Patents by Inventor Nathaniel Mills

Nathaniel Mills 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: 20240103894
    Abstract: A computer readable medium stores instructions that cause a processor to receive an indication of a request for analysis of a simulation model associated with an industrial automation system, wherein the industrial automation system includes a plurality of devices, wherein each of the plurality of devices includes a respective compute surface configured to perform one or more software tasks, identify a first device of the plurality of devices having sufficient resources to perform the analysis, and deploy a container to the first device. The container is configured to collect data from one or more sensors disposed in or around the industrial automation system, update the simulation model based on the collected data, and provide the updated simulation model for distribution to one or more other devices of the plurality devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2022
    Publication date: March 28, 2024
    Inventors: Nathaniel S. Sandler, Bruce T. McCleave, JR., James M. Teal, Bart Nieuwborg, Todd A. Wiese, Jonathan A. Mills, Michael J. Anthony
  • Publication number: 20240103494
    Abstract: A computer readable medium stores instructions that cause a processor to receive an industry profile associated with an industrial automation system that includes a plurality of devices, each including a compute surface that performs software tasks. The instructions cause the processor to determine data processing tasks to perform based on the industry profile, identify a portion of the devices to perform the data processing tasks based on the compute surface available for each of the devices, deploy a container to each of the portion of the devices, wherein each container of each of the portion of the devices performs at least one of the data processing tasks, receive one or more properties associated with the container of each of the portion of the plurality of devices, and update a registry to indicate the one or more properties associated with the container of each of the portion of the devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2022
    Publication date: March 28, 2024
    Inventors: Nathaniel S. Sandler, Bruce T. McCleave, JR., James M. Teal, Bart Nieuwborg, Todd A. Wiese, Jonathan A. Mills
  • Patent number: 11941414
    Abstract: Embodiments herein describe an automated process for identifying tasks that can be converted from primarily being driven by a human agent into bot-driven RPAs. This disclosure describes techniques for automatically generating RPAs by monitoring the actions of the agent and identifying corresponding events. These events can be performed on unstructured data sources and structured data sources. The events are clustered into different tasks where pattern detection techniques are used to identify common (or overlapping) events and causal relationships between the events. Using these causal relationships, the system can map events performed on unstructured data sources to events performed on structured data source. The system can then generate respective bot-RPAs for the tasks. The system can monitor, in real-time, data received from unstructured and/or structured data sources and when it identifies data for one of the bot-RPAs, automatically execute the RPA to perform the task.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jatin Ganhotra, Sachindra Joshi, Nathaniel Mills, Luis A. Lastras-Montano
  • Publication number: 20230342397
    Abstract: A method, computer system, and a computer program for conducting a conversational search. In one embodiment, the method includes monitoring a dialogue involving at least one user and capturing user utterances provided during the dialogue. These user utterances are then analyzed and classified according to the context of the dialogue. The dialogue is intervened upon the determination that a user needs additional information and/or upon execution of an action on behalf of the user and based on the plurality of user utterances and context. The Required information may be provided back to the user using Documentation Recommendation Module. The Documentation Recommendation Module determines a valid resource recommendation as determined by a combination of the context and a resource that includes additional information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2022
    Publication date: October 26, 2023
    Inventors: Jatin Ganhotra, Nathaniel Mills, Chulaka Gunasekara, Kshitij Fadnis, Sachindra Joshi, Luis A. Lastras-Montano
  • Publication number: 20230267278
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer program products for context-based response generation are provided herein. A method includes: obtaining conversation logs comprising agent responses matched to contexts and a set of designated responses that are not matched to the contexts; replacing at least a portion of the agent responses with the designated responses to form modified conversation logs; training a first model, using the modified conversation logs, to output a designated response in the set for a given context and a second model, using the historical conversation logs, to output one of the agent responses for a given context; identifying one or more new responses based at least in part on the output of the second machine learning model for a particular one of the contexts; and retraining the first machine learning model based at least in part on the one or more new responses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2022
    Publication date: August 24, 2023
    Inventors: Gaurav Pandey, DANISH CONTRACTOR, Nathaniel Mills, Jatin GANHOTRA, Ross Warren Judd, Sachindra Joshi, Luis A. Lastras-Montano
  • Publication number: 20220335308
    Abstract: A system and method for determining parameters for a system. Selectable questions with associated goal are presented. Operational goals are different from configurable parameters of the system. A question is selected and a goal indication is received. First values for each goal are determined by an optimization engine adjusting parameters of mathematical models for the system to improve a value of the goal associated with the selected question in a direction of the goal indication. Selectable questions and the first values are presented and selection of a second question and a second goal indication is received. An optimization engine determines second updated values by adjusting parameters of the mathematical model to improve a value of a goal associated with the second selected question in the direction of the second goal indication. Second updated values of the goals, and differences from the first updated values. are presented.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2021
    Publication date: October 20, 2022
    Inventors: Nianjun ZHOU, Viktoriia KUSHERBAEVA, Dharmashankar SUBRAMANIAN, Xiang MA, Jacqueline WILLIAMS, Nathaniel MILLS
  • Publication number: 20220164200
    Abstract: Embodiments herein describe an automated process for identifying tasks that can be converted from primarily being driven by a human agent into bot-driven RPAs. This disclosure describes techniques for automatically generating RPAs by monitoring the actions of the agent and identifying corresponding events. These events can be performed on unstructured data sources and structured data sources. The events are clustered into different tasks where pattern detection techniques are used to identify common (or overlapping) events and causal relationships between the events. Using these causal relationships, the system can map events performed on unstructured data sources to events performed on structured data source. The system can then generate respective bot-RPAs for the tasks. The system can monitor, in real-time, data received from unstructured and/or structured data sources and when it identifies data for one of the bot-RPAs, automatically execute the RPA to perform the task.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2020
    Publication date: May 26, 2022
    Inventors: Jatin GANHOTRA, Sachindra JOSHI, Nathaniel MILLS, Luis A. LASTRAS-MONTANO
  • Patent number: 11056107
    Abstract: A computer-implemented conversational system framework to perform tasks associated with a client request. A conversation application executing on a hardware processor provides application workflow orchestration, the conversation application receiving a client request and sending one or more application requests based on the application workflow orchestration. A conversation system executing on a hardware processor provides conversation workflow orchestration, the conversation system receiving the one or more application requests. The conversation application and the conversation system develop dialog context and store the dialog context in a memory device. The conversation application and the conversation system develop the dialog context by invoking at least one micro-service to perform tasks associated with the one or more application requests. The conversation application generates a response to the client request based on the developed dialog context.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: David Nahamoo, Lazaros Polymenakos, Nathaniel Mills, Li Zhu
  • Patent number: 10743083
    Abstract: Various embodiments provide a multi-channel collaborative visual analytics (CVA) system, method and computer program product for coordinating collaborative data exploration. The system comprises a central CVA server and a plurality of client devices. The CVA server has a plurality of local channels and a global channel. Each client device is coupled to one or more local channels of the central CVA server by one or more WebSockets and communicates state change event data of a distributed-web-connected application to the central CVA server. The central CVA server manages both real-time delivery and recorded playback of the state change events for the plurality of client devices. The CVA system further comprises a persistent store that stores the state change events from the plurality of client devices for deferred playback.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: David H. Byman, Nathaniel Mills
  • Publication number: 20190304445
    Abstract: A computer-implemented conversational system framework to perform tasks associated with a client request. A conversation application executing on a hardware processor provides application workflow orchestration, the conversation application receiving a client request and sending one or more application requests based on the application workflow orchestration. A conversation system executing on a hardware processor provides conversation workflow orchestration, the conversation system receiving the one or more application requests. The conversation application and the conversation system develop dialog context and store the dialog context in a memory device. The conversation application and the conversation system develop the dialog context by invoking at least one micro-service to perform tasks associated with the one or more application requests. The conversation application generates a response to the client request based on the developed dialog context.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2018
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Inventors: David Nahamoo, Lazaros Polymenakos, Nathaniel Mills, Li Zhu
  • Publication number: 20170180458
    Abstract: Various embodiments provide a multi-channel collaborative visual analytics (CVA) system, method and computer program product for coordinating collaborative data exploration. The system comprises a central CVA server and a plurality of client devices. The CVA server has a plurality of local channels and a global channel. Each client device is coupled to one or more local channels of the central CVA server by one or more WebSockets and communicates state change event data of a distributed-web-connected application to the central CVA server. The central CVA server manages both real-time delivery and recorded playback of the state change events for the plurality of client devices. The CVA system further comprises a persistent store that stores the state change events from the plurality of client devices for deferred playback.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2015
    Publication date: June 22, 2017
    Inventors: David H. BYMAN, Nathaniel MILLS
  • Patent number: 9324027
    Abstract: A system, method and computer program product for facilitating collaborative decision making may be provided. The system receives data representing individual postings of users associated with a deliberation to make a decision. The system further receives ratings associated with the individual postings in order to make the decision. The system represents the received data in a hierarchical data structure. The system aggregates, through the hierarchical data structure, the ratings associated with the individual postings to obtain strength values. The system facilitates the making of the decision based on the aggregated strength values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Nathaniel Mills, Bonnie K. Ray, Jesus M. Rios Aliaga, Steven I. Ross
  • Publication number: 20150039548
    Abstract: A system, method and computer program product for facilitating collaborative decision making may be provided. The system receives data representing individual postings of users associated with a deliberation to make a decision. The system further receives ratings associated with the individual postings in order to make the decision. The system represents the received data in a hierarchical data structure. The system aggregates, through the hierarchical data structure, the ratings associated with the individual postings to obtain strength values. The system facilitates the making of the decision based on the aggregated strength values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2013
    Publication date: February 5, 2015
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Nathaniel Mills, Bonnie K. Ray, Jesus M. Rios Aliaga, Steven I. Ross
  • Patent number: 7848988
    Abstract: Electronic contracts or “eContracts” for representing service level agreements are provided. In one illustrative embodiment, the eContract may comprise information pertaining to: (a) descriptions of business transactions in IT terms; (b) financial implications of business transaction service levels; and (c) reporting to be done in business terms. Of course, the eContract may comprise other terms and conditions. In an illustrative aspect of the invention, a system for managing IT resources in terms of business financials comprises an electronic contract authoring system or “ecAuthoring system,” an electronic contract manager module or “ecManager,” and one or more electronic contract agent modules or “ecAgents” that may run on IT elements (e.g., components of the network) that are being managed. Analysts interact with the ecAuthoring system to construct eContracts. An eContract is input to an ecManager that interprets the contract to report on and optimize IT resources based on business financials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Joseph L. Hellerstein, Gautam Kar, Alexander Keller, W. Nathaniel Mills, III, John F. Morar
  • Patent number: 7720958
    Abstract: Techniques for use in accordance with application performance decomposition are provided which take advantage of the communications protocol used to carry a transaction between application components in a distributed computing network. Specifically, the invention extends the communications protocol by embedding data, such as timestamp and duration measurement data, in the protocol itself, rather than extending or altering the application or transaction data carried by the protocol as in existing approaches. Thus, the invention provides natural correlation of interactions of distributed application components on such transactions without modification to the application or transaction data. Because the correlation is performed in-line with the application component interactions, minimal data management overhead is required, and correlated performance decomposition is made possible in real-time for the transaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: W. Nathaniel Mills, III, LeRoy A. Krueger, Jr., Joseph L. Hellerstein, Srirama Mandyam Krishnakumar, Mark S. Squillante
  • Patent number: 7610228
    Abstract: Electronic contracts or “eContracts” for representing service level agreements are provided. In one illustrative embodiment, the eContract may comprise information pertaining to: (a) descriptions of business transactions in IT terms; (b) financial implications of business transaction service levels; and (c) reporting to be done in business terms. Of course, the eContract may comprise other terms and conditions. In an illustrative aspect of the invention, a system for managing IT resources in terms of business financials comprises an electronic contract authoring system or “ecAuthoring system,” an electronic contract manager module or “ecManager,” and one or more electronic contract agent modules or “ecAgents” that may run on IT elements (e.g., components of the network) that are being managed. Analysts interact with the ecAuthoring system to construct eContracts. An eContract is input to an ecManager that interprets the contract to report on and optimize IT resources based on business financials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Joseph L. Hellerstein, Gautam Kar, Alexander Keller, W. Nathaniel Mills, III, John F. Morar
  • Publication number: 20080168171
    Abstract: A method for processing requests from a client to a server, the method comprising: receiving a service request from the client at a service manager implemented on the server; negotiating the type of workflow engine to use between the server and the client; negotiating the type of notification to use between the server and the client; receiving a further service request from the client at the service manager, the further service request using the negotiated type of workflow engine and the negotiated type of notification; creating a surrogate client executing on the server, the surrogate client interfacing the client with a service provider application executing on the server; providing a reference to the surrogate client to the client; the surrogate client receiving requests from the client and forwarding a surrogate request to the service provider application, the surrogate request including a predicted request based on multiple requests from the client; and the surrogate client receiving a notification from
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2007
    Publication date: July 10, 2008
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Genady Grabarnik, Nathaniel Mills, Larisa Shwartz, Alexander Zlatsin
  • Publication number: 20080167963
    Abstract: A method and structure for a set of rules processed by combining a procedural rule engine and a pattern matching inference engine to compute and apply discounts to customer orders in an electronic commerce system. The rule processing occurs in multiple phases. First all applicable discounts are computed. Then all allowable subsets of discounts are computed. Finally, a set of discounts is selected, based on business policies, and the discounts are applied to the order line items.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2008
    Publication date: July 10, 2008
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Joseph P. Bigus, W. Nathaniel Mills
  • Patent number: 6701363
    Abstract: The present invention comprises a method of relating characteristics gleaned by monitoring application transaction flows (and the decomposition thereof) to produce performance metrics useful to characterize the efficiency and performance of web transactions used in a web-based application. These metrics can assist application designers and developers in reorganizing their application content, programs, and transports to provide improved service to their consumer. Events are generated and composed into predefined activities on a web transaction basis. The performance metric is then derived that entails a relationship between at least two different activities that gives insight into the performance characteristics of the web transaction. By using the derived performance metrics, designers and developers of web pages can judge the effects of changes to their application relative to efficiency and performance. Different applications can also be compared and contrasted using these metrics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2004
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Willy W. Chiu, Nagui Halim, Joseph L. Hellerstein, LeRoy Albert Krueger, Jr., W. Nathaniel Mills, III, Mark S. Squillante
  • Publication number: 20030004848
    Abstract: Electronic contracts or “eContracts” for representing service level agreements are provided. In one illustrative embodiment, the eContract may comprise information pertaining to: (a) descriptions of business transactions in IT terms; (b) financial implications of business transaction service levels; and (c) reporting to be done in business terms. Of course, the eContract may comprise other terms and conditions. In an illustrative aspect of the invention, a system for managing IT resources in terms of business financials comprises an electronic contract authoring system or “ecAuthoring system,” an electronic contract manager module or “ecManager,” and one or more electronic contract agent modules or “ecAgents” that may run on IT elements (e.g., components of the network) that are being managed. Analysts interact with the ecAuthoring system to construct eContracts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2001
    Publication date: January 2, 2003
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Joseph L. Hellerstein, Gautam Kar, Alexander Keller, W. Nathaniel Mills, John F. Morar