Patents by Inventor Keith Pierce

Keith Pierce 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: 9858553
    Abstract: Efficiently processing ACH payments by processing batches of ACH payments in parallel. A processing system of an ACH operator receives an ACH file including multiple batches of ACH items. Each batch includes at least one ACH item. A control module of the processing system organizes data in the ACH file into multiple partitions according to a selected strategy. Each partition includes at least one of the batches. A processing module of the processing system separately processes each partition in parallel, validating the batches and ACH items and creating at least one output batch for each partition. If the control module determines that the ACH file is acceptable, based on this parallel processing, then the processing module settles the ACH items in the output batches and creates at least one new ACH file for transmitting the settled ACH items to one or more corresponding receiving depository financial institutions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis
    Inventors: Peter A. Davis, Keith Pierce, Stephen P. Hanten, Erik Tennant, Jennifer Larson
  • Publication number: 20150235186
    Abstract: Efficiently processing ACH payments by processing batches of ACH payments in parallel. A processing system of an ACH operator receives an ACH file including multiple batches of ACH items. Each batch includes at least one ACH item. A control module of the processing system organizes data in the ACH file into multiple partitions according to a selected strategy. Each partition includes at least one of the batches. A processing module of the processing system separately processes each partition in parallel, validating the batches and ACH items and creating at least one output batch for each partition. If the control module determines that the ACH file is acceptable, based on this parallel processing, then the processing module settles the ACH items in the output batches and creates at least one new ACH file for transmitting the settled ACH items to one or more corresponding receiving depository financial institutions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2014
    Publication date: August 20, 2015
    Inventors: Peter A. Davis, Keith Pierce, Stephen P. Hanten, Erik Tennant, Jennifer Larson
  • Publication number: 20090281946
    Abstract: Efficiently processing ACH payments by processing batches of ACH payments in parallel. A processing system of an ACH operator receives an ACH file including multiple batches of ACH items. Each batch includes at least one ACH item. A control module of the processing system organizes data in the ACH file into multiple partitions according to a selected strategy. Each partition includes at least one of the batches. A processing module of the processing system separately processes each partition in parallel, validating the batches and ACH items and creating at least one output batch for each partition. If the control module determines that the ACH file is acceptable, based on this parallel processing, then the processing module settles the ACH items in the output batches and creates at least one new ACH file for transmitting the settled ACH items to one or more corresponding receiving depository financial institutions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2008
    Publication date: November 12, 2009
    Inventors: Peter A. Davis, Keith Pierce, Stephen P. Hanten, Erik Tennant, Jennifer Larson
  • Patent number: 7516250
    Abstract: An apparatus and method are disclosed for managing component identifiers in a data storage system. The apparatus includes a recognition module, a receiving module, a comparison module, and an update module. The recognition module recognizes newly installed components. The receiving module receives a component identifier stored on the newly installed component. The comparison module compares the identifier of the newly installed component with one or more component identifiers stored in a computer system memory. The update module updates the one or more component identifiers stored in the system memory based upon the identifier of the newly installed component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Timothy Keith Pierce, Brian Gerard Goodman, Justin James Hom, Leonard George Jesionowski
  • Patent number: 7484036
    Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for managing control path commands in an automated data storage library. The present invention teaches a data storage library with stored data and at least one controller. The present invention also teaches at least one command source that provides commands to the data storage library via at least one control path. The data storage library stores a last successful command for each control path in the data storage library, receives a new command from a control path, compares the new command with one or more of the last successful commands, and executes the new command if the new command is unique.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Gary Anna, Brian Gerard Goodman, Leonard George Jesionowski, Timothy Keith Pierce
  • Patent number: 7089547
    Abstract: Updating firmware stored in a rewritable non-volatile memory as a plurality of firmware code images having position dependent code. A plurality of update code images are made available that have position dependent code specifying positions of a rewritable non-volatile memory, such that each update code image is suitable for replacing a different stored code image. A computer processor determines which stored code image is to be updated; and selects the one of the plurality of update code images that has position dependent code suitable for replacing the code image to be updated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Brian Gerard Goodman, Robert Alan Klem, Timothy Keith Pierce
  • Publication number: 20050243171
    Abstract: A data display and acquisition system for mounting in a vehicle having an interior console and an aperture in the console. The system comprises a frame mountable in the aperture, a recording media housed in the frame and operable to store video data, and a video input in communication with the recording media to receive multiple types of data including video data and to transfer the video data to the recording media.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2004
    Publication date: November 3, 2005
    Inventors: Charles Ross, Keith Pierce, David Owen, Laura Owen
  • Publication number: 20050083404
    Abstract: A data acquisition recording and display system for mounting in a vehicle having an interior console and an aperture in the console. The system comprising a frame mountable in the aperture. A recording media housed in the frame and operable to store and retrieve audio/video and other data. The content of the recording media being transferable to enable storage and searching on a remote device. Searching being performed with a search engine application.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2004
    Publication date: April 21, 2005
    Inventors: Keith Pierce, Charles Ross, David Owen, Laura Owen
  • Publication number: 20040054883
    Abstract: Updating firmware stored in a rewritable non-volatile memory as a plurality of firmware code images having position dependent code. A plurality of update code images are made available that have position dependent code specifying positions of a rewritable non-volatile memory, such that each update code image is suitable for replacing a different stored code image. A computer processor determines which stored code image is to be updated; and selects the one of the plurality of update code images that has position dependent code suitable for replacing the code image to be updated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2002
    Publication date: March 18, 2004
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Brian Gerard Goodman, Robert Alan Klem, Timothy Keith Pierce
  • Patent number: 6625703
    Abstract: Verification of a primary or backup copy of vital information of a processing system employs a pseudo-fixed reference identifier, defined as an identifier unlikely to change over the life of the system, and controls which copy of vital information is correct. The primary copy of vital information is associated with a copy of the pseudo-fixed reference identifier and a backup copy of the vital information is associated with a copy of the pseudo-fixed reference identifier. A processor, when triggered, reads the pseudo-fixed reference identifier, compares it to the stored copies of the identifier of the primary and backup non-volatile storage. (1) If the read pseudo-fixed reference identifier matches the primary copy of the identifier, the processor indicates the vital information is valid. (2) If the read pseudo-fixed reference identifier matches the backup only, indicating that the backup copy of vital information is to be restore copied to become the primary copy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2003
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Brian Gerald Goodman, Ronald Faye Hill, Jr., Leonard George Jesionowski, Timothy Keith Pierce, Robin Daniel Roberts
  • Patent number: 6403972
    Abstract: An ion beam is sensed with a beam current sensor which has a sensing aperture that is smaller than a cross-sectional dimension of the ion beam at the beam current sensor. The sensed ion beam current is indicative of ion beam position relative to a desired ion beam path. The ion beam position may be adjusted if the sensed ion beam position differs from the desired ion beam path. One or more beam current sensors may be utilized in an ion implanter for calibration and/or alignment. The beam current sensor may be utilized to determine a relation between a characteristic of an ion beam, such as magnetic rigidity, and a parameter of a system element, such as magnetic field, required to direct the ion beam along a desired ion beam path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2002
    Assignee: Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc.
    Inventors: Antonella Cucchetti, Leo Vincent Klos, Jr., Joseph C. Olson, Raymond L. Pelletier, Keith Pierce, Anthony Renau, Donna Smatlak
  • Publication number: 20020053008
    Abstract: Verification of a primary or backup copy of vital information of a processing system employs a pseudo-fixed reference identifier, defined as an identifier unlikely to change over the life of the system, and controls which copy of vital information is correct. The primary copy of vital information is associated with a copy of the pseudo-fixed reference identifier and a backup copy of the vital information is associated with a copy of the pseudo-fixed reference identifier. A processor, when triggered, reads the pseudo-fixed reference identifier, compares it to the stored copies of the identifier of the primary and backup non-volatile storage. (1) If the read pseudo-fixed reference identifier matches the primary copy of the identifier, the processor indicates the vital information is valid. (2) If the read pseudo-fixed reference identifier matches the backup only, indicating that the backup copy of vital information is to be restore copied to become the primary copy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2001
    Publication date: May 2, 2002
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Brian Gerard Goodman, Ronald Faye Hill, Leonard George Jesionowski, Timothy Keith Pierce, Robin Daniel Roberts
  • Patent number: 4702480
    Abstract: A water entertainment apparatus and a method of operating the apparatus are provided. The water entertainment apparatus includes a flush toilet means, a target means, and a flush toilet support means. The flush toilet means includes a liquid reservoir member, bowl member and drain member. The target means includes a target surface member and an actuator means. The liquid reservoir member is connected to the bowl member and the bowl member is connected to the drain member. The target surface member is connected to the actuator means. The actuator means is connected to the water reservoir member. The flush toilet means is supported by the flush toilet support means. The method provides liquid in the liquid reservoir member of the water entertainment apparatus. Then a subject is positioned below the drain member. A projectile is then impacted on the target surface member. The target surface member then actuates the actuator means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 1986
    Date of Patent: October 27, 1987
    Inventors: Fred Popeski, Keith Pierce