Patents Assigned to INTERNATIONALS BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
  • Patent number: 7827596
    Abstract: An apparatus and method authenticate computed results in a public distributed computing environment without the need for fully recomputing the results. The work unit is operated on by client code that computes one or more partial results along with the completed result. When the results are returned to the server, the server may decide to have a trusted computer system process the same work unit to compute the partial result according to a defined acceptance policy. In addition, the work unit name, user identity and current date are encrypted using a time-sensitive key. Should the server detect a problem with the results (e.g., decrypted work unit name does not match, recomputed partial result does not match), the results may be rejected according to a defined rejection policy. In this manner, it becomes very difficult to fool a server into thinking a work unit has been processed when it has not.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Larry Wayne Loen
  • Patent number: 7826045
    Abstract: A method and structure for locating a fault in a semiconductor chip. The chip includes a substrate on a dielectric interconnect. A first electrical response image of the chip, which includes a spot representing the fault, is overlayed on a first reflection image for monochromatic light in an optical path from an optical microscope through a SIL/NAIL and into the chip. The index of refraction of the substrate exceeds that of the dielectric interconnect and is equal to that of the SIL/NAIL. A second electrical response image of the chip is overlayed on a second reflection image for the monochromatic light in an optical path in which an optical stop prevents all subcritical angular components of the monochromatic light from being incident on the SIL/NAIL. If the second electrical response image includes or does not include the spot, then the fault is in the substrate or the dielectric interconnect, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Stephen Bradley Ippolito, Darrell L. Miles, Peilin Song, John D. Sylvestri
  • Patent number: 7827513
    Abstract: A method for identifying and modifying, in a VLSI hierarchical chip design, parent buffer placements which lead to wiring track inefficiencies with respect to data flow and the parent placement area geometry. Parent placement area is reviewed and a subset is categorized and distinguished as either horizontal slots or vertical slots. Buffer to buffer data flow is reviewed for cases where data flow direction is either strongly horizontal or strongly vertical. Situations where buffer to buffer data flow is oriented in the same direction as the parent placement slots in which the buffers reside are reported. Additionally, an attempt is made to find a valid placement location for the buffers excluding parent placement areas oriented in the same direction as the data flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Joseph J. Palumbo, Christopher J. Berry, Adam R. Jalkowski
  • Patent number: 7827501
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to alert bubble management and provide a method, data processing system and computer program product for interactive alert bubbles for alert bubble management. In one embodiment of the invention, an interactive alert bubble can be provided for an alert management data processing system. The interactive alert bubble can include an alert bubble interface to the interactive alert bubble. An alert text field can be disposed in the interface and configured to provide a reference to an alert notification in the alert management data processing system. Additionally, a rating control can be disposed in the interface and configured to establish a rating for the alert notification responsive to a selection of the rating control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Werner Geyer, Elizabeth A. Brownholtz, Martin T. Moore, Michael Muller, Steven Ross, Shilad W. Sen, Michael C. Wu
  • Patent number: 7827210
    Abstract: A method and system that allows efficient shredding of large instances of hierarchical data structures into relational data structures. Large instances of hierarchical data structures, which are able to be larger than the random access storage of a computer used to shred them into relational data structures, are incrementally shredded into a temporary storage. When the amount of data shredded into the temporary storage reaches or exceeds a predetermined commit count, the data in the temporary storage is transferred to a relational data structure maintained by a relational database manager. A Document Type Description annotation is provided to allow the end user to specify execution order for SQL commands and to specify commit count values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Dikran S. Meliksetian, George Andrei Mihaila, Nianjun Zhou
  • Patent number: 7825516
    Abstract: In integrated circuit technology; an electromigration and diffusion sensitive conductor of a metal such as copper and processing procedure therefore is provided, wherein, at a planarized chemical mechanical processed interfacing surface, the conductor metal is positioned in a region of a selectable low K eff dielectric material surrounded by a material selected to be protection from outdiffusion and a source of a film thickness cap that is to form over the conductor metal and/or serve as a catalytic layer for electroless selective deposition of a CoWP capping .
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Stefanie Ruth Chiras, Michael Wayne Lane, Sandra Guy Malhotra, Fenton Reed Mc Feely, Robert Rosenberg, Carlos Juan Sambucetti, Philippe Mark Vereecken
  • Patent number: 7825693
    Abstract: A semiconductor chip comprising a reference circuit and a target circuit. The reference circuit comprises a first P-channel field effect transistor (PFET) and a first N-channel field effect transistor (NFET). A reference voltage is connected to gates of the first PFET and first NFET. A body control voltage node is formed by connecting a drain of the first PFET, a body of the first PFET, a drain of the first NFET and a body of the first NFET. A target circuit comprises a second PFET and a second NFET. The body control voltage node is connected to a body of the second PFET and the second NFET. The body control voltage improves duty cycle in the target circuit compared to a similarly designed circuit having PFET bodies connected to Vdd and NFET bodies connected to Ground.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Oded Katz, Israel A. Wagner
  • Patent number: 7826714
    Abstract: A method for controlling subtitles and captions information in video is described. The method includes determining at least one subtitle or caption within a video data stream, pausing the video data stream based on the determination and resuming play of the video data stream after a determined time period. The method may also include storing at least one subtitle or caption in a device memory based on the determination of at least one subtitle or caption within the video data stream, receiving a review subtitle or caption request at the device player and presenting at least one stored subtitle or caption for review. A system and computer readable medium including computer readable code for controlling subtitles and captions information in video is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Viktors Berstis, Randolph M. Forlenza
  • Patent number: 7827451
    Abstract: A method, system and program product are provided for establishing one or more decimal floating point (DFP) operand for facilitating testing of a decimal floating point instruction. The method includes obtaining an encoded DFP operand previously generated for testing the decimal floating point instruction, and logically modifying at least one bit of the encoded DFP operand without decoding the encoded DFP operand to obtain an additional encoded DFP operand. In one embodiment, m sequential bits of the encoded DFP operand, n randomly generated bits (wherein n=m), and a logical operation (such as an AND, OR, XOR or SHIFT) are employed in modifying the previously generated, encoded DFP operand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Theodore J. Bohizic, Mark H. Decker, Ali Y. Duale
  • Patent number: 7827050
    Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for managing goals. A goal to be achieved by a goal-setter is defined. At least one action to be completed is defined. The at least one action is associated with an achievement of the goal by the goal-setter. One or more goal-setter attributes associated with the goal-setter are specified. At least one of the one or more goal-setter attributes is associated with the goal to facilitate managing the goal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew J. Bangel, Scott D. Hicks, James A. Martin, Jr., Renee C. Mullins, Diane C. Rauch
  • Patent number: 7827434
    Abstract: A RAID storage system is provided with a plurality of disk drive modules in communication with a processor through a RAID controller. Tools and processes are provided for managing failure of individual modules in the RAID, identifying and managing excess spare modules, and migrating modules among array sites to produce uniform or near-uniform array sites.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jerald Herry D'Souza, Vijay Francis Gregary Lobo
  • Patent number: 7827541
    Abstract: A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable medium for gathering performance related data in a multiprocessing environment. Instrumentation code is executed on a processor that minimizes the distortion to the processor resources used to execute the program to be profiled. Data is written by the instrumentation code to a shared memory in response to an event occurring during execution of the program. The data is generated during execution of the program on the processor and the instrumentation code uses shared memory to convey the data to a profiling application running on a set of profiling processors. The data is collected by the set of profiling processors in the shared memory written by the instrumentation code.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Wen-Tzer Thomas Chen, Jimmie Earl DeWitt, Jr., Frank Eliot Levine, Enio Manuel Pineda
  • Patent number: 7826667
    Abstract: A system and method of recording digitally stored surveillance images comprises dividing a series of continuous digital picture image frames according to timing intervals; storing a reference image in a frame buffer of a motion analyzer; detecting a motion difference between a captured image and the reference image; attributing a motion code and time stamp on the captured image; and recording the captured image when the motion code and time stamp match a predetermined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Oliver K. Ban
  • Patent number: 7826449
    Abstract: The reassembly timer in a TCP/IP receiver is dynamically set to avoid data corruption on fast networks caused by IP identification wrap-around. A sender generates IP packets with a special option specifying a reassembly time for fragments based on the subnet of the destination or on the calculated round-trip time of the connection. A receiver sets the reassembly timer to the reassembly time specified in the option. A sender can generate IP packets with an alternative option setting a time stamp for the generated packet. A receiver calculates a traversal time based on the difference between the arrival time of the fragment and this time stamp, and sets the reassembly timer based on this traversal time. A receiver can independently set the reassembly timer to a first reassembly time set by the user for fast networks or to a second reassembly timer set by the user for slow networks based on whether the receiver and sender are on the same subnet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Shankar Manjunatha, Vasu Vallabhaneni, Venkat Venkatsubra, Richard Perry Youngman
  • Patent number: 7827020
    Abstract: Disclosed is simulation of circuit behavior by running a central electronic core simulation in a high level simulator up to and including initial microload, creation of a post-IML (initial microcode load) state, and transferring the post-initial microcode state from the central electronic core simulation to the post-initial microcode load co-simulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Edward C. McCain
  • Patent number: 7827598
    Abstract: Access Control Lists control permitted actions on protected network computer system resources by providing an access control policy associated with the requested protected system resource containing a permission list of permitted identities and at least one action group tag with associated action indicators; reusing a finite quantity of action indicators among a plurality of action group tags to control a number of unique permissions less than or equal to the product of the quantity of allowable action indicators and a quantity of allowable action group tags; evaluating the permission list according to a specific permission definition associated with the action group tag, the permission definition providing a correlation between members of a set of action indicators; and granting authorization to perform actions on the requested protected system resource to the requesting user if the access control policy permission list includes an appropriate action indicator correlated to an action group tag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Anthony Scott Moran, Brian James Turner, Peter Sean Calvert
  • Patent number: 7827544
    Abstract: A technique for updating elements in a data storage facility, including a single server or a multi-server system, such as by providing updated internal code packages to the elements. The update is performed using a fixed state machine, where the elements are updated in a coordinated manner within the constraints of the state machine. In a multi-server device, the code packages are distributed to elements associated with the different servers in one traversal of the state machine, during distribute states of the state machine. The distributed code packages are activated in activate states of the state machine in one traversal of the state machine, so there is parallel activation. The code packages can be grouped in a flexible way by configuring an external update bundle used by the state machine. The distributing of the code is based on the grouping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Edward G. Butt, Franck Excoffier, Steven D. Johnson
  • Patent number: 7825460
    Abstract: Vertical field effect transistor semiconductor structures and methods for fabrication of the vertical field effect transistor semiconductor structures provide an array of semiconductor pillars. Each vertical portion of each semiconductor pillar in the array of semiconductor pillars has a linewidth greater than a separation distance to an adjacent semiconductor pillar. Alternatively, the array may comprise semiconductor pillars with different linewidths, optionally within the context of the foregoing linewidth and separation distance limitations. A method for fabricating the array of semiconductor pillars uses a minimally photolithographically dimensioned pillar mask layer that is annularly augmented with at least one spacer layer prior to being used as an etch mask.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew J. Breitwisch, Chung H. Lam, Alejandro G. Schrott
  • Patent number: 7827132
    Abstract: A rule set to convert an event into a standardized format can be established based on cooperation among peer processing nodes. A processing node that receives the event takes the initial responsibility to convert the event. The responsible processing node initially attempts to convert the event using locally available rules. If the initial attempt fails, the responsible processing node will communicate the event to peer processing nodes and request them to provide conversion rules. Upon receipt of the rules provided by the peer processing nodes, the responsible processing node combines the received rules with the locally available rules to generate a rule set to convert the event. The responsible processing node may also transfer the event to another processing node for the other processing node to take the responsibility to convert the event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Genady Grabarnik, Chang-Shing Perng, Abdolreza Salahshour, Balan Subramanian
  • Patent number: 7827205
    Abstract: A computer implemented method is provided for a bi-directional data mapping tool. The method for mapping between at least two data models comprises selecting a source including a first data model, selecting a target including a second data model and defining a relationship between the data in the source and the data in the target. The method further comprises generating a bi-directional map from at least portions of the source, the target, and the defined relationship.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Folu Okunseinde, Tyron Stading