Patents by Inventor Michael Shackelford
Michael Shackelford 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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Patent number: 8187077Abstract: A multiple bonus modifier game includes a base game and two or more base award modifiers operating independently or simultaneously of each other. The multiple bonus modifier game comprises a base game that includes a plurality of spinning reels, a first base award modifier that includes at least one spinning reel, and a second base award modifier that includes at least one additional spinning reel. The outcome of the spinning reels in the base game defines a base game award. The outcome of the spinning reel in the first base award modifier defines a first modifier award, which adjusts the base game award. The outcome of the additional spinning reel in the second base award modifier defines a second modifier award.Type: GrantFiled: April 14, 2008Date of Patent: May 29, 2012Assignee: Bally Gaming, Inc.Inventors: Michael Shackelford, Jr., Nathanial Hammond, Dom Tiberio
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Publication number: 20120079224Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for maintaining mirror and storage system copies of volumes at multiple remote sites. A first server maintains a mirror copy relationship in a computer readable storage medium between a first storage system at a first site and a second storage system at a second site to mirror data at the first storage system to the second storage system, wherein the first and second sites connect over a network. The first server performs a first point-in-time copy operation from the first storage system to a first storage system copy, wherein the data for the first storage system copy is consistent as of the determined point-in-time, wherein the point-in-time copy operation is completed upon creating a data structure indicating data for the first storage system copy as located at the first storage or the first storage system copy. The first server transmits a command to a second server to create a point-in-time copy of the second storage system.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 29, 2010Publication date: March 29, 2012Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Nicolas Mare Clayton, Robert Frederic Kern, David B. Petersen, David Michael Shackelford, Gail Andrea Spear, John Glenn Thompson
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Publication number: 20120077566Abstract: A gaming machine is disclosed having indicia of a plurality of spinning reels in a first set of reels and indicia of a plurality of spinning reels in a second set of reels. A determination is made as to whether the outcomes of the indicia of the plurality of spinning reels in the first and second sets of reels are winning outcomes. Award-multiplier indicia of a first shared spinning base game award-multiplier reel is positioned between the first and second set of reels. The first set of reels, second set of reels, and the base game award-multiplier reel form a contiguous set of reels having a common axis of rotation. The base game award-multiplier indicia modifies the winning outcome on the first set of reels, modifies the winning outcome on the second set of reels, includes a secondary game trigger symbol, or combinations thereof.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 30, 2011Publication date: March 29, 2012Applicant: Bally Gaming, Inc.Inventors: David B. Schultz, Nathanial A. Hammond, Dominic Tiberio, Michael Shackelford
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Publication number: 20120071227Abstract: Various embodiments are directed to a method for enhancing the outcome of a reel spinning game having one or more shared award-modifier reels. An embodiment of the method includes providing a game including a first set of reels, a second set of reels, and a shared base award-multiplier reel positioned adjacent to a first and second set of reels, wherein the first set of reels, second set of reels, and the shared base award-multiplier reel form a contiguous set of reels having a common axis of rotation, and the shared base award-multiplier reel enhances any winning outcomes in the first and/or second set of reels. Additionally, an embodiment of the method includes determining whether the game outcome of one set of reels is a winning outcome and enhancing the winning outcome of at least one set of reels when an award-multiplier symbol is present on the shared base award-multiplier reel.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 28, 2011Publication date: March 22, 2012Applicant: BALLY GAMING, INC.Inventors: David B. Schultz, Nathanial A. Hammond, Dominic Tiberio, Michael Shackelford
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Patent number: 8099385Abstract: Provided are a system and article of manufacture for maintaining data in a distributed computing environment. Data is stored at a primary storage site. A data structure is processed indicating an association of data sets in the stored data, secondary storage sites, and update frequencies. In response to processing the data structure, a determination is made of one of a plurality of secondary storage sites and a determination is made of at least one data set to transmit to the determined secondary storage site at an update frequency. The determined data set is transmitted to the determined secondary storage site according to the update frequency.Type: GrantFiled: October 16, 2008Date of Patent: January 17, 2012Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Tarek Makansi, Gregory Edward McBride, David Michael Shackelford
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Patent number: 8095754Abstract: Techniques are provided for distributing data. It is determined that a source storage device is becoming a bottleneck. One or more blocks to be moved from the source storage device to one or more other storage devices are identified. The one or more other storage devices are selected. Copy services are used to move the blocks from the source storage device to the one or more other storage devices. A metadata store is updated with locations of the blocks that have been moved.Type: GrantFiled: September 25, 2008Date of Patent: January 10, 2012Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Gregory Edward McBride, Cuong Minh Le, David Michael Shackelford
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Patent number: 8075389Abstract: Various embodiments are directed to a reel spinning game having one or more shared award-modifier reels that enhance any winning outcome in a reel spinning game.Type: GrantFiled: August 10, 2006Date of Patent: December 13, 2011Assignee: Bally Gaming, Inc.Inventors: David B. Schultz, Nathanial A. Hammond, Dominic Tiberio, Michael Shackelford
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Patent number: 8066563Abstract: Various embodiments are directed to a reel spinning game having one or more shared award-modifier reels that enhance any winning outcome in a reel spinning game.Type: GrantFiled: August 10, 2006Date of Patent: November 29, 2011Assignee: Bally Gaming, Inc.Inventors: David B. Schultz, Nathanial A. Hammond, Dominic Tiberio, Michael Shackelford
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Patent number: 7991736Abstract: Techniques are provided for processing a request. When the request is to read a data unit, information regarding the closest physical block locations is returned. When the request is to write to the data unit, information regarding one or more source block locations is returned, wherein the write is applied to one or more source blocks of the data unit. When a number of requests for the data unit exceed a threshold level and at least one quality of a service policy is not being met, a copy of the one or more source blocks of the data unit is created at a location selected based on proximity to at least one client computer from which the number of requests are high.Type: GrantFiled: October 22, 2008Date of Patent: August 2, 2011Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Gregory Edward McBride, Cuong Minh Le, David Michael Shackelford
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Patent number: 7930497Abstract: Provided are an article of manufacture, method, and system for using multiple sidefiles to buffer writes to primary storage volumes to transfer to corresponding secondary storage volumes in a mirror relationship. Information is provided on a mirror relationship for primary storage volumes and corresponding secondary storage volumes, wherein writes to the primary storage volumes are transferred to the secondary storage volumes according to the mirror relationship. A plurality of sidefiles are associated with the primary storage volumes in the mirror relationship. A write is received to one of the primary storage volumes in the mirror relationship. One of the sidefiles associated with the primary storage volume for which the write is received is selected and the write is buffered in the selected sidefile. Writes to the primary storage volumes buffered in the sidefiles are transferred to the corresponding secondary storage volumes.Type: GrantFiled: January 10, 2008Date of Patent: April 19, 2011Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Robert Nelson Crockett, William Frank Micka, David Michael Shackelford, Warren Keith Stanley
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Patent number: 7917711Abstract: The invention automatically selects a copy function according to a policy associated with data to be copied. The apparatus comprises an identification module configured to identify available copy functions in response to a data copy request that includes a predefined copy policy, a comparison module configured to compare each copy function of a storage device to attributes of the predefined copy policy, a selection module configured to automatically select a copy function that satisfies the predefined copy policy, and a relationship module configured to establish a copy relationship between the determined copy function and the data copy request. A policy generation module may be included and configured to read a set of required attributes from an application and to establish the predefined copy policy based on the set of required attributes from the application.Type: GrantFiled: November 14, 2003Date of Patent: March 29, 2011Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: David Randall Blea, Mary Catherine Burton, Gregory Edward McBride, David Michael Shackelford
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Patent number: 7805584Abstract: One aspect of the invention is a method for restoring data, which for example, includes receiving a request for at least a portion of the data. This example also includes creating a directory entry for the data in a virtual file system, and allocating storage space for the data. This example further includes initializing a block virtualization indicator to a value indicating that the data is not available. This example additionally includes writing a subset of the data to the storage space, and changing the block virtualization indicator to a value indicating that the data is available.Type: GrantFiled: August 2, 2007Date of Patent: September 28, 2010Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventor: David Michael Shackelford
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Patent number: 7787456Abstract: Disclosed is a technique for correcting a configuration problem. The configuration problem is detected. It is determined whether there is at least one solution for the configuration problem in a knowledge data store. When it is determined that there is at least one solution in the knowledge data store, automatically selecting a solution to solve the configuration problem. When said solution can be automatically applied, automatically applying said solution. When said solution cannot be automatically applied, notifying a user.Type: GrantFiled: May 9, 2008Date of Patent: August 31, 2010Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Cuong Minh Le, David Michael Shackelford, Gregory Edward McBride, James Mitchell Ratliff, Kaladhar Voruganti, Sandeep Gopisetty, Robert Beverley Basham, Dinesh C. Verma, Kang-Won Lee, Dakshi Agrawal, Brent William Yardley, Khalid Filali-Adib
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Patent number: 7788353Abstract: A technique for performing configuration checking of a network is provided. A network data store is scanned for at least one transaction. At least one event is generated for the transaction. At least one configuration policy is associated with the event. The configuration policy is compared with configuration data associated with the event. It is determined whether the configuration policy has been violated based on the comparison.Type: GrantFiled: May 9, 2008Date of Patent: August 31, 2010Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Cuong Minh Le, David Michael Shackelford, Gregory Edward McBride, James Mitchell Ratliff, Kaladhar Voruganti, Sandeep Gopisetty, Robert Beverley Basham, Dinesh C. Verma, Kang-Won Lee, Dakshi Agrawal, Brent William Yardley, Khalid Filali-Adib
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Publication number: 20100217857Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and program for consolidating session information for a cluster of sessions in a coupled session environment. Information for each of a plurality of sessions comprising a cluster is stored in a memory of a processor session. Each session associates at least one primary system and at least one secondary system, wherein within each session, updates are copied from the at least one primary system to the at least one secondary system. The session information in the memory for the plurality of sessions is processed to generate consolidated session information for the cluster based on the session information for the sessions in the cluster. The consolidated session information for the cluster is written to a master data set maintaining information for sessions.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 11, 2010Publication date: August 26, 2010Inventors: Donald Reynold Blea, Robert Nelson Crockett, Gregory Edward McBride, Alan George McClure, David Michael Shackelford
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Patent number: 7779219Abstract: Techniques are provided for locating data. Mapping information for blocks associated with a file is provided. It is determined that a copy service has copied source blocks to target blocks. It is determined whether the mapping information should be updated to refer to the target blocks. Then, updated mapping information is provided in response to determining that the mapping information should be updated to refer to the target blocks.Type: GrantFiled: April 16, 2008Date of Patent: August 17, 2010Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Gregory Edward McBride, Cuong Minh Le, David Michael Shackelford
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Patent number: 7761431Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and program for consolidating session information for a cluster of sessions in a coupled session environment. Information for each of a plurality of sessions comprising a cluster is stored in a memory of a processor session. Each session associates at least one primary system and at least one secondary system, wherein within each session, updates are copied from the at least one primary system to the at least one secondary system. The session information in the memory for the plurality of sessions is processed to generate consolidated session information for the cluster based on the session information for the sessions in the cluster. The consolidated session information for the cluster is written to a master data set maintaining information for sessions.Type: GrantFiled: February 16, 2006Date of Patent: July 20, 2010Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Donald Reynold Blea, Robert Nelson Crockett, Gregory Edward McBride, Alan George McClure, David Michael Shackelford
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Patent number: 7734885Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture wherein a point-in-time copy operation command for a point-in-time copy of a point-in-time source volume to a point-in-time target volume is received while performing continuous copy operations from continuous copy source volumes to continuous copy target volumes. A determination is made as to whether the point-in-time target volume is a first continuous copy source volume and whether the point-in-time source volume is a second continuous copy source volume. A determination is made of metadata corresponding to the point-in-time copy operation, in response to determining that the point-in-time target volume is the first continuous copy source volume and the point-in-time source volume is the second continuous copy source volume. Point-in-time copy operations are performed on the continuous copy target volumes based on the determined metadata to execute the point-in-time copy operation command while performing the continuous copy operations.Type: GrantFiled: June 14, 2007Date of Patent: June 8, 2010Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventor: David Michael Shackelford
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Patent number: 7660958Abstract: Provided are a system and article of manufacture for copying storage, wherein a first unit receives data updates from a second unit. The data updates are stored in a plurality of physical storage locations associated with the first unit. Links are generated to at least one of the plurality of physical storage locations to achieve consistent data between the first unit and the second unit.Type: GrantFiled: November 6, 2008Date of Patent: February 9, 2010Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: David Michael Shackelford, Gregory Edward McBride
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Publication number: 20090325695Abstract: The claimed embodiments contemplate methods, systems and apparatuses directed to an active display button. In various embodiments, an active display button may generally be a button containing one or more elements that move when the button is engaged. By example, and not limitation, these elements may include one or more reels, be they mechanical or video, or perhaps a rotating indicator. The active display button may also include lights, vibratory motors and other experience-enhancing implements. The active display button may be installed on a gaming machine and operated in conjunction with the gaming device, separate from the gaming machine on which it is installed or perhaps as part of the operation of the gaming machine.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 27, 2008Publication date: December 31, 2009Inventors: Karl Wudtke, Bryan Kelly, Michael Shackelford, Vernon Bernard, Michael Stacey, John Garofalo