Patents by Inventor Darren C. Douglas

Darren C. Douglas 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: 9497295
    Abstract: A client-server network environment is temporarily transformed into a grid computing environment through the deployment of a network-booted grid operating system to each of a plurality of network clients. Each participating client operates in the client-server mode under a local operating system. At an appropriate time, a server transmits to each client a thin-client boot image (a dynamically built customized image or an image obtained from a store of predefined boot images) along with a grid application for which the thin-client has been optimized for peak performance. Each client re-boots using the thin-client image, thereby entering the grid mode and executing the grid application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Robert J. Eggers, Darren C. Douglas
  • Publication number: 20150271300
    Abstract: A client-server network environment is temporarily transformed into a grid computing environment through the deployment of a network -booted grid operating system to each of a plurality of network clients. Each participating client operates in the client-server mode under a local operating system. At an appropriate time, a server transmits to each client a thin-client boot image (a dynamically built customized image or an image obtained from a store of predefined boot images) along with a grid application for which the thin-client has been optimized for peak performance. Each client re-boots using the thin-client image, thereby entering the grid mode and executing the grid application.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2015
    Publication date: September 24, 2015
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Robert J. EGGERS, JR., Darren C. DOUGLAS
  • Patent number: 9088632
    Abstract: A client-server network environment is temporarily transformed into a grid computing environment through the deployment of a network-booted grid operating system to each of a plurality of network clients. Each participating client operates in the client-server mode under a local operating system. At an appropriate time, a server transmits to each client a thin-client boot image (a dynamically built customized image or an image obtained from a store of predefined boot images) along with a grid application for which the thin-client has been optimized for peak performance. Each client re-boots using the thin-client image, thereby entering the grid mode and allowing substantially all of its computing resources to be dedicated to executing the grid application. At a later time, the server directs that each client terminate the grid application and re-boot in its respective local operating system, reverting again to the client-server mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Robert J. Eggers, Jr., Darren C. Douglas
  • Publication number: 20140047010
    Abstract: A client-server network environment is temporarily transformed into a grid computing environment through the deployment of a network-booted grid operating system to each of a plurality of network clients. Each participating client operates in the client-server mode under a local operating system. At an appropriate time, a server transmits to each client a thin-client boot image (a dynamically built customized image or an image obtained from a store of predefined boot images) along with a grid application for which the thin-client has been optimized for peak performance. Each client re-boots using the thin-client image, thereby entering the grid mode and allowing substantially all of its computing resources to be dedicated to executing the grid application. At a later time, the server directs that each client terminate the grid application and re-boot in its respective local operating system, reverting again to the client-server mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2013
    Publication date: February 13, 2014
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Robert J. Eggers, JR., Darren C. Douglas
  • Patent number: 8554936
    Abstract: A client-server network environment is temporarily transformed into a grid computing environment through the deployment of a network-booted grid operating system to each of a plurality of network clients. Each participating client operates in the client-server mode under a local operating system. At an appropriate time, a server transmits to each client a thin-client boot image (a dynamically built customized image or an image obtained from a store of predefined boot images) along with a grid application for which the thin-client has been optimized for peak performance. Each client re-boots using the thin-client image, thereby entering the grid mode and allowing substantially all of its computing resources to be dedicated to executing the grid application. At a later time, the server directs that each client terminate the grid application and re-boot in its respective local operating system, reverting again to the client-server mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Robert J Eggers, Darren C Douglas
  • Patent number: 7814479
    Abstract: Provided are a techniques for processing a download. Under control of a first target device, a download command is received via a first communication medium that indicates that an update is to be downloaded. The download command is issued to a second target device via a second communication medium, wherein the second communication medium is a private device communication medium that enables private communication between the first target device and the second target device. The update is received via the first communication medium. In response to determining that the update has been downloaded, run with the update.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Darren C. Douglas, Jason James Graves, Lei Liu, Sudhir Gurunandan Rao
  • Patent number: 7600055
    Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for updating firmware to a plurality of memory devices residing on disparate controllers wherein each controller includes an identical communication path address. A management module writes a firmware image to a memory device residing on a primary controller. The primary controller, in turn, copies the firmware image to another memory device residing on a secondary controller. In this manner, the apparatus, system, and method may update firmware on a plurality of memory devices. Because the primary controller is tasked with updating the secondary controller, the management module is only aware that the firmware of the primary controller has been updated. In this manner, updating of the firmware on the secondary controller is transparent to the management module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Darren C. Douglas, Jason J. Graves, Lei Liu, Keith D. Richeson, Yoshihiko Terashita