Patents Examined by Albert Phillips, III
  • Patent number: 9507798
    Abstract: A technique for logging events in a data storage system involves designating one subset of storage processors of the data storage system as clients that generate log entries and another subset of the storage processors as servers that receive log entries. Only one server is active at a time. The active server receives the generated log entries from the clients and persists the log entries to a centralized log store. Clients assign first timestamps to the log entries based on locally accessible clocks. The active server receives the log entries, including the first timestamps, from the clients and applies second timestamps based on a clock accessible to the server. As the second timestamps are consistent across the different clients, the second timestamps can be applied to correct misalignments in time among the log entries received from the clients.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: EMC IP Holding Company LLC
    Inventors: Bingfeng Zhao, Jun Chen, Stephen M. Lathrop, Wai Chuen Yim, Yongmei Xie
  • Patent number: 9507800
    Abstract: Technology is disclosed for managing data in a distributed processing system (“the technology”). In various embodiments, the technology pushes “cold” data from a primary storage of the distributed processing system to a backup storage thereby maximizing the usage of the space on the primary storage to store “hot” data on which most data processing activities are performed in the distributed processing system. The cold data is retrieved from the backup storage into the primary storage on demand, for example, upon receiving an access request from a client. While the primary storage stores the data in a format specific to the distributed processing system, the backup storage stores the data in a different format, for example, format corresponding to the type of backup storage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: NETAPP, INC.
    Inventors: Srinivasan Narayanamurthy, Gaurav Makkar, Kartheek Muthyala, Arun Suresh
  • Patent number: 9501563
    Abstract: A server includes an input information database (14) that stores input information where position information indicating a geographic position, a word given to the position, and a user ID identifying a user having given the word to the position are associated with one another, a dictionary database (15) that stores dictionary data indicating associations between words, and an association unit (17) that extracts a plurality of input information where the geographic positions are included in one geographic range and the words are associated with each other by referring to those databases, associates the extracted plurality of input information with each other by assigning a common identifier to the plurality of input information, and enters the plurality of input information into the input information database (14).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: Rakuten, Inc.
    Inventor: Udana Bandara
  • Patent number: 9489413
    Abstract: Techniques for maintaining a global index in response to a partition being dropped are provided. In response to an instruction to drop a partition, partition identification data that identifies the partition is stored. Index entries, in the global index, that correspond to the dropped partition become “orphaned” entries. Later, an execution plan for a query is processed, where the execution plan targets a global index. During execution of the execution plan, one or more index entries are accessed. For each accessed index entry, the partition identification data is analyzed to determine if the index entry is an orphaned entry. If so, then the index entry is ignored for purposes of the query. Later, the global index may be updated to delete each orphaned entry. Such deletion may occur much later, such as during a time when the database is not queried or updated frequently.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: Oracle International Corporation
    Inventors: Ananth Raghavan, George Eadon, Ramesh Kumar, Hermann Baer, Suresh Sridharan
  • Patent number: 9477978
    Abstract: A system for advising a user on the condition of a vehicle is described. Data can be collected from a vehicle in the form of images or reflected energy from a section or part of the vehicle, and the data can be analyzed to determine if repairs, damage, or other problems are present. The collected data may also be images of identifying panels or insignia on the car. A report with results of the analysis can be provided to the user. The results of the analysis may describe detected damage or repairs, provide vehicle history or identifying information, or report detection of repainting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: UNITED SERVICES AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION
    Inventors: Charles Lee Oakes, III, Reynaldo Medina, III
  • Patent number: 9477741
    Abstract: Systems and methods for redistributing data in a relational database are disclosed. In one embodiment, the database includes a plurality of rows of data distributed across a plurality of slices of a table in the database. The database system is configured to distribute the rows of data across the slices according to a first function based on one or more columns of the table. The database system monitors at least one database statistic indicative of variation in a distribution of the rows of data across the slices and detects a redistribution condition based on the at least one monitored database statistic. The database system is further configured to respond to the detected redistribution condition by redistributing the rows of data across the slices according to a second function based on a different number of columns than the first function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Clustrix, Inc.
    Inventors: Jason Frantz, Sergei Tsarev, Jim Gale, Scott Smith
  • Patent number: 9471687
    Abstract: System, method, and computer program product to perform an operation, the operation comprising publishing a content according to a content class ratio and a content impact on each of a plurality of metrics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Maryam Ahmed, Trudy L. Hewitt, Kimberly D. McCall
  • Patent number: 9467744
    Abstract: A system and method relate to identifying comments associated with digital content and submitted by one or more users. The comments are parsed to determine terms included in the comments. The respective classifications associated with the comments are determined based on the terms, and at least one classification of the digital content may be identified based on the respective classifications associated with the comments. In one implementation, the classification of the digital content is determined based on identifying comments associated with a portion of the digital content, and identifying a particular classification associated with at least a threshold number of the comments associated with the portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: Verizon and Redbox Digital Entertainment Services, LLC
    Inventors: Gong Zhang, Jian Huang, Jianxiu Hao, Gaurav D. Mehta
  • Patent number: 9460109
    Abstract: A method of building application server instances. The method comprises configuring, by a script, a first application server instance with parameter definitions exported from an environment properties file, wherein an environment properties file comprises common parameter definitions for a plurality of different application server instances under the same environment. The method further comprises configuring, by the script, the first application server instance with parameter definitions exported from a first instance properties file, wherein an instance properties file comprises parameter definitions specific to an individual application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: Sprint Communications Company L.P.
    Inventor: Phillip Hagerman
  • Patent number: 9443333
    Abstract: There is provided a method and system to communicate information. The system receives a first query that contains a first constraint and retrieves a first plurality of data items from a database based on the first query. Next, the system generates a first distribution based on the first plurality of data items, the first distribution utilizing a first plurality of domains that are used to identify data items. Next the system generates a second distribution based on a plurality of requests to view a second plurality of data items. Next the system generates a third distribution based on the first distribution and the second distribution. Finally, the system generates distribution data to be included within an interface, the interface to include at least one interface element that is positioned on the interface based on the third distribution, the at least one interface element to respectively represent at least one domain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: eBay Inc.
    Inventors: Seema Shah, Adam Nash, Raghav Gupta, Aditya Arora, Benjamin David Foster, Srikanth Subramaniam, Suhail Ansari, Xavier Stonestreet, Vijay Raman, Jean-Michel Leon
  • Patent number: 9442942
    Abstract: Provided herein are a method, apparatus and computer program product for dynamically and visually interfacing with a device to locate information and objects using a dynamic graphical interface to select and adjust the weight afforded to individual search criterion and a search. Example methods may provide for display of a search target, provide for display of a first search criterion disposed at a first distance from the search target where the first distance corresponds to a first search criterion weight, and provide for display of a second search criterion disposed at a second distance from the search target, where the second distance corresponds to a second search criterion weight. Methods may further include providing for searching the search target using the first search criterion afforded the first search criterion weight and the second search criterion afforded the second search criterion weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy
    Inventor: Juha Arrasvuori
  • Patent number: 9443245
    Abstract: A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to implement an opinion search engine. The instructions to implement an opinion search engine cause the computer to collect opinion data about one or more objects from the Internet, extract metadata about the opinion data from the opinion data, remove duplicate metadata from the metadata to generate a resulting metadata, categorize the resulting metadata for similar objects according to one or more taxonomies from one or more websites on the Internet and rank the similar objects based on the categorized metadata.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Jian-Tao Sun, Xiaochuan Ni, Peng Xu, Gang Wang, Ke Tang, Zheng Chen
  • Patent number: 9442982
    Abstract: Various embodiments provide a Web browser that employs a relevancy algorithm to make an educated guess as to the likelihood of a user's intended destination when the user begins to enter text into a browser's address bar. In one or more embodiments, the relevancy algorithm employs various parameters and assigns weights to the parameters to arrive at a collection of suggestions to provide to the user. By using various rules, associated weightings, and the relevancy algorithm, relevant suggestions can be provided to a user to facilitate their navigation activities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Christopher M. Vaughan, Oliver Wallace, Carlos Yeung, Amit Gupta, Christophe Marle
  • Patent number: 9436702
    Abstract: A system for performing a similarity search in a navigation device data base uses a metric index structure. The index structure includes a plurality of nodes. When a query object is received, a node of the index structure which is associated with at least one object is accessed. A distance between the query object and the at least one object is determined in accordance with a distance metric. Based on the determined distance, another node of the index structure is selectively accessed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: HARMAN BECKER AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS GMBH
    Inventors: Alexey Pryakhin, Peter Kunath, Juergen Welscher
  • Patent number: 9430514
    Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments for locking metadata associated with catalog items. An identifier of an item in the item catalog and update metadata associated with the item are received. Responsive to the receipt, it is determined whether a lock against modification is associated with the identified item. Responsive at least in part to the determination that the identified item is associated with a lock, the identified item is left unmodified in the item catalog rather than modifying the identified item in accordance with the update metadata.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Joy N. O'Shell, Lucas B. Dickey
  • Patent number: 9424342
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for detecting local search queries. In one aspect, a method includes accessing a search query log that includes data specifying search queries corresponding to particular geographic regions and for at least one of the search queries corresponding to the particular geographic region generating a geo-query count that represents a total number of times that the search query was received over a specified period. The geo-query count is compared to a corresponding expected query count for the search query, where the expected query count is a baseline number of times that the query is expected to be received. In response to determining that the search query has a geo-query count that exceeds the corresponding expected query count by at least a threshold amount, the particular query is classified as a local query for the particular geographic region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: GOOGLE INC.
    Inventors: Deepak Ravichandran, Dandapani Sivakumar, Rohan Seth, Shumeet Baluja
  • Patent number: 9424294
    Abstract: Methods for faceted searching within clustered in-memory databases are disclosed. Faceted searching may be used to generate search suggestions. The faceted search engine may be able to use non-literal key algorithms for a partial prefix fuzzy matching and may include a feature disambiguation module. The disclosed search engine may be capable of processing large amounts of unstructured data in real time to generate search suggestions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: QBase, LLC
    Inventors: Scott Lightner, Franz Weckesser
  • Patent number: 9418139
    Abstract: The present inventors have a devised one or more novel methods, systems, and interfaces for facilitating multi-lingual searches. One exemplary method entails creating multiple language-specific indices for a collection of documents, with each index including stemmed and non-stemmed versions of terms from the documents. Users submit queries that are associated with a set of one or more target languages. Query processing entails translating original and stemmed versions of each term in a query into each of the target languages, using one or more techniques that each yield a set of potentially equivalent query terms. Each set of potentially equivalent query terms is then processed against the corresponding language-specific index, using a conventional monolingual search technique, such as a Boolean or natural language query, to identify documents from the collection. The resultant documents are presented to the user in language groupings or by computed relevance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: Thomson Reuters Global Resources
    Inventors: Isabelle Moulinier, Elizabeth S. Lund
  • Patent number: 9413837
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes determining a pattern among a number of geo-locations of a user over a period of time. Each geo-location is determined and reported by a mobile computing device of the user without manual user input. The method also includes determining a particular geo-location among the geo-locations in the pattern with a minimum distance to a current geo-location of the mobile computing device; determining a distance between the particular geo-location and the current geo-location; and sending a notification of the current geo-location to one or more other users in response to the distance being longer than a pre-determined deviation threshold value. One or more of the other users have a relationship to the user based at least in part on social-graph information associated with the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrea Vaccari, Gabriel Grisè, Mayank Lahiri
  • Patent number: 9411835
    Abstract: A method of validating data between a first system and at least one second system, wherein the first and second systems have corresponding data volumes, the method comprising isolating first and second data volumes in the first and second systems respectively, wherein the first and second data volumes comprise the corresponding data volumes; generating a checksum for the first and second data volumes; comparing the checksum between the first and second data volumes; and indicating an error if the checksum between the first and second data volumes is different; and inserting results into a database for reporting, for event monitoring or for statistical analysis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: J. C. Taylor Antique Automobile Agency, Inc.
    Inventor: William L. Corcoran