Patents Assigned to International Business Machines
  • Patent number: 7251611
    Abstract: An economic supply optimization system is provided whereby an optimal machine dismantling configuration of a machine supply is determined to meet a parts demand at a lowest cost. The parts supply is calculated and it is determined what portions of the demand cannot be met from the machine supply and what portions of the demand it is not economically justifiable to meet from the machine supply. A parts supply is then determined from the machine supply. The remaining parts demand is matched to the parts supply to create a list of parts covered by the parts supply and a list of parts not covered by the parts supply, if there are any. The optimal dismantling configuration of the machine supply is calculated for the covered parts list and an optimal harvesting configuration is calculated for the not-covered parts list.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Steve Abbott, William E. Dickey, William F. Holden, Jr., Larry M. Leibovich, Joseph V. Stehle, Ronald A. Warfel, Yung-Joon Lee, Kevin P. O'Connor, Pitipong Veerakamolmal
  • Patent number: 7251319
    Abstract: A method of call conferencing using a voice browser can include establishing a voice browsing session between a calling party and the voice browser, and conferencing an additional party into the voice browsing session. The conference can provide a voice communications link between the calling party and the additional party.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporations
    Inventors: Joseph Celi, Jr., Peeyush Jaiswal, Victor S. Moore
  • Patent number: 7251494
    Abstract: A portable phone is equipped with a position detector that detects the geographical position of the portable phone, and the function of the phone can be changed according to its geographical position. One or more “regions” may be defined by the user of the portable phone, and the ring parameters for each region may be set independently of the other regions. In this manner a phone in accordance with the preferred embodiments may ring with one tone at home, ring with a different tone at work, ring with a louder volume when on a job site, not ring at all when in church, and ring with a vibration when at the theater. The preferred embodiments further allow assigning a telephone number to a defined geographical region, and ringing the portable phone only when within the geographical region that corresponds to the phone number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Cary Lee Bates, Jeffrey Michael Ryan, John Matthew Santosuosso
  • Patent number: 7251662
    Abstract: A system, method and facility for manipulating registries on a computer system. The system includes a generic registry facility, which features functions classified according to the breadth of their applicability to varying types of registries. The registries may be classified as file-based and proprietary. The file-based registries may be binary or text-based. The generic registry facility provides a library of generic registry facility functions that may be included in a specific registry manipulation module through which a computer program can manipulate a specific registry. The generic registry facility functions may be customized by the developer of the registry manipulation module for a specific registry. The functions may include an action verification function that includes a commit sequence for ensuring that requested changes to a registry are made successfully. The functions may also include a trigger function for triggering events upon the occurrence of a change to a registry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel D. Behman, Mark F. Wilding
  • Patent number: 7250658
    Abstract: The present invention provides an integrated semiconductor circuit containing a planar single gated FET and a FinFET located on the same SOI substrate. Specifically, the integrated semiconductor circuit includes a FinFET and a planar single gated FET located atop a buried insulating layer of an silicon-on-insulator substrate, the planar single gated FET is located on a surface of a patterned top semiconductor layer of the silicon-on-insulator substrate and the FinFET has a vertical channel that is perpendicular to the planar single gated FET. A method of forming a method such an integrated circuit is also provided. In the method, resist imaging and a patterned hard mask are used in trimming the width of the FinFET active device region and subsequent resist imaging and etching are used in thinning the thickness of the FET device area. The trimmed active FinFET device region is formed such that it lies perpendicular to the thinned planar single gated FET device region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Bruce B. Doris, Diane C. Boyd, Meikei Leong, Thomas S. Kanarsky, Jakub T. Kedzierski, Min Yang
  • Patent number: 7251093
    Abstract: A method for adjusting a tape wrap angle is described comprising the steps of operating the tape system to generate or regenerate an electrical signal in the head from the tape, either increasing or reducing the tape wrap angle as appropriate until a signal from the tape head reappears or goes to zero, then increasing the wrap angle until the desired angle is achieved as measured by the signal from the head or by moving the tape support a fixed amount. A tape recording and/or reading system with adjustable wrap angles is described which can be used with a method of the invention. The system includes one or more rollers mounted on an adjustable shaft with an eccentric or axially offset portion supporting the roller. Preferably for a magnetic head, an adjustable shaft and roller are located on the tape-in and tape-out side of the tape head. The angular orientation of the eccentric shaft is adjustable, thereby, allowing precise adjustment of the position of the roller with respect to the tape head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Robert Glenn Biskeborn
  • Patent number: 7250656
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure is provided that includes a hybrid orientated substrate having at least two coplanar surfaces of different surface crystal orientations, wherein one of the coplanar surfaces has bulk-like semiconductor properties and the other coplanar surface has semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) properties. In accordance with the present invention, the substrate includes a new well design that provides a large capacitance from a retrograde well region of the second conductivity type to the substrate thereby providing noise decoupling with a low number of well contacts. The present invention also provides a method of fabricating such a semiconductor structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Wilfried E. Haensch, Edward J. Nowak
  • Patent number: 7251794
    Abstract: A method and system for testing a circuit design. The method including generating a simulation model of the circuit design, the circuit design comprising one or more source latches, one or more destination latches and a logic function connected between the source latches and the destination latches; generating a modified simulation model of the simulation model by inserting random skew between an output of each source latch and an input of the logic function only in asynchronous data paths between the source latches and the destination latches of the simulation model; and running the modified simulation model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Rafael Blanco, Suzanne Granato, Francis A. Kampf, Douglas T. Massey
  • Patent number: 7251603
    Abstract: Techniques for performing audio-visual speech recognition, with improved recognition performance, in a degraded visual environment. For example, in one aspect of the invention, a technique for use in accordance with an audio-visual speech recognition system for improving a recognition performance thereof includes the steps/operations of: (i) selecting between an acoustic-only data model and an acoustic-visual data model based on a condition associated with a visual environment; and (ii) decoding at least a portion of an input spoken utterance using the selected data model. Advantageously, during periods of degraded visual conditions, the audio-visual speech recognition system is able to decode (recognize) input speech data using audio-only data, thus avoiding recognition inaccuracies that may result from performing speech recognition based on acoustic-visual data models and degraded visual data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jonathan H. Connell, Norman Haas, Etienne Marcheret, Chalapathy Venkata Neti, Gerasimos Potamianos
  • Patent number: 7251808
    Abstract: Enhanced graphical user interface functions are provided in a graphical debugger. A user interface operatively controls a graphical user interface. A loadmap display manager coupled to the user interface implements a loadmap function. The user interface responsive to the loadmap display manager displays a program loadmap. A custom record display manager coupled to the user interface receives user inputs and implements a custom record display function. The user interface responsive to the custom record display manager displays user selected customized records.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Cary Lee Bates, David Rajkumar Bhaskaran, Anthony Dwight Cairns, Paul Saby Halverson, Steven Gene Halverson
  • Patent number: 7251815
    Abstract: A system, computer program product and method for dispatching work items in a virtual machine operating system. The virtual machine operating system defines first and second virtual machines. First and second work queues are created in a memory. The first virtual machine assigns a first work item to the first work queue and a second work item to the second work queue. The first virtual machine schedules work items from the first work queue for execution by the first virtual machine. The first and second work items originate from the first virtual machine. The first and second work queues are directly accessible by the first virtual machine. The second virtual machine assigns a third work item to the first work queue and a fourth work item to the second work queue. The second virtual machine schedules work items from the second work queue for execution by the second virtual machine. The third and fourth work items originate from the second virtual machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael J. Donovan, Melissa K. Howland, Steven Shultz, Xenia Tkatschow
  • Patent number: 7250846
    Abstract: Techniques for providing a dynamic alert indication to a user of a signal receiving device. One technique includes the steps of processing a signal transmitted from a signal transmitting device to determine at least one mode to be associated with an alert indication, wherein the processing step includes the step of accessing a look-up table containing information associated with a user of the signal receiving device to determine the at least one mode to be associated with the alert indication; and alerting the user of the signal receiving device via the alert indication that the signal has been received by the signal receiving device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Maria Rene Ebling, Guerney Douglass Holloway Hunt
  • Patent number: 7251756
    Abstract: Integrated circuit memory is tested to discover defective memory elements. To replace the defective memory elements, spare memory elements are selected and a string is generated to indicate which ones of the spares replace which ones of the defective memory elements. The number of bits of the string depend upon how many of the memory elements are defective. Although a certain number of the memory elements are defective, which determines the number of the string bits, nevertheless, a number of fuses to program on the integrated circuit is determined responsive to how many fuses are available for programming relative to the number of the binary string bits. That is, if more fuses are available than a certain threshold number relative to the number of string bits (as is preferred), then more than the threshold number are programmed. If not, then only that certain threshold number of fuses are programmed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Darren Lane Anand, Michael Richard Ouellette, Michael Anthony Ziegerhofer
  • Patent number: 7251647
    Abstract: A system and method for distributing a collection of physical (tangible) resources, e.g., books, newspapers, periodicals, trade publications, compact discs, equipment, video tapes microfilm. In one embodiment, a method comprises the step of accessing a web server maintaining a database of profiles associated with the collection of resources by a user via a web browser. The user may then issue a search request via the web browser to search for one or more resources within the collection of resources. Upon identifying one or more resources from the search, the user may contact one or more owners of the one or more resources identified. The user may contact the one or more owners based on the contact information provided in the profiles in the one or more resources identified. Upon contacting the one or more owners, the user may borrow the one or more resources previously identified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Robert S. Hoblit
  • Patent number: 7251833
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for enforcing the sequential playback of a multimedia file. In one aspect of the method, a sending server stores a multimedia file which is then partitioned into a plurality of sequential data blocks. The server generates a plurality of enabling tokens each corresponding to one of the plurality of sequential data blocks. The server then encodes each respective one of the pluralities of sequential data blocks with a corresponding one of the plurality of enabling tokens, producing a plurality of encoded sequential data blocks. The server then transfers the encoded sequential data blocks to a receiving client. The server also transfers the plurality of enabling tokens to the receiving client. In this manner, the server retains control over the client receiver's playback of the multimedia file.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ephriam Feig, Shu-Chun Jeane Chen
  • Patent number: 7251667
    Abstract: A method for converting to Unicode, in a Java Input Method Editor (“IME”), the encoding formats of a character code unit, including selecting an encoding format, receiving, through a computer user interface, in an IME, at least one character code unit having the encoding format and an encoding base, and displaying the character code unit through the computer user interface. Embodiments also include converting the encoding format of the character code unit to Unicode, thereby creating a Unicode code point, displaying, through the computer user interface, a glyph corresponding to the Unicode code point, and transferring the Unicode code point to an application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Steven Edward Atkin
  • Patent number: 7251814
    Abstract: An apparatus, program product and method accommodate conventional yield calls within a multithreaded processor environment by coordinating yielding threads within the hypervisor. A hypervisor coordinates the yielding threads within the hypervisor to ensure all threads on a multithreaded processor execute within the same partition or hypervisor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: William Joseph Armstrong, Chris Francois, Naresh Nayar
  • Patent number: 7251674
    Abstract: A method and system for processing a Web service request in a distributed computing environment. In one embodiment, the Web service request is processed in a Web service requester. A packet having a header containing an internationalization context of the Web service requester is generated. The packet is then attached to the Web service request. The packet is then sent with the Web service request to the distributed computing environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Debasish Banerjee, Casey Adam Swenson, David Alan Zavala
  • Patent number: 7251597
    Abstract: A method for tracking pitch signal, including receiving a detected pitch signal that consists of a succession of pitch values, and for each current pitch value in the detected signal perform the following steps: constructing sub-sequences of consistent pitch values from neighboring pitch values. Next, calculating significance of the sub-sequences, and selecting a sub-sequence or a collection of consistent subsequences with highest significance. If the current pitch value is not consistent with the sub-sequence with highest significance, smoothing the current pitch value by diving it or multiplying it by an integer value>1, so as to render it consistent with the sub-sequence with highest significance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Dan Chazan
  • Patent number: 7251367
    Abstract: A system augments stylus keyboarding with shorthand gesturing. The system defines a shorthand symbol for each word according to its movement pattern on an optimized stylus keyboard. The system recognizes word patterns by identifying an input as a stroke, and then matching the stroke to a stored list of word patterns. The system then generates and displays the matched word to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Shumin Zhai