transistor (FinFET) devices and methods for the fabrication thereof are provided. In one aspect, a method for fabricating a field effect transistor device comprises the following steps. A substrate is provided having a silicon layer thereon. A fin lithography hardmask is patterned on the silicon layer. A dummy gate structure is placed over a central portion of the fin lithography hardmask. A filler layer is deposited around the dummy gate structure. The dummy gate structure is removed to reveal a trench in the filler layer, centered over the central portion of the fin lithography hardmask, that distinguishes a fin region of the device from source and drain regions of the device. The fin lithography hardmask in the fin region is used to etch a plurality of fins in the silicon layer. The trench is filled with a gate material to form a gate stack over the fins.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2009
    Publication date: December 10, 2009
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Josephine B. Chang, Michael A. Guillorn, Wilfried Haensch, Katherine Lynn Saenger
  • Publication number: 20090307581
    Abstract: A method for presenting to a user electronic documents (17; 27) is described. The documents are stored at one or more network sites (30) which are accessible via a network by a computer system (34), and are registered with a page filter system (10; 20; 40). The method comprises the steps of determining needs and/or intentions and/or a field of interest of the user, defining a user specification (12; 22; 45) based on the determined needs and/or intentions and/or a field of interest of the user, determining a subset (14) of the electronic documents (17; 27) comprising only those of the electronic documents (17; 27) which comprise content that has a predetermined relation to the user specification (12; 22; 45), and using the identified subset (14) to amend the presentation of at least one of the electronic documents (17; 27) to the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2009
    Publication date: December 10, 2009
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Dieter Jaepel, Juergen Klenk
  • Publication number: 20090307693
    Abstract: A method and system in accordance with the present invention provides an intelligent prediction approach for populating and depopulating multiple applications at the system level across applications. The detection and management of user behavior patterns to anticipate the user's next request is provided. Further the present invention is to account for a situation to relate dynamically to user behavior and where that user behavior changes to adjust so as to more accurately set forth a desired result for a user of the present invention. The present invention in various implementations provides an intelligent prediction scheme for populating and depopulating multiple applications at the system level across a diversity of applications.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2008
    Publication date: December 10, 2009
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Lydia Mai Do, Jason Alan Cox, Kimberly Marie Fernsler, Michael Lance Karm, Brian Robert Mestan
  • Publication number: 20090307047
    Abstract: A targeted advertising method and system tracks user interaction with and responses to a displayed advertisement. The advertisement is displayed in the user viewing control interface of a media device system (e.g. delivering cable television, satellite television, global computer network/online media). Based on recorded user responses, the invention system generates viewer lists enabling targeted advertising. The viewer lists include lists of users that have viewed the advertisement, lists of users that have requested more information and/or lists of peer recommended users.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2008
    Publication date: December 10, 2009
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas E. Cook, Peter G. Finn, Martin G. Kienzle, Paul B. Moody
  • Publication number: 20090307688
    Abstract: An interface is provided between a virtual cluster proxy and a virtual I/O server on a logical partitioned platform. The virtual I/O server is configured to support virtual real memory. A command is received from a virtual cluster proxy. The virtual cluster proxy identifies whether the command is a virtual real memory command or a virtualization command. Virtual real memory commands and virtualization commands are marked by the virtual cluster proxy with a virtualization marker. The virtualization marker indicates that the command is a virtual real memory command or a virtualization command. The command is then forwarded to a logical partitioned platform. A virtual memory manager intercepts the command and identifies whether the command has been marked with the virtualization marker. If the command is marked with the virtualization marker, the virtual memory manager reroutes the command to the virtual I/O server.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2008
    Publication date: December 10, 2009
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: James A. Pafumi, Veena Patwari, Priya Paul, Steven Edward Royer
  • Publication number: 20090307684
    Abstract: An illustrative embodiment provides a computer implemented method for managing package dependencies for an application installation. The computer implemented method identifies a set of used files for the application and a package for a respective file in the set of used files to form identified packages, adding names of the identified packages to an original package list of package names for the application, wherein the original package list defines package dependencies, and determines whether the identified packages can be located.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2008
    Publication date: December 10, 2009
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Steven Francis Best, Robert James Eggers, JR., Janice Marie Girouard, Kevin William Monroe
  • Publication number: 20090302936
    Abstract: A circuit comprises a control line and a two terminal semiconductor device having first and second terminals. The first terminal is coupled to a signal line, and the second terminal is coupled to the control line. The two terminal semiconductor device is adapted to have a capacitance when a voltage on the first terminal relative to the second terminal is above a threshold voltage and to have a smaller capacitance when a voltage on the first terminal relative to the second terminal is below the threshold voltage. The control line is coupled to a control signal and the signal line is coupled to a signal and is output of the circuit. A signal is placed on the signal line and voltage on the control line is modified (e.g., raised in the case of n-type devices, or lowered for a p-type devices). When the signal falls below the threshold voltage, the two terminal semiconductor device acts as a very small capacitor and the output of the circuit will be a small value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2009
    Publication date: December 10, 2009
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Wing K. Luk, Robert H. Dennard
  • Publication number: 20090303017
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a data tag device (100) which initially operates in either an active mode or a semi-active mode (604). The data tag device includes tag circuitry including a interface element (104), a controller element (102), and a memory (106) in which tag data (116) is stored. A battery is provided which is initially coupled to the tag circuitry. A decoupling feature (402) is used to destructively decouple the battery from the tag circuitry when it is desired to disable the data tag device and reduce the ability of third parties to obtain the tag data. The data tag device is configured to detect the destructive decoupling (606, 608), and disable the data tag in response.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2008
    Publication date: December 10, 2009
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: KENNETH L. GREENLEE, CHRISTIAN L. HUNT, STEVEN M. MILLER, ANNE I. RYAN
  • Publication number: 20090307685
    Abstract: Deploying a software service. A defined software service offering is selected from a plurality of defined software service offerings. An instantiation order for deploying the selected defined software service offering on a corresponding computer system is generated. Each defined software service offering comprises a software service definition and at least one defined software policy. One selected from the group consisting of the software service definition, the software policy, and a combination thereof, provides a hardware configuration for the software service, a software configuration for the software service, and a managing policy for the software service. The instantiation order of the software service for execution on the computer system is created based on the hardware configuration, the software configuration and the managing policy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2009
    Publication date: December 10, 2009
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Christine Axnix, Gerhard Banzhaf, Michael Behrendt, Andreas Bieswanger, Gerd Breiter, Andrea Schmidt, Helmut H. Weber, Friedemann Baitinger, Stefan Wirag