Patents by Inventor Cary Lee Bates

Cary Lee Bates has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7142666
    Abstract: The present invention is directed at a telephone that automatically selectively disables a microphone when the microphone is moved out of close proximity to the user's mouth. One embodiment comprises a sensor that detect if the telephone microphone is in close proximity to a user's mouth and a switch that selectively mutes the telephone in response to the detection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Cary Lee Bates, John Matthew Santosuosso
  • Patent number: 7139804
    Abstract: A method, article of manufacture, and apparatus for restricting the receipt of automatic delegate reply messages. Specifically, the method configures a control message for an electronic mail (e-mail) message addressed to at least one recipient terminal or computer, and sends the e-mail and control messages to the at least one recipient terminal. Upon processing the control message, the at least one recipient terminal determines whether to reply to the received e-mail message with a delegate reply message. As such, a sender of the e-mail message may restrict the receipt of delegate reply messages by configuring the control message through different features or options.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Cary Lee Bates, Kurtis W. Ruby, John Matthew Santosuosso
  • Patent number: 7134121
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, system, and signal-bearing medium that in an embodiment install a new or fixed version of a program if the program or a feature in the program has been used more than a threshold number of times. If the program has not been used more than the threshold, the new or fixed version of the program is not installed. In an embodiment, an environmental condition is used in determining whether to install the new or fixed version. In this way, the risk that the new version will cause new problems is balanced with the likelihood that the problem solved by the new version will be encountered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Cary Lee Bates, Paul Reuben Day
  • Patent number: 7130643
    Abstract: A portable phone is equipped with a position detector that detects the geographical position of the portable phone, and a telephone system may ring one or more land-based phones or portable phones according to the geographical position of the portable phone. One or more geographical regions are defined, with corresponding telephone parameters defined for each region. When a portable phone enters a defined region, exits a defined region, or changes between two defined regions, the function of one or more land-based phones or portable phones may change. The preferred embodiments thus allow changing the function of one or more other phones based on the self-detected geographical position of a portable phone. In this manner the convenience of using portable phones is greatly enhanced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Cary Lee Bates, Jeffrey Michael Ryan, John Matthew Santosuosso
  • Patent number: 7111281
    Abstract: An arrangement for improved debugging processes, systems, and articles of manufacture employing screen pattern recognition functionalities linked in the context of a debugger environment. In one embodiment, screen scraper functionalities are used in the context of a debugger environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Cary Lee Bates, John Matthew Santosuosso
  • Patent number: 7107336
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus and a computer program product are provided for implementing enhanced server page execution. A predefined file or a predefined directory is monitored for change. Responsive to identifying a change in the predefined file or the predefined directory, a server page is monitored for change. Checking the server page for change with each use is eliminated, thereby speeding up run time execution of the server page. Monitoring the predefined file or predefined directory for change can include providing a trigger function with the file or with a directory entity for the predefined directory; the trigger function to identify a change within the predefined directory. Alternatively, monitoring the predefined file or the predefined directory for change includes providing a daemon program for monitoring the predefined file or predefined directory for activity. A META tag can be used for governing when the server page is set to be monitored for change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Cary Lee Bates, Paul Reuben Day, John Matthew Santosuosso
  • Patent number: 7107063
    Abstract: An apparatus, program product, and method selectively display or render display information from display information packets provided in a digital radio broadcast or via another form of packet-based communication medium based upon local information associated with the display, and typically irrespective of whether any of such packets are specifically addressed to any local receiver associated with a display. The local information used in the selective display of display information may be a physical location of a user, whereby a location sensor is utilized to determine a current location that is compared to a location criterion provided in a data packet to determine whether the current location matches the location criterion. In addition to, or in lieu of location information, the local information may include local configuration data that identifies certain information types (e.g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Cary Lee Bates, Eric John Nelson, John Matthew Santosuosso
  • Patent number: 7103366
    Abstract: A portable phone is equipped with a position detector that detects the geographical position of the portable phone, and a telephone system may ring one or more land-based phones or portable phones according to the geographical position of the portable phone. One or more geographical regions are defined, with corresponding telephone parameters defined for each region. When a portable phone enters a defined region, exits a defined region, or changes between two defined regions, the function of one or more land-based phones or portable phones may change. The preferred embodiments thus allow changing the function of one or more other phones based on the self-detected geographical position of a portable phone. In this manner the convenience of using portable phones is greatly enhanced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Cary Lee Bates, Jeffrey Michael Ryan, John Matthew Santosuosso
  • Patent number: 7096215
    Abstract: An apparatus, program product and method integrate virus checking functionality into a computer database search environment to assist in protecting a user computer from contracting a computer virus when accessing search results. The generation of a display representation of a result set generated in response to a search request may be based at least in part upon virus status information associated with at least a portion of a plurality of result records identified in the generated result set. Moreover, an apparatus, program product, and method configure a first computer to receive virus status information generated by a plurality of computers, with such received virus status information stored in a virus database that is accessible by the first computer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Cary Lee Bates, Robert James Crenshaw, Paul Reuben Day, John Matthew Santosuosso
  • Patent number: 7089535
    Abstract: A method, apparatus and article of manufacture for collecting coverage data. In one embodiment, a method is provided for collecting coverage data for a code portion which, when compiled and linked, becomes a module of a program. The method comprises configuring the code portion settings such that when the module is instrumented coverage data will be gathered for the module; and instrumenting the code portion according to the settings and only for those statements for which no coverage data exists. Coverage data can then be collected, for example, each instance the module is executed, each instance the module is executed as part of a particular program, or each instance the module is executed by a particular user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Cary Lee Bates, John Matthew Santosuosso
  • Patent number: 7086033
    Abstract: A software debugger having a monitor for monitoring conditional statements within a software program is disclosed. A program construct is initially identified within a software program. After identifying a point of interest within the program construct, a group of debug instructions is associated with the point of interest within the program construct. In response to a debug stop occurred at the point of interest, the information related to the associated program construct according to the group of debug instructions as a result of executing the instructions within the program construct is displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Cary Lee Bates, Paul Reuben Day, Steven Gene Halverson
  • Patent number: 7080402
    Abstract: Applications/functions within an electronic processing device having a GPS card and antenna, such as a laptop or personal digital assistant, can be enabled only when in a specified geographic location. For each critical application/function, its accessibility is programmed to be enabled/disabled only in specified geographic regions. No additional passwords are required: access or abortion of an running program are automatic. The geographic regions can be input into the electronic processing device using GPS processing or using a graphical user interface on a map. Other methods of determining the boundaries of the appropriate geographic regions for each applications/functions are disclosed. An application/function will not be opened if the electronic device is not within the geographic region associated with the application/function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Cary Lee Bates, Eric John Nelson, John Matthew Santosuosso
  • Patent number: 7080360
    Abstract: Method, apparatus and article of manufacture for debugging code. One embodiment provides a method of debugging code containing a user-specified breakpoint located within a region of the code. The method comprises executing the code, determining whether the execution of the code exits the region of the code without firing the user-specified breakpoint, and if so, halting the execution of the code.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Cary Lee Bates, Steven Gene Halverson, John Matthew Santosuosso
  • Patent number: 7076546
    Abstract: An apparatus, program product, and method that track where particular users are browsing within a multi-user computer environment, and provide such information to one or more users within the environment to permit greater interactivity among the users. By enabling users to identify and interact with other users in a browsing environment, users may be permitted to access lists of favorite documents, home pages, navigational histories, etc. of other users while browsing to facilitate the dynamic location and retrieval of useful information. Also, users may be permitted to directly communicate with one another while browsing, e.g., via electronic messages, real-time discussions, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Cary Lee Bates, Jeffrey Michael Ryan
  • Patent number: 7058701
    Abstract: The present invention generally provides a method, article of manufacture and apparatus for establishing time-based browser configurations. A browser is configured according to predetermined parameters when a time-condition is satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Cary Lee Bates, Mahdad Majd, John Matthew Santosuosso
  • Patent number: 7047519
    Abstract: Apparatus, methods and articles of manufacture are provided for tracking breakpoint hits. In one embodiment, a hit count is automatically incremented for each breakpoint. The hit count is stored for subsequent runs, thereby allowing a user to specify a breakpoint encounter number, N, to which a program may execute and then stop. Illustratively, each breakpoint encounter may have been automatically tracked prior to the user's specification of N. In another embodiment, a range in which the breakpoint is located is specified. The hit count is incremented for each encounter of the breakpoint in the range and reset each time the range is entered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Cary Lee Bates, Paul Reuben Day, Victor John Gettler
  • Patent number: 7047487
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and article of manufacture for formatting electronic documents. In general, an electronic document contains an <activebackground> tag which, when parsed by a browser allows a first electronic document to format, or overlay, a second electronic document with additional or replacement content. Although overlaid by the first electronic document, portions of the second electronic document remain visible and accessible to the user unless explicitly overridden by the first electronic document. In particular, hyperlinks provided by the second electronic document can remain active.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Cary Lee Bates, Paul Reuben Day, John Matthew Santosuosso
  • Patent number: 7047548
    Abstract: An apparatus, program product and method for recalling a previous program channel of interest from a current program channel, where the channel of interest is determined by the amount of time a user has previously spent on the channel. The amount of elapsed time a user spends on a program channel is monitored. If the elapsed time exceeds a predetermined threshold, the program channel is identified as a channel of interest. As the user switches from the channel of interest to subsequent broadcast channels (i.e., “surfs”), the channel of interest is retained in memory as long as the amount of time spent on any subsequent channel is less than the predetermined time threshold. If the amount of time spent on a subsequent channel is greater than the predetermined time threshold, the subsequent channel is identified and stored as the new channel of interest. At any time, the user may select a selective view function to return to the channel of interest from the currently selected channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Cary Lee Bates, Paul Reuben Day, John Matthew Santosuosso
  • Patent number: 7043690
    Abstract: Provided is a computer implemented method, system, and program for checking text in an electronic document. Words in the text are scanned and parsed. For each set of one or more scanned and parsed words, a determination is made of whether one or more words form a contact phrase providing information to identify or address a person or entity. After one contact phrase is scanned, contact information is accessed including contact phrases. The contact information is searched to determine if the scanned contact phrase matches contact phrases in the searched contact information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Cary Lee Bates, Paul Reuben Day, John Matthew Santosuosso
  • Patent number: 7043721
    Abstract: The present invention generally provides a method, apparatus, and article of manufacture whereby source code is analyzed by the compiler to determine if a default object capacity should change. In one embodiment of the invention, the compiler determines an initial object capacity based upon the use of a particular consumption method against an object created in the source code.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Cary Lee Bates, John Matthew Santosuosso