Patents by Inventor Michael Philip McIntosh

Michael Philip McIntosh 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).

  • Publication number: 20040133378
    Abstract: A method and system for monitoring the activity of a system of one or more electromechanical components that receive electrical current from a power supply. The method and system samples an actual current supplied to the electromechanical component from the power supply. Next, the method and system reads a theoretical current for the activity of the system. A statistical value is computed from comparing the actual current and the theoretical current. This statistical value is compared to upper and lower threshold values. Depending upon this comparison, the system issues various output messages. Further, if this comparison indicates that one of the electromechanical components is failing, the method and system will shut that component down.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2003
    Publication date: July 8, 2004
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Douglas Wallace Todd, Diana Joyce Hellman, Michael Philip McIntosh, Jason Lee Peipelman
  • Patent number: 6735704
    Abstract: A power management system and method for multiple redundant power supplies. The present invention provides management and control of N+M power supplies, where N represents the minimum number of power supplies required and where M is the number of redundant power supplies (M>1), where any one of the power supplies may be capable of supplying power to all the loads of the power subsystems. In the preferred embodiment each power subsystem includes a power supply and a controller coupled to a power bus. A communication bus is provided common to each power subsystem. During reset or power-on periods, the controllers are programmed to uniquely delay the start time of each power supply, thereby protecting against an overcurrent/overvoltage condition on the power bus during reset periods. A master controller is provided to monitor normal operating conditions of the power subsystems and communication bus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2004
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: David Butka, Brian Gerard Goodman, Leonard George Jesionowski, Michael Philip McIntosh, Robin Daniel Roberts, Raymond Yardy
  • Patent number: 6664658
    Abstract: A power limiting system and method are provided for limiting power delivered to a common bus in a one or multi-frame tape library environment. The system includes one or more frames coupled to a common bus, each of which is capable of delivering power to the common bus. Each frame comprises current limiting circuitry to limit the power delivered by that frame to the common bus. In exemplary embodiments, the current limiting circuitry of each frame includes a current limiting resistor and a blocking diode coupled to a local power source to limit the power delivered by that frame and to prevent feedback respectively. Additionally, each frame of the system includes a relay capable of receiving a limited power from the common bus, being energized, and, consequently, providing for the respective frame to be powered by a main power supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2003
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Philip McIntosh, Fernando Quintana, Charles Anthony Thompson, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20030014693
    Abstract: Failure isolation in a distributed processing system of processor nodes coupled by a multi-drop bus network. The processor nodes have information of relative locations of the processor nodes on the network, and have an associated local error indicator, such as a character display. Each node independently tests access to other nodes on the network, and upon detecting a failure to access one or more nodes, determines, from the relative locations, the node having failed access which is closest. The failure detecting processor posts, at its associated local error indicator, an identifier of the closest failed access node. A user may inspect the local error indicators and thereby isolate the detected failure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2001
    Publication date: January 16, 2003
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Brian Gerard Goodman, Michael Philip McIntosh, Robin Daniel Roberts
  • Publication number: 20020169903
    Abstract: A system and method to automatically provide frame count, frame identification and status information to each frame within a modular, multi-frame tape library system. In the exemplary embodiment, signals are generated by each frame that have a delay value specific to each frame, which are accumulated and supplied to each frame to determine the total number of frames within the tape library system. A reference pulse is generated by each frame and compared to the delay signal generated by each frame to determine its own identification among the plurality of individual frames. Similarly, a status signal is generated by each frame and supplied to each frame which is indicative, for example, of a door open or other anomaly that can be monitored by all the frames within the tape library system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2001
    Publication date: November 14, 2002
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Philip McIntosh, Charles Anthony Thompson, Raymond Yardy
  • Publication number: 20020167226
    Abstract: A power limiting system and method are provided for limiting power delivered to a common bus in a one or multi-frame tape library environment. The system includes one or more frames coupled to a common bus, each of which is capable of delivering power to the common bus. Each frame comprises current limiting. circuitry to limit the power delivered by that frame to the common bus. In exemplary embodiments, the current limiting circuitry of each frame includes a current limiting resistor and a blocking diode coupled to a local power source to limit the power delivered by that frame and to prevent feedback respectively. Additionally, each frame of the system includes a relay capable of receiving a limited power from the common bus, being energized, and, consequently, providing for the respective frame to be powered by a main power supply.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2001
    Publication date: November 14, 2002
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Philip McIntosh, Fernando Quintana, Charles Anthony Thompson
  • Patent number: 6433329
    Abstract: The detection threshold of an optical sensor is dynamically calibrated by measuring the maximum and minimum levels of the analog output produced by the sensor's light detector and setting the detection threshold of the sensor at an intermediate level between the two. The new detection threshold thus established is then used as the voltage reference that determines the logic state of the system. The invention may be implemented using analog-to-digital converter hardware already embedded in the system. Alternatively, the invention may be implemented using digital-to-analog converter hardware that may also be already present in the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: David Butka, Brian Gerard Goodman, Michael Philip McIntosh, Raymond Yardy
  • Publication number: 20020100866
    Abstract: The detection threshold of an optical sensor is dynamically calibrated by measuring the maximum and minimum levels of the analog output produced by the sensor's light detector and setting the detection threshold of the sensor at an intermediate level between the two. The new detection threshold thus established is then used as the voltage reference that determines the logic state of the system. The invention may be implemented using analog-to-digital converter hardware already embedded in the system. Alternatively, the invention may be implemented using digital-to-analog converter hardware that may also be already present in the system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2001
    Publication date: August 1, 2002
    Inventors: David Butka, Brian Gerard Goodman, Michael Philip McIntosh, Raymond Yardy
  • Publication number: 20020097720
    Abstract: Provided is a method, system, and program for allowing communication among nodes in a system. A request is received in a source node from a source object executing in the source node to send a message to a destination object executing in a destination node. Each node includes a processor capable of multitasking multiple program objects and a communication interface to transmit and receive data with the other nodes. A determination is made in the source node as to whether the destination node and source node are a same node. The message is sent in the source node to the destination object within the source node if the destination node is the source node. If the destination node is not the source node, then the source node transmits the message to the destination node through the communication interface. The destination node sends the message to the destination object within the destination node.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2001
    Publication date: July 25, 2002
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Brian Gerard Goodman, Ronald Faye Hill, Leonard George Jesionowski, Michael Philip McIntosh
  • Patent number: 6356803
    Abstract: A distributed control system is provided for an automated data storage library. The library accesses data storage media in response to received commands, and comprises an accessor having a gripper for accessing the data storage media, and an XY system having servo motors for moving the accessor and the gripper. The distributed control system comprises a communication processor node for receiving commands, providing a communication link for the commands. An accessor processor node, which may be located at the accessor, is coupled to the communication processor node, the accessor processor node responsive to the linked commands, operating the gripper and providing move commands. An XY processor node may be provided at the XY system, coupled to the accessor processor node, the XY processor node responsive to the move commands, operating the servo motors. A common bus couples the communication processor node to the accessor processor node, and couples the accessor processor node to the XY processor node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2002
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Brian Gerard Goodman, Leonard George Jesionowski, Michael Philip McIntosh, Fernando Quintana, Charles Anthony Thompson, Jr., Raymond Yardy
  • Patent number: 6205093
    Abstract: A read only input system provides a source of information for a controller of an automated data storage library, separate from the controller stored microcode, and that will be available for use by the controller after the controller microcode has been updated or restored. The read only input system comprises a bar code reader mounted on an accessor of the library and coupled to the controller for providing the output of the bar code reader to the controller, and a bar code label mounted in the automated data storage library, positioned at a predetermined fixed location. The bar code label encodes input control information for the controller, which is read by the bar code reader and supplied to the controller. The bar code label input control information may comprise an offset value for at least one of the X, Y and Z direction coordinates of the accessor in order to align the accessor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2001
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Perry Ed Abbott, Frank David Gallo, Michael Philip McIntosh, Raymond Yardy
  • Patent number: 5751844
    Abstract: In an image acquisition system, which produces at least one image, each of which is scorable with reference to at least one image quality criterion, a control system is provided for optimizing the image quality criterion. Typically, the image quality criterion is at least in-part established by an exposure parameter. When considered as an apparatus, the present invention includes a number of components which cooperate together to automatically and continually adjust the value of the exposure parameter to optimize the image quality criterion. An image acquisition means is provided to obtain one or more acquired images under selected exposure characteristics. A transform system is provided for receiving the one or more acquired images and developing an energy distribution map, or histogram, of at least a portion of the one or more acquired images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 12, 1998
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Mark Robert Bolin, Gregory Tad Kishi, Michael Philip McIntosh