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: 8959064
    Abstract: Methods and systems for transforming a logical data object for storage in a storage device configured to operate with at least one storage protocol. One method comprises creating in the storage device a transformed logical data object comprising a one or more allocated storage sections with a predefined size and receiving one or more data chunks corresponding to the transformed logical data object. The method further comprises determining if each received data chunk comprises a predefined criterion, transforming each data chunk that comprises the predefined criterion, maintaining each data chuck in raw form that does not comprise the predefined criterion, and sequentially storing each transformed data chuck and data chunk in raw form into said one or more allocated storage sections in accordance with an order said transformed data chunks and data chunks in raw form are received. One system comprises a processor configured to perform the above method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Chaim Koifman, Nadav Kedem, Avi Zohar
  • Patent number: 8958253
    Abstract: A method according to one embodiment includes determining to move an extent from a source-tier in a storage system to a destination-tier in the storage system; determining whether any track from the set of tracks is presently being written to; designating to a write-stack associated with the source-tier each track that is presently being written to and designating to a read-stack associated with the source-tier remaining tracks from the set of tracks; removing oldest tracks from the read-stack and the write-stack until the read-stack and the write-stack have been depleted of tracks; when a parameter of the extent exceeds a migration threshold: populating a destination-tier cache with the tracks as they are removed from the read-stack and the write-stack using a predetermined read-to-write ratio and removing tracks from a source-tier cache that were removed from the read-stack and the write-stack; and migrating the extent from the source-tier to the destination-tier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: David Montgomery, Todd C. Sorenson
  • Patent number: 8959124
    Abstract: A plurality of functions to configure a unit of a storage volume is maintained, wherein each of the plurality of functions, in response to being applied to the unit of the storage volume, configures the unit of the storage volume differently. Statistics are computed on growth rate of data and access characteristics of the data stored in the unit of the storage volume. A determination is made as to which of the plurality of functions to apply to the unit of the storage volume, based on the computed statistics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Paul N. Cashman, Barry D. Whyte
  • Patent number: 8959423
    Abstract: Provided are techniques for providing drill-through information. User input of locations of one or more target documents and values of parameters for those one or more target documents is received. A user is allowed to move a drill-through lens window across a source document, wherein the drill-through lens window displays a floating, transparent target document. In response to the drill-through lens window floating over the data in the source document, in real time: the data is selected in the source document, the selected data is identified as a parameter for a target document, the parameter is used to obtain further details from the target document, and the drill-through lens window is displayed showing the further details.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Amer Hammoud
  • Patent number: 8959135
    Abstract: A computer system retrieves a slice of sparse matrix data, which includes multiple rows that each includes multiple elements. The computer system identifies one or more non-zero values stored in one or more of the rows. Each identified non-zero value corresponds to a different row, and also corresponds to an element location within the corresponding row. In turn, the computer system stores each of the identified non-zero values and corresponding element locations within a packet at predefined fields corresponding to the different rows.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Gordon Clyde Fossum
  • Patent number: 8959222
    Abstract: An apparatus for managing requests. The requests are received by a workload manager system to perform operations on data. A set of server applications is identified by the workload manager system to perform the operations in the requests based on a set of common resources used by the set of server applications. The set of server applications is in a workload group and the workload group is comprised of a plurality of application groups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Andrew H. Arrowood, Michael G. Fitzpatrick, Gary O. McAfee
  • Patent number: 8958214
    Abstract: Mechanisms for interconnecting and distributing signals and power between PCBs are provided. A first PCB having land grid arrays (LGAs) and a first wiring layer designed for interconnect components on the first PCB, and a second wiring layer for connecting the components to a second PCB, are provided. The second PCB has opposed parallel first and second surfaces, the first surface having a LGA. A wiring layer designed to interconnect components on the second PCB, and a layer for interconnecting the components on the second PCB with the components on the first PCB, are provided. A first interposer couples to a LGA of a first surface of the first PCB and connects a component to the first PCB. A second interposer is sandwiched between and couples to a LGA of a second surface of the first PCB and to the LGA of the first surface of the second PCB.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: John L. Colbert, Arvind K. Sinha, Roger D. Weekly
  • Patent number: 8959227
    Abstract: A cluster server manages allocation of free blocks to cluster clients performing writes in a clustered file system. The cluster server manages free block allocation with a free block map and an in-flight block map. The free block map is a data structure or hardware structure with data that indicates blocks or extents of the clustered file system that can be allocated to a client for the client to write data. The in-flight block map is a data structure or hardware structure with data that indicates blocks that have been allocated to clients, but remain in-flight. A block remains in-flight until the clustered file system metadata has been updated to reflect a write performed to that block by a client. After a consistency snapshot of the metadata is published to the storage resources, the data at the block will be visible to other nodes of the cluster.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Joon Chang, Ninad S. Palsule, Andrew N. Solomon
  • Patent number: 8959400
    Abstract: A method, computer program product, and computer system for collecting errors which occur while a user uses a computer includes collecting log information on an operating environment including an operating procedure from a computing device associated with a user; accumulating the collected log information; identifying, from the log information, a second operating procedure similar to the operating procedure, wherein the second operating procedure had an error occur and no longer includes the error, in response to receiving the log information corresponding to the operating procedure in which the error occurs; and providing the user with the second operating procedure included in the searched log information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Masashi Miyazaki, Tomohiro Shimizu, Tomonori Sugiura
  • Patent number: 8957519
    Abstract: The problem of poor adherence of a dielectric coating on a patterned metal structure can be solved by forming an adhesion layer on exposed surfaces of such metal structure prior to deposition of such dielectric. According to an embodiment, the invention provides a method to form a self-aligned adhesion layer on the surface of metal interconnect structure within an integrated circuit by exposing the metal structure to a controlled atmosphere and a flow of nitrogen-containing gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Chih-Chao Yang, Hsueh-Chung Chen
  • Patent number: 8957379
    Abstract: A novel and useful THz radiation detector comprising a suspended wideband planar skirt antenna for achieving low thermal mass and high electrical performance. The antenna comprises only the perimeter or “skirt” of the antenna. The antenna has multiple loops where each loop comprises a conductor that covers the perimeter or skirt and includes multiple inner and outer arms. The total length of each loop has a length substantially one wavelength. One or more ports or load impedances are connected at the center of the antenna and shared by one or more loops. A thermal sensor detects the heat generated in the load resister and converts the heat energy to an electrical signal which is transmitted to read out circuitry via signal lines that run together with a holding arm. The holding arm functions as both a path for the read out signals as well as providing mechanical support for and effectively suspending the antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Dan Corcos, Danny Elad, Noam Kaminski, Bernhard Klein, Lukas Kull, Thomas Morf
  • Patent number: 8959246
    Abstract: A mediation processing node computer processor updates a message. A message is received for processing by a mediation processing node computer processor. It is deduced from a declared interface of the mediation processing node computer processor that one or more message values will be updated by the mediation processing node computer processor as a result of its processing. The interface of the mediation processing node computer processor is then used to obtain the one or more updated values and the updates are then applied to the message.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Simon Antony Holdsworth, Gregory Louis Truty
  • Patent number: 8955346
    Abstract: Apparatus and method are provided for cooling an electronic component. The apparatus includes a coolant-cooled structure in thermal communication with the component(s) to be cooled, and a coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger coupled in fluid communication with the coolant-cooled structure via a coolant loop to receive coolant from and supply coolant to the coolant-cooled structure. The apparatus further includes a refrigerant loop coupled in fluid communication with the coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger, and the heat exchanger cools coolant passing therethrough by dissipating heat from the coolant in the coolant loop to refrigerant in the refrigerant loop. A controllable coolant heater is associated with the coolant loop for providing an adjustable heat load on the coolant in the coolant loop to ensure at least a minimum heat load is dissipated from the coolant to the refrigerant passing through the heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Levi A. Campbell, Richard C. Chu, Michael J. Ellsworth, Jr., Madhusudan K. Iyengar, Robert E. Simons
  • Patent number: 8959444
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a command is received that designates a base shape. A navigation order of a plurality of shapes relative to the base shape is determined, where the plurality of shapes are adjacent to the base shape. The navigation order is presented by presenting identifiers of the plurality of shapes and an ordered sequence of the plurality of shapes. Focus is moved between the plurality of shapes in the navigation order after the navigation order is presented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Brian J. Cragun, Makoto Kuwabara, James S. Taylor
  • Patent number: 8957903
    Abstract: An accelerator work allocation mechanism determines at run-time which functions to allocate to a hardware accelerator based on a defined accelerator policy, and based on an analysis performed at run-time. The analysis includes reading the accelerator policy, and determining whether a particular function satisfies the accelerator policy. If so, the function is allocated to the hardware accelerator. If not, the function is allocated to the processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Raymond Keith Harney, John Matthew Santosuosso
  • Patent number: 8959493
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, system and computer program product for USING range validation during assembly of an assembly language program. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for USING range validation during assembly of an assembly language program has been provided. The method can include parsing assembler language source code loaded for assembly in an assembler executing in memory of a computer. The method also can include identifying a USING statement in the source code establishing a base address as the content of a register. Finally, in response to additionally identifying a subsequent statement in the source code that modifies the content of the register, a warning of an invalid USING range can be generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: David J. Harman, Brian Johnson, David Knibb, Andrew Wright
  • Patent number: 8959076
    Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product for managing a plurality of services in a service catalog. Metadata is received about one or more services. The metadata is analyzed to determine whether to perform a management activity on the service catalog, the management activity including recommending one or more services in the service catalog or coupling two or more services in the service catalog. If it is determined that the received metadata is insufficient, a signal is generated to gather additional metadata within a time period the metadata is determined to be insufficient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Lorraine M. Herger, Neal M. Keller, Matthew A. McCarthy, Clifford A. Pickover
  • Patent number: 8959516
    Abstract: Automated techniques are disclosed for coordinating request or transaction processing in a data processing system. For example, a technique for handling compound requests, in a system comprising multiple nodes for executing requests in which an individual request is associated with a particular node, comprises the following steps. A compound request comprising at least two individual requests associated with a same node is received. It is determined if both of the at least two individual requests are executable. The compound request is executed if it is determined that all individual requests of the compound request can execute.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Paul M. Dantzig, Arun Kwangil Iyengar, Francis Nicholas Parr, Gong Su
  • Patent number: 8959276
    Abstract: Exemplary embodiments of the present invention disclose a method and system for executing data permute and data shift instructions. In a step, an exemplary embodiment encodes a control index value using the recoding logic into a 1-hot-of-n control for at least one of a plurality of datum positions in the one or more target registers. In another step, an exemplary embodiment conditions the 1-hot-of-n control by a gate-free logic configured for at least one of the plurality of datum positions in the one or more target registers for each of the data permute instructions and the at least one data shift instruction. In another step, an exemplary embodiment selects the 1-hot-of-n control or the conditioned 1-hot-of-n control based on a current instruction mode. In another step, an exemplary embodiment transforms the selected 1-hot-of-n control into a format applicable for the crossbar switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Markus Kaltenbach, Jens Leenstra, Philipp Panitz, Christoph Wandel
  • Patent number: 8955975
    Abstract: A method is provided that includes providing a light source having a light emitting diode (LED) that emits a light. A polarization conversion system (PCS) is located adjacent the LED and has both a linear polarizer and a wave plate. A polarizing beam splitter (PBS) is adjacent the light source and an imaging device is adjacent the PBS. The wave plate of the PCS is rotated to a first position, and a first light is emitted by the LED in the first light source. This first light is converted to circular polarization. This first light travels to the PBS where it is reflected onto the imaging device. The wave plate is then rotated to a second position, and a second light is emitted by the light source. This second light is converted to circular polarization and reflects from the PBS onto the imaging device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Casimer M. DeCusatis
  • Patent number: 8959482
    Abstract: A method and system for enabling multi-tenancy in a commerce server is provided. The method includes receiving software comprising an operating system, integrated development environment (IDE) software, commerce server middleware software, and database software. A virtual image instance of operating system, the IDE software, and the database software is provisioned to a virtual instance. User IDs for access to the operating system instance are generated. Workspaces are generated and associated with the user IDs. The commerce server middleware software is configured such that the user IDs, hosts, and ports are mapped to commerce server services associated with the commerce server middleware software. The database software is configured such that the virtual image instance is enabled to accept multiple concurrent logins associated with the user IDs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Navjot S. Bhogal, Raghava Reddy Kapu Veera, Ashish Mungi, Ram Viswanathan
  • Patent number: 8959528
    Abstract: Acknowledging incoming messages, including: determining, by an acknowledgement dispatching module, whether an incoming message has been received in an active message queue; responsive to determining that the incoming message has been received in the active message queue, resetting, by the acknowledgement dispatching module, an acknowledgment iteration counter; incrementing, by the acknowledgement dispatching module, the acknowledgment iteration counter; determining, by the acknowledgement dispatching module, whether the acknowledgment iteration counter has reached a predetermined threshold; and responsive to determining that the acknowledgment iteration counter has reached the predetermined threshold, processing, by the acknowledgement dispatching module, all messages in the active message queue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Tsai-Yang Jea, Serban C. Maerean, Ilie G. Tanase, Hanhong Xue
  • Patent number: 8957464
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a transistor with uniaxial stress channels includes depositing an insulating layer onto a substrate, defining bars within the insulating layer, recessing a channel into the substrate, growing a first semiconducting material in the channel, defining a gate stack over the bars and semiconducting material, defining source and drain recesses and embedding a second semiconducting material into the source and drain recesses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ming Cai, Dechao Guo, Liyang Song, Chun-Chen Yeh
  • Patent number: 8959172
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and products are disclosed for self-pacing DMA data transfer operations for nodes in a parallel computer that include: transferring, by an origin DMA on an origin node, a RTS message to a target node, the RTS message specifying an message on the origin node for transfer to the target node; receiving, in an origin injection FIFO for the origin DMA from a target DMA on the target node in response to transferring the RTS message, a target RGET descriptor followed by a DMA transfer operation descriptor, the DMA descriptor for transmitting a message portion to the target node, the target RGET descriptor specifying an origin RGET descriptor on the origin node that specifies an additional DMA descriptor for transmitting an additional message portion to the target node; processing, by the origin DMA, the target RGET descriptor; and processing, by the origin DMA, the DMA transfer operation descriptor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Michael A. Blocksome
  • Patent number: 8959570
    Abstract: A policy description for a web service is received at a web service client. The policy description includes a predefined security policy constraint, requires that an application requesting execution of the web service also provide a security token generated by a security token service, and requires that the security token complies with the predefined security policy constraint. A message is generated that is compliant with the policy description for obtaining the security token. The message is sent to the security token service. The security token generated by the security token service is received in response to receipt of the message. The security token is compared against the predefined security policy constraint to verify compliance of the security token generated by the security token service against the predefined security policy constraint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Emmanuel Wurth
  • Patent number: 8956973
    Abstract: According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method of plating a TSV hole in a substrate is provided. The TSV hole may include an open end terminating at a conductive pad, a stack of wiring levels, and a plurality of chip interconnects. The method of plating a TSV may include attaching a handler to the plurality of chip interconnects, the handler having a conductive layer in electrical contact with the plurality of chip interconnects; exposing a closed end of the TSV hole, including the conductive pad, to an electrolyte solution; and applying an electrical potential along an electrical path from the conductive layer to the conductive pad causing conductive material from the electrolyte solution to deposit on the conductive pad and within the TSV hole, the electrical path including the conductive layer, the plurality of chip interconnects, the stack of wiring levels and the conductive pad.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Mukta G. Farooq, John A. Fitzsimmons, Troy L. Graves-Abe
  • Patent number: 8959150
    Abstract: Providing a requisite level of service for an electronic meeting. An embodiment can include receiving a request to schedule a first electronic meeting in a time slot, identifying an electronic meeting system to host the first electronic meeting, identifying a second electronic meeting scheduled to be hosted by the electronic meeting system in the time slot, determining an estimate of resource usage within the electronic meeting system during the time slot at least based on the second electronic meeting being scheduled to be hosted by the electronic meeting system in the time slot, comparing the estimate of resource usage with a threshold value, responsive to determining that the estimate of resource usage exceeds the threshold value, providing the requisite level of service to the first electronic meeting in the time slot by reducing anticipated resource usage of the electronic meeting system by the second electronic meeting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Judith H. Bank, Patrick J. O'Sullivan
  • Patent number: 8957917
    Abstract: Methods for managing errors utilizing augmented reality are provided. One system includes a transceiver configured to communicate with a systems management console, capture device for capturing environmental inputs, memory storing code comprising an augmented reality module, and a processor. The processor, when executing the code comprising the augmented reality module, is configured to perform the method below. One method includes capturing an environmental input, identifying a target device in the captured environmental input, and querying the systems management console regarding a status condition for the target device. Also provided are physical computer storage mediums including a computer program product for performing the above method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Timothy A. Meserth, Mark E. Molander, David T. Windell
  • Patent number: 8959289
    Abstract: A data processing system includes a processor core supported by upper and lower level caches. In response to executing a deallocate instruction in the processor core, a deallocation request is sent from the processor core to the lower level cache, the deallocation request specifying a target address associated with a target cache line. In response to receipt of the deallocation request at the lower level cache, a determination is made if the target address hits in the lower level cache. In response to determining that the target address hits in the lower level cache, the target cache line is retained in a data array of the lower level cache and a replacement order field in a directory of the lower level cache is updated such that the target cache line is more likely to be evicted from the lower level cache in response to a subsequent cache miss.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Sanjeev Ghai, Guy L. Guthrie, William J. Starke, Jeff A. Stuecheli, Derek E. Williams, Phillip G. Williams
  • Patent number: 8959003
    Abstract: A method and system for identifying a trend in data of heat maps. An initial set of comparison heat maps included in the repository is determined and displayed based on how closely initial comparison area(s) of each comparison heat map match initial target area(s) of a first heat map. A review of the initial set of comparison heat maps determines additional comparison area(s) corresponding to additional target area(s) of the first heat map. In an iterative process, an additional set of comparison heat maps is determined and displayed based on how closely initial and additional comparison areas match respective initial and additional target areas of the first heat map. A trend relating initial and additional target areas is identified based on the displayed additional set of comparison heat maps and based on how closely comparison areas match their respective target areas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas S. Brugler, Randall A. Craig, Vincent C. Conzola, Todd M. Eischeid, Mark E. Molander
  • Patent number: 8959301
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention relate to accessing data that spans multiple storage devices in a storage system. A first index records identifiers of data blocks and their storage locations, and a second index records storage locations. An update request is processed by writing multiple copies of a received data block identifier and the updated data block to storage locations recorded in the second index. A read request is processed by performing a quorum read of the storage locations recorded in the second index to retrieve the updated data blocks. The processing of the read request also includes performing a quorum read of the first index to determine storage locations that contain data blocks to be read as part of processing the read request. The data blocks to be read exclude the updated data blocks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ralph A. Becker-Szendy, Veera W. Deenadhayalan, D. Scott Guthridge, James C. Wyllie
  • Patent number: 8959527
    Abstract: A task is marked as dependent upon a preceding task. The task that is attempted to be taken for execution from a head of a pending task queue that is marked is deferred. The deferred task is removed from the pending task queue and placed in a deferred task queue. The deferred task is reinserted back into the pending task queue for execution upon determining that the preceding tasks are completed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ron Edelstein, Yariv Bachar, Oded Sonin
  • Patent number: 8959344
    Abstract: A method is provided for handling defined areas within an electronic document, which includes: marking at least one area in an electronic source document as indecomposable area which can be processed as a whole content only; generating signature data for the indecomposable area; assigning the signature data to the indecomposable area to create an indecomposable area object; storing the indecomposable object; encrypting and transmitting the indecomposable area object in response to a request of an enhanced content reader application, where the enhanced content reader application decrypts the indecomposable area object and processes the indecomposable area in an electronic target document; and generating and transmitting a protected version of the indecomposable area in response to a request of a regular content reader application, where the regular content reader application outputs the protected version of the indecomposable area in an electronic target document.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas H. Gnech, Steffen Koenig, Enrico Mayer, Oliver Petrik
  • Patent number: 8958482
    Abstract: Systems and methods for encrypting a plaintext logical data object for storage in a storage device operable with at least one storage protocol, creating, reading, writing, optimization and restoring thereof. Encrypting the plaintext logical data object comprises creating in the storage device an encrypted logical data object comprising a header and one or more allocated encrypted sections with predefined size; encrypting one or more sequentially obtained chunks of plaintext data corresponding to the plaintext logical data object thus giving rise to the encrypted data chunks; and sequentially accommodating the processed data chunks into said encrypted sections in accordance with an order said chunks received, wherein said encrypted sections serve as atomic elements of encryption/decryption operations during input/output transactions on the logical data object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Chaim Koifman, Nadav Kedem, Avi Zohar
  • Patent number: 8957456
    Abstract: Fabrication methods, device structures, and design structures for a heterojunction bipolar transistor. A trench isolation region and a collector are formed in a semiconductor substrate. The collector is coextensive with the trench isolation region. A first semiconductor layer is formed that includes a of single crystal section disposed on the collector and on the trench isolation region. A second semiconductor layer is formed that includes a single crystal section disposed on the single crystal section of the first semiconductor layer and that has an outer edge that overlies the trench isolation region. The section of the first semiconductor layer has a second width greater than a first width of the collector. The section of the second semiconductor layer has a third width greater than the second width. A cavity extends laterally from the outer edge of section of the second semiconductor layer to the section of the first semiconductor layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Renata Camillo-Castillo, Vibhor Jain, Vikas K. Kaushal, Marwan H. Khater
  • Patent number: 8959651
    Abstract: A method for protecting privacy data in a MapReduce system comprising a private subsystem and a public subsystem includes receiving a MapReduce program to be executed in the MapReduce system, wherein the MapReduce program contains instructions that designate the privacy property of the input and output data of a Map function and the output data of a Reduce function; detecting the privacy property of the input and output data of the Map function and the output data of the Reduce function prior to execution of the MapReduce program; and assigning the data for processing by the private subsystem and the public subsystem based on the detected privacy property, wherein the data of which the privacy property is private are assigned to the private subsystem.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Li Li, Chi Liu, Ju Wei Shi, Wenjie Wang, Qi Yu
  • Patent number: 8959519
    Abstract: Methods and arrangements for processing hierarchical data in a map-reduce framework. Hierarchical data is accepted, and a map-reduce job is performed on the hierarchical data. This performing of a map-reduce job includes determining a cost of partitioning the data, determining a cost of redefining the job and thereupon selectively performing at least one step taken from the group consisting of: partitioning the data and redefining the job.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Manoj K. Agarwal, Himanshu Gupta, Rajeev Gupta, Sriram K. Padmanabhan, Prasan Roy
  • Patent number: 8959229
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method, computer program product, and computer system for intelligently provisioning cloud information services. The computer system determines a target computing zone based on location constraints defined in service processing rules, in response to receiving service request. The computer system determines whether a merger or a split is needed, based on a score for the resources, scores for the respective processing nodes, and operational metadata. The computer system determines whether request processing constraints defined in the service processing rules allow the merger or the split. The computer system processes, in the target computing zone, the service request with the merger or the split, in response to determining that the merger or the split is needed and in response to determining that the request processing rules allow the merger or the split.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Mike Grasselt, Albert Maier, Martin Oberhofer
  • Patent number: 8958532
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention relate to effectively traversing the structure of an interactive voice response system. A menu associated with the system is organized and arranged in a hierarchy. Each received input is dynamically analyzed to enable a traversal of the hierarchy and to direct the input to an appropriate menu option associated with the system. The appropriate menu option is directly related to the input submission, and supports a direct communication with a telecommunication device that initiated communication with the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Barry A. Kritt, Thomas A. Mazzeo, Sarbajit K. Rakshit, Shawn K. Sremaniak
  • Patent number: 8956938
    Abstract: An electrical device is provided that includes a substrate having an upper semiconductor layer, a buried dielectric layer and a base semiconductor layer. At least one isolation region is present in the substrate that defines a semiconductor device region and a resistor device region. The semiconductor device region includes a semiconductor device having a back gate structure that is present in the base semiconductor layer. Electrical contact to the back gate structure is provided by doped epitaxial semiconductor pillars that extend through the buried dielectric layer. An epitaxial semiconductor resistor is present in the resistor device region. Undoped epitaxial semiconductor pillars extending from the epitaxial semiconductor resistor to the base semiconductor layer provide a pathway for heat generated by the epitaxial semiconductor resistor to be dissipated to the base semiconductor layer. The undoped and doped epitaxial semiconductor pillars are composed of the same epitaxial semiconductor material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Kangguo Cheng, Ali Khakifirooz, Alexander Reznicek, Thomas N. Adam
  • Patent number: 8959313
    Abstract: Techniques are described for transmitting predicted output data on a processing element in a stream computing application instead of processing currently received input data. The stream computing application monitors the output of a processing element and determines whether its output is predictable, for example, if the previously transmitted output values are within a predefined range or if one or more input values correlate with the same one or more output values. The application may then generate a predicted output value to transmit from the processing element instead of transmitting a processed output value based on current input values. The predicted output value may be, for example, an average of the previously transmitted output values or a previously transmitted output value that was transmitted in response to a previously received input value that is similar to a currently received input value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: John M. Santosuosso, Brandon W. Schulz
  • Patent number: 8959165
    Abstract: A method includes receiving a message from a user device, determining whether the message includes a tag, identifying at least one interaction the user device performed with an application responsive to determining that the message includes the tag, calculating a difference between a time the message was received and a time associated associated with the at least one interaction responsive to determining that the difference between the time the message was received and the time associated with the at least one identified interaction is within the threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Mark Bailey, James E. Christensen, Jason B. Ellis, Robert G. Farrell
  • Patent number: 8959502
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method and system for processing table of content (TOC) access overflow in an application. The method may determine whether there occurs a TOC access overflow within an object file during linking the object file that may be generated from the compiling. If the TOC access overflow occurs within the object file, then the source file corresponding to the object file may be re-compiled so as to generate an object file having no TOC access overflow, and the object file may be re-linked to generate an executable file of the application. The present disclosure may adopt two-pass compiling and a dual-instruction TOC access in a form of two pieces of instructions that may be generated for TOC entries within which TOC overflows generally occur.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jin Song Ji, Jian Jiang, Si Yuan Zhang
  • Patent number: 8959391
    Abstract: Exemplary method, system, and computer program product embodiments for optimizing disaster recovery systems during takeover operations are provided. In one embodiment, by way of example only, a flag is set in a replication grid manager to identify replication grid members to consult in a reconciliation process for resolving intersecting and non-intersecting data amongst the disaster recovery systems for a takeover operation. The replication grid members are consulted for the takeover operation to accommodate a coordination of an ownership synchronization process for cartridges not distributed on-time to the replication grid members. Additional system and computer program product embodiments are disclosed and provide related advantages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Shay H. Akirav, Aviv Caro, Itay Maoz, Gil E. Paz, Uri Shmueli, Tzafrir Z. Taub
  • Patent number: 8959491
    Abstract: In various embodiments, a method, system, and computer program product for injecting error code include logic and/or program instructions configured for determining critical points in executing code of software under test, building a testcase to invoke the software under test, determining an appropriate response action for each critical point based on an error encountered at each critical point, injecting a critical point segment into the executing code at a corresponding critical point, and outputting a unique identifier of each critical point segment, the testcase being configured to issue commands, with each command limiting which of one or more critical points remains active based on one of: a number of times the one or more critical points have been accessed in the executing code, a number of times a critical point has been skipped, and an amount of times a critical point has been accessed versus skipped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Gerard M. Dearing, Terri A. Menendez
  • Patent number: 8957405
    Abstract: Manufacturing a semiconductor structure including: forming a seed material on a sidewall of a mandrel; forming a graphene field effect transistor (FET) on the seed material; and removing the seed material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: James W. Adkisson, Thomas J. Dunbar, Jeffrey P. Gambino, Molly J. Leitch
  • Patent number: 8958816
    Abstract: A method, computer program product and system for improving the localization of a wireless communication device within an area covered by a transceiver infrastructure includes triggering the wireless communication device to emit a positioning signal. A positioning signal is received from the wireless communication device by a further wireless communication device at a known position within the area covered by the transceiver infrastructure. The transceiver infrastructure includes at least three transceivers. A forwarding positioning signal is transmitted from the further wireless communication device to at least one of the transceivers. The wireless communication device is located based on the forwarding positioning signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Birger Boyens, Amadeus Podvratnik
  • Patent number: 8959069
    Abstract: Provided are techniques for updating a physical data structure type. A persistence provider is updated with dynamic configuration data for the updated physical data structure type while an application is executing. The application that is executing is allowed to access the updated physical data structure type using the updated persistence provider to map an application level object type to the updated physical data structure type without restarting the application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher E. Channing, Glenn E. Goldenberg
  • Patent number: 8958784
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, system and computer program product for telephone call co-processing in a mobile telephony environment. In an embodiment of the invention, a method of telephone call co-processing in a mobile telephony environment is provided. The method includes monitoring a resource state of a selected mobile telephone, such as cellular network signal strength or battery charge. The method additionally includes detecting weakness of the resource state sufficient to inhibit the maintenance of a telephone call in the selected mobile telephone. Finally, the method includes, in response to detecting weakness of the resource state, identifying a different mobile telephone proximate to the selected mobile telephone and utilizing the different mobile telephone to process a telephone call.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jordan Chin, Eric R. Kern, Luke D. Remis, Sarah E. Smith, Timothy M. Wiwel
  • Patent number: 8959169
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a system, method, and program product to provide a user creating an electronic message one or more alerts related to the content and addressees of the electronic message. A computer identifies the one or more addressees of the electronic message. The computer determines one or more alerts associated with each of the identified one or more addressees. The computer displays the alerts in a manner that each step is performed prior to the computer transmitting the electronic message for delivery to one or more addressees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Barry A. Kritt, Thomas S. Mazzeo, Sarbajit K. Rakshit, Shawn K. Sremaniak