Patents by Inventor Reto J. Hermann

Reto J. Hermann 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: 9830684
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a handheld companion device, including: a screen, rigid physical connection means, communication means, adapted for setting up and supporting at least one communication link with at least one external computerized system; and a memory storing computerized methods. The present invention is further directed to related systems and methods for automatically rotating contents displayed on such devices, when rigidly attached on a handheld mobile device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael Baentsch, Reto J Hermann, Diego A Ortiz-Yepes
  • Patent number: 9811646
    Abstract: A method, a secure device and a computer program product for securely managing files. The method includes providing a secure device, where the secure device is protected by design against malicious software or malware and adapted to establish a connection to a server via a host, the host connected to the server through a telecommunication network, upon receiving a request for using a file stored on the secure device, processing the request at the secure device according to an updated use permission associated to the file, where the updated use permission is obtained by instructing at the secure device to establish a connection between the secure device and the server via the host and updating at the device the use permission associated to the file, according to permission data sent from the server through the established connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Baentsch, Peter Buhler, Harold D Dykeman, Reto J Hermann, Frank Hoering, Michael P Kuyper-Hammond, Diego Alejandro Ortiz-Yepes, Thomas D Weigold
  • Patent number: 9760729
    Abstract: A method, a secure device, a system and a computer program product for securely managing user access to a file system. The method includes providing a secure device, where the secure device is protected by design against malicious software or malware and adapted to establish a connection to a server through a telecommunication network establishing a connection between the secure device and the server, receiving at the secure device, through the established connection, data pertaining to a file system identifying files which are at least partly stored outside the secure device, exposing at the secure device the file system to a user, based on the data received from the server, the file system navigable by the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael Baentsch, Harold D Dykeman, Reto J Hermann, Thorsten Kramp, Michael P Kuyper-Hammond, Michael C Osborne, Thomas D Weigold
  • Publication number: 20160171661
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a handheld companion device, including: a screen, rigid physical connection means, communication means, adapted for setting up and supporting at least one communication link with at least one external computerized system; and a memory storing computerized methods. The present invention is further directed to related systems and methods for automatically rotating contents displayed on such devices, when rigidly attached on a handheld mobile device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2014
    Publication date: June 16, 2016
    Inventors: Michael Baentsch, Reto J Hermann, Diego A Ortiz-Yepes
  • Publication number: 20150286837
    Abstract: “A method, a secure device, a system and a computer program product for securely managing user access to a file system. The method includes providing a secure device, where the secure device is protected by design against malicious software or malware and adapted to establish a connection to a server through a telecommunication network establishing a connection between the secure device and the server, receiving at the secure device, through the established connection, data pertaining to a file system identifying files which are at least partly stored outside the secure device, exposing at the secure device the file system to a user, based on the data received from the server, the file system navigable by the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2015
    Publication date: October 8, 2015
    Inventors: Michael Baentsch, Harold D. Dykeman, Reto J. Hermann, Thorsten Kramp, Michael P. Kuyper-Hammond, Michael C. Osborne, Thomas D. Weigold
  • Patent number: 9152815
    Abstract: A method, a secure device, a system and a computer program product for securely managing user access to a file system. The method includes providing a secure device, where the secure device is protected by design against malicious software or malware and adapted to establish a connection to a server through a telecommunication network establishing a connection between the secure device and the server, receiving at the secure device, through the established connection, data pertaining to a file system identifying files which are at least partly stored outside the secure device, exposing at the secure device the file system to a user, based on the data received from the server, the file system navigable by the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael Baentsch, Harold D. Dykeman, Reto J. Hermann, Thorsten Kramp, Michael P. Kuyper-Hammond, Michael C. Osborne, Thomas D. Weigold
  • Patent number: 8938784
    Abstract: An authorization device for authorizing operations of a remote server requested from user computers via a data communications network includes a computer interface configured to connect to a local user computer for facilitating communication with the remote server via a data communications network, a user interface configured to present information to a user, and control logic. The control logic is adapted to use security data accessible to the control logic to establish, via the local user computer, a mutually-authenticated connection for encrypted end-to-end communications with the server; collect from the server, via the connection, information indicative of any operation requested via a different connection to the server and requiring authorization by the user; and present the information to the user via the user interface to prompt for authorization of the operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Baentsch, Peter Buhler, Thomas Eirich, Reto J. Hermann, Frank Hoering, Thorsten Kramp, Michael P. Kuyper-Hammond, Thomas D. Weigold
  • Patent number: 8856919
    Abstract: An authorization device for authorizing operations of a remote server requested from user computers via a data communications network includes a computer interface configured to connect to a local user computer for facilitating communication with the remote server via a data communications network, a user interface configured to present information to a user, and control logic. The control logic is adapted to use security data accessible to the control logic to establish, via the local user computer, a mutually-authenticated connection for encrypted end-to-end communications with the server; collect from the server, via the connection, information indicative of any operation requested via a different connection to the server and requiring authorization by the user; and present the information to the user via the user interface to prompt for authorization of the operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Baentsch, Peter Buhler, Thomas Eirich, Reto J. Hermann, Frank Hoering, Thorsten Kramp, Michael P. Kuyper-Hammond, Thomas D. Weigold
  • Publication number: 20140109212
    Abstract: An authorization device for authorizing operations of a remote server requested from user computers via a data communications network includes a computer interface configured to connect to a local user computer for facilitating communication with the remote server via a data communications network, a user interface configured to present information to a user, and control logic. The control logic is adapted to use security data accessible to the control logic to establish, via the local user computer, a mutually-authenticated connection for encrypted end-to-end communications with the server; collect from the server, via the connection, information indicative of any operation requested via a different connection to the server and requiring authorization by the user; and present the information to the user via the user interface to prompt for authorization of the operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2013
    Publication date: April 17, 2014
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Baentsch, Peter Buhler, Thomas Eirich, Reto J. Hermann, Frank Hoering, Thorsten Kramp, Michael P. Kuyper-Hammond, Thomas D. Weigold
  • Patent number: 8640255
    Abstract: An authorization device for authorizing operations of a remote server requested from user computers via a data communications network includes a computer interface configured to connect to a local user computer for facilitating communication with the remote server via a data communications network, a user interface configured to present information to a user, and control logic. The control logic is adapted to use security data accessible to the control logic to establish, via the local user computer, a mutually-authenticated connection for encrypted end-to-end communications with the server; collect from the server, via the connection, information indicative of any operation requested via a different connection to the server and requiring authorization by the user; and present the information to the user via the user interface to prompt for authorization of the operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Baentsch, Peter Buhler, Thomas Eirich, Reto J. Hermann, Frank Hoering, Thorsten Kramp, Michael P. Kuyper-Hammond, Thomas D. Weigold
  • Publication number: 20130282762
    Abstract: A method, a secure device, a system and a computer program product for securely managing user access to a file system. The method includes providing a secure device, where the secure device is protected by design against malicious software or malware and adapted to establish a connection to a server through a telecommunication network establishing a connection between the secure device and the server, receiving at the secure device, through the established connection, data pertaining to a file system identifying files which are at least partly stored outside the secure device, exposing at the secure device the file system to a user, based on the data received from the server, the file system navigable by the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2011
    Publication date: October 24, 2013
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael Baentsch, Harold D. Dykeman, Reto J. Hermann, Thorsten Kramp, Michael P. Kuyper-Hammond, Michael C. Osborne, Thomas D. Weigold
  • Publication number: 20130232584
    Abstract: A method, a secure device and a computer program product for securely managing files. The method includes providing a secure device, where the secure device is protected by design against malicious software or malware and adapted to establish a connection to a server via a host, the host connected to the server through a telecommunication network, upon receiving a request for using a file stored on the secure device, processing the request at the secure device according to an updated use permission associated to the file, where the updated use permission is obtained by instructing at the secure device to establish a connection between the secure device and the server via the host and updating at the device the use permission associated to the file, according to permission data sent from the server through the established connection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2011
    Publication date: September 5, 2013
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael Baentsch, Peter Buhler, Harold D Dykeman, Reto J Hermann, Frank Hoering, Michael P. Kuyper-Hammond, Diego Alejandro Ortiz-Yepes, Thomas D Weigold
  • Publication number: 20120291105
    Abstract: An authorization device for authorizing operations of a remote server requested from user computers via a data communications network includes a computer interface configured to connect to a local user computer for facilitating communication with the remote server via a data communications network, a user interface configured to present information to a user, and control logic. The control logic is adapted to use security data accessible to the control logic to establish, via the local user computer, a mutually-authenticated connection for encrypted end-to-end communications with the server; collect from the server, via the connection, information indicative of any operation requested via a different connection to the server and requiring authorization by the user; and present the information to the user via the user interface to prompt for authorization of the operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2012
    Publication date: November 15, 2012
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael Baentsch, Peter Buhler, Thomas Eirich, Reto J. Hermann, Frank Hoering, Thorsten Kramp, Michael P. Kuyper-Hammond, Thomas D. Weigold
  • Patent number: 8126811
    Abstract: There is provided a method and a system for documenting a transfer of authority of control for a container from a first entity of a transportation chain to a second entity of the transportation chain. The first entity transfers an electronic container control certificate to an electronic seal of the respective container, which electronic container control certificate comprises a cryptographic key associated to the second entity, and which container control certificate is digitally signed by the first entity. The container control certificate is stored in a log of the electronic seal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Francois Dolivo, Reto J. Hermann, Dirk Husemann, Michael E. Nidd
  • Publication number: 20110173448
    Abstract: An authorization device for authorizing operations of a remote server requested from user computers via a data communications network includes a computer interface configured to connect to a local user computer for facilitating communication with the remote server via a data communications network, a user interface configured to present information to a user, and control logic. The control logic is adapted to use security data accessible to the control logic to establish, via the local user computer, a mutually-authenticated connection for encrypted end-to-end communications with the server; collect from the server, via the connection, information indicative of any operation requested via a different connection to the server and requiring authorization by the user; and present the information to the user via the user interface to prompt for authorization of the operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2009
    Publication date: July 14, 2011
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael Baentsch, Peter Buhler, Thomas Eirich, Reto J. Hermann, Frank Hoering, Thorsten Kramp, Michael P. Kuyper-Hammond, Thomas D. Weigold
  • Patent number: 7826412
    Abstract: Systems, methods and computer products for establishing a mesh-network consisting of wireless personal area network (WPAN) having a large number of nodes. Exemplary embodiments include a gradient-driven mesh-network establishment method, including switching on a plurality of nodes in a vicinity of the wireless personal area network, detecting an acknowledgment signal via a wireless personal area network signal, querying for at least one or a resource and a physical quantity, selecting a subset of the plurality of nodes and instructing the subset of the plurality of nodes to send out a low power radio transceiver DISCOVER squirt signal to a neighborhood associated with the subset of the plurality of nodes, wherein nodes exclusive of the subset of the plurality of nodes turn off in response to an expiration of a time-out period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Carl Binding, Francois B. Dolivo, Reto J. Hermann, Dirk Husemann, Michael E. Nidd
  • Patent number: 7541913
    Abstract: A method for tracking a plurality of containers each joined to an electronic tracking device having routing capabilities and a WPAN-enabled radio receiver/transmitter configured to attempt to connect to a pre-configured WPAN upon being activated comprises activating the radio receiver/transmitter of each tracking device joined to a container being loaded onto a cargo vessel; receiving an indication from each tracking device that fails to connect to the WPAN; intermittently performing a network scan to locate each WPAN-connected tracking device; intermittently configuring the WPAN to include each WPAN-connected tracking device in a hybrid tree-mesh network topology; intermittently configuring routing information stored on each WPAN-connected tracking device to maintain mutual communication with each WPAN-connected tracking device and enable mutual communication between each WPAN-connected tracking device; receiving transport-related data from each WPAN-connected tracking device; transmitting the transport-rela
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Carl Binding, Francois B. Dolivo, Reto J. Hermann, Dirk Husemann, Andreas Schade
  • Publication number: 20090121929
    Abstract: A method for tracking a plurality of containers each joined to an electronic tracking device having routing capabilities and a WPAN-enabled radio receiver/transmitter configured to attempt to connect to a pre-configured WPAN upon being activated comprises activating the radio receiver/transmitter of each tracking device joined to a container being loaded onto a cargo vessel; receiving an indication from each tracking device that fails to connect to the WPAN; intermittently performing a network scan to locate each WPAN-connected tracking device; intermittently configuring the WPAN to include each WPAN-connected tracking device in a hybrid tree-mesh network topology; intermittently configuring routing information stored on each WPAN-connected tracking device to maintain mutual communication with each WPAN-connected tracking device and enable mutual communication between each WPAN-connected tracking device; receiving transport-related data from each WPAN-connected tracking device; transmitting the transport-rela
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2008
    Publication date: May 14, 2009
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Carl Binding, Francois B. Dolivo, Reto J. Hermann, Dirk Husemann, Andreas Schade
  • Publication number: 20090059843
    Abstract: Systems, methods and computer products for establishing a mesh-network consisting of wireless personal area network (WPAN) having a large number of nodes. Exemplary embodiments include a gradient-driven mesh-network establishment method, including switching on a plurality of nodes in a vicinity of the wireless personal area network, detecting an acknowledgment signal via a wireless personal area network signal, querying for at least one or a resource and a physical quantity, selecting a subset of the plurality of nodes and instructing the subset of the plurality of nodes to send out a low power radio transceiver DISCOVER squirt signal to a neighborhood associated with the subset of the plurality of nodes, wherein nodes exclusive of the subset of the plurality of nodes turn off in response to an expiration of a time-out period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2007
    Publication date: March 5, 2009
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Carl Binding, Francois B. Dolivo, Reto J. Hermann, Dirk Husemann, Michael E. Nidd
  • Patent number: 7378960
    Abstract: A WPAN system for establishing communication between a control station of a cargo vessel and a plurality of containers that are loaded onto the vessel is provided that comprises a base station configured to establish and manage a pre-configured WPAN having a hybrid tree-mesh network topology and a plurality of electronic tracking devices each being provided with a WPAN-enabled radio receiver/transmitter and routing capabilities. The base station is configured to communicate with the control station through a local area network on the vessel. Each tracking device is configured to be joined to a respective container of the plurality of containers and to connect to the WPAN upon being activated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2008
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Carl Binding, Francois B. Dolivo, Reto J. Hermann, Dirk Husemann, Andreas Schade