Patents by Inventor Robert B. Nicholson

Robert B. Nicholson 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: 11644996
    Abstract: Candidate duplicate events are identified as they are executed via data replication within a distributed system. A periodicity of the identified candidate duplicate events is identified. In response to identifying the periodicity, a delay is introduced into execution of a first event related to the candidate duplicate event. A feedback loop of the distributed system is identified based on an observed delay in the timing of another event of the candidate duplicate events.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Kim Julian Clark, Robert B. Nicholson, Robert William Phippen, Brian Michael Petrini
  • Publication number: 20210165572
    Abstract: Candidate duplicate events are identified as they are executed via data replication within a distributed system. A periodicity of the identified candidate duplicate events is identified. In response to identifying the periodicity, a delay is introduced into execution of a first event related to the candidate duplicate event. A feedback loop of the distributed system is identified based on an observed delay in the timing of another event of the candidate duplicate events.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2019
    Publication date: June 3, 2021
    Inventors: Kim Julian Clark, Robert B. Nicholson, Robert William Phippen, Brian Michael Petrini
  • Patent number: 10963494
    Abstract: A computer obtains an integration document comprising integration instructions that, when executed, causes two or more software applications to interact to perform an integration task. The computer determines, from the integration instructions of the integration document, task information representative of at least the integration task. The computer generates, based on the task information, a conversation databank entry for a natural language interface, wherein the conversation databank entry is usable by the natural language interface to determine whether a user desires the integration task to be performed, by processing the conversation databank entry and a natural language input provided by the user to the natural language interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Martin A. Ross, Paul S. M. Thorpe, Robert B. Nicholson
  • Patent number: 10951552
    Abstract: Method and system are provided for generating a chatbot interface for an application programming interface (API) that interacts with networked applications. The method may include: receiving as an input a definition document for an API that interacts with networked applications and parsing the definition document to identify intents and entities and obtain examples of the identified intents and entities. The method may convert the definition document to a chatbot data structure including: extracting the intents and entities and their relationship to objects and fields in the API from the definition document; and training the chatbot data structure with the example intents and entities to generate a conversation specification in the chatbot data structure. The method may then generate a chatbot interface for the API.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Hisham Jafar Ali, Matthew J. Kempa, Aaquib Naved, Robert B. Nicholson, Vivek R. Shah, Paul S. M. Thorpe, Syed Akhass Adnan Wasti
  • Patent number: 10896199
    Abstract: An apparatus for controlling a storage system having a data replication function, comprises: a storage array component being operable to send notification to a replication engine that a write of data to a primary storage location by a host is subject to data replication; the replication engine being operable to receive the notification and in response to instruct the storage array to copy the data to a secondary storage location; wherein the data is copied to the secondary storage location unmediated by the replication engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2021
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenneth F. Day, Robert B. Nicholson, Lee J. Sanders, William J. Scales
  • Patent number: 10694366
    Abstract: Various embodiments detecting wireless communication device mobility in a wireless communication network. In one embodiment, one or more Internet Protocol (IP) data packets associated with a wireless communication device are analyzed. The wireless communication device is coupled with the edge entity. A determination is made, based on the analyzing, that the wireless communication device is a newly coupled device at the edge entity. A central entity disposed within the wireless communication network is notified that the wireless communication device is currently coupled to the edge entity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Dakshi Agrawal, Bongjun Ko, Franck Le, Robert B. Nicholson, Vasileios Pappas, Dinesh Verma
  • Publication number: 20200175048
    Abstract: A computer obtains an integration document comprising integration instructions that, when executed, causes two or more software applications to interact to perform an integration task. The computer determines, from the integration instructions of the integration document, task information representative of at least the integration task. The computer generates, based on the task information, a conversation databank entry for a natural language interface, wherein the conversation databank entry is usable by the natural language interface to determine whether a user desires the integration task to be performed, by processing the conversation databank entry and a natural language input provided by the user to the natural language interface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2018
    Publication date: June 4, 2020
    Inventors: Martin A. Ross, Paul S.M. Thorpe, Robert B. Nicholson
  • Patent number: 10666713
    Abstract: A facility for processing an event of a distributed processing environment is provided. The facility includes separating a plurality of processing flows into a plurality of flow groups, each flow group having a respective identifier. The identifier of each flow group is then associated with a respective topic. Based on the occurrence of an event, a message having a topic based on the event is published along with the identifier of the flow group associated with the topic. A processing flow of the flow group having the identifier of the message may then be used to process the event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Peter A. Broadhurst, John Hosie, Robert B. Nicholson, Robert W. Phippen, Jianjun Zhang
  • Patent number: 10409658
    Abstract: A method and associated system. For each message of a message batch, the message is assigned by a consumer to a partition of a log. Each partition of the log is associated with a respective processing engine. The message batch includes messages that includes the message. The consumer stores an offset value for each partition. Responsive to completion, by a distributor, of sending a last message in the message batch to the consumer, the distributor ascertains a target offset value for each partition based on a current offset value. In response to a processing engine completing processing of a message assigned to the partition associated with the processing engine, the consumer updates the stored offset value associated with the partition. The distributor determines when all messages of the batch have been processed based on the target offset values and the stored offset values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Peter A. Broadhurst, John Hosie, Robert B. Nicholson, Robert W. Phippen
  • Publication number: 20190191294
    Abstract: Various embodiments detecting wireless communication device mobility in a wireless communication network. In one embodiment, one or more Internet Protocol (IP) data packets associated with a wireless communication device are analyzed. The wireless communication device is coupled with the edge entity. A determination is made, based on the analyzing, that the wireless communication device is a newly coupled device at the edge entity. A central entity disposed within the wireless communication network is notified that the wireless communication device is currently coupled to the edge entity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2019
    Publication date: June 20, 2019
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Dakshi AGRAWAL, Bongjun KO, Franck LE, Robert B. NICHOLSON, Vasileios PAPPAS, Dinesh VERMA
  • Publication number: 20190132264
    Abstract: Method and system are provided for generating a chatbot interface for an application programming interface (API) that interacts with networked applications. The method may include: receiving as an input a definition document for an API that interacts with networked applications and parsing the definition document to identify intents and entities and obtain examples of the identified intents and entities. The method may convert the definition document to a chatbot data structure including: extracting the intents and entities and their relationship to objects and fields in the API from the definition document; and training the chatbot data structure with the example intents and entities to generate a conversation specification in the chatbot data structure. The method may then generate a chatbot interface for the API.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2017
    Publication date: May 2, 2019
    Inventors: Hisham Jafar Ali, Matthew J. Kempa, Aaquib Naved, Robert B. Nicholson, Vivek R. Shah, Paul S.M. Thorpe, Syed Akhass Adnan Wasti
  • Patent number: 10225728
    Abstract: Various embodiments detecting wireless communication device mobility in a wireless communication network. In one embodiment, one or more Internet Protocol (IP) data packets associated with a wireless communication device are analyzed. The wireless communication device is coupled with the edge entity. A determination is made, based on the analyzing, that the wireless communication device is a newly coupled device at the edge entity. A central entity disposed within the wireless communication network is notified that the wireless communication device is currently coupled to the edge entity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Dakshi Agrawal, Bongjun Ko, Franck Le, Robert B. Nicholson, Vasileios Pappas, Dinesh Verma
  • Patent number: 10171616
    Abstract: Various embodiments provide byte caching in wireless communication networks. In one embodiment, a plurality of data packets are received through an internet protocol (IP) data flow established between a wireless communication device and at least one server. Each of the plurality of data packets are combined into a packet bundle. A determination is made as to whether a second byte caching system is available. The packet bundle is transformed using one or more byte caching operations based on a second byte caching system being available. The transformed packet bundle is sent to the second byte caching system using an IP communication mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Dakshi Agrawal, Bongjun Ko, Franck Le, Robert B. Nicholson, Vasileios Pappas, Dinesh Verma
  • Patent number: 10148445
    Abstract: Managing time-dependent electronic files. A set of time-dependent files is identified. A time period for processing for each file resulting in a set of time periods is identified. A minimum set of time instances that gives one time instance in each time period in the set of time periods is calculated. Batching for each time instance of the minimum set of time instances, a sub-set of files to be processed at the time instance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Oliver M. Deakin, Robert B. Nicholson
  • Patent number: 10129791
    Abstract: Various embodiments provide byte caching in wireless communication networks. In one embodiment, a plurality of data packets are received through an internet protocol (IP) data flow established between a wireless communication device and at least one server. Each of the plurality of data packets are combined into a packet bundle. A determination is made as to whether a second byte caching system is available. The packet bundle is transformed using one or more byte caching operations based on a second byte caching system being available. The transformed packet bundle is sent to the second byte caching system using an IP communication mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Dakshi Agrawal, Bongjun Ko, Franck Le, Robert B. Nicholson, Vasileios Pappas, Dinesh Verma
  • Patent number: 10120801
    Abstract: Method and system are provided for object caching with mobility management for mobile data communication. The method may include: intercepting and snooping data communications at a base station between a user equipment and a content server without terminating communications; implementing object caching at the base station using snooped data communications; implementing object caching at an object cache server in the network, wherein the object cache server proxies communications to the content server from the user equipment; and maintaining synchrony between an object cache at the base station and an object cache at the object cache server.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC.
    Inventors: Oliver M. Deakin, Victor S. Moore, Robert B. Nicholson, Colin J. Thorne
  • Patent number: 10114828
    Abstract: According to one exemplary embodiment, a method for time-shifted uploading of a data file through a backhaul network to a backend provider is provided. The method may include intercepting an upload request from an originating user located at a network edge. The method may include caching the data file associated with the upload request upstream of the backhaul network. This method may include uploading a placeholder file to the backend provider. The method may include receiving a file ID from the backend provider. The method may include mapping the received file ID to the cached data file. The method may include intercepting a request to access the data file by a requesting user. The method may include sending the requesting user the cached data file. The method may include uploading a copy of the data file to the backend provider based on a backhaul utilization policy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Kang-Won Lee, Robert B. Nicholson, Ramya Raghavendra, Paul Schmitt, Dinesh C. Verma
  • Patent number: 10097510
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates generally to the field of identifying network flows (e.g., IP flows) under network address translation. In various examples, identifying network flows (e.g., IP flows) under network address translation may be implemented in the form of methods and/or algorithms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Dakshi Agrawal, Bong Jun Ko, Thai Franck Le, Robert B. Nicholson, Vasileios Pappas, Dinesh C. Verma
  • Publication number: 20180287969
    Abstract: A facility for processing an event of a distributed processing environment is provided. The facility includes separating a plurality of processing flows into a plurality of flow groups, each flow group having a respective identifier. The identifier of each flow group is then associated with a respective topic. Based on the occurrence of an event, a message having a topic based on the event is published along with the identifier of the flow group associated with the topic. A processing flow of the flow group having the identifier of the message may then be used to process the event.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2017
    Publication date: October 4, 2018
    Inventors: Peter A. BROADHURST, John HOSIE, Robert B. NICHOLSON, Robert W. PHIPPEN, Jianjun ZHANG
  • Publication number: 20180217882
    Abstract: A method and associated system. For each message of a message batch, the message is assigned by a consumer to a partition of a log. Each partition of the log is associated with a respective processing engine. The message batch includes messages that includes the message. The consumer stores an offset value for each partition. Responsive to completion, by a distributor, of sending a last message in the message batch to the consumer, the distributor ascertains a target offset value for each partition based on a current offset value. In response to a processing engine completing processing of a message assigned to the partition associated with the processing engine, the consumer updates the stored offset value associated with the partition. The distributor determines when all messages of the batch have been processed based on the target offset values and the stored offset values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2017
    Publication date: August 2, 2018
    Inventors: Peter A. Broadhurst, John Hosie, Robert B. Nicholson, Robert W. Phippen