Patents by Inventor Eric Allan Billheimer

Eric Allan Billheimer 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).

  • Computing system adapter card for supporting legacy and plug and play configurations
    Patent number: 6292848
    Abstract: An adapter card which includes a non volatile memory for containing configuration parameters for establishing one of a plurality of configurations for the adapter card, as well as a pair of mapping bits which define the selected configuration. A default configuration is provided which places the adapter card in the legacy configuration during an initial system power up. The default mode also enables the adapter card to listen for a plug and play initialization key sequence, and switch the card configuration to a plug and play configuration. A companion utilities program permits access to the EEPROM for establishing a new set of configuration parameters in the EEPROM, and to change the mapping bits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2001
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: William Wyche Plyler, Randolph Scot Kolvick, Eric Allan Billheimer
  • Adapter card system including for supporting multiple configurations using mapping bit
    Patent number: 6014714
    Abstract: An adapter card which includes a non volatile memory for containing configuration parameters for establishing one of a plurality of configurations for the adapter card, as well as a pair of mapping bits which define the selected configuration. A default configuration is provided which places the adapter card in the legacy configuration during an initial system power up. The default mode also enables the adapter card to listen for a plug and play initialization key sequence, and switch the card configuration to a plug and play configuration. A companion utilities program permits access to the EEPROM for establishing a new set of configuration parameters in the EEPROM, and to change the mapping bits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2000
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: William Wyche Plyler, Randolph Scot Kolvick, Eric Allan Billheimer
  • Apparatus and method for communication and translation for selected one of a variety of data bus formats
    Patent number: 5931933
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for using a single, multi-purpose chip for translating a personal computer format or protocol (such as ISA, MCA, PCMCIA or PCI formats) to an output format such as the IBM 5250 format or TWINAX.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 3, 1999
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Eric Allan Billheimer, Robert Wayne Schuster, John Elliott Walker