Patents by Inventor Michael Edward Aho

Michael Edward Aho 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: 8176333
    Abstract: The present invention is generally directed to a method, system, and article of manufacture that ensures the integrity of programs having variable portions. One aspect of this invention is a method for protecting software products having variant portions. This method includes identifying a reference to an external target in a software product, creating an identifier for the external target, and adding the identifier to the reference. In some embodiments, the unique identifier is a digital signature and the reference to an external target is a call to an external library.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Edward Aho, Joseph Patrick Reynolds
  • Publication number: 20080276096
    Abstract: The present invention is generally directed to a method, system, and article of manufacture that ensures the integrity of programs having variable portions. One aspect of this invention is a method for protecting software products having variant portions. This method includes identifying a reference to an external target in a software product, creating an identifier for the external target, and adding the identifier to the reference. In some embodiments, the unique identifier is a digital signature and the reference to an external target is a call to an external library.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2008
    Publication date: November 6, 2008
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael Edward Aho, Joseph Patrick Reynolds
  • Patent number: 7401219
    Abstract: The present invention is generally directed to a method, system, and article of manufacture that ensures the integrity of programs having variable portions. One aspect of this invention is a method for protecting software products having variant portions. This method includes identifying a reference to an external target in a software product, creating an identifier for the external target, and adding the identifier to the reference. In some embodiments, the unique identifier is a digital signature and the reference to an external target is a call to an external library.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2008
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Edward Aho, Joseph Patrick Reynolds
  • Patent number: 7093132
    Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer program product are provided for protecting ongoing system integrity of a software product using digital signatures. A core product load manifest for protecting ongoing system integrity of a software product having a plurality of pieces includes a manifest header including header attributes of the software product. A list of a plurality of manifest items is stored with the manifest header. Each manifest item identifies a corresponding piece of the software product. Each manifest item includes at least one attribute. A manifest digital signature is stored with the manifest header. The manifest header, the header attributes, each of the plurality of items, and each item attribute are included in the manifest digital signature. A digital signature is computed for each signable piece of the software product and is stored with the piece of the software product. The digital signature of each signed software product piece is excluded from the core product load manifest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Edward Aho, James Richard Coon, Harold Olaf Romo
  • Publication number: 20040139342
    Abstract: The present invention is generally directed to a method, system, and article of manufacture that ensures the integrity of programs having variable portions. One aspect of this invention is a method for protecting software products having variant portions. This method includes identifying a reference to an external target in a software product, creating an identifier for the external target, and adding the identifier to the reference. In some embodiments, the unique identifier is a digital signature and the reference to an external target is a call to an external library.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2003
    Publication date: July 15, 2004
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael Edward Aho, Joseph Patrick Reynolds
  • Patent number: 6631115
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, and program product for balancing communication loads between devices of a network comprises the introduction of a delay by a network device before responding to another network device which is sending an initiation signal for establishing communication between the devices. Based upon communication traffic of the second device, a delay occurs for a predetermined amount of time before the responding network device responds, and the delay is proportional to the amount of traffic handled by the responding device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2003
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Lee Anton Sendelbach, Michael Edward Aho
  • Publication number: 20030056102
    Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer program product are provided for protecting ongoing system integrity of a software product using digital signatures. A core product load manifest for protecting ongoing system integrity of a software product having a plurality of pieces includes a manifest header including header attributes of the software product. A list of a plurality of manifest items is stored with the manifest header. Each manifest item identifies a corresponding piece of the software product. Each manifest item includes at least one attribute. A manifest digital signature is stored with the manifest header. The manifest header, the header attributes, each of the plurality of items, and each item attribute are included in the manifest digital signature. A digital signature is computed for each signable piece of the software product and is stored with the piece of the software product. The digital signature of each signed software product piece is excluded from the core product load manifest.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2001
    Publication date: March 20, 2003
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael Edward Aho, James Richard Coon, Harold Olaf Romo
  • Patent number: 5790544
    Abstract: An ATM cell-to-frame reassembly method and apparatus are provided for overrun avoidance. For each END ATM USER connection a value defining a maximum number of ATM cells is provided. After receiving an ATM cell for an END ATM USER connection, the maximum number of ATM cells value associated with the particular END ATM USER connection is identified. A current frame length including the received ATM cell is calculated and compared with the identified maximum number of ATM cells value associated with the particular END ATM USER connection. Reassembly of the frame is continued responsive to the calculated current frame length being less than or equal to the identified maximum number of ATM cells value. Reassembly of the frame is terminated responsive to the calculated current frame length being greater than the identified maximum number of ATM cells value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1998
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Edward Aho, Albert Alfonse Slane