Patents by Inventor Steven Langford

Steven Langford 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: 6473856
    Abstract: A computer system including a central processing unit and a system memory accessible to the central processing unit via a host bus. A primary non-volatile storage element and a backup non-volatile storage element are incorporated into the system's motherboard. The primary non-volatile storage element contains the system's boot code that is executed following a reset or power on event. The backup non-volatile storage element contains a restoration sequence that is suitable for reprogramming a first portion of the boot code in the primary non-volatile storage element. A jumper block on the motherboard determines which of the non-volatile storage elements is initially addressed following a power on event. Preferably, the first portion of the boot code comprises the system's boot block or gold code and includes a sequence for downloading and reprogramming remaining portions of the boot code. The primary non-volatile storage element is preferably implemented as a multiple sector flash memory device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Joel Gerald Goodwin, Yi-Ming Ku, John Steven Langford, Michael Y. Lim
  • Publication number: 20020152206
    Abstract: A program and method is disclosed for enhancing a domain search by increasing the range of search terms to selected synonyms obtained from a standard thesaurus program. Keywords are compared to the same words in a standard thesaurus program. The domain permutations considered by the search program are expanded to the synonym-enhanced keywords. By not only examining permutations of the explicitly given search terms, but also expanding the search to synonyms, an even greater range of domain names is offered to the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2001
    Publication date: October 17, 2002
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Carl Phillip Gusler, Rick Allen Hamilton, John Steven Langford
  • Publication number: 20020144135
    Abstract: A monitoring process for defining and detecting user-switch violations and issues in a UNIX-based computer system periodically alerts system administrators of potential security risks. The monitoring process is executed at predetermined schedules, or invoked by manual command. A set of rules is defined by the system administrator, and any user-switch instances found in the UNIX user-switch log which match any rule are flagged as violations or potential security issues, and an alert notification is issued to a specified output device, such as an email address.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2001
    Publication date: October 3, 2002
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: John Steven Langford, Rick Allen Hamilton
  • Patent number: 6446238
    Abstract: A method of verifying the integrity of a file transferred as a plurality of sectors. During a first pass transfer of a sectored file, first pass sector CRC codes are generated for each sector and stored in system memory. During a second pass transfer, second pass CRC codes are generated for each sector. The second pass CRC codes are compared to the first pass CRC codes for corresponding sectors. If the second pass CRC code matches the first pass CRC code, the sector is committed to the destination medium. The CRC sector values for an initial sector of the file are preferably generated from a predefined seed. Each successive CRC sector value is then preferably generated from the preceding sector's CRC code such that the sector CRC code of the last sector comprises a final CRC code of the file.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2002
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher L. Canestaro, John Steven Langford, Rick Allen Hamilton, II
  • Patent number: 6438714
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for testing storage devices in communication with a computer. Logical volumes are created on each storage device. Also, a file system is created on a first storage device in the storage devices, wherein the first storage device is a current storage device. The file system is copied from the current storage device to another storage device, wherein the another storage device is a storage device that has not received a copy of the file system wherein the another storage device becomes the current storage device. The file system is copied over and over again until all of the storage devices have received a copy of the file system. At this point, a single pass through these storage devices has occurred. Different numbers of passes may be selected depending on the amount of time during which testing should occur.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2002
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher Canestaro, Carl Phillip Gusler, Rick A. Hamilton, II, John Steven Langford
  • Patent number: 5951686
    Abstract: A computer system with reboot capability includes a processing mechanism, the processing mechanism supporting an operating system. The system further includes a service processor coupled to the processing mechanism, the service processor determining whether a reboot operation is needed. In addition, the computer system includes a memory mechanism coupled to the processing mechanism and the service processor, the memory mechanism storing a plurality of platform policy parameters and an automatic restart policy of the operating system to support the reboot operation of the service processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 14, 1999
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Charles Andrew McLaughlin, Alongkorn Kitamorn, Chet Mehta, John Steven Langford
  • Patent number: 5875318
    Abstract: The invention provides an instruction set translator for translating a source code executable by a first processor to a target code executable by a second processor. The translation of the source code occurs one instruction at a time. The instruction set translator determines, after a first execution of the target code, whether at least one of the instructions is modified. If an instruction is modified, then only this particular instruction is purged from the target code. This is made possible by the use of a hash table to monitor addresses of all modified instructions. If the address of an instruction is in the hash table, it signifies that the instruction has been modified. To isolate the translation of the modified instruction in the target code, the invention will break up the source code translation just before the modified instruction. This allows for the translation of the modified instruction to occur separately.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 23, 1999
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: John Steven Langford