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: 9941458
    Abstract: A semiconductor device package and method for manufacturing the same, includes a semiconductor substrate including a plurality of embedded thermoelectric couples. The embedded thermoelectric couples can be in trenches and extend partially into the substrate from the handle side of the substrate. An n-type pillar and a p-type pillar are electrically connected using a conducting contact plate to form each of the partially embedded thermoelectric couples. A series connection layer electrically connects the plurality of thermoelectric couples on the handle side. A power source provides electrical current to the series connection layer allowing current to flow through the plurality of the series connected thermoelectric couples. A heat sink is positioned adjacent to the connected thermoelectric couples for transferring heat away from the device side to the heat sink using the thermoelectric couples.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jeffrey P. Gambino, Richard S. Graf, Sudeep Mandal
  • Patent number: 9942160
    Abstract: Efficient logging in a control system is provided. A temporary history record corresponding to a message transaction placed onto a message queue data structure is generated. A total processing time for the received message transaction is determined. The total processing time is compared with a previously determined peak processing time value. In response to determining that the total processing time exceeds the previously determined peak processing time value, the temporary history record corresponding to the received message transaction is stored in an event log.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Enrique Q. Garcia
  • Patent number: 9940258
    Abstract: A method and controller for implementing storage adapter enhanced write cache management, and a design structure on which the subject controller circuit resides are provided. The controller includes a hardware write cache engine implementing hardware acceleration for storage write cache management. The hardware write cache engine manages merging data with existing data on fast writes to storage write cache substantially without using firmware for greatly enhancing performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Brian E. Bakke, Joseph R. Edwards, Robert E. Galbraith, Adrian C. Gerhard, Daniel F. Moertl, Gowrisankar Radhakrishnan, Rick A. Weckwerth
  • Patent number: 9940301
    Abstract: Embodiments relate to methods, systems and computer program products for cache management in a Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA) data store. Aspects include receiving a request from a remote computer to access a data item stored in the RDMA data store and creating a lease including a local expiration time for the data item. Aspects further include creating a remote pointer to the data item, wherein the remote pointer includes a remote expiration time and transmitting the remote pointer to the remote computer, wherein the lease is an agreement that that the remote computer can perform RDMA reads on the data item until the remote expiration time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Xiaoqiao Meng, Jian Tan, Yandong Wang, Li Zhang
  • Patent number: 9942532
    Abstract: Embodiments include method, systems and computer program products for reducing eye-fatigue for users of binocular head-mounted displays. Aspects include displaying a content item by a display device of the binocular head-mounted display and calculating an estimated eye-fatigue of the user of the binocular head-mounted display. Based on a determination that the estimated eye-fatigue of the user exceeds a threshold level, aspects also include modifying the content item, by the processor, to encourage the user to take an eye-fatigue reduction action and displaying the modified content item by the display device of the binocular head-mounted display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Elham Khabiri, James R. Kozloski, Clifford A. Pickover
  • Patent number: 9940356
    Abstract: According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method of transferring filters for operations in a distributed system comprises generating at each source node a first filter of a first size. The first filter indicates elements of objects that need not be processed for an operation. Each source node generates one more second filters of a second size less than the first size. Each generated second filter is based on a prior generated filter with each location representing a plurality of locations from the prior generated filter. A second filter is transferred from each source node to each of destination node. The elements of the objects to remove for the operation are determined based on the transferred second filters. Embodiments of the present invention further include a system and computer program product for transferring filters in a distributed system in substantially the same manners described above.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ronald J. Barber, Naresh K. Chainani, Kiran K. Chinta, Ian R. Finlay, Vijayshankar Raman, Liping Zhang
  • Patent number: 9939477
    Abstract: A subset of mobile devices is selected from a set of mobile devices located in a local area. From a mobile device in the subset, a magnetic measurement value obtained by performing a magnetic measurement is received. The magnetic measurement value comprises a change in a magnetic property of an immediate surrounding ambient environment of the mobile device. When the magnetic measurement corresponds to a deviation in a network condition in a portion of a network, the portion being located in the local area, a conclusion is output that the deviation is caused by an electromagnetic disturbance (EMD), where an effect of the EMD causes the magnetic measurement value. A notification including an indication of the EMD and an identification of the local area is generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Chumki Basu, Younghun Kim, Lloyd A. Treinish
  • Patent number: 9940114
    Abstract: An approach is provided for managing a deployment of a software package. First and second quality assurance (QA) seals are determined to match exactly one QA seal and no QA seal, respectively, in a plurality of QA seals. First details about hardware, middleware, and applications required in a first environment, which are included in the first QA seal, are determined to match second details of the first environment. Based on the first QA seal matching exactly one QA seal and the first details matching the second details, the software package is determined to be compatible with the first environment and a notification is generated authorizing the deployment of the software package to the first environment. Based on the second QA seal not matching any of the plurality of QA seals, a notification is generated indicating that the deployment of the software package to a second environment is not authorized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Nagesh K. Mantripragada, Ashish Mungi, Manjit S. Sodhi, Ram Viswanathan
  • Patent number: 9940172
    Abstract: Methods and systems for evaluating compatibility of a cloud of computers to perform one or more workload tasks. One or more computing solution aspects are determined that corresponding to one or more sets of workload factors, where the workload factors characterize one or more workloads, to characterize one or more computing solutions. The workload factors are compared to the computing solution aspects in a rule-based system to exclude computing solutions that cannot satisfy the workload factors. A computing solution is selected that has aspects that accommodate all of the workload factors to find a solution that accommodates the one or more individual workloads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Murthy Devarakonda, Keith C. Goodman, Birgit M. Pfitzmann, Shaya Potter
  • Patent number: 9941211
    Abstract: Methods are provided for fabricating metallic interconnect structures having reduced electrical resistivity that is obtained by applying mechanical strain to the metallic interconnect structures, as well as semiconductor structures having metallic interconnect structures formed with permanent mechanical strain to provide reduced electrical resistivity. For example, a method includes forming a metallic interconnect structure in an interlevel dielectric (ILD) layer of a back-end-of-line (BEOL) structure of a semiconductor structure, and forming a stress layer in contact with the metallic interconnect structure. A thermal anneal process is performed to cause the stress layer to expand and apply compressive strain to the metallic interconnect structure and permanently deform at least a portion of the metallic interconnect structure into a stress memorized state of compressive strain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Benjamin D. Briggs, Lawrence A. Clevenger, Nicholas A. Lanzillo, Michael Rizzolo, Theodorus E. Standaert
  • Patent number: 9942990
    Abstract: A circuit apparatuses include at least one circuit feature formed from patterning a conductive sheet. The conductive sheet includes an irregular surface and a planarized surface. Conductive sheet roughness is minimized in first regions of the circuit apparatus and is maintained in second regions of the circuit apparatus. Selectively planarizing portions of the conductive sheet allows for the utilization of lower cost rougher conductive sheets. The planarized surface allows for increased signal integrity and reduced insertion loss and the irregular surface allows for increased adhesion and enhancing reliability of the circuit apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Brian L. Carlson, John R. Dangler, Roger S. Krabbenhoft, Kevin A. Splittstoesser
  • Patent number: 9940209
    Abstract: An SVC cluster manages a plurality of storage devices and includes a plurality of SVCs interconnected via a network, each SVC acting as a separate node. A new configuration node is activated in response to configuration node failures. The new configuration node retrieves client subscription information about events occurring in storage devices managed by the SVC cluster from the storage devices. In response to events occurring in the storage device managed by the SVC cluster, the new configuration node obtains storage device event information from a storage device event monitoring unit. The new configuration node sends storage device events to clients who have subscribed to this information according to subscription information obtained. The storage device is not installed in the original configuration node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hao He, Ling Sun, Jun Wei Zhang
  • Patent number: 9941469
    Abstract: A memory device that includes a first magnetic insulating tunnel barrier reference layer present on a first non-magnetic metal electrode, and a free magnetic metal layer present on the first magnetic insulating tunnel barrier reference layer. A second magnetic insulating tunnel barrier reference layer may be present on the free magnetic metal layer, and a second non-magnetic metal electrode may be present on the second magnetic insulating tunnel barrier. The first and second magnetic insulating tunnel barrier reference layers are arranged so that their magnetizations are aligned to be anti-parallel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Daniel C. Worledge
  • Patent number: 9942243
    Abstract: A method for managing a plurality of messages associated with an online messaging system is provided. The method may include receiving a message from a messaging source. The method may also include determining whether the messaging source associated with the received message is trusted. The method may further include tagging the received message or storing the received message, wherein the tagging and the storing is based on the determination that the messaging source is not trusted. The method may additionally include validating the received message.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Anthony P. Beardsmore, Jonathan Levell
  • Patent number: 9940255
    Abstract: A method and controller for implementing storage adapter enhanced write cache management, and a design structure on which the subject controller circuit resides are provided. The controller includes a hardware write cache engine implementing hardware acceleration for storage write cache management. The hardware write cache engine performs data age identification in storage write cache substantially without firmware involvement for greatly enhancing performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Brian E. Bakke, Joseph R. Edwards, Robert E. Galbraith, Adrian C. Gerhard, Daniel F. Moertl, Gowrisankar Radhakrishnan, Rick A. Weckwerth
  • Patent number: 9940259
    Abstract: Embodiments relate to a virtualized storage environment with one or more virtual machines operating on a host and sharing host resources. Each virtual machine has a virtual disk in communication with a persistent storage device. The virtual machine(s) may be misaligned with the persistent storage device so that a virtual block address does not correspond with a persistent storage block address. A relationship between the virtual disk(s) and the persistent storage device is established, and more specifically, an alignment delta between the devices is established. The delta is employed to translate the virtual address to the persistent address so that the virtual and persistent storage blocks are aligned to satisfy a read or write operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Nathan D. Fontenot, Robert C. Jennings, Jr., Joel H. Schopp, Michael T. Strosaker
  • Patent number: 9942126
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a method for processing non-unicast routes information in a TRILL network and a corresponding RBridge, wherein the RBridge has a neighbor relation with a plurality of other RBridges in the TRILL network, and the RBridge is the RBridge which computes non-unicast routes information in the neighbor relation, and in the method, the RBridge executes steps of: sending an acknowledgement message to the plurality of other RBridges, wherein the acknowledgement message acknowledges that the RBridge is the RBridge which computes the non-unicast routes information; obtaining a network topology related to the non-unicast routes information in the TRILL network; computing the non-unicast routes information based on the network topology; and distributing the computed non-unicast routes information to the plurality of other RBridges. The method and the corresponding RBridge are capable of reducing consumption of CPU resource of RBridges in the TRILL network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Fuhui Li, Jing Lu, Jiuxing Nie, Jun Yao
  • Patent number: 9942089
    Abstract: A method, hardware device, and/or computer program product manages network resources. A cloud service provider hypervisor server that supports a cloud service provider hypervisor receives a cloud consumer's management information base (MIB) via an application program interface. The cloud consumer's MIB is a portable MIB that is capable of being loaded into multiple cloud service provider hypervisors. A trap receiver in the cloud service provider hypervisor server receives a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) trap from a resource described by the cloud consumer's MIB. The SNMP trap is an SNMP message that describes an event in the resource. The cloud service provider hypervisor server transfers the SNMP trap to a cloud consumer without any interpretation of the SNMP trap by the cloud service provider hypervisor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Srinivas Cheemalapati, Clinton Douglas, Rebecca E. Lutz, Todd D. Robinson
  • Publication number: 20180096047
    Abstract: From a directional acyclic graph (DAG) corresponding to a data volume, a matrix of relationships of a first node and a second node is computed. The DAG includes a set of nodes and a set of directional edges, the set of nodes including the first node and the second node. An inverted matrix is computed from the matrix, which retains values in only those column positions where a value in a first row corresponding to the first node is opposite of a value in a second row corresponding to the second node. From the first row, a first cluster of nodes related to the first node is constructed by selecting nodes corresponding to those columns where the first row has a value indicating an affirmative relationship. Information representing the first cluster of nodes a second cluster of nodes are output.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2016
    Publication date: April 5, 2018
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Shawnna M. Childress, Sudhakar Govindasamy, AHMED M. NASSAR, Craig M. Trim
  • Publication number: 20180096054
    Abstract: A search term used in an online search is analyzed to determine a concept corresponding to the search term, the concept being present in an ontology related to a subject-matter domain of the search term. A set of concepts is selected from the ontology, including a related concept related to the concept in the organization of the ontology. A set of subscriber data sources is determined where a subscriber data source in the set subscribes to a concept in the set of concepts. From the set of subscriber data sources, a subset of those subscriber data sources is identified whose data is not participating in a result set corresponding to the search term. A non-participation message is sent to a subscriber data source in the subset of subscriber data sources.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2016
    Publication date: April 5, 2018
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Lambert Scott Berentsen, Gregory J. Boss, Sachin K. Mahajan, John E. Moore, JR.
  • Publication number: 20180095824
    Abstract: A method for reducing I/Os to a redundant array of independent disks (RAID) is disclosed. In one embodiment, such a method includes receiving a write request comprising new data for overwriting corresponding old data in cache. The method performs an XOR (exclusive OR) operation on the new data and the old data to yield a parity delta and overwrites, in the cache, the old data with the new data. In certain embodiments, the XOR operation is performed prior to overwriting the old data with the new data. The method further stores the parity delta in the cache and links the parity delta to the new data. Upon destaging the new data from the cache, the method provides the parity delta with the new data so that the parity delta may be applied to an existing parity value in the RAID. A corresponding system and computer program product are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2016
    Publication date: April 5, 2018
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: John P. Agombar, Ian Boden, Gordon D. Hutchison, Lee J. Sanders
  • Publication number: 20180095986
    Abstract: Input backup data is deduplicated with data of a synthetic backup previously constructed by a deduplication storage system. A synthetic backup is constructed by processing metadata instructions provided by a backup application. Deduplication digests are calculated based on the data of the synthetic backup and the deduplication digests are stored in a digests index. When new backup data is processed, deduplication digests of the new data are calculated and searched in the digests index. Matching digests of previously constructed synthetic backups are located in the digests index. Each of the located matching digest references stored data are included in the synthetic backup, and the stored data is similar to the input backup data. Data matches are found in the input backup data and data in the synthetic backup.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2017
    Publication date: April 5, 2018
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Lior ARONOVICH, Michael Hirsch, Yair Toaff
  • Publication number: 20180095905
    Abstract: A serial communication system includes a transmitting circuit for serially transmitting data via a serial communication link including N channels where N is an integer greater than 1. The transmitting circuit includes an input buffer having storage for input data frames each including M bytes forming N segments of M/N contiguous bytes. The transmitting circuit additionally includes a reordering circuit coupled to the input buffer. The reordering circuit includes a reorder buffer including multiple entries. The reordering circuit buffers, in each of multiple entries of the reorder buffer, a byte in a common byte position in each of the N segments of an input data frame. The reordering circuit sequentially outputs the contents of the entries of the reorder buffer via the N channels of the serial communication link.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2017
    Publication date: April 5, 2018
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: LAKSHMINARAYANA BABA ARIMILLI, YIFTACH BENJAMINI, BARTHOLOMEW BLANER, DANIEL M. DREPS, JOHN DAVID IRISH, DAVID J. KROLAK, LONNY LAMBRECHT, MICHAEL S. SIEGEL, WILLIAM J. STARKE, JEFFREY A. STUECHELI, KENNETH M. VALK, CURTIS C. WOLLBRINK
  • Publication number: 20180095695
    Abstract: A method for minimizing head seek movement and improving I/O performance of a hard disk drive is disclosed. In one embodiment, such a method includes logically dividing storage space of a hard disk drive into storage areas of substantially equal size. The method monitors a temperature of each of the storage areas. The temperature indicates how frequently data in a corresponding storage area is accessed. The method swaps data in storage areas of the hard disk drive based on temperature. These swaps involve moving hotter data toward outer tracks of the disk drive and colder data toward inner tracks of the disk drive. A corresponding system and computer program product are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2016
    Publication date: April 5, 2018
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: John P. Agombar, Ian Boden, Alastair Cooper, Gordon D. Hutchison
  • Publication number: 20180095870
    Abstract: For data management by a processor device in a computing storage environment, a threshold for an amount of Non Volatile Storage (NVS) space to be consumed by any particular logically contiguous storage space in the computing storage environment is established based on at least one of a Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) type, a number of point-in-time copy source data segments in the logically contiguous storage space, and a storage classification. Establishing the threshold for the amount of NVS to be consumed based on the number of point-in-time copy source data segments in the logically contiguous storage space further includes considering resources needed to perform a Copy Source To Target (CST) operation required prior to the point-in-time copy source data segments being destaged.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2017
    Publication date: April 5, 2018
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kevin J. ASH, Michael T. BENHASE, Lokesh M. GUPTA, Kenneth W. TODD
  • Publication number: 20180095831
    Abstract: Exemplary method, system, and computer program product embodiments for efficient state tracking for clusters are provided. In one embodiment, by way of example only, in a distributed shared memory architecture, an asynchronous calculation of deltas and the views is performed while concurrently receiving client requests and concurrently tracking the client requests times. The results of the asynchronous calculation may be applied to each of the client requests that are competing for data of the same concurrency during a certain period with currently executing client requests. A latency is bound for the client requests by a time necessitated for the asynchronous calculation of at least two of the deltas where a first state snapshot is atomically taken while simultaneously calculating the at least two of the deltas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2017
    Publication date: April 5, 2018
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Michael KELLER
  • Publication number: 20180095896
    Abstract: For maintaining consistency for a cache that contains dependent objects in a computing environment, object dependencies for cached objects are managed by defining and maintaining object dependency lists for each one of the cached objects for identifying objects upon which the cached objects are dependent. Maintaining cache consistency for 2 types of cache eviction policies is supported by maintaining an object dependency lists for each one of the cached objects for identifying objects dependent upon the cached object. Each of the objects in an object dependency list is updated when the object is updated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2017
    Publication date: April 5, 2018
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yariv Bachar, Aviv Kuvent, Asaf Levy, Konstantin Muradov
  • Publication number: 20180098127
    Abstract: After receiving a content at a device usable to present the content to a user, a portion of the received content is analyzed to identify a context present in the portion, the context including a type of a subject-matter of the portion. A contextual rating rule corresponding to the context of the portion is selected from a set of contextual rating rules. A rating value of the portion is computed using a first rating value in the contextual rating rule, the rating value of the portion being distinct from a rating associated with the content by a distributor of the content. The portion is presented on a presentation device along with the rating value of the portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2016
    Publication date: April 5, 2018
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael K. Boudreau, Jia Chen, Sarbajit K. Rakshit, Craig M. Trim
  • Publication number: 20180095848
    Abstract: A DSM component is organized as a matrix of page. The data structure of a set of data structures occupies a column in the matrix of pages. A recovery file is maintained in a persistent storage. The recovery file consists of entries and each one of the entries corresponds to a column in the matrix of pages by a location of each one of the entries. The set of data structures is stored in the DSM component and in the persistent storage. Incorporated into each one of the plurality of entries in the recovery file is an indication if an associated column in the matrix of pages is assigned with the data structure of the set of data structures; and additionally incorporated into each one of the plurality of entries in the recovery file are identifying key properties of the data structure of the set of data structures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2017
    Publication date: April 5, 2018
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Lior ARONOVICH, Asaf LEVY, Liran LOYA
  • Publication number: 20180095682
    Abstract: A method for regulating a flow of data to backend storage devices includes generating, at a host system, writes intended for a backend storage volume. The method receives the writes into a first level cache of a storage virtualization appliance. The method further determines whether destaging the writes directly from the first level cache to the backend storage volume would cause a limit associated with the backend storage volume to be exceeded. If destaging the writes directly from the first level cache to the backend storage volume would cause the limit to be exceeded, the method destages the writes from the first level cache to a second level cache of the storage virtualization appliance. Otherwise, the method destages the writes directly from the first level cache to the backend storage volume. A corresponding system and computer program product are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2016
    Publication date: April 5, 2018
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: John P. Agombar, Ian Boden, Gordon D. Hutchison, Lee J. Sanders
  • Publication number: 20180095921
    Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a transmitting circuit configured to be coupled to a physical serial interface having a bit width. The transmitting circuit is configured to transmit, via the physical serial interface, a frame including multiple aligned flits all of an equal fixed length that is an integer multiple of the bit width of the physical serial interface. The multiple flits include both a control flit specifying at least a command to be performed by a recipient of the command and a data flit providing data to be operated upon through performance of the command. The control flit includes a data protection code computed over the control flit and a data flit of a previously transmitted frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2017
    Publication date: April 5, 2018
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: LONNY LAMBRECHT, MICHAEL S. SIEGEL, WILLIAM S. STARKE, JEFFREY A. STUECHELI
  • Publication number: 20180095626
    Abstract: Embodiments for providing a user defined application interface by a processor. A user profile defining one or more application behavior settings relating to at least behavior and appearance of a mobile application such that the user profile is referenced for providing a filtered selection of a plurality of mobile applications for selection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2016
    Publication date: April 5, 2018
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Christopher J. HARDEE, Steven R. JOROFF, Pamela A. NESBITT, Scott E. SCHNEIDER
  • Patent number: 9934028
    Abstract: The method includes adjusting, by one or more computer processors, a Javascript object notation structure to comprise a tag on at least one object and a tag on at least one array. The method further includes receiving, by one or more computer processors, data indicating a first set of at least one change to the Javascript object notation structure. The method further includes adjusting, by one or more computer processors, the tags in the Javascript object notation structure to include the first set of the at least one change in the Javascript object notation structure. The method further includes receiving, by one or more computer processor, data indicating the first set of the at least one change to the Javascript object notation structure is complete. The method further includes displaying the first set of the at least one change to the Javascript object notation structure based upon the adjusted tags.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Amit P. Joglekar
  • Patent number: 9934863
    Abstract: A NAND flash memory device detects the occurrence of Cell Voltage Distribution Disruption Events (CVDDEs), such as a Partial Block Program (PBP) and Program-Read-Immediate (PRI), and provides a way to dynamically adjust read voltage to account for CVDDEs. A read command includes extended addressing bits that are used when a CVDDE has occurred to access registers that indicate an adjustment to read voltage that is needed to accommodate the CVDDE. The read voltage is then dynamically adjusted to accommodate the CVDDE. When the CVDDE is no longer an issue, the read voltage is adjusted to its previous value before the CVDDE.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas J. Griffin, Steven J. Hnatko
  • Patent number: 9934270
    Abstract: A source code search comprises a two-pass search. The first pass comprises a topological measure of similarity. The second pass comprises a semantic measure of similarity. The query source code is a user-selected portion of source code. The results may be ranked and output to an I/O device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Nathan Fontenot, Fionnuala G. Gunter, Michael T. Strosaker, George C. Wilson
  • Patent number: 9934247
    Abstract: Methods, computing systems and computer program products implement embodiments of the present invention that include storing multiple files to a file-level storage system that includes one or more storage devices, and maintaining, by the file-level storage system, one or more searchable indexes for the multiple files, each of the indexes indexing a respective key field. In some embodiments the file-level storage system may be configured as a network attached storage system. Upon receiving, via a network, a search query from a computer, the file-level storage system can identify, using the one or more searchable indexes, one or more of the multiple files that match the search query, and convey, to the computer, the respective name and the respective location of each of the one or more identified files. In some embodiments, the file-level storage system includes a web server exposing a representational state transfer application programming interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Amit Bareket, Shai M. Koffman, Moshe Weiss
  • Patent number: 9934210
    Abstract: Optimizing update instructions in hierarchically structured documents is provided. A pending update list including a first plurality of items is received. Each item of the first plurality of items describes an update to a hierarchically structured document. Each of one or more items of the first plurality of items is added to a subsumed update list having a second plurality of items. The subsumed update list is ordered based, at least in part, on a document order and on a target node of each of the second plurality of items. Subsume logic is applied to each of the one or more items based, at least in part, on the second plurality of items. Responsive to determining that subsume logic has been applied to each item of the first plurality of items, each of the second plurality of items of the subsumed update list is executed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Mengchu Cai, Rong-Hoang Chang, Li Chen, Yu Chen, Yonghua Ding, Eric N. Katayama, Kwai Hing Man
  • Patent number: 9936576
    Abstract: A method includes forming a multi-stacked electronic device having two or more electronic components, each of the electronic components includes a leadframe, the leadframes of each electronic component are physically joined together using a non-solder metal joining process to form a joint, and the joint is located outside a solder connection region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ai Kiar Ang, Michael Lauri
  • Patent number: 9935102
    Abstract: A vertical fin field-effect-transistor and a method for fabricating the same. The vertical fin field-effect-transistor includes a first source/drain disposed in contact with a substrate. A second source/drain is disposed above the first source/drain. At least one fin structure is disposed between and in contact with the first source/drain and the second source/drain. A width of the first source/drain and the second source/drain gradually decreases towards the fin structure. The method includes forming an oxide in contact with an exposed portion of at least one fin structure. During formation of the oxide, different areas of the exposed fin structure portion are oxidized at different rates. This forms a first region and a second region of the exposed fin structure portion. These regions each have a width that is greater than a width of a third region of the exposed fin structure portion situated between the first and second regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Zhenxing Bi, Kangguo Cheng, Juntao Li, Peng Xu
  • Patent number: 9932225
    Abstract: A method of forming a Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) includes forming a lower electrode on a first insulator layer within a cavity of the MEMS. The method further includes forming an upper electrode over another insulator material on top of the lower electrode which is at least partially in contact with the lower electrode. The forming of the lower electrode and the upper electrode includes adjusting a metal volume of the lower electrode and the upper electrode to modify beam bending.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Christopher V. Jahnes, Anthony K. Stamper
  • Patent number: 9934118
    Abstract: Embodiments disclose techniques for executing a test case to test a processor by bypassing an instruction pipeline of the processor. In one embodiment, the processor receives a plurality of test cases to execute on the processor. Each test case includes one or more instructions. Once received, the processor loads a plurality of registers with one or more first register values for the test case by bypassing the instruction pipeline. Once loaded, the processor runs the test case using the one or more first register values. The processor then retrieves, from the plurality of registers, one or more second register values associated with results of the test case run, by bypassing the instruction pipeline.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shakti Kapoor
  • Patent number: 9934804
    Abstract: An apparatus-implemented method according to one embodiment includes passing a magnetic recording tape over a plurality of modules having write transducers. Associated pairs of the write transducers are aligned along an intended direction of tape travel thereacross, and planes of deposition of the write gaps of the write transducers in each associated pair are oriented at an angle of greater than 4 degrees relative to each other. The method also includes causing the write transducers to write predefined patterns of magnetic bars on the magnetic recording tape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Robert G. Biskeborn, Edwin R. Childers, Mark A. Lantz
  • Patent number: 9934083
    Abstract: A storage system maintains a cache and a non-volatile storage. An error recovery component queries a cache component to determine whether modified customer data exists in a memory preserve cache. In response to determining that the modified customer data exists in the memory preserve cache, and in response to a failure beyond a threshold number of times of initial microcode load (IML) attempts to recover the modified customer data, an error notification is transmitted for manual intervention to avoid loss of the modified customer data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kevin J. Ash, Lokesh M. Gupta, Matthew J. Kalos
  • Patent number: 9934123
    Abstract: As disclosed herein a method, executed by a computer, for enabling multi-tiered software stack diagnostic collection includes initiating, on a first tier of a multi-tiered software stack, a targeted diagnostics collection corresponding to a symptom of a failure, determining a symptom to a reason code mapping corresponding to the symptom in a product of a subsequent tier, and issuing a command to the product of the subsequent tier to initiate targeted diagnostics collection corresponding to the reason code. Problems or failures in a multi-tiered software stack environment may require analyses of programs or products corresponding to each tier of a multi-tiered software stack. The method described herein enables simultaneous collection of diagnostics for programs or products corresponding to each tier of a multi-tiered software stack. A computer system, and a computer program product corresponding to the method are also disclosed herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: James W. Pickel, Pallavi Priyadarshini, Mamta Sharma, Parameswara R. Tatini
  • Patent number: 9934984
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method for hydrofluorocarbon gas-assisted plasma etch for interconnect fabrication includes providing a layer of a dielectric material and etching a trench in the layer of the dielectric material, by applying a mixture of an aggressive dielectric etch gas and a polymerizing etch gas to the layer of the dielectric material. In another embodiment, an integrated circuit includes a plurality of semiconductor devices and a plurality of conductive lines connecting the plurality of semiconductor devices. A pitch of the plurality of conductive lines is approximately twenty-eight nanometers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation, Zeon Corporation
    Inventors: Robert L. Bruce, Eric A. Joseph, Joe Lee, Takefumi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9934363
    Abstract: A method and system for automatically assessing the mental state of a user from a drawing made by the user. The mental state of the user is automatically assessed by digitizing a drawing and determining and analyzing drawing characteristics, including color, objects, and location. Video analytics are used to determine and analyze user time characteristics and mood characteristics. The mental state of the user is automatically determined by interpreting the color, object, location, time and mood characteristics and to automatically select a user action. A machine learning algorithm can learn developmental patterns of the user from historical data about a plurality of the user's drawings and the characteristics of the drawings to determine the mental state of the user. The machine learning algorithm can be used in selecting the user action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jinho Hwang, Roxana Monge Nunez, Valentina Salapura, Maja Vukovic
  • Patent number: 9936051
    Abstract: In an approach for managing network sockets, a computer receives a request to create a network socket to transfer data. The computer identifies information associated with the received request, including one or more of: a default network protocol, one or more supported network protocols, ahead of time initialization, a data transfer policy, a failure policy, and a security policy. The computer creates a second level hash map based on the identified information, wherein the second level hash map includes the supported network socket protocols and a connection state. The computer determines a network protocol to utilize associated with the received request. The computer establishes a connection for the network socket over the determined network protocol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Timothy P. Ellison, Ankur Gupta, Sreedhar B. Kodali, Xiaoqiao Meng, Neil G. M. Richards, Sivasakthi Thirugnanapandi
  • Patent number: 9933626
    Abstract: A method of generating an image to be observed as a stereoscopic image when viewed binocularly through an eye-side surface of a lenticular lens, in which a plurality of parallax images are arranged on a back surface of each of lenses of the lenticular lens or light beams corresponding to the plurality of images are input to the back surface, the method including parallax per unit length is made relatively smaller, in at least part, at a position closer to each edge of each lens in a direction orthogonal to a longitudinal direction of the lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Eisuke Kanzaki, Yasumoto Nakayama
  • Patent number: 9934300
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention disclose a computer system for optimizing data analysis. A set of analytics are received and a plurality of subsets of the set of analytics is generated. An optimization goal(s) is defined. The plurality of subsets of analytics are applied to a set of data. The output of applied analytics are recorded on a data storage device by the computer. Performance values of the computer applying the plurality of subsets of analytics are recorded and displayed. An optimal subset of the plurality of subsets of analytics is calculated, using recorded performance values and outputs of the applied plurality of subsets of analytics, being based on the optimization goal. A set of applied analytics are displayed, where the set of applied analytics includes a number of subsets of analytics of the plurality of analytics that meet the criteria of the optimal subset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Varun Bhagwan, Clemens Drews, Daniel F. Gruhl, Neal R. Lewis, April L. Webster, Steven R. Welch
  • Patent number: 9935236
    Abstract: An optoelectronic light emission device is provided that includes a gain region of at least one type III-V semiconductor layer that is present on a lattice mismatched semiconductor substrate. The gain region of the type III-V semiconductor layer has a nanoscale area using nano-cavities. The optoelectronic light emission device is free of defects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Effendi Leobandung, Ning Li, Tak H. Ning, Jean-Oliver Plouchart, Devendra K. Sadana