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: 8260794
    Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture for creating playback definitions indicating segments of media content from multiple content files to render. User input is received indicating a plurality of segments of media content from a plurality of media files and an ordering of the segments. The media content comprises at least one of audio and video content. A playback definition is generated in a computer readable medium indicating the plurality of segments in the user input and the ordering of the segments. The playback definition is processed to render the media content of the indicated segments in the indicated ordering.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Barry Mark Caceres
  • Patent number: 8261127
    Abstract: A system and method of characterizing the status of a complex system provide for determining a combined status level of a pair of related objects in an architecture, wherein one of the pair of related objects is a destination object and another of the pair of related objects is a source object. The combined status level determination can be cascaded through the architecture toward a front-end object corresponding to the pair of related objects to obtain a set of combined status levels. A status output may also be generated based on the set of combined status levels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Janet S. Andersen, Scott B. Greer, Rosalind Radcliffe
  • Patent number: 8261287
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method, apparatus, and program product that allows for monitoring of the progress of process without alterations to the existing application. There are provided a mapping logic generating unit 14 that refers to a mapping definition stored in a mapping definition storage unit 11 for mapping an object flow event to a control flow event, generates a mapping logic for identifying a control flow event mapped to an object flow event, and stores the mapping logic in a mapping logic storage unit 16; a log logic generator unit 15 that refers to a process definition stored in a process definition storage unit 12 for mapping a control flow event to monitoring log information, generates a log logic for providing a monitoring log of control flow events, and stores the log logic in a log logic storage unit 17; and a logic skeleton composer unit 18 that embeds a mapping logic and a log logic into a skeleton stored in a skeleton storage unit 13.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Hisatoshi Adachi, Sari Shimizu, Yohsuke Tanaka, Yoshihiro Osaka
  • Patent number: 8261050
    Abstract: Selectively recollecting vital product data during an initial program load at data processing system power on is provided. In response to receiving an input to power on a data processing system, a resource location code array table is accessed within a set of selected tables for the data processing system based on machine type. The selected set of tables is located in firmware within a service processor. An entry for a resource in the resource location code array table is read to determine whether the entry includes a no recollect tag. Then, in response to determining that the entry for the resource in the resource location code array table does include a no recollect tag, vital product data for the resource is not recollected during the initial program load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Priti Bavaria, Douglas M. Boecker, Diane L. Knipfer
  • Patent number: 8260863
    Abstract: A method and computer program product for determining that a user of a client electronic device is in do-not-interrupt mode. A message directed to the user is routed to a client-based storage queue for subsequent delivery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Hema Srikanth, Patrick Joseph O'Sullivan, Brian Douglas Gallagher, Robert James Mullin
  • Patent number: 8261326
    Abstract: A database security overlay that identifies each network and local access gateway to a database, and monitors each access path from the identified gateways to analyze each connection to the database and block any connections determined to transport unauthorized or undesirable content. Access gateways that establish connections are identifiable by interprocess communication (IPC) mechanisms employed in accessing the database. An evaluator monitors access attempts, while a tapping mechanism on IPC mechanisms that provide the connections captures access attempts from the access gateways. The tapping mechanism intercepts and forwards access attempts to the evaluator to centralize and focus DB paths amid multiple local and external connections on the DB server. A lightweight check for each local access quickly determines if the access attempt warrants further scrutiny.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Ron Ben-Natan
  • Patent number: 8261117
    Abstract: This invention describes an apparatus, computer architecture, method, operating system, compiler, and application program products for MPEs as well as virtualization in a symmetric MCP. The disclosure is applied to a generic microprocessor architecture with a set (e.g., one or more) of controlling elements (e.g., MPEs) and a set of groups of sub-processing elements (e.g., SPEs). Under this arrangement, MPEs and SPEs are organized in a way that a smaller number MPEs control the behavior of a group of SPEs. The apparatus enables virtualized control threads within MPEs to be assigned to different groups of SPEs for controlling the same. The apparatus further includes a MCP coupled to a power supply coupled with cores to provide a supply voltage to each core (or core group) and controlling-digital elements and multiple instances of sub-processing elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Karl J. Duvalsaint, Harm P. Hofstee, Daeik Kim, Moon J. Kim
  • Patent number: 8261293
    Abstract: An exemplary embodiment includes a method for pairing an application name and a client ID in a messaging broker infrastructure, the method including running a messaging system associated with the messaging broker infrastructure running a monitoring application configured to monitor a connection to the messaging broker, creating a connection to the messaging broker, identifying a class name and the client ID associated with an application, converting the class name to an application name and publishing a pairing of the application name and the client ID on the messaging infrastructure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Benjamin J. Fletcher, Martin J. Gale
  • Patent number: 8260897
    Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method for automatically managing IT-resources in a heterogeneous environment on each level of resource abstraction and resource hierarchy by using the concept of the resource-reference object. The resource-reference object represents the link to a referenced resource on a lower level in the hierarchy and may include a priority value assigned by the respective level of hierarchy as well as all information to build a remote request to that referenced resource which may be a single resource or a resource group. Concurrently each resource-reference object itself is accessible from the higher level of hierarchy as an own resource by additional providing a name and a desired state which can differ from desired state of the referenced resource as well as making it externally visible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas Graser, Norbert Lenz, Markus Mueller, Juergen Schneider
  • Patent number: 8261263
    Abstract: In an embodiment of the present invention the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) System Scope Initializer works on the premise of generating one JVM instance to be used by all processes system wide. An advantage in the present invention is that all processes that would normally otherwise have to instantiate a JVM, which can be on the order of millions of instructions (per process) can in large part be avoided realizing instead a tremendous system resource savings system wide. Another advantage can be that all processes that would normally otherwise have to instantiate a JVM, which can have a memory footprint on the order of megabytes (per process), can share the same memory view again realizing tremendous system resource savings system wide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Dennis J. Fallon, James D. Johnston, Jr., Colette A. Manoni, Sarat Vemuri
  • Patent number: 8257091
    Abstract: In a method and system for matching learning objects with a user profile, a top-level concept structure, including a keyword hierarchy for each of one or more top-level concepts, can be used to determine the complexity of a learning object. The learning object can include one or more learning object keywords related to one or more top-level concepts contained in the top-level concept structure. The learning object keywords can be assigned a complexity score based upon their location within the keyword hierarchy, and the complexity scores for all of the learning object keywords relating to a top-level concept can be aggregated to generate a learning object top-level concept complexity score. The learning object top-level concept complexity score can be compared with a user's experience rating for that top-level concept and be used to select an appropriate learning object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jacob D. Couch, Jeremy K. Espenshade, Scott D. Reynolds, Curtis Stratman
  • Patent number: 8258619
    Abstract: An integrated circuit die stack including a first integrated circuit die mounted upon a substrate, the first die including pass-through vias (‘PTVs’) composed of conductive pathways through the first die with no connection to any circuitry on the first die; and a second integrated circuit die, identical to the first die, shifted in position with respect to the first die and mounted upon the first die, with the PTVs in the first die connecting signal lines from the substrate through the first die to through silicon vias (‘TSVs’) in the second die composed of conductive pathways through the second die connected to electronic circuitry on the second die; with the TSVs and PTVs disposed upon each identical die so that the positions of the TSVs and PTVs on each identical die are translationally compatible with respect to the TSVs and PTVs on the other identical die.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jimmy G. Foster, Sr., Kyu-Hyoun Kim
  • Patent number: 8261330
    Abstract: A method, system and apparatus for federated identity brokering. In accordance with the present invention, a credential processing gateway can be disposed between one or more logical services and one or more service requesting clients in a computer communications network. Acting as a proxy and a trusted authority to the logical services, the credential processing gateway can map the credentials of the service requesting clients to the certification requirements of the logical services. In this way, the credential processing gateway can act as a federated identity broker in providing identity certification services for a multitude of different service requesting clients without requiring the logical services to include a pre-configuration for specifically processing the credentials of particular service requesting clients.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Barry D. Atkins, David O. Melgar, Anthony Nadalin, Ajamu A. Wesley
  • Patent number: 8261239
    Abstract: A method, system and apparatus for locating a testable object in a functional testing tool is provided. The method can include comparing object properties for a mapped testable object to object properties for each of a set of candidate testable objects organized in a hierarchy, computing an anchor object in the hierarchy, and determining a best matching candidate testable object for the mapped testable object without requiring an exact match of the object properties while constraining the comparing and determining steps with respect to the anchor object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Frank McGrath, Mark Metheny, Kenneth Sandler, William C. Tobin
  • Patent number: 8261339
    Abstract: Dynamically selecting an endpoint for a tunnel into an enterprise computing infrastructure. A client dynamically selects a gateway (which may alternatively be referred to as a boundary device or server) as a tunnel endpoint for connecting over a public network (or, more generally, an untrusted network) into an enterprise computing infrastructure. The selection is made, in preferred embodiments, according to least-cost routing metrics pertaining to paths through the enterprise network from the selected gateway to a destination host. The least-cost routing metrics may be computed using factors such as the proximity of selectable tunnel endpoints to the destination host; stability or redundancy of network resources for this gateway; monetary costs of transmitting data over a path between the selectable tunnel endpoints and destination host; congestion on that path; hop count for that path; and/or latency or transmit time for data on that path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: M. Lynn Aldridge, Peter C. Dill, Ivan M. Heninger, John D. Kari, Clifford D. Marano, David M. Urgo
  • Patent number: 8261285
    Abstract: A data processing system includes a power supply, a plurality of processors wherein each processor is separately powerable by the power supply under operating system control. The operating system determines periodically a measure of system utilization and controls the switches to alter the number of active (powered) processors where the number of active processors reflects the measured system utilization and a set of utilization threshold values. System utilization may be based on the number of active tasks. The utilization thresholds preferably include a maximum threshold and a minimum threshold. A measured utilization exceeding the maximum threshold causes an increase in the number of active processors while utilization less than the minimum threshold causes a decrease in the number of active processors. The utilization thresholds may be determined from threshold factors that reflect time and date information, quality of service information, or a weighted average of historical utilization values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Wesley Michael Felter, Soraya Ghiasi
  • Patent number: 8261353
    Abstract: An automatic patch deployment system is provided that deploys a patch according to an assessed risk and a policy. The policy may specify actions to be taken to deploy the patch for different categories of risk. The automatic patch deployment system receives a patch notification, an assessment of the risk, and the policy and deploys the patch accordingly. For example, installation of a patch may be indefinitely delayed for high risk patches, rescheduled for medium risk patches, or installed immediately for low risk patches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Praveen Prasanna Kumar Hirsave, Puthukode G. Ramachandran, Edmund Troche, Minto Tsai
  • Patent number: 8260942
    Abstract: A system and method of constructing cluster views may involve determining that a process such as an application server process having an IP address is stopped. Another IP address may be assigned to the process in response to determining that the process is stopped, wherein the other IP address is dedicated to processes that are stopped. If a connection request for the process is received at the other IP address, the connection request may be actively refused. The active refusal may significantly reduce the amount of time required to generate cluster views.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Barton C. Vashaw, Brian K. Martin, Marc E. Haberkorn
  • Patent number: 8260925
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a data structure stores information about the number of client virtual I/O adapters, the number of possible destination VIOS hosts and the number of available slots on those hosts. The information is used to iteratively assign adapters to available slots of the VIOS hosts of the destination server to which a client partition is to be migrated. A method comprises testing the data structure to determine whether conditions exist that make allocation of the adapter to a VIOS host unquestionable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ping Chen, Robert K. Foster, Yiwei Li, Elizabeth A. Ruth
  • Patent number: 8261255
    Abstract: Software is maintained on a computer system. A software recording application having data on maintenance items already installed on the computer system is started in a host session. A database application is started in a second host session. The database application has a database of maintenance items which can be applied. Each item in the database includes prerequisite and corequisite items. A maintenance application is activated on the computer system and a list of maintenance items to be installed on the computer system is entered. The database is searched for prerequisite and corequisite items for each item on the entered list and those items are added to the list. Items on the list which have already been received are determined from the software recording application and those items not received are added to an order list. Items on the order list are ordered, received, and applied to the computer system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: David N. Spiegel
  • Patent number: 8260673
    Abstract: Parties involved in a transaction in an E-marketplace identify characteristics of a transaction that they are willing to accept and/or that they can provide. To do this, an attribute certificate is created for each party that contains the attributes of a buyer, seller, or third-party participant who will be transacting business in the particular E-marketplace. The attributes pertain to specifics of the transaction. The party submitting the attribute also identifies alternative conditions which, if they exist would be acceptable for conducting the transaction. Once these criteria, in the form of the attribute certificates, are received by the E-marketplace, the E-marketplace verifies the attributes. A server in the E-marketplace is configured to determine various combinations of participants that can match the deal criteria. In this manner, the E-marketplace “choreographs” the transaction to meet the needs of all.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Gordon K. Arnold, David G. Kuehr-McLaren
  • Patent number: 8257092
    Abstract: A memory module configured to connect to a slot of a data processing system. A set of tabs is connected to the module and configured to electrically connect the module to the slot and to electrically connect the module to a clock of the data processing system. The set of tabs includes a first tab, a second tab, a third tab, and a fourth tab. The first tab and the second tab are opposite the third tab and the fourth tab. The first tab comprises a positive type tab, the second tab comprises a negative type tab, the third tab comprises a positive type tab, and the fourth tab comprises a negative type tab. The first and third tabs are configured to provide a first electrical connection to the clock. The second and fourth tabs are configured to provide a second electrical connection to the clock. Together, the first, second, third, and fourth tabs comprise two dual tabs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Sungjun Chun, Daniel M. Dreps, Dierk Kaller, Rohan U. Mandrekar, Lei Shan
  • Patent number: 8260350
    Abstract: A method, a system and a computer program product for determining one or more characteristics of a caller, such as the mood, gender, age, and urgency of the caller, utilizing the biometric characteristics of the caller. One or more biometric characteristics are detected when a request to place an outgoing call to one or more destinations is received at a first telecommunication device. When the request to place an outgoing call is a verbal request, one or more biometric voice samples are obtained. The biometric voice samples comprise the biometric characteristics of the caller. The biometric characteristics are extracted from the biometric voice samples, encoded into a datagram, and transmitted from the first telecommunication device to the outgoing call destination (i.e. a second telecommunication device).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Peeyush Jaiswal, Naveen Narayan
  • Patent number: 8260717
    Abstract: A method for authenticating an end user. The method starts by generating a first pattern in response to receiving an authentication request from the end user. Next, the method continues by generating a second pattern in response to receiving confirmation that the end user received the first pattern; the second pattern comprising multiple colored nodes. Then the method determines the authenticity status of the end user by comparing data sent by the end user with the second pattern. The end user having generated the data by overlaying a transparent credit card on top of the second pattern and selecting at least one node which displays a color other than black. Finally, the method sends the determined authenticity status to the end user via an output device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Frederic Bauchot, Flemming Boegelund, Gerard Marmigere, Sebastian Thomschke
  • Patent number: 8261138
    Abstract: A test structure for characterizing a production static random access memory (SRAM) array. The test structure includes a characterization circuit having multiple memory cell columns connected in series to form a ring configuration. The characterization circuit is fabricated on a wafer substrate in common with and proximate to a production SRAM array. The characterization circuit preferably includes SRAM cells having a circuit topology substantially identical to the circuit topology of memory cells within the production SRAM array. In one embodiment, the test structure is utilized for characterizing a multi-port memory array and includes multiple memory cell columns connected in series to form a ring oscillator characterization circuit. Each cell column in the characterization circuit includes multiple SRAM cells each having a latching node and multiple data path access nodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Leland Chang, Jente B. Kuang, Robert K. Montoye, Hung C. Ngo, Kevin J. Nowka
  • Patent number: 8259130
    Abstract: According to one embodiment of the invention, by increasing the number of rays issued through adjacent pixels with colors of high contrast while maintaining the number of rays issued through adjacent pixels which do not have colors of high contrast, a ray tracing image processing system may render an anti-aliased image while minimizing the increase in workload experienced by the image processing system. Additionally, according to another embodiment of the invention, by maintaining the number of rays issued through adjacent pixels which have colors of low contrast while increasing the number of rays issued through adjacent pixels which do not have colors of low contrast, the image processing system may reduce workload experienced while performing ray tracing while maintaining the quality of the rendered image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jeffrey Douglas Brown, Russell Dean Hoover, Eric Oliver Mejdrich
  • Patent number: 8261294
    Abstract: A method, computer program and system, which, given a set of Boolean state variables, a set of state transitions described as truth tables for the the state variables, a set of initial states (that is states that objects happen to be in when they are brand new or when they are introduced into the system), all established by a natural modeling of the application domain, can derive an encoding that is provably isomorphic to the initial one but smaller, and transitions that match exactly the initial transitions but operating upon the new encoding, without incurring a significant time penalty. This effect is obtained by generating the extensive set of significant states, renumbering those states, then modifying the transitions implementation so as to use the renumbered states in place of the original ones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Maxime Daniel
  • Patent number: 8260899
    Abstract: A method, system, and apparatus for a management station to manage a node cluster in a computer network. Regardless which node in the node cluster receives a management command from the management station to the master node, the management command is sent to the master node. The master node prepares a command response and sends the response back to the original node that received the management command. The original node, in turn, forwards the command response to the management station. The invention utilizes management agents executing on a master node and servant nodes to create and process the command response.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Florian K. Kandefer, Sudhakar V. Chellam
  • Patent number: 8260801
    Abstract: A system for parallel flow-awared pattern matching and a method thereof for performing distributed detection for incoming flows are provided. The system includes a pattern-set-partitioner for partitioning a pattern set for pattern matching into a number of pattern subsets in advance, a plurality of pattern matching engines, and a scheduler. The pattern matching engines each perform pattern matching for the incoming flows. The scheduler selects a number of pattern matching engines equal to the number of the partitioned pattern subsets from all the pattern matching engines and allocates pattern matching tasks, each performing flow matching against one pattern subset, to the selected pattern matching engines. With the system and method of the present invention, distributed detection can be performed by partitioning rules/pattern set to realize load-balancing parallel flow-awared pattern matching.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Bo Feng, Hong Bin Lu, Kai Zheng
  • Patent number: 8260821
    Abstract: A system, method and computer program product for database driver for the global, dynamic, remote and centralized configuration of database drivers. In an embodiment of the invention the system includes a remote controller host and a central controller disposed in the remote controller host. A plurality of application hosts and a plurality of applications are disposed in each of the application hosts. A single attachment agent is disposed in each of the application hosts, the single attachment agent being coupled to each of the plurality of applications in the application hosts. The central controller provides each of the attachment agents with information regarding how to connect the database driver to the central controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: David Wei-Jye Chang, Bilung Lee, Paul Arnold Ostler
  • Patent number: 8261280
    Abstract: A method for preventing deadlock in a distributed computing system includes the steps of: receiving as input a sorted set of containers defining a unique global sequence of containers for servicing process requests; populating at least one table based at least in part on off-line analysis of call graphs defining corresponding transactions for a given order of the containers in the sorted set; storing within each container at least a portion of the table; and allocating one or more threads in a given container according to at least a portion of the table stored within the given container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ashok Anand, Manish Sethi
  • Patent number: 8260646
    Abstract: A method and system for customer segmentation using adaptive spectral clustering may include determining initial segmentation labels, determining new customer behavior data, formulating a single objective minimization function that integrates the initial segmentation labels with the new customer behavior data, and determining best fit to both the initial segmentation labels and the new customer behavior data simultaneously by minimizing the single objective minimization function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Xin Xin Bai, Jin Dong, Ta-Hsin Li, Wen Jun Yin, Bin Zhang
  • Patent number: 8261323
    Abstract: Network attacks, such as a denial of service (DoS) attack, attempt to exhaust server resources and can cause a network to be unavailable for significant periods of time. Although a firewall can be utilized to defend a system from network attacks, the number of incoming connections created can be controlled to defend the system against network attacks. An operating system creates connections, known as sockets, on one or more logical ports. Incoming connections are connections whose creation requests originate from a source outside the operating system. Functionality to control socket creation can be implemented within the operating system, thus allowing a system to be placed directly on a network without a firewall. Implementing defense against network attacks within an operating system reduces the additional cost of having firewall products, and can lead to more efficient network configurations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Dwip N. Banerjee, Marco A. Cabrera, Tommy L. McLane, Eduardo L. Reyes
  • Patent number: 8261354
    Abstract: A system, method and program product for dynamically performing an audit and security compliance validation. The method includes providing a tool for performing a compliance check of installed computer applications running on a system, the tool including a first set and a second set of plug-ins. Further, the method includes scanning the system, using plug-ins selected from the first set to obtain a current inventory of applications currently installed on the system and selecting plug-ins from the second set to be run on the system in response to the current inventory of applications obtained, and automatically running the plug-ins selected from the second set for performing the compliance check on the system in response to a scheduling criteria identified for the system, where the second set of plug-ins perform the compliance check for only the applications currently installed on the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher N. Kline, Linwood E. Loving
  • Patent number: 8260333
    Abstract: Two or more received SMS messages can be aggregated into a single consolidated SMS message. The consolidated SMS message can be conveyed across a boundary in accordance with SMS protocols. A fee per SMS message can be incurred for conveying SMS messages across the boundary. The fee can be minimized by use of the consolidated SMS message in lieu of having to convey multiple SMS messages. Once the consolidated SMS message have been conveyed across the boundary, the consolidated SMS message can be parsed or decomposed into its constituent SMS messages, each of which can be conveyed to an intended recipient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Itzhack Goldberg, Miron Horodi, Ruthie D. Lyle, Kenneth Nagin, Gilad Sharaby
  • Patent number: 8261232
    Abstract: Method and system are disclosed for automatically discovering associations between applications and data in multi-tiered distributed systems. The method in one aspect uses a machine-readable specification of a model or template that describes use and transformation of data by software components. The method additionally utilizes a model of system configuration and appropriate runtime support to mine information available from systems management software present in enterprise systems. The application-data association discovery process performs a traversal of the distributed system configuration graph with actions taken during this traversal driven by the contents of the templates for the software components present in the system. The results of the application-data association discovery process are stored in a database and may be used to specify application-specific information lifecycle management (ILM) policy or as input to impact analysis tools in access control and antivirus systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Murthy V. Devarakonda, Konstantinos Magoutis, Norbert G. Vogl
  • Patent number: 8261112
    Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product for optimizing power consumption of an executing processor executing. The method includes determining a first sensitivity relationship (SR) based on a first and a second performance metric value (PMV) measured at a first and second operating frequency (OF), respectively. The first SR predicts workload performance over a range of OFs. A third OF is determined based on the first SR and a specified workload performance floor. A third PMV is measured by executing the processor operating at the third OF. A second SR based on the second and third PMVs is then determined. The first and second SRs are logically combined to generate a third SR. Based on the third SR, a fourth OF is outputted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: John B. Carter, Heather L. Hanson, Karthick Rajamani, Freeman L. Rawson, III, Malcolm S. Ware
  • Patent number: 8260622
    Abstract: The embodiments of the invention provide methods, computer program products, etc. for complaint-based service level objectives. More specifically, a method of deducing undefined service level objectives receives complaints regarding behavior of a system. The complaints could include a severity parameter, an entity parameter, a nature-of-complaint parameter, a timestamp parameter, and/or an identification parameter. Next, system details representing a current state of the system are recorded for each of the complaints. The method then automatically analyzes a history of the system details and the complaints to produce a historical compilation of the system details. The analyzing can include weighing each of the system details by a severity parameter value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation, National Security Agency
    Inventors: Edward G. Chron, David A. Pease, Elizabeth S. Richards, Sandeep M. Uttamchandani
  • Patent number: 8261199
    Abstract: One embodiment of the invention provides a method to allow a user to navigate through a virtual environment using breakpoints. Each breakpoint may store a context of a virtual location within the virtual world, recorded for the moment in time when the breakpoint was created. Further, in a persistent virtual world, the user's avatar may be restored to a given breakpoint location, as well as restoring elements of the virtual world, based on what was present within the virtual world when the breakpoint was created.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ryan Kirk Cradick, Zachary Adam Garbow
  • Patent number: 8258495
    Abstract: A chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method for depositing materials including germanium (Ge), antimony (Sb) and nitrogen (N) which, in some embodiments, has the ability to fill high aspect ratio openings is provided. The CVD method of the instant invention permits for the control of nitrogen-doped GeSb stoichiometry over a wide range of values and the inventive method is performed at a substrate temperature of less than 400° C., which makes the inventive method compatible with existing interconnect processes and materials. In some embodiments, the inventive method is a non-selective CVD process, which means that the nitrogen-doped GeSb materials are deposited equally well on insulating and non-insulating materials. In other embodiments, a selective CVD process is provided in which the nitrogen-doped GeSb materials are deposited only on regions of a substrate in a metal which is capable of forming an eutectic alloy with germanium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jennifer L. Gardner, Fenton R. McFeely, John J. Yurkas
  • Patent number: 8258577
    Abstract: A CMOS inverter formed with narrowly spaced fins structures including transistors formed on sidewalls of each fin structure. A high-k dielectric material is deposited on the fins to provide mechanical stability to the fins and serve as a gate dielectric material. A mid gap metal gate layer may be formed on the high-k dielectric layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Abhisek Dixit
  • Patent number: 8258919
    Abstract: Implementation of mobile device communications (MCD) management is provided. A method includes intercepting an input command received on an MCD, the command intercepted in response to detecting a presence of a fixed communications device (FCD), which is embedded in a vehicle within range of the MCD. The method also includes acquiring biometric data from a user of the MCD. The method includes determining an activity status of the vehicle. If the activity status reflects the vehicle is active, the method includes acquiring biometric data for an operator of the vehicle via a biometric scanner of the vehicle and comparing the biometric data from the vehicle with the biometric data for the user of the MCD. If the biometric data from the vehicle matches the biometric data from the MCD, the method includes retrieving an account record for the user and implementing an action specified in the account record. If the activity status reflects the vehicle is inactive, the method includes executing the command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Francois-Romain Corradino, John G. Musial, Abhinay R. Nagpal, Sandeep R. Patil
  • Patent number: 8260189
    Abstract: An entertainment system using bio-response includes a narrative, which includes a plurality of narrative segments assembled into at least one of a plurality of sequences, depending on at least one of a user profile and user bio-response, to create a plurality of cogent narratives.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Timothy Chainer, Tomasz J. Nowicki, Howard Sachar, Charles P. Tresser
  • Patent number: 8261206
    Abstract: Computer hardware logic displays a computer-generated geographic map on a video display through the use of a receiving logic and a zooming logic. The receiving ic detects an input signal for initiating a map zoning mode for an initial computer-generated geographic map. This map zoning mode prevents zooming of the entire initial computer-generated geographic map. The zooming logic zooms a user-selected area on the initial computer-generated geographic map, thus generating a zoom window that displays and overlays an enlarged view of the user-selected area over the initial computer-generated geographic map.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Valerie Monk Bennett, Joseph Robert Cyrus, Jr., Mohit Jain, Ethan Kary Merrill
  • Patent number: 8256685
    Abstract: A radio-frequency integrated circuit chip package has at least one integrated antenna. The package includes at least one generally planar ground plane formed with at least one slot therein. A first substrate structure has an outer surface and an inner surface. The at least one generally planar ground plane is formed on the outer surface of the first substrate structure. At least one feed line is spaced inwardly from the ground plane and parallel thereto. The at least one feed line has an inner surface and an outer surface and is a transmission line formed on the inner surface of the first substrate structure with the outer surface of the at least one feed line adjacent the inner surface of the first substrate structure. At least one radio frequency chip is coupled to the feed line and the ground plane. A second substrate structure, spaced inwardly from the feed line, defines a chip-receiving cavity. The chip is located in the chip-receiving cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation, Mediatek
    Inventors: Ho Chung Chen, Brian A. Floyd, Duixian Liu
  • Patent number: 8261235
    Abstract: The invention relates to the field of source code development and in particular a method and system for generating a tutorial application from one or more selected source code elements. The invention provides for a user to select one or source code elements and one or more data elements to be tagged to one or more source code elements. The selected source code elements are tagged using a mark-up language and a tutorial application is generated displaying the tagged selected source code elements and the data elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Gary Douglas Chapman
  • Patent number: 8260289
    Abstract: The present invention provides a mobile station implemented method for managing a requested name and phone record. The method comprises steps of the requester associated device receiving a user's identification from a mobile station phonebook owner and a search term. The requester associated device transmits the user identification of the mobile station phonebook owner and the search term. Receiving at least one matching name and phone record, the requester associated device presents the at least one matching name and phone record to a user. The requester associated device receives a user management command to perform an action on the name and phone record. The method may complete when the requester associated device performs the action on the name and phone record.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Eric P. Fried, Vijayasekhar Mekala, Rajeev Mishra, Suresh Sabarathinam
  • Patent number: 8259405
    Abstract: During a read-after-write operation on magnetic tape, a first SCO is formed which includes two encoded processed user data units and is one of T SCOs in a first SCO set. The user data units are each one of T user data units in first and second user data unit sets, respectively, within the first SCO set. The first SCO set is written to the magnetic tape and is immediately read. When an error is detected in one of the user data units, a second SCO is formed to include the first user data unit and, only if an error is not detected in a user data unit in the other user data unit set, to not include the other user data unit, the second SCO being one of T SCOs in a second SCO set. Then, the second SCO set is rewritten to a later position on the tape later.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Roy D. Cideciyan, Thomas Mittelholzer, Paul J. Seger, Keisuke Tanaka
  • Patent number: 8260892
    Abstract: The invention is a method and apparatus for facilitating facilitates load balancing in a server farm. In accordance with various aspects of the invention, all of the information about each server necessary for a load balancing program to define and execute a load balancing algorithm is stored at a predetermined URL for each server. The load balancer can query the predefined URL, which returns the necessary information. The load balancer then dynamically configures the load balancing algorithm in accordance with the returned information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Roberto DeLima, Craig A. Lanzen
  • Patent number: 8261245
    Abstract: A computer implemented method, apparatus and program product for analyzing performance data particular to an algorithm using a profiler algorithm, and automatically associates the performance data with a reference clock time. The performance data may be automatically associated with a tag, also associated with the reference clock time. Using the tag, the performance data may be associated with a portion of the algorithm. For instance, the tag may be associated with a corresponding tag associated with the algorithm. User input may be received that designates both the tag and an additional tag associated with the program code. Aspects may identify tags in the performance data that correspond to both the tag and additional tag of program code. The portion of the performance data bounded by the identified tags in the performance data may be retrieved and displayed to a user. In this manner, the performance data may be automatically associated with a portion of algorithm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Steven J. Branda, John J. Stecher