Patents by Inventor Richard William Muirhead

Richard William Muirhead 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: 9489645
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer program products are provided for workflow decision management. Embodiments include maintaining a device state history; identifying a device usage pattern in dependence upon the device state history; and identifying a derived scenario in dependence upon the device usage pattern. The derived scenario has a tolerance. Embodiments also include identifying a workflow in dependence upon the derived scenario and executing the workflow in dependence upon the tolerance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: William Anthony Brown, Richard William Muirhead, Francis Xavier Reddington
  • Patent number: 8554777
    Abstract: A data storage method and system. The method includes defining, by a computing system, a meta-object, a schema based structured definition for the meta-object, and a taxonomy with configuration data. The computing system creates content associated with the taxonomy and associates topics of the content with a logical storage room representations. Reference coordinates associated with the logical storage room representations are associated with the taxonomy. The computing system generates updated configuration data that includes the reference coordinates and a uniform resource identifier associated with the content is generated. The computing system generates an account associated with the meta-object for a user. Metering charges for usage of the account and a report associated with the account and usage are generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: William A. Brown, Daniel D. Carr, Richard William Muirhead, Francis Xavier Reddington, Martin Andrew Wolfe
  • Publication number: 20120203802
    Abstract: A data storage method and system. The method includes defining, by a computing system, a meta-object, a schema based structured definition for the meta-object, and a taxonomy with configuration data. The computing system creates content associated with the taxonomy and associates topics of the content with a logical storage room representations. Reference coordinates associated with the logical storage room representations are associated with the taxonomy. The computing system generates updated configuration data that includes the reference coordinates and a uniform resource identifier associated with the content is generated. The computing system generates an account associated with the meta-object for a user. Metering charges for usage of the account and a report associated with the account and usage are generated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2012
    Publication date: August 9, 2012
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: William A. Brown, Daniel D. Carr, Richard William Muirhead, Francis Xavier Reddington, Martin Andrew Wolfe
  • Patent number: 8229936
    Abstract: A data storage method and system. The method includes defining, by a computing system, a meta-object, a schema based structured definition for the meta-object, and a taxonomy with configuration data. The computing system creates content associated with the taxonomy and associates topics of the content with a logical storage room representations. Reference coordinates associated with the logical storage room representations are associated with the taxonomy. The computing system generates updated configuration data that includes the reference coordinates and a uniform resource identifier associated with the content is generated. The computing system generates an account associated with the meta-object for a user. Metering charges for usage of the account and a report associated with the account and usage are generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: William A. Brown, Daniel D. Carr, Richard William Muirhead, Francis Xavier Reddington, Martin Andrew Wolfe
  • Patent number: 8090853
    Abstract: A data access control method and system. The method includes receiving by a computer processor from a requestor, a request for access to data. The computer processor extracts from the request, a requestor identification string associated with the requestor. The computer processor verifies a match for the requestor identification string, a service requestor identification string, a requestor software component operating process identification string, a requestor server identification string, a requestor hardware device network address and a requestor MAC address, and a requestor hardware device identification string against a plurality of registries. The computer processor generates an access point door associated with a specified logical storage room representation comprising the data. The computer processor enables access to the data via the access point door and the specified logical storage room representation based on enabling a logical lock with a logical key and a valid timestamp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: William A. Brown, Daniel D. Carr, Richard William Muirhead, Francis Xavier Reddington, Martin Andrew Wolfe
  • Patent number: 8046734
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer program products are provided for workflow decision management. Embodiments typically include maintaining a device state history; identifying a device usage pattern in dependence upon the device state history; identifying a derived scenario in dependence upon the device usage pattern; and selecting a heuristic in dependence upon the derived scenario. In typical embodiments, the heuristic has a tolerance. Embodiments also include identifying a workflow in dependence upon the selected heuristic and executing the workflow in dependence upon the tolerance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: William A. Brown, Richard William Muirhead, Francis Xavier Reddington
  • Publication number: 20110131339
    Abstract: A data access control method and system. The method includes receiving by a computer processor from a requestor, a request for access to data. The computer processor extracts from the request, a requestor identification string associated with the requestor. The computer processor verifies a match for the requestor identification string, a service requestor identification string, a requestor software component operating process identification string, a requestor server identification string, a requestor hardware device network address and a requestor MAC address, and a requestor hardware device identification string against a plurality of registries. The computer processor generates an access point door associated with a specified logical storage room representation comprising the data. The computer processor enables access to the data via the access point door and the specified logical storage room representation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2009
    Publication date: June 2, 2011
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: William A. Brown, Daniel D. Carr, Richard William Muirhead, Francis Xavier Reddington, Martin Andrew Wolfe
  • Publication number: 20110099207
    Abstract: A data storage and retrieval method and system. The method includes defining, by a computing system, a meta-object, a schema based structured definition for the meta-object, and a taxonomy with configuration data. The computing system creates content associated with the taxonomy and associates topics of the content with a logical storage room representations. Reference coordinates associated with the logical storage room representations are associated with the taxonomy. The computing system generates updated configuration data comprising the reference coordinates and a uniform resource identifier associated with the content is generated. The computing system generates an account associated with the meta-object for a user. Metering charges for usage of the account and a report associated with the account and usage are generated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2009
    Publication date: April 28, 2011
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: William A. Brown, Daniel D. Carr, Richard William Muirhead, Francis Xavier Reddington, Martin Andrew Wolfe
  • Publication number: 20080235706
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer program products are provided for workflow decision management. Embodiments typically include maintaining a device state history; identifying a device usage pattern in dependence upon the device state history; identifying a derived scenario in dependence upon the device usage pattern; and selecting a heuristic in dependence upon the derived scenario. In typical embodiments, the heuristic has a tolerance. Embodiments also include identifying a workflow in dependence upon the selected heuristic and executing the workflow in dependence upon the tolerance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2008
    Publication date: September 25, 2008
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: William A. Brown, Richard William Muirhead, Francis Xavier Reddington
  • Publication number: 20080178193
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer program products are provided for workflow decision management. Embodiments typically include maintaining a device state history; identifying a device usage pattern in dependence upon the device state history; identifying a derived scenario in dependence upon the device usage pattern. In typical embodiments the derived scenario has a tolerance. Embodiments also include identifying a workflow in dependence upon the derived scenario; executing the workflow in dependence upon the tolerance; and identifying a user reaction to the execution of the workflow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2008
    Publication date: July 24, 2008
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: William A. Brown, Richard William Muirhead, Francis Xavier Reddington
  • Patent number: 7103420
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and system to monitor the statuses of devices that can operate and transmit current device status information to a storage location. In this system, there is a can be a central storage location of the status of all designated device attributes of a device including the past state history of the device. The storage location can also be distributed and in one or more remote locations. Each device on the system will transmit a state change notification to the central location each time the status of the device changes. This status change will be recorded in the location storage. The present invention provides for the creation of sets of instructions to enable the initiation of operations by devices in response to a set of current statuses of one or more devices. Each workflow routine will be based on a set device statuses. This set of device statuses can be referred as a device scenario.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: William A. Brown, Richard William Muirhead, Francis Xavier Reddington
  • Patent number: 6865427
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and system to monitor the statuses of devices that can operate and transmit current device status information to a storage location. The present invention also provides a method to manage and initiate sets of instructions that will be performed by devices in response to a set of current statuses of one or more devices. Each set of instructions is known as a “workflow routine”. Each workflow routine will be based on a set device statuses. This set of device statuses can be referred as a device scenario. When a status of a device changes, the workflow manager of the present invention will check the statuses of the devices in the scenario to determine if the scenario conditions for the initiation of a specified workflow have been met. When the conditions have been met, the workflow routine will be initiated and perform a set of instructions which could lead to the performance of some activity by one or more devices in the network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2005
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: William A. Brown, Richard William Muirhead, Francis Xavier Reddington
  • Publication number: 20040034638
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method to analysis information collected in the form of a unique set of data that contains the operations of a device over a period of time. In this system, there is a can be a central or distributed depository of the statuses of all designated device attributes of a device including the past state history of the device. Each device on the system will transmit a state change notification to the central location each time the status of the device changes. This status change will be recorded in the central location storage. In the method of the present invention, analytical techniques are developed and applied to recorded data of the device status history. The analytical techniques can analyze the recorded data and produce a use pattern for a particular device based on the recorded information about the device. The first step in this method is to record status change information for a device. The next step is to formulate a query of the recorded data for a device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2002
    Publication date: February 19, 2004
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: William A. Brown, Richard William Muirhead, Francis Xavier Reddington
  • Publication number: 20040015620
    Abstract: The present invention is implemented in the context of a system that monitors the statuses of devices that operate in a network environment such as a physical facility from a central location. In this system, there is a depository of the status of all designated device attributes of a device including the past state history of the device. Each device on the system will transmit a state change notification to the central location each time the status of the device changes. In the process of the present invention, the central manger installs a publish routine on the newly added device to the network that would enable the device to asynchronously transmit to the state manager a status change each time a status change occurred with the device. A status change can be defined by a change in any one parameter or a combination of parameters. This status change will be recorded in a storage location for particular device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2002
    Publication date: January 22, 2004
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: William A. Brown, Richard William Muirhead, Francis Xavier Reddington
  • Publication number: 20040015262
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method to monitor and control the transmission of message across a network that collects and records a unique set of data about devices on the network. The collected data contains information about the operations of a device over a period of time. The data set contains unique status information recorded about that device. In the method of the present invention access control techniques are developed to control device access and message transmission across the network. A set of device privileges is created that define the message transmission capabilities for each device on the system or on the network. The present method detects an attempt by a device on the network to transmit a message across the network. After this transmission attempt detection, there is a determination of whether the transmitting device has the privilege to access and transmit this message to the intended receiving device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2002
    Publication date: January 22, 2004
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: William A. Brown, Richard William Muirhead, Francis Xavier Reddington
  • Publication number: 20040015619
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and system to monitor the statuses of devices that operate in a network environment such as a physical facility from a central location. In this system, there is a repository of the status of all designated device attributes of a device including the past state history of the device. Each device on the system will transmit a state change notification to the central location each time the status of the device changes. This status change will be recorded in the storage location. The implementation of a centralized configuration also provides each device, product and smart application a common interface to use to transmit messages or information to other devices in the same facility of devices that are connected to the same central location. It also enables devices to recover to a previous state or reset devices to a present state in the event of a power outage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2002
    Publication date: January 22, 2004
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: William A. Brown, Richard William Muirhead, Francis Xavier Reddington
  • Publication number: 20040015609
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and system to convert messages transmitted in a network to a message format that is CAL compliant. In this invention, data conversion points along the network perform data conversions of messages transmitted on the network. These conversion points, known as conversion nodes, can convert routines for the common communication protocols that can convert a message in one protocol to a message in another communication protocol. In the method of the present invention, each time a message is transmitted on the network, the message will pass through one of the conversion nodes before arriving at the state manager. At the conversion node, the message protocol type is identified and the appropriate conversion routine to convert that message format into the compatible format of the destination location of the message. This destination location is normally the state manager.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2002
    Publication date: January 22, 2004
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: William A. Brown, Richard William Muirhead, Francis Xavier Reddington
  • Publication number: 20040015242
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and system to monitor the statuses of devices that can operate and transmit current device status information to a storage location. The present invention also provides a method to manage and initiate sets of instructions that will be performed by devices in response to a set of current statuses of one or more devices. Each set of instructions is known as a “workflow routine”. Each workflow routine will be based on a set device statuses. This set of device statuses can be referred as a device scenario. When a status of a device changes, the workflow manager of the present invention will check the statuses of the devices in the scenario to determine if the scenario conditions for the initiation of a specified workflow have been met. When the conditions have been met, the workflow routine will be initiated and perform a set of instructions which could lead to the performance of some activity by one or more devices in the network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2002
    Publication date: January 22, 2004
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: William A. Brown, Richard William Muirhead, Francis Xavier Reddington
  • Publication number: 20040015241
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and system to monitor the statuses of devices that can operate and transmit current device status information to a storage location. In this system, there is a can be a central storage location of the status of all designated device attributes of a device including the past state history of the device. The storage location can also be distributed and in one or more remote locations. Each device on the system will transmit a state change notification to the central location each time the status of the device changes. This status change will be recorded in the location storage. The present invention provides for the creation of sets of instructions to enable the initiation of operations by devices in response to a set of current statuses of one or more devices. Each workflow routine will be based on a set device statuses. This set of device statuses can be referred as a device scenario.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2002
    Publication date: January 22, 2004
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: William A. Brown, Richard William Muirhead, Francis Xavier Reddington