IBM Patents

The International Business Machines Corporation provides IT infrastructure and services to enterprise customers.

IBM Patents by Type
  • IBM Patents Granted: IBM patents that have been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
  • IBM Patent Applications: IBM patent applications that are pending before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
  • Patent number: 8981031
    Abstract: Silsesquioxane polymers that cure to porous silsesquioxane polymers, silsesquioxane polymers that cure to porous silsesquioxane polymers in negative tone photo-patternable dielectric formulations, methods of forming structures using negative tone photo-patternable dielectric formulations containing silsesquioxane polymers that cure to porous silsesquioxane polymers, structures containing porous silsesquioxane polymers and monomers and method of preparing monomers for silsesquioxane polymers that cure to porous silsesquioxane polymers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Robert D. Miller, Alshakim Nelson, Jitendra S. Rathore, Ratnam Sooriyakumaran
  • Patent number: 8984173
    Abstract: Mechanisms are provided for providing an early warning of an error state of a remote direct memory access (RDMA) resource to a userspace application. The mechanisms detect, using kernelspace logic, an error event having occurred, and perform a write operation to write an error state value to a userspace shared memory state data structure indicating the RDMA resource to be in an error state. The mechanisms detect, using userspace logic, the RDMA resource being in an error state by reading the error state value from the userspace shared memory state data structure in response to a userspace application attempting to perform a RDMA operation using the RDMA resource. In addition, the mechanisms initiate, by the userspace application, an operation to tear down the RDMA resource in response to detecting the RDMA resource being in the error state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Omar Cardona, Matthew R. Ochs, Vikramjit Sethi
  • Patent number: 8984236
    Abstract: Techniques for reacting to events in a switch module. Embodiments provide a plurality of predefined load/store operations stored in a first memory buffer of the switch module. An execution buffer capable of storing load/store operations within the switch module is also provided. Responsive to detecting that a first predefined event has occurred, embodiments copy the plurality of predefined load/store operations from the first memory buffer to the execution buffer for execution. Upon detecting the plurality of predefined load/store operations within the execution buffer, the plurality of predefined load/store operations within the execution buffer are executed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Joseph A. Kirscht, Bruce M. Walk
  • Patent number: 8983376
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for reducing spectrum interference between wireless networks. This is realized by arranging at least one sub-coordinating apparatus, namely, a monitoring apparatus, in respective wireless network, and by arranging a coordinating apparatus, namely, an allocation apparatus in the whole network. Wherein, the sub-coordinating apparatus monitors the spectrum utilization situation of the wireless network where it is located, reports it to the coordinating apparatus, and requests the coordinating apparatus for spectrum resource when new spectrum resource is needed. The coordinating apparatus maintains the spectrum utilization information of each wireless network, and allocates appropriate spectrum resource to the sub-coordinating apparatus which requests spectrum resource based on the maintained information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Yonghua Lin, Jianbin Tang, Jun Song Wang, Qing Wang, Rong Yan, Hai Zhan, Chao Zhu, Zhen Bo Zhu
  • Patent number: 8983836
    Abstract: Mechanisms for performing dynamic automatic speech recognition on a portion of multimedia content are provided. Multimedia content is segmented into homogeneous segments of content with regard to speakers and background sounds. For the at least one segment, a speaker providing speech in an audio track of the at least one segment is identified using information retrieved from a social network service source. A speech profile for the speaker is generated using information retrieved from the social network service source, an acoustic profile for the segment is generated based on the generated speech profile, and an automatic speech recognition engine is dynamically configured for operation on the at least one segment based on the acoustic profile. Automatic speech recognition operations are performed on the audio track of the at least one segment to generate a textual representation of speech content in the audio track corresponding to the speaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Elizabeth V. Woodward, Shunguo Yan
  • Patent number: 8984333
    Abstract: An approach to providing diagnostics of data storage medium units may be performed automatically without interruption to system operations. Upon receipt of one or more error messages occurring on a first data storage medium unit, data content from the first data storage medium unit may be copied to a second data storage medium unit. A system may operate using the second data storage medium unit while the first data storage medium unit is diagnosed for possible disk failure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Steven F. Best, Janice M. Girouard
  • Patent number: 8984301
    Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product for efficiently comparing multiple columns of a row of a relational database to an incoming record. A computer creates a cryptographic sum for columns of a row of the relational database. The cryptographic sum is stored as a hidden column in the relational database. Logic may compare the cryptographic sum with an incoming cryptographic sum of entries in an incoming record. Logic may then determine if the incoming cryptographic sums differ from the corresponding cryptographic sums of rows of data of the relational database. When the two cryptographic sums are identical, the data of the incoming record is disregarded as an identical record that already exists. An entry of the incoming record may be added to the target table or updated within an existing record of the relational database when the cryptographic sum and the incoming cryptographic sum of that entry differ.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Peeyush Jaiswal, Vikram S. Khatri, Naveen Narayan, Burt L. Vialpando
  • Patent number: 8984503
    Abstract: In an embodiment, an approach is provided that differences a source topology model associated with a source platform and a target topology model associated with a target platform. This differencing is performed by a processor and results in a topology difference. An operation in a workflow model is obtained from an asset library, the operation being associated with the topology difference. At least a portion of the asset library is stored in a persistent storage medium. The operation to deploy a portion of a solution is transmitted for deployment. The deployed portion of the solution includes a target image compatible with the target platform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Indrajit Poddar, Yulia Gaponenko, Alexey Miroshkin, Vladislav Borisovich Ponomarev, Igor Sukharev
  • Patent number: 8983985
    Abstract: Access to a data element stored within a database object is controlled. A request is received from a user to perform an operation in relation to the database object, the operation including retrieval of information from the data element of the database object. Prior to retrieving information from the data element, a determination is made whether at least a portion of the information from the data element is subject to masking in accordance with an access policy. In response to determining that information from the data element is subject to masking, the request is modified to require that information from the data element be retrieved in a masked condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Stephen Yao Ching Chen, Curt L. Cotner, Gerald G. Kiernan, Irene Ching-Hua Liu, Claire W. McFeely, Walid Rjaibi, Timothy J. Vincent
  • Patent number: 8983247
    Abstract: An electromagnetic wave isolator (10) comprising a body (29) having e.g. an elliptical disk or ring shape such as to define two circular directions (D1, D2) of propagation. The body is further augmented by one or more feature (21, 22) lowering the symmetry of the isolator such that wave propagation is supported substantially more in one (D1) of the directions than in the opposite direction (D2). An integrated optics device includes two electromagnetic wave isolators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jens Hofrichter, Nikolaj Moll
  • Patent number: 8984044
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method of managing bookmarks within a collaborative application can include receiving a user input specifying a universal resource locator (URL) to be bookmarked and determining whether a bookmark record including the URL exists. Responsive to determining that a bookmark record including the URL does not exist, an address and a network type for the URL can be determined. A bookmark record including the URL and the network type can be stored.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: David A. Brooks, Jonathan Feinberg, David R. Millen
  • Patent number: 8983951
    Abstract: Systems and computer program products for relating facts stored in healthcare databases are provided. At least two fact tables stored in a healthcare database including data meeting a criteria of interest are located. An identification key is assigned to the at least two fact tables including the located data meeting the criteria of interest. The identification key provides access to a dimension table including a list of subjects associated with the at least two fact tables including the located data meeting the criteria of interest so as to allow future identification of the subjects meeting the criteria of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Robert R. Friedlander, Anwer M. Khan
  • Patent number: 8984351
    Abstract: In a controller of a tape drive, when an error recovery section cannot recover an error detected by an error detecting section, an error-report generation section generates an error report, an error-information acquisition section acquires error information of the tape drive and a cartridge loaded in the tape drive, an error-information exchange section acquires pieces of error information of other tape drives and cartridges loaded in these other tape drives, an error-factor judging section judges whether the error is attributable to the tape drive or the cartridge based on these pieces of error information, an error-report update section updates the error report in accordance with the result of this judgment, and an error-report output section outputs the error report thus updated to a host.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Itagaki, Yutaka Oishi, Kazuhiro Ozeki, Katsumi Yoshimura
  • Patent number: 8984642
    Abstract: Method to detect security vulnerabilities includes: interacting with a web application during its execution to identify a web page exposed by the web application; statically analyzing the web page to identify a parameter within the web page that is constrained by a client-side validation measure and that is to be sent to the web application; determining a server-side validation measure to be applied to the parameter in view of the constraint placed upon the parameter by the client-side validation measure; statically analyzing the web application to identify a location within the web application where the parameter is input into the web application; determining whether the parameter is constrained by the server-side validation measure prior to the parameter being used in a security-sensitive operation; and identifying the parameter as a security vulnerability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Marco Pistoia, Ori Segal, Omer Tripp
  • Patent number: 8984335
    Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure are directed to an apparatus that comprises a first core susceptible to an error condition, and a second core configured to perform a diagnostic on the first core to identify a cause of the error condition and an action to remedy the error condition in order to recover the first core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Sreekala Anandavally, Anand Haridass, Gerard M. Salem, Diyanesh B. C. Vidyapoornachary
  • Patent number: 8982887
    Abstract: A computer system, method and program for routing. A router receives a message packet, and in response, the router reads a payload in the message packet to identify an application that sent the message packet or a user of the application that sent the message packet, as identified from the reading of the payload. The router determines a routing path for the message packet based at least in part on the identity of the application that sent the message packet or the user of the application that sent the message packet. The router forwards the message packet to a next hop in the routing path which was determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Richard Scott Curtis, Jason Davis Forrester
  • Patent number: 8984039
    Abstract: A residue generating circuit for an execution unit that supports vector operations includes an operand register and a residue generator coupled to the operand register. The residue generator includes a first residue generation tree coupled to a first section of the operand register and a second residue generation tree coupled to a second section of the operand register. The first residue generation tree is configured to generate a first residue for first data included in the first section of the operand register. The second residue generation tree is configured to generate a second residue for second data included in a second section of the operand register. The first section of the operand register includes a different number of register bits than the second section of the operand register.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Maarten Jakob Boersma, Juergen Haess
  • Patent number: 8984616
    Abstract: Efficient routing for a client-server session or connection is provided in an application layer of multi-layered systems interconnect stack by caching a plurality of application-specific information at an intermediary network point; using the application specific information to route messages for an application connection; and indexing the application-specific information with a key provided by the application. Optionally, a second key may be used to retrieve the application-specific information if the first key is not provided in an application connection request, where the second key is optionally opaque to the application program. The intermediary network point may be an edge of network Internet Protocol (IP) switch, and the application layer in which the routing is performed may be layer seven of the Open Systems Interconnection model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel M Jamrog, David Scott Kern, Jason Dana LaVoie, Chester E Ryder, III
  • Patent number: 8984437
    Abstract: A control method for controlling display on a display apparatus displaying a plurality of windows in an overlapping manner comprises detecting that contents to be displayed on at least one of the plurality of windows are updated, and displaying an update notification including information identifying a window having the updated display contents on an update notification window provided common to the plurality of windows, in response to the detection of an update of the display contents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshio Horiuchi
  • Patent number: 8984109
    Abstract: An integrated hybrid system is provided. The hybrid system includes compute components of different types and architectures that are integrated and managed by a single point of control to provide federation and the presentation of the compute components as a single logical computing platform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Friedemann Baitinger, Jeffrey A. Frey, Joseph M. Gdaniec, Peter B. Yocom
  • Patent number: 8978401
    Abstract: A data center cooling system may include heat transfer equipment to cool a liquid coolant without vapor compression refrigeration, and the liquid coolant is used on a liquid cooled information technology equipment rack housed in the data center. The system may also include a controller-apparatus to regulate the liquid coolant flow to the liquid cooled information technology equipment rack through a range of liquid coolant flow values based upon information technology equipment temperature thresholds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Timothy J. Chainer, Hien P. Dang, Pritish R. Parida, Mark D. Schultz, Arun Sharma
  • Patent number: 8984598
    Abstract: Mechanisms are provided for collecting configuration data from components of a managed computing system environment. A portion of code is obtained, in a data processing system, from a data collection system that does not have security credentials to allow the data collection system to directly access to the managed computing system environment. The portion of code is executed by the data processing system using security credentials maintained in the data processing system. Executing the portion of code causes the data processing system to access the managed computing system environment and collect configuration data from the managed computing system environment. The data processing system, via the portion of code, provides the configuration data collected from the managed computing system to the data collection system which stores the collected configuration data in a data storage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Joel W. Branch, Michael E. Nidd, Ruediger Rissmann
  • Patent number: 8984023
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method, system, and/or computer program product monitors stored procedures that are executed in a database management system. A determination is made, for a stored procedure that is executed in a database management system, of an identification of the stored procedure and event data related to the stored procedure. The event data includes when the stored procedure began and ended executing, an SQL identifier for an SQL statement in the stored procedure, and a counter of how many times the SQL statement executed. The database management system provides values of parameters used when executing the SQL statement. These values are then correlated with the count of how many times the SQL statement executed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Stephan Arenswald, Andreas Limmer, Michael Reichert, John B. Tobler, Matthias Tschaffler, Maryela E. Weihrauch
  • Patent number: 8984480
    Abstract: Coordinating data sharing among applications in mobile devices, in one aspect, may include a shared data manager application on a mobile device that manages data trade requirements automatically of a plurality of mobile applications, and permission grants or denials to reads and writes of data managed by the shared data manager and used by the plurality of mobile applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Rangachari Anand, Stacy F. Hobson, Juhnyoung Lee, Yuan Wang, Jing Min Xu, Jeaha Yang
  • Patent number: 8984355
    Abstract: A technique for controlling scan access of multiple scan devices (including or more slave scan devices and a master scan device) to a scan chain includes sending, by a requesting slave scan device included in the one or more slave scan devices, a first request for access to the scan chain to the master scan device. The master scan device and the one or more slave scan devices are connected to the scan chain. The technique also includes receiving, at the requesting slave scan device, an evaluation result from the master scan device and accessing, by the requesting slave scan device, the scan chain in response to the evaluation result indicating access granted. Finally, the technique includes sending, by the requesting slave scan device, one or more second requests for access to the scan chain to the master scan device in response to the evaluation result indicating access denied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Benedikt Geukes, Heiko Michel, Matteo Michel, Manfred Walz
  • Patent number: 8983133
    Abstract: View-specific object detectors are learned as a function of scene geometry and object motion patterns. Motion directions are determined for object images extracted from a training dataset and collected from different camera scene viewpoints. The object images are categorized into clusters as a function of similarities of their determined motion directions, the object images in each cluster are acquired from the same camera scene viewpoint. Zenith angles are estimated for object image poses in the clusters relative to a position of a horizon in the cluster camera scene viewpoint, and azimuth angles of the poses as a function of a relation of the determined motion directions of the clustered images to the cluster camera scene viewpoint. Detectors are thus built for recognizing objects in input video, one for each of the clusters, and associated with the estimated zenith angles and azimuth angles of the poses of the respective clusters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Rogerio S. Feris, Sharathchandra U. Pankanti, Behjat Siddiquie
  • Patent number: 8984129
    Abstract: Provided is reporting session information for a session upstream from a server. A data processing system receives a session handshake from a first client for a session between the server and the first client. The system receives a session-descriptor for a session between a second client and the first client before handling a nested session. The system determines whether a user has made an upstream session request. The system obtains session data from an upstream data structure, responsive to a determination that the user has made an upstream session request. The system renders the session data based on the upstream session request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Kavitha V. Baratakke, Nikhil Hegde, Sivakumar Krishnasamy, Rashmi Narasimhan
  • Patent number: 8983877
    Abstract: Applications of machine learning techniques such as Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) and author-topic models (ATM) to the problems of mining of user roles to specify access control policies from entitlement as well as logs which contain record of the usage of these entitlements are provided. In one aspect, a method for performing role mining given a plurality of users and a plurality of permissions is provided. The method includes the following steps. At least one generative machine learning technique, e.g., LDA, is used to obtain a probability distribution ? for user-to-role assignments and a probability distribution ? for role-to-permission assignments. The probability distribution ? for user-to-role assignments and the probability distribution ? for role-to-permission assignments are used to produce a final set of roles, including user-to-role assignments and role-to-permission assignments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Suresh N. Chari, Ian Michael Molloy, Youngja Park
  • Patent number: 8984659
    Abstract: Mechanisms for executing a software routine in an application executing as a multi-user single address space subsystem in an operating environment having a trusted mode of operation for trusted routines and a reduced-trust mode of operation for untrusted routines. The application includes a control module for execution as a trusted routine and a trusted routine table including identifiers of trusted routines. The control module performs switches between a trusted mode of operation for execution and a reduced trust mode of operation based on various determinations regarding the nature of a calling routine being trusted or untrusted, a call stack, and whether the calling routine is being restored or not from the call stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Peter E. Havercan
  • Patent number: 8984497
    Abstract: A system, method and computer program product to provide a technique for achieving high speed and stable dispatch of a code in a programming language based on erasure, the code being converted from a code written in a programming language based on reification. The system, method and computer program product perform a function of adding a synthetic class having the same name as a suffix for name mangling of a normal method in a first programming language based on reification, adding a dummy parameter of the type of the synthetic class to a constructor definition, and adding an appropriate value (normally, null) that matches the type of the dummy parameter to a constructor invocation to convert the code in the first programming language to a code in a second programming language based on erasure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Mikio Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 8981829
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided to regulate a supply voltage of a load circuit. For example, a system includes a voltage regulator circuit that includes a passgate device. The system includes a passgate strength calibration control module which is configured to (i) obtain information which specifies operating conditions of the voltage regulator circuit, (ii) access entries of one or more look-up tables using the obtained information, (iii) use information within the accessed entries to determine a maximum load current that could be demanded by the load circuit under the operating conditions specified by the obtained information, and to predict a passgate device width which is sufficient to supply the determined maximum load current, and (iv) set an active width of the passgate device according to the predicted passgate device width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: John F. Bulzacchelli, Zeynep Toprak Deniz, Joshua D. Friedrich, Tilman Gloekler, Gregory S. Still
  • Patent number: 8982511
    Abstract: A head assembly according to one embodiment includes at least one module having magnetic transducers for reading and/or writing to a magnetic tape; electronics electrically coupled to the transducers, the electronics comprising at least one of amplifiers; bias circuitry; write drivers; write resistors; a memory device; and a chip with at least one of identification information about the head assembly, customization data, and firmware; and a connector for detachably interfacing to a drive having a head region for receiving the head assembly. A magnetic tape drive according to one embodiment includes a head region for removably receiving a head assembly; a mechanical interface to facilitate alignment of the head assembly when inserted in the head region; and a connector for detachably interfacing with the head assembly. Additional systems and methods are also presented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Robert G. Biskeborn, Philipp Herget, Jason Liang
  • Patent number: 8983197
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for ordering images. The technique includes receiving a request, the request including keywords and parameters specifying desired image characteristics. Further, the technique includes identifying a set of images responsive to the request based on a match of the keywords to tags associated with objects depicted in the set of images. Finally, the technique includes determining an ordering of the identified set of images by comparing the received parameters with metadata fields associated with respective tags of the objects and returning an indication of the set of images and the determined ordering of the images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael J. Fork, Rick A. Hamilton, II, Kevin G. Paterson, James R. Seaman
  • Patent number: 8984593
    Abstract: A system, and computer usable program product for securing asynchronous client server transactions are provided in the illustrative embodiments. A request including an application identifier and a version of a second application is received at a first application. A service identifier is generated if a session with the second application is valid. A registry is generated at the first application. A catalog is generated based on the registry and the service identifier and the catalog are sent to the second application. A sub-request including the service identifier is received as part of an asynchronous client server transaction. Validity of the sub-request is determined by determining whether the service identifier has expired, whether the sub-request requests a service that is permissible according to the catalog, whether the service identifier is used in conjunction with the second application, or a combination thereof. If the sub-request is valid, the service is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Steven A. Bade, Harold Moss, Mary Ellen Zurko
  • Patent number: 8981478
    Abstract: Semiconductor devices and methods that include forming a fin field effect transistor by defining a fin hardmask on a semiconductor layer, forming a dummy structure over the fin hardmask to establish a planar area on the semiconductor layer, removing a portion of the fin hardmask that extends beyond the dummy structure, etching a semiconductor layer adjacent to the dummy structure to produce recessed source and drain regions, removing the dummy structure, etching the semiconductor layer in the planar area to produce fins, and forming a gate stack over the fins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Josephine B. Chang, Paul Chang, Michael A. Guillorn, Chung-Hsun Lin, Jeffrey W. Sleight
  • Patent number: 8981430
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a bipolar transistor with low resistance base contact and method of manufacturing the same. The bipolar transistor includes an emitter, a collector, and an intrinsic base between the emitter and the collector. The intrinsic base extends laterally to an extrinsic base. The extrinsic base further includes a first semiconductor material with a first bandgap and a second semiconductor material with a second bandgap that is smaller than the first bandgap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Francois Pagette, Kathryn T. Schonenberg
  • Patent number: 8983961
    Abstract: A high availability system in a cloud computing environment includes a snapshot manager disposed in a mirror environment having at least one computer server and a plurality of virtual machines disposed in a production environment. Each of the plurality of virtual machines includes a snapshot agent configured to perform a method. The method includes periodically taking snapshots of the virtual machine associated with the snapshot agent, determining a delta image based on a change between a current snapshot and a previous snapshot, removing previous snapshots in the virtual machine and transmitting the delta image to the snapshot manager. The snapshot manager is configured to store a recovery image for each of the plurality of virtual machines and to merge the received delta image with the recovery image to update the recovery image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Hoi Y. Chan, Trieu C. Chieu
  • Patent number: 8980720
    Abstract: An improved eFuse and method of fabrication is disclosed. A cavity is formed in a substrate, which results in a polysilicon line having an increased depth in the area of the fuse, while having a reduced depth in areas outside of the fuse. The increased depth reduces the chance of the polysilicon line entering the fully silicided state. The cavity may be formed with a wet or dry etch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Edward P. Maciejewski, Dustin Kenneth Slisher, Stefan Zollner
  • Patent number: 8981466
    Abstract: Multilayer dielectric structures are provided having silicon nitride (SiN) and silicon oxynitride (SiNO) films for use as capping layers, liners, spacer barrier layers, and etch stop layers, and other components of semiconductor nano-devices. For example, a semiconductor structure includes a multilayer dielectric structure having multiple layers of dielectric material including one or more SiN layers and one or more SiNO layers. The layers of dielectric material in the multilayer dielectric structure have a thickness in a range of about 0.5 nanometers to about 3 nanometers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Alfred Grill, Seth L. Knupp, Son V. Nguyen, Vamsi K. Paruchuri, Deepika Priyadarshini, Hosadurga K. Shobha
  • Patent number: 8984521
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are provided to enable fair and balanced allocation of control blocks to support processing of requests received from a client machine. The server is configured with tools to manage an account balance of control block availability for each service class. The account balance is periodically adjusted based upon usage, tenancy, deficits, and passage of time. Processing of one or more tasks in a service class is support when the credit value in the service class account is equal to or greater than the entry cost estimated for the request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: David D. Chambliss
  • Patent number: 8983176
    Abstract: A method, process, and associated systems for automatically selecting and masking areas of a still image or video clip using imported depth information. An image-editing or video-editing application receives a set of depth values that are each associated with an area of a still image or video frame. Each depth value identifies the distance from the camera position of an object depicted by the area associated with the depth value. When a user directs the application to automatically select or mask a region of the image or frame, the application uses the depth values to automatically choose which pixels to include in the selection or mask such that the selection or mask best approximates an area of the image or frame that represents a three-dimensional object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: John F. Kelley, Todd Seager
  • Patent number: 8983922
    Abstract: A user is enabled to specify policy information for use by a persistence manager in determining how to persist information relating to a data item so as achieve a desired level of reliability. The user is permitted to specify at least two behavior requirements to be associated with information to be persisted. The first behavior requirement is specifiable for a first system state, and the second behavior state is specifiable for a second system state. The behavior requirements are interpretable by the persistence manager to determine a persistence behavior necessary to conform with the policy information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Francis Nicholas Parr, Andrew John Schofield, Stephen James Todd
  • Patent number: 8984515
    Abstract: A method, computer program product, and computer system for shared execution of mixed data flows, performed by one or more computing devices, comprises identifying one or more resource sharing opportunities across a plurality of parallel tasks. The plurality of parallel tasks includes zero or more relational operations and at least one non-relational operation. The plurality of parallel tasks relative to the relational operations and the at least one non-relational operation are executed. In response to executing the plurality of parallel tasks, one or more resources of the identified resource sharing opportunities is shared across the relational operations and the at least one non-relational operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Rajeev Gupta, Padmashree Ravindra, Prasan Roy
  • Patent number: 8983827
    Abstract: A method for linguistical analytic consolidation is described. The method includes displaying a user interface on a mobile device. The method also includes receiving source text content to display in the user interface. The method also includes scanning the source text content for a specific element. The method also includes flagging the specific element of the source text content to be modified according to a set of linguistic rules. Modifying the specific element according to the set of linguistic rules results in a consolidated form of the source text content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael J Iantosca, Jana H Jenkins
  • Patent number: 8981961
    Abstract: A connection validation apparatus includes a connector engagement mechanism configured to physically engage a connector to connect the connector to a connector interface. The apparatus further includes a connection indication detector located on the connector engagement mechanism and configured to detect at least one of a sound and a vibration corresponding to a secure connection of the connector with the connector interface. The apparatus also includes a connection indicator output unit configured to provide an indication to a user that the connector is securely connected with the connector interface based on the detection of the at least one of the sound and the vibration by the connection indication detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Alan F. Benner, Benjamin V. Fasano
  • Patent number: 8983992
    Abstract: Methods and arrangements for facilitating accelerations of database functions. A field programmable gate array is incorporated. At least one query control block is incorporated in the field programmable gate array, and database management system operations are accelerated via the field programmable gate array. The accelerating includes employing the at least one query control block to execute a query without reconfiguring the field programmable gate array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Sameh Asaad, Bernard V. Brezzo, Donna N Eng Dillenberger, Parijat Dube, Balakrishna Raghavendra Iyer, Hong Min, Bharat Sukhwani, Mathew S. Thoennes
  • Patent number: 8984493
    Abstract: A method for distributed static analysis of computer software applications, includes: statically analyzing instructions of a computer software application; identifying at least one entry point in the computer software application; assigning a primary agent to statically analyze the computer software application from the entry point; assigning a secondary agent to statically analyze a call site encountered by the primary agent and produce a static analysis summary of the call site; and presenting results of any of the static analyzes via a computer-controlled output device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Marco Pistoia, Omer Tripp, Omri Weisman
  • Patent number: 8984260
    Abstract: A circuit arrangement, method, and program product for substituting a plurality of scalar instructions in an instruction stream with a functionally equivalent vector instruction for execution by a vector execution unit. Predecode logic is coupled to an instruction buffer which stores instructions in an instruction stream to be executed by the vector execution unit. The predecode logic analyzes the instructions passing through the instruction buffer to identify a plurality of scalar instructions that may be replaced by a vector instruction in the instruction stream. The predecode logic may generate the functionally equivalent vector instruction based on the plurality of scalar instructions, and the functionally equivalent vector instruction may be substituted into the instruction stream, such that the vector execution unit executes the vector instruction in lieu of the plurality of scalar instructions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Adam J. Muff, Paul E. Schardt, Robert A. Shearer, Matthew R. Tubbs
  • Patent number: 8983200
    Abstract: Techniques for segmenting an object are provided. The techniques include capturing an image of an object, dividing the image into one or more blocks, computing a confidence value for each of the one or more blocks, and eliminating one or more blocks from consideration based on the confidence value for each of the one or more blocks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Rogerio S. Feris, Charles A. Otto, Sharathchandra Pankanti, Duan D. Tran
  • Patent number: 8983926
    Abstract: A method and system for tagging original data generated by things in the Internet of Things (IoT). The method includes: performing relativity detection on acquired Web messages to obtain Web messages related to various events; acquiring address information contained in the related Web messages; determining adjacent things for various events based on the acquired address information; and tagging original data generated by the adjacent things determined using at least partial content of the related Web messages as metadata. The system includes modules for carrying out the above method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Keke Cai, Zhong Su, Xian Wu, Li Jun Xia, Jian Yao, Li Zhang, Shuo Zhang