Patents by Inventor Robert Watkins

Robert Watkins 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: 7590746
    Abstract: The availability of requested network resources in a network of servers, each having associated network-servable resources of a specific kind is maintained. Resource data and resource-serving application software serve out the resource data and dynamically distribute capacity to serve out servable resources between the resource servers dependent on demand for the resources. The capability of the network as a whole to serve out a particular resource dependent upon the level of demand for the particular resource is thereby varied. The capacity to serve out servable resources is distributed between the resources without necessarily moving the resource data itself between the servers by distributing: resource-serving application software and/or installation software adapted to install resource-serving application software.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2009
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Alastair Michael Slater, Mark Robert Watkins, Andrew Michael Sparkes
  • Patent number: 7500262
    Abstract: Leveraging an established authenticated session in obtaining authentication to a client application includes receiving a request for access to a client application requiring authentication of a requestor and determining whether there exist characteristics of leverageable authentications corresponding to established sessions having an authenticated state at a time of the determination. When the determination reveals characteristics of at least one leverageable authentication corresponding to an established session, and attempt is made to obtain access for the requester to the client application based on the at least one leverageable authentication, and the requestor is provided with a notification related to the attempt to obtain access for the requester to the client application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2009
    Assignee: AOL LLC
    Inventors: Aleksey Sanin, Christopher Toomey, Alan Keister, Andrew L. Wick, Robert Watkins, Donald Eaves, Xiaopeng Zhang, Russell Richards
  • Patent number: 7441261
    Abstract: A method of serving out video over a network of video servers includes evaluating a capacity of the network as a whole to serve out specific video items by establishing, for each video server in the network, an established ability of each server to serve out the specific items that are potentially servable from each video server. The method further includes using the established abilities of each video server to evaluate an overall capability of the network as whole to serve out each of the specific video items. The method also includes varying the overall capability to serve out at least a selected one of the specific video items in accordance with the overall capability of the network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2008
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Alastair Michael Slater, Mark Robert Watkins, Andrew Michael Sparkes
  • Publication number: 20080216930
    Abstract: This invention relates to a tyre, particularly a motorcycle tyre having a high camber rubber tread which contains a central internal circumferential rubber stabilization element, or bar, which extends to and is a part of the running surface of the tyre tread and a plurality of additional spaced apart internal circumferential rubber stabilization bars, positioned within the tread outer cap rubber layer of which one or more may optionally be a part of the running surface of the tyre tread. In one embodiment, segments of the tread's outer cap rubber layer are substantially separated from each other, and may be thereby substantially dynamically de-coupled from each other, by one or more of said circumferential rubber stabilizer bars which extend radially outward into said outer tread cap rubber layer from an underlying tread base rubber layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2007
    Publication date: September 11, 2008
    Inventors: Christopher John Valentine, David Robert Watkins
  • Publication number: 20070208865
    Abstract: Interactions between users of a computer network may be facilitated by transmitting a first user's proposal for a communications session to another user, the proposal comprising one or more parameters descriptive of the proposed communications session, receiving a response from the other user, the response comprising a counterproposal having one or more parameters descriptive of the proposed communications session, with at least one of the parameters of the counterproposal differing from a corresponding parameter of the proposal, and automatically engaging in the proposed communications session using the parameters included in the counterproposal upon acceptance of the counterproposal by the first user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2007
    Publication date: September 6, 2007
    Applicant: AOL LLC, a Delaware Limited Liability Company
    Inventors: Harry Morris, Robert Watkins
  • Patent number: 7082497
    Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention is directed to a system for managing a moveable media library. The system may comprise at least one robotic mechanics and a controller. The controller may comprise a processor for executing instructions and non-volatile memory for storing at least: code for controlling the at least one robotic mechanics; and code for responding to commands received from host systems to retrieve a moveable medium of a plurality of moveable media, the code for responding is operable to receive the commands addressed with multiple device identifiers according to a device access protocol, and the code for responding is operable to associate each device identifier of the multiple device identifiers with at least one respective library partition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2006
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Alastair Michael Slater, Mark Robert Watkins, Andrew Michael Sparkes
  • Patent number: 7075874
    Abstract: A data storage device comprises a removable and replaceable magnetic tape cassette provided with a software control write protect switch. The switch is adapted to have a first condition in which data may be written to said magnetic tape and a second condition in which said switch is adapted to cause the blocking of a write operation to said tape. The switch is contained within a non-volatile electronic memory device and is electronically configurable between its first and second conditions remotely via a control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2006
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Nigel Kevin Rushton, Simon Rae, Mark Robert Watkins
  • Publication number: 20060053489
    Abstract: An authorized client communication system seeking access to a host communication system may be identified by locating a memory segment within the client communication system that stores client software used to access the host computer system. The memory segment then is examined to determine whether the client software stored in the memory segment corresponds to client software for an official client communication, system. Communications from the client communication system are terminated when the client software in the memory segment is determined to diverge from software for an official client communication system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2005
    Publication date: March 9, 2006
    Inventors: Robert Watkins, Andrew Wick
  • Patent number: 6988520
    Abstract: A motor-cycle tire (1) comprising a ground contacting tread (2) reinforced between its edges (3,4) by a breaker assembly and having in its normally inflated fitted condition a camber value C/L of between 0.5 and 0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2006
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: David Robert Watkins, Gary Terence Barrett
  • Patent number: 6954834
    Abstract: A tape drive assembly for performing a backup operation has a tape receiving station to receive a data storage unit including a tape to store data in a data backup operation. A write head writes data to the tape in a data backup operation. A non-volatile memory unit records data in a data backup operation and communicates data to the write head. An input connected to a data host machine passes data to the memory unit such that, in use in a data backup operation, the data are communicated from the data host machine to the input and recorded in the memory unit prior to the data being passed from the memory unit to the write head for writing to the tape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2005
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Alastair Michael Slater, Mark Robert Watkins, Andrew Michael Sparkes
  • Patent number: 6886032
    Abstract: A plurality of computers in a network each have a processor and a non-volatile data storage device such as a hard disk, a raid array, or the like. Each data storage device is divided into a first data storage area and a second data storage area. The first data storage area is reserved for use by at least one processor to which it is assigned, whereas the second data storage area is hidden from use by the file system of the computer, and is used to store replicated data of other ones of the plurality of computer entities. In the event of failure of any one of the data storage devices, data can be recovered from the second data storage areas of the other data storage devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2005
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Mark Robert Watkins, Graeme Hogg, Alastair Michael Slater, Ian Stuart Duncan
  • Publication number: 20050082292
    Abstract: A can end (10) of the full aperture easy open end type, which comprises a seaming panel (12), a wall (14) depending from the seaming panel, a radiussed portion or “countersink” (16) and a centre panel (20). The end of the invention further includes a flat annulus or stepped portion (19) between the wall (14) and the countersink (16) such that, in the alternative, the can end is openable by engaging the blade of a can opener with the stepped portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2003
    Publication date: April 21, 2005
    Inventors: Terence Benge, Robert Watkins
  • Patent number: 6865598
    Abstract: A plurality of computers in a network each have a processor and a non-volatile data storage device such as a hard disk, a raid array, or the like. Each data storage device is divided into a first data storage area and a second data storage area. The first data storage area is reserved for use by at least one processor to which it is assigned, whereas the second data storage area is hidden from use by the file system of the computer, and is used to store replicated data of other ones of the plurality of computer entities. In the event of failure of any one of the data storage devices, data can be recovered from the second data storage areas of the other data storage devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2005
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Mark Robert Watkins, Graeme Hogg, Alastair Michael Slater, Ian Stuart Duncan
  • Publication number: 20050027362
    Abstract: Methods and devices are provided for intervertebral implant anchorage. An implantable device for insertion into an intradiscal section between adjacent vertebrae is provided. The implantable device includes at least one anchor plate which comprises a plate member sized to be positioned within an intradiscal section between adjacent vertebrae and a plurality of anchoring elements extending from a surface of the plate member, each anchoring element including a distal—portion capable of being introduced into the vertebra through the vertebral end plate; and an intradiscal component coupled to the anchor plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2004
    Publication date: February 3, 2005
    Inventors: Lytton Williams, Robert Watkins
  • Patent number: 6851037
    Abstract: A number of virtual areas with virtual addresses of storage locations within the virtual areas are allocated to a data storage array, having a total physical storage capacity. Physical addresses are allocated by an array controller for the disc storage array to the virtual addresses only as data are to be written to the respective virtual addresses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2005
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Mark Robert Watkins, Alastair Michael Slater, Andrew Michael Sparkes
  • Patent number: 6821369
    Abstract: An improved single-stage method for building a tire includes the steps of forming a cylindrical-shaped carcass with axially extending carcass reinforcing cords, fitting annular bead hoops onto the radially outer surface of the carcass ply at positions axially inward of each of the carcass ply edges, assembling a plurality of breaker plies, including one wide breaker ply, centrally onto and about the radially outer surface of the carcass ply, and fitting onto this cylindrical assembly the remaining components of the tire to form a cylindrical green tire assembly, wherein the radial bias angle of the carcass reinforcing cords in the vulcanized tire changes progressively from 90° in the regions of the bead hoops to as low as 70° in the central crown region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2004
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Michael Raymond Corner, David Robert Watkins
  • Publication number: 20040221118
    Abstract: A data storage device has a non-volatile memory-storing data content, and a control processor for evaluating selected data content of the memory to establish whether there is a match between a characteristic of, or a derivative of, the data content and a reference data content characteristic, or derivative. The processor takes an action in response to the match.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2004
    Publication date: November 4, 2004
    Inventors: Alastair Michael Slater, Mark Robert Watkins, Andrew Michael Sparkes
  • Patent number: 6715033
    Abstract: A sequence of data blocks written onto a medium of a data storage system includes first and subsequent appended data blocks having an append point code for identifying the first appended data block location. For data blocks having a running block number or frame number, the block or frame number of the first appended data block is stored as the append point code. The appended point code identifies the most recently append point location and aids in processes, such as tracking calibration, data integrity confirmation and track positioning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2004
    Assignees: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.C., Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Hideki Nonoyama, Tomonao Uchida, Robert Alan Williams, Nigel Kevin Rushton, Mark Robert Watkins
  • Publication number: 20040047354
    Abstract: The availability of requested network resources in a network of servers, each having associated network-servable resources of a specific kind is maintained. Resource data and resource-serving application software serve out the resource data and dynamically distribute capacity to serve out servable resources between the resource servers dependent on demand for the resources. The capability of the network as a whole to serve out a particular resource dependent upon the level of demand for the particular resource is thereby varied. The capacity to serve out servable resources is distributed between the resources without necessarily moving the resource data itself between the servers by distributing: resource-serving application software and/or installation software adapted to install resource-serving application software.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2003
    Publication date: March 11, 2004
    Inventors: Alastair Michael Slater, Mark Robert Watkins, Andrew Michael Sparkes
  • Patent number: D579856
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2008
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: David Robert Watkins, Malcolm Jeremy Board, Michael Jackson