Abstract: A GPS device is used in conjunction with a device, such as a SAN device, to record and track the device's location. A device can periodically report its location to one or more computer systems that track device locations. Another device can send a request to other devices requesting the devices' geographic location. The devices, in turn, respond with data corresponding to their geographic location. In the event of a catastrophe or other event rendering devices in one area inoperable, one of the computer systems can be used to identify a location of another device that includes similar data. The GPS data corresponding to a device can also be used to identify a technician that should respond to a device maintenance or repair event.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
December 17, 2001
Date of Patent:
November 4, 2003
Assignee:
International Business Machines Corporation
Inventors:
James P. Allen, Marcus Bryan Grande, Madhuranath Narasipur Krishna Iyengar, Robert G. Kovacs, John Leslie Neemidge
Abstract: A system and method that enables a given sending user to specify a set of delivery policies and have them used for the electronic delivery of a given message, the message potentially having several heterogeneous parts (e.g., text and pictures) each of which is handled differently, and delivered to multiple heterogeneous devices (e.g., PCs, Smartphones, fax machines), and possibly to several distinct recipients. The factors with which a sender can qualify their delivery policies include: time/date, transmission cost; whether the transmission can be forwarded; receiving device capability; and network reliability, speed, and security transmission. Methods are also provided enabling a sender to specify that particular transmissions be redirected or copied, e.g., “send fax copy to my broker and my accountant.” In one embodiment, the delivery policies may be specified using PICS.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
October 8, 1998
Date of Patent:
November 4, 2003
Assignee:
International Business Machines Corporation
Inventors:
Peter Kenneth Malkin, Philip Shi-lung Yu
Abstract: A dual work function semiconductor structure with borderless contact and method of fabricating the same are presented. The structure may include a field effect transistor (FET) having a substantially cap-free gate and a conductive contact to a diffusion adjacent to the cap-free gate, wherein the conductive contact is borderless to the gate. Because the structure is a dual work function structure, the conductive contact is allowed to extend over the cap-free gate without being electrically connected thereto.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
January 30, 2001
Date of Patent:
November 4, 2003
Assignee:
International Business Machines Corporation
Abstract: A method for forming an ultra thin gate dielectric for an integrated circuit device is disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the method includes forming an initial nitride layer upon a substrate by rapidly heating the substrate in the presence of an ammonia (NH3) gas, and then re-oxidizing the initial nitride layer by rapidly heating the initial nitride layer in the presence of a nitric oxide (NO) gas, thereby forming an oxynitride layer. The oxynitride layer has a nitrogen concentration therein of at about 1.0×1015 atoms/cm2 to about 6.0×1015 atoms/cm2, and has a thickness which may be controlled within a sub 10 Å range.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
August 1, 2001
Date of Patent:
November 4, 2003
Assignee:
International Business Machines Corporation
Inventors:
Evgeni Gousev, Atul C. Ajmera, Christopher P. D'Emic
Abstract: A method, system, and computer-readable code for delegating authority in a public key authentication environment from a client to a server machine or process, in order that the server machine or process can then securely access resources and securely perform tasks on behalf of the client. The authority is delegated by obtaining tickets (or other equivalent representation of user credentials) from a private key system, such as the Kerberos system, where the tickets identify a user's access rights or privileges. The present invention provides several alternative techniques with which this delegation model can be implemented. In these techniques, the client does not directly access the private key system.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
April 8, 1999
Date of Patent:
November 4, 2003
Assignee:
International Business Machines Corporation
Abstract: Systems, methods and computer program products are provided for using fully qualified universal resource locators (URLs) to chain together servlets across multiple remotely located Java® Virtual Machines (JVMs) in a network in order to implement application partitioning across the network. Each servlet in a chain is configured to perform a respective processing task using a response from a preceding servlet in the chain. A fully qualified URL includes an identification of a host computer, an identification of a filter within the host computer, and an identification of a servlet residing within the host computer.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
October 29, 1998
Date of Patent:
November 4, 2003
Assignee:
International Business Machines Corporation
Abstract: Virtual Private Networking (VPN) is an emerging technology area enabling e-business on the Internet. A key underlying VPN technology is IP Security (IPsec), a means of providing private (encrypted and authenticated) secure data transmission over public (Internet) networks. The definition of what data to protect ultimately results in IP filter rules, loaded to the operating system kernel. These are used to select the correct IP datagrams and cause each to be processed by the correct IPsec Security Associations. Along with other attributes, a VPN connection can be started, stopped, and monitored. Connection filters which are used to implement VPN connections are dynamic, and must be inserted and deleted within the currently installed set of IP filters (non-VPN related). Since IP filter order is crucial to proper functioning, the basic problem is, where to place these dynamic filters. This filter placement problem has a macro and a micro part.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
January 29, 1999
Date of Patent:
November 4, 2003
Assignee:
International Business Machines Corporation
Abstract: An apparatus, program product and method utilize an interactive request server program to interface a plurality of client computers with a timing analysis program. The interactive request server program receives client requests from the plurality of client computers over a network, and, in response to each client request, accesses the timing analysis program to retrieve timing data based upon such client request and thereafter forwards the timing data to the client computer making such request. The interactive request server program may optionally be implemented using a web server program and an application server program, with the web server program interfacing with the client computers via an Internet-type interface, and the application server program interfacing with the timing analysis program using a programmatic interface supported by the timing analysis program.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
May 8, 2000
Date of Patent:
November 4, 2003
Assignee:
International Business Machines Corporation
Inventors:
Anthony DeGroff Drumm, Mark S Fredrickson, Marcus Matthew Poplawski, Brian Christopher Wilson
Abstract: A computer workstation attached to a network such as the Internet runs browser software to access and retrieve pages of data from over the network, with the pages of data then being displayed at the computer workstation. A page of data can include a reference to code which the browser can also retrieve from over the network and then execute on the computer workstation. The reference to the code also has associated with it a reference to another file, again accessible over the network, which contains information pertaining to the code itself, such as the size of the code. The browser accesses the information in this file, prior to retrieving or executing the code. This information helps determine whether or not to retrieve the code.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
May 5, 1997
Date of Patent:
November 4, 2003
Assignee:
International Business Machines Corporation
Abstract: A technique for electrically interconnecting a disk drive suspension assembly and a micro-actuator mounting a transducer-carrying slider. A first set of termination pads is provided on a generally planar surface of the micro-actuator, adjacent a front edge portion of the micro-actuator. A set of leads is provided on the suspension assembly so as to extend generally orthogonally to the first set of termination pads and in adjacent relationship therewith. Electrical connections are provided between the first set of termination pads and the suspension assembly leads. A second set of termination pads can be provided on the micro-actuator planar surface adjacent to a front edge portion of the slider and a third set of termination pads can be provided on the slider front edge portion. The second and third sets of termination pads are then electrically connected.
Type:
Application
Filed:
April 24, 2002
Publication date:
October 30, 2003
Applicant:
International Business Machines Corporation
Abstract: A method and system that allows definition of software agent packages that include software agent processing code and identification of zero or more processing extensions and of a runtime environment. In a preferred embodiment, an XML document is generated that identifies the files containing the agent code, identifies the runtime environment and extensions to be used by the agent, and that includes configuration data for the runtime environments and the extension modules. The agent software package includes descriptions of agent methods that are exposed through extensions and are available to external processes. The XML document and agent code form an agent package that is transmitted to an agent server for installation. The developer transmitting the agent package can optionally specify that an instance of the agent is to be started after installation.
Type:
Application
Filed:
April 29, 2002
Publication date:
October 30, 2003
Applicant:
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
Abstract: Java language is, as its specification, capable of detecting an access exceeding an array range, and when there is no user-defined exception handler, moving control to an invoked method after getting out of a method in which an exception occurred, or when there is a user-defined exception handler, moving the process to the exception handler. Accordingly, an array range check is essential since occurrence of an exception may be described as a correct operation. However, an array range check slows execution speed compared with a language which does not require it. In an actual program, there is an array access to ensure that there is no access exceeding a range, and thus elimination of such redundant range checks greatly contributes to improved performance, and in addition, brings about an effect of expanding the range of optimization from the viewpoint of ensuring order of execution between occurrence of an exception and a process with a side effect such as an assignment of a value to an array.
Type:
Application
Filed:
December 30, 2002
Publication date:
October 30, 2003
Applicant:
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
Abstract: A microactuator device for effecting fine positioning of a transducing head with respect the selected track on a disk, wherein the piezoelectric microactuator element is positioned adjacent to one side of and substantially coextensive with a slider, the slider being attached to the moving end of a flexure, and the two ends of microactuator element are attached to moving end and fixed legs of the flexure and provide rotary motion.
Type:
Application
Filed:
April 24, 2002
Publication date:
October 30, 2003
Applicant:
International Business Machines Corporation
Abstract: A method of processing greensheets for use as microelectronic substrates comprises providing a greensheet having a width, a length and a thickness, bonding to the greensheet, within the greensheet width and length, a frame adapted to constrain movement of the greensheet within the frame, processing the greensheet and bonded frame, and removing the frame from the processed greensheet. The processing of the greensheet and bonded frame may include punching vias in the greensheet, filling the vias in the greensheet with conductive material, patterning the greensheet by applying conductive paste to the vias and greensheet surface, stacking the patterned greensheet and bonded frame with at least one other patterned greensheet and bonded frame, and laminating the greensheets. The frame is preferably removed from the processed greensheet after laminating the greensheets, and before the laminated greensheets are subsequently sintered.
Type:
Application
Filed:
April 11, 2003
Publication date:
October 30, 2003
Applicant:
International Business Machines Corporation
Inventors:
John U. Knickerbocker, Govindarajan Natarajan
Abstract: A method for dynamically invoking a Web service. The method can include assembling a collection of references to remote implementations of the Web service based upon a common port type. One or more ports bound to the remote implementations of the Web service can be identified, and a set of port selection rules can be applied to the identified ports to select a particular one of the ports. Finally, the Web service can be invoked through the selected port. Notably, the identifying step can include parsing a Web service implementation document for each referenced remote implementation in the collection. The parsing can produce a list of ports through which the remote implementations can be invoked. Also, the method can further include compiling the set of port selection rules according to at least one of high-availability concerns, quality of service concerns and economic concerns.
Type:
Application
Filed:
April 26, 2002
Publication date:
October 30, 2003
Applicant:
International Business Machines Corporation
Inventors:
Paul K. Blizniak, Bryan A. Hogan, Mark D. Weitzel
Abstract: A computer program or the like is provided for reducing changes to the setting information by the computer. A management apparatus is provided for managing devices connected to a computer using a layered structure including a managing section for setting information associated with each of the devices by recording it in a setting information database using a layered structure; an adding section, if an existing device has been replaced by a new device for adding the setting information for the new device into the setting information database; a condition deciding section to determine whether the existing device and the new device have a predetermined relationship; and a changing section, if the existing device and the new device have the predetermined relationship, for managing the setting information for a low level device, which is a device managed as a lower layer of the existing device, as the lower layer of setting information for the new device and recording it in the setting information database.
Type:
Application
Filed:
March 28, 2003
Publication date:
October 30, 2003
Applicant:
International Business Machines Corporation
Abstract: The microwaviness (i.e., surface waviness for wavelengths on the order of the length of the transducing head) of a recording disk surface is measured during manufacture as a quality control process. Preferably, the disk is measured using an actuator-mounted thermal sensor, comprising an electrical resistance element driven with a constant current. At small distances, the disk surface acts as a heat sink and variation in this distance will be detected as a change in resistance of the sensor. Preferably the sensor is initially used to characterize the gross waviness of the surface, and the actuator then follows this gross waviness to measure surface variations in the microwaviness range.
Type:
Application
Filed:
April 18, 2002
Publication date:
October 30, 2003
Applicant:
International Business Machines Corporation
Abstract: An enterprise computer network comprising a hierarchy of client computers interconnected through a plurality of server computers at a plurality of hierarchical levels. A system, method and object oriented computer program for giving a selected controller computer remote control of a selected target client computer in the network comprising the combination of a plurality of server controlled regional hubs, each hub connected to and serving a network region including a set of target client computers; and a function for storing at each server controlled regional hub, a remote control object including data necessary to access and remotely control each of the target client computers served by said hub. This is essentially a standard regional set up for remote control by a remote controller.
Type:
Application
Filed:
April 25, 2002
Publication date:
October 30, 2003
Applicant:
International Business Machines Corporation
Inventors:
Toby Burton, Rhonda L. Childress, Andrea Denise Franklin, Christopher Walter Kempin, Jennifer Saiman Lo, Oluyemi Babatunde Saka, Jonathan Samn, Cindy Marie Uanino
Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method of filling isolation trenches in a substrate. The method includes anisotropically etching trenches in a surface of a substrate and partially filling the trenches with a deposited oxide. As a consequence of the deposition, the oxide accumulates in mounds on the surface between trenches. The trenches are then filled with a supporting material of a highly flowable material such as anti-reflective coating (ARC), low-K dielectric, or a spin-on-polymer, or alternatively, a supporting material of polysilicon. A flattening process is then applied to lower the mound topography. The supporting material is then removed and the filling of the trenches with oxide is then continued. When polysilicon is used as the supporting material, the mounds are removed by wet etching prior to removing the polysilicon.
Type:
Application
Filed:
April 30, 2002
Publication date:
October 30, 2003
Applicant:
International Business Machines Corporation
Inventors:
Ramachandra Divakaruni, Laertis Economikos, Byeong Y. Kim
Abstract: The present invention is a method for scheduling an event or meeting consisting of a plurality of persons which is determined by optimizing one or more variables. In the preferred embodiment, one or more requests for a meeting are pooled. A selected variable is optimized and an event is scheduled on the optimized variable. As additional meeting requests are pooled which conflict with the initial optimized event, the selected variable is again optimized and the event is dynamically rescheduled based on the optimized variable.
Type:
Application
Filed:
April 25, 2002
Publication date:
October 30, 2003
Applicant:
International Business Machines Corporation
Inventors:
Peter George Capek, William Grey, Paul Andrew Moskowitz, Clifford A. Pickover, Dailun Shi