Patents by Inventor Michael E. Browne
Michael E. Browne 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).
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Publication number: 20090164855Abstract: A method for scrubbing storage in a computer memory which includes a plurality of memory modules each having plurality of memory chips. The method includes selecting a pattern that correlates with physical structures for scanning the memory chips of the memory modules for errors, scanning a memory chip of a memory module for errors based upon the selected pattern. The method further includes successively scanning remaining memory chips of the respective memory module for errors when an error is found in the scanned memory chip, and scanning a memory chip of another memory module when an error is not found in the scanned memory chip of the respective memory module.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 19, 2007Publication date: June 25, 2009Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Michael E. Browne, Trevor E. Carlson, Stephanie A. Schaum, Ashwin S. Venkatraman, Maria R. Ward
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Publication number: 20090164513Abstract: A data processing system having a host computer including a key manager, a control unit connected to the host computer, a data storage unit (such as a tape drive) controlled by the control unit, and data storage medium for storing data thereon to be written to or read from by the data storage unit. The key manager stores a data structure having at least one record having a volume serial number, as start location, a length entry, and a key for encrypting and decrypting data on the data storage medium. A data storage medium (such as data tape) is mounted on the data storage unit, and a volume recorded on the tape is retrieved. The control unit retrieves the data structure from the key manager and matches the volume serial number recorded in the retrieved data structure with the volume serial number retrieved from the data storage medium.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 20, 2007Publication date: June 25, 2009Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Tara L. Astigarraga, Evren O. Baran, Michael E. Browne, Christopher V. DeRobertis, Ashwin Venkatraman
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Publication number: 20090164842Abstract: A method and system for enterprise memory management of memory modules of a computer system. The method includes scanning memory chips of a memory module for errors, analyzing a scrub error map corresponding to a scrubbing operation of the memory module, generating a scrub map summary based upon the scrub error map analyzed, creating an error history map by adding the scrub map summary generated, analyzing the error history map created and tracking a chip location for each memory chip of the memory module including errors, and determining a scrubbing algorithm of the memory module based on the analyzed error history map. The enterprise memory management system includes a plurality of computers each including memory modules, and an enterprise memory manager which collects and analyzes error history maps corresponding to each computer and determines a scrubbing algorithm of the memory modules of each computer.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 19, 2007Publication date: June 25, 2009Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Michael E. Browne, Trevor E. Carlson, Stephanie A. Schaum, Ashwin S. Venkatraman, Maria R. Ward
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Publication number: 20090164715Abstract: A method, data processing system and program product for protecting against stale page overlays which includes executing a process in memory of the data processing system. A storage controller pages data from the memory to a disk in pages when the memory is constrained by other processes being executed by the data processing system. Data is then paged from the disk into memory in a one or more paged-in pages. The paged-in page is updated with updated data by the process, and the version on the disk is marked as stale. The storage controller commands the disk to make the stale disk version of the updated paged-in page as write-only, thereby providing that the disk version may be overwritten with new data while providing that the disk version cannot be read.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 20, 2007Publication date: June 25, 2009Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Tara L. Astigarraga, Michael E. Browne, Joseph Demczar, Eric C. Wieder
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Patent number: 7519630Abstract: Automated testing of versioned information handling system applications is performed by automatically compiling currently available versions at regular time intervals throughout a development cycle and then automatically testing each compiled version on test information handling systems to detect errors associated with each compiled version of the application. For instance, production operating systems used to configure manufactured information handling systems are automatically tested at regular intervals during development so that versions of a complete operating system and application environment are properly integrated. Testing of the complete operating system and application environment of a production operating system is accomplished by interrupting power to test information handling systems and loading the production operating system with a PXE agent. Periodic compilation and testing of versions provides simplified identification and tracking of development errors.Type: GrantFiled: December 16, 2002Date of Patent: April 14, 2009Assignee: Dell Products L.P.Inventors: Michael E. Brown, Charles T. Perusse, Jr.
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Publication number: 20080195902Abstract: Method and system for repairing memory failure in a computer system in one aspect determines one or more test patterns and time duration for testing the new memory unit that replaced a failed memory unit. The test pattern is written to the new memory unit and read from the new memory unit. The read pattern is compared to the test pattern that was used to write. If the read test pattern and the written test pattern doe not match, a further repair action is taken. If they match, writing and reading of the test pattern repeats until the time duration for testing expires. The new memory unit may be configured as available for use when the write and read test completes successfully for the testing time duration.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 12, 2007Publication date: August 14, 2008Applicant: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Tara Astigarraga, William Edward Atherton, Michael E. Browne
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Publication number: 20080162079Abstract: Disclosed are a method, electronic device, and computer readable medium for determining an end-of-life stage of the flash memory. The method includes detecting at least one life cycle event associated with a flash memory residing on an electronic device. A counter that is associated with the life cycle event is then incremented. Based on the counter, a total number of occurrences for the one life cycle event is determined. The total number of occurrences for the at least one given threshold is also determined. A current life cycle stage of the flash memory is identified based at least in part on determining if the total number of occurrences exceeds at least one given threshold. The life cycle stage is associated with the at least one given threshold. A user is then notified of the life cycle state of the flash memory.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 3, 2008Publication date: July 3, 2008Applicant: International Business Machines Corp.Inventors: TARA ASTIGARRAGA, William E. Atherton, Michael E. Browne
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Publication number: 20080162995Abstract: Disclosed are an information processing system and computer readable medium for performing a system test on a program. A test plan associated with a system test is created. The system test is for testing a program within an environment. At least one test trigger to be monitored for during the system test is defined within the test plan. Execution of the system test on a system under test for the at least one test trigger is monitored. An occurrence of the at least one test trigger is determined. The test plan is modified to take into account the occurrence of the at least one test trigger in response to determining the occurrence. Execution of the system test is continued based on the modified test plan.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 28, 2007Publication date: July 3, 2008Applicant: International Business Machines Corp.Inventors: Michael E. Browne, Andrew P. Wack, Monica J. Lemay, Derwin D. Gavin
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Publication number: 20080155553Abstract: Disclosed are a method, information processing system, and computer readable medium for resource recovery. The method comprises associating at least one bit with at least one block of memory. The bit denotes a borrow status for the block of memory. The bit is set for resource recovery. A resource recovery event is detected and in response to the bit being enabled for resource recovery, the block of memory is borrowed for a given duration of time. The bit is borrowed to temporarily store information associated with the resource recovery there into until the information is written to persistent storage.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 26, 2006Publication date: June 26, 2008Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHNES CORPORATIONInventors: Tara Astigarraga, Michael E. Browne, Joseph Demczar, Eric C. Wieder
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Publication number: 20080147985Abstract: Disclosed are a method, system and computer program for purging data in a data storage system comprising a plurality of hosts one or more data storage devices and a controller, the controller including a cache. In accordance with the present invention, a communication interface is implemented between operating systems (OS) and the storage controller, of a multi-host data storage system, to signal the storage controller when the host is being shutdown. When the storage controller gets the signal, the controller purges the controller cache of any pages belonging to that host and puts those pages back into the free pool.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 13, 2006Publication date: June 19, 2008Applicant: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Tara L. Astigarraga, Michael E. Browne, Joseph Demczar, Eric C. Wieder
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Patent number: 7377409Abstract: An organizer for holding a variety of items in one location having a body with a hook shaped upper portion, for hanging the organizer on a support, and a neck portion. The neck portion having an aperture extending therethrough for receiving items, and a line extending from a portion of the body adjacent the aperture for securing items extending through the aperture, and a second hook shaped portion extending from the top of the hook shaped upper portion, and the hook shaped upper portion has a third hook shaped portion extending from a side portion below the second hook shaped portion, and the hook shaped upper portion, the second hook shaped portion, and the third hook shaped portion each have an aperture extending therethrough.Type: GrantFiled: March 11, 2005Date of Patent: May 27, 2008Inventor: Michael E. Brown
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Publication number: 20080109607Abstract: A memory management method is disclosed. In response to a process running in a first memory and the first memory becoming constrained by demands from another process, information in the first memory is paged out to a second memory. In response to a request to further run the process, the information from the second memory is paged into a read cache and then into the first memory, while a copy of the information is left the read cache. In response to the information in the first memory then being updated and the copy of the information in the read cache now becoming stale, the now stale copy of the information in the read cache is checked for and purged, and indication is provided that the read cache has been purged.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 2, 2006Publication date: May 8, 2008Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Tara L. Astigarraga, Michael E. Browne, Joseph Demczar, Eric C. Wieder
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Publication number: 20080104573Abstract: In one embodiment of this invention, a computer system performs a method for validating a software build before check-in. A computer system accesses an existing software build of a software application that includes one or more existing binary files. The computer system accesses one or more updated binary files from a computer user. The computer system overwrites appropriate existing binary files in the existing software build with corresponding updated binary files for the updated binary files package. The overwriting included incorporating the updated binary files into the existing build of the software application without having to generate a new build of the software application. The computer system evaluates the functionality of the updated existing software build, wherein evaluating includes determining whether at least the updated binary files satisfy a threshold level of functionality. The computer system generates a report representing the results of the functionality evaluation.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 25, 2006Publication date: May 1, 2008Applicant: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Kanwaljeet Singla, Mete Goktepe, Michael E. Brown
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Patent number: 7359820Abstract: Disclosed are a method, information processing system and computer readable medium for performing a system test on a program. The method comprises creating a test plan associated with a system test. The system test is for testing a program within an environment. At least one test trigger to be monitored for during the system test is defined within the test plan. Execution of the system test on a system under test for the at least one test trigger is monitored. An occurrence of the at least one test trigger is determined. The test plan is modified to take into account the occurrence of the at least one test trigger in response to determining the occurrence. Execution of the system test is continued based on the modified test plan.Type: GrantFiled: January 3, 2007Date of Patent: April 15, 2008Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Michael E. Browne, Andrew P. Wack, Monica J. Lemay, Derwin D. Gavin
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Publication number: 20080086275Abstract: Disclosed are a method, electronic device, and computer readable medium for determining an end-of-life stage of the flash memory. The method comprises detecting at least one life cycle event associated with a flash memory residing on an electronic device A counter that is associated with the life cycle event is then incremented. Based on the counter, a total number of occurrences for the one life cycle event is determined. The total number of occurrences for the at least one given threshold are also determined. A current life cycle stage of the flash memory is identified based at least in part on the determining if the total number of occurrences exceeds at least one given threshold. The life cycle stage is associated with the at least one given threshold. A user is then notified of the life cycle state of the flash memory.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 5, 2006Publication date: April 10, 2008Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Tara Astigarraga, William E. Atherton, Michael E. Browne
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Patent number: 7356442Abstract: Disclosed are a method, electronic device, and computer readable medium for determining an end-of-life stage of the flash memory. The method includes detecting at least one life cycle event associated with a flash memory residing on an electronic device. A counter that is associated with the life cycle event is then incremented. Based on the counter, a total number of occurrences for the one life cycle event is determined. The total number of occurrences for the at least one given threshold is also determined. A current life cycle stage of the flash memory is identified based at least in part on determining if the total number of occurrences exceeds at least one given threshold. The life cycle stage is associated with the at least one given threshold. A user is then notified of the life cycle state of the flash memory.Type: GrantFiled: October 5, 2006Date of Patent: April 8, 2008Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Tara Astigarraga, William E. Atherton, Michael E. Browne
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Publication number: 20080028385Abstract: A method for updating firmware comprises executing a native operating system change management program that acts cooperatively with a firmware update package to update a firmware program in the information handling system. An apparatus comprises an information handling system running an operating system. An operating system change management program in a memory of the information handling system acts cooperatively with the operating system and a firmware update package to update a firmware program in the information handling system. Another method for updating firmware comprises building a firmware update package that is executable in a change management program running in a native operating system on an information handling system, and storing the firmware update package in a repository available to a user.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 26, 2006Publication date: January 31, 2008Applicant: Dell Products L.P.Inventors: Michael E. Brown, Matthew L. Domsch
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Patent number: 7264421Abstract: A door and valve assembly for a pneumatic transmission system including a port configured to permit ambient air to flow into a pneumatic transmission conduit, a body having a seal and configured to open and close the port and an end of the transmission conduit, and an actuator connected to the body. The seal may be configured to seal the end of the transmission conduit. The actuator is configured to move the body to open the end and port, move the body to close the end and keep the port open, and move the body to close the end and port.Type: GrantFiled: November 18, 2005Date of Patent: September 4, 2007Assignee: E.F. Bavis & Associates, Inc.Inventor: Michael E. Brown
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Patent number: 7234898Abstract: A pneumatic transmission system includes a first terminal, a second terminal, and a transmission conduit connecting the first and second terminals in fluid communication with each other. The pneumatic transmission system may include a first blower directly connected to the transmission conduit and configured to create a vacuum within the transmission conduit between the first terminal and a carrier, and a second blower directly connected to the transmission conduit and configured to create a vacuum within the transmission conduit between the second terminal and a carrier. The pneumatic transmission system may include first and second end doors that are configured to move to open or close the first and second end openings.Type: GrantFiled: November 18, 2005Date of Patent: June 26, 2007Assignee: E.F. Bavis & Associates, Inc.Inventor: Michael E. Brown
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Patent number: D557265Type: GrantFiled: August 7, 2006Date of Patent: December 11, 2007Assignee: E.F. Bavis & Associates, Inc.Inventor: Michael E. Brown