Patents by Inventor Michael J. Howland

Michael J. Howland 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: 8271956
    Abstract: A method, system and program product for dynamically adjusting trace buffer capacity based on execution history. The method includes receiving, by a module configured to trace, a plurality of traces pertaining to one or more trace events generated during execution of a program being traced, the trace events generated including panel data and sequence data. The method further includes determining, using trace data captured from the plurality of traces received, whether or not a path for a trace event is a new path. If the path for the trace event is determined to be a new path, the method includes dynamically adjusting, by the module, an initial size of a trace buffer configured to store the trace data captured, such that, the module increases the initial size of the trace buffer upon making a determination that the trace event is a new trace event based on execution history.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael J. Howland, Paul E. Rogers
  • Patent number: 7793299
    Abstract: A system for scheduling tasks for execution includes a queue of tasks ordered by scheduled time for execution. A timer thread monitors status of tasks in the queue and selectively dispatches tasks. A guard thread monitors status of tasks in the queue and selectively creates timer threads. The guard thread is responsive to a next task in the queue becoming ready for execution while a first timer thread is still processing a prior task to create a new timer thread to dispatch the next task and mark the first timer thread for closure. Thereafter, the first timer thread closes responsive to the prior task completing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Melissa K. Howland, Michael J. Howland
  • Publication number: 20090282409
    Abstract: The invention resides in a method, system and program product for grouping related program sequences for performing a task. The method includes establishing, using a first code for grouping, one or more groups that can be formed between one or more related group-elements obtained from a plurality of groupable program flow documents, and executing, using a group program sequence engine, the groupable program flow documents, wherein each group-element considered an ancestor group-element of a group established and validated by the first code is executed before executing a related group-element obtained from the group, and wherein the related group-element of the group is executed only once during execution of the groupable program flow documents for performing the task. In an embodiment, the establishing step includes identifying a name attribute specified in the one or more related group-elements for establishing the one or more groups.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2008
    Publication date: November 12, 2009
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Martin H. Bartoy, Michael L. Gregor, Michael J. Howland, Kenneth D. King, Paul E. Rogers
  • Publication number: 20090204949
    Abstract: A method, system and program product for dynamically adjusting trace buffer capacity based on execution history. The method includes receiving, by a module configured to trace, a plurality of traces pertaining to one or more trace events generated during execution of a program being traced, the trace events generated including panel data and sequence data. The method further includes determining, using trace data captured from the plurality of traces received, whether or not a path for a trace event is a new path. If the path for the trace event is determined to be a new path, the method includes dynamically adjusting, by the module, an initial size of a trace buffer configured to store the trace data captured, such that, the module increases the initial size of the trace buffer upon making a determination that the trace event is a new trace event based on execution history.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2008
    Publication date: August 13, 2009
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael J. Howland, Paul E. Rogers
  • Publication number: 20080255838
    Abstract: A method of synchronizing an audio and visual presentation in a multi-modal browser. A form is transmitted over a network having at least one field requiring user supplied information to a multi-modal browser. Blank fields within the form are filled in by user who provides either verbal or tactile interaction, or a combination of verbal and tactile interaction. The browser moves to the next field requiring user provided input. Finally, the form exits after the user has supplied input for all required fields. The method also provides a synchronized verbal and visual presentation by said browser by having the headings for the fields to be filled out and typing in what the user says.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2008
    Publication date: October 16, 2008
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Patrick Callaghan, Stephen V. Feustel, Michael J. Howland, Steven M. Pritko
  • Patent number: 7406657
    Abstract: A method of synchronizing an audio and visual presentation in a multi-modal browser. A form having at least one field requiring user supplied information is provided to a multi-modal browser. Blank fields within the form are filled in by user who provides either verbal or tactile interaction, or a combination of verbal and tactile interaction. The browser moves to the next field requiring user provided input. Finally, the form exits after the user has supplied input for all required fields.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2008
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Patrick Callaghan, Stephen V. Feustel, Michael J. Howland, Steven M. Pritko
  • Patent number: 7240006
    Abstract: A generic way of encoding information needed by an application to register voice commands and enable a speech engine are used to tell a browser what to present to the user and what options are available to the user to interact with an application. This is accomplished by enhancements to a markup language which register and enable voice commands that are needed by an application to the speech engine, and provide an audio context for the page scope command by adding a context option to make the page much more flexible and usable. The action of the application can be altered based on the current audio context by adding a context option. The application remains independent of the browser and separate from interaction with the speech engine. The application can accommodate both verbal and visual interactions by registering the verbal commands and identifying to what those commands will translate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Larry A. Brocious, Michael J. Howland, Steven M. Pritke
  • Patent number: 6745163
    Abstract: A system and method for a multi-modal browser/renderer that simultaneously renders content visually and verbally in a synchronized manner are provided without having the server applications change. The system and method receives a document via a computer network, parses the text in the document, provides an audible component associated with the text, simultaneously transmits to output the text and the audible component. The desired behavior for the renderer is that when some section of that content is being heard by the user, that section is visible on the screen and, furthermore, the specific visual content being audibly rendered is somehow highlighted visually. In addition, the invention also reacts to input from either the visual component or the aural component. The invention also allows any application or server to be accessible to someone via audio instead of visual means by having the browser handle the Embedded Browser Markup Language (EBML) disclosed herein so that it is audibly read to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2004
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Larry A. Brocious, Stephen V. Feustel, James P. Hennessy, Michael J. Howland, Steven M. Pritko
  • Publication number: 20040064565
    Abstract: A method of requesting location-based services using a rejection model. Responsive to receiving from a pervasive device a network request for location-based processing, the received network request can be stored prior to being forwarded to a selected location-based application. A rejection response to the forwarded network request can be received subsequently and a request for required location information can be identified in the rejection response. The required location information can be identified within the stored network request and a specific network request can be formulated with the required location information. Finally, the specific network request can be forwarded to the selected location-based application. The selected location-based application, in turn, can perform the requested location-based processing using the required location information provided in the specific network response.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2002
    Publication date: April 1, 2004
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Virinder M. Batra, Valerie M. Bennett, Larry A. Brocious, Andrew N. Capella, Stephen V. Feustel, Peter R. Gamble, Joseph M. Gdaniec, James P. Hennessy, Michael J. Howland
  • Patent number: 6178471
    Abstract: Downstream buffer objects are slaved with the immediate upstream buffer object using a conventional “write remaining” method. The write remaining method can be invoked from each of a plurality of modules having access to the read and write pipes, and operates to slave not the data, but wrappers that point to the data and which therefore represent references to a single copy of the data stored as an upstream data buffer object, so that the actual data need exist in only one place after the write remaining method has been invoked, rather than requiring the data to be sequentially copied from one data buffer to the next. This method further has the benefit of allowing control to be returned to the module during the data transfer function, and of allowing additional data to be written to the outbound pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2001
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Robert C. Barrett, Michael J. Howland, Steven M. Pritko
  • Patent number: 6018741
    Abstract: A method and system for managing an index tree structure. The index tree structure has a root node and a plurality of child nodes. Each one of the root and child nodes has at least one attribute. Each child node is assigned to a respective parent node in the index tree structure. A request is received for the value of one of the attributes of one of the child nodes; the one attribute is not defined locally within the one child node. The current value of the corresponding attribute of the parent node of the one child node is provided, in response to the request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2000
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael J. Howland, Steven M. Pritko