Patents by Inventor Thomas A. Jobson

Thomas A. Jobson 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: 8452629
    Abstract: A method, system, and computer-readable medium for maintaining a project schedule of projects being executed within a software factory are presented. A project management tool receives alerts from the software factory as completion statuses, of software packets being used within the software factory, change. These alerts enable a consolidated and coordinated updating of the project schedule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jarir K. Chaar, Joseph P. Huchel, Thomas A. Jobson, Jr., Daniel V. Oppenheim, Krishna C. Ratakonda
  • Patent number: 8448129
    Abstract: A method, system, and computer-readable medium for utilizing the design centers, assembly line and job shops of a global delivery network across multiple software factories are presented. A work packet is examined to determine if it is authorized to be sub-contracted out to a different design center, assembly line or job shop than the design center/assembly line/job shop that have primary responsibility for the work packet. If the work packet is authorized to be sub-contracted out, then the work packet is reassigned to a different pre-qualified design center/assembly line/job shop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jarir K. Chaar, Al A. Hamid, Raman Harishankar, Joseph P. Huchel, Thomas A. Jobson, Jr., Daniel V. Oppenheim, Krishna C. Ratakonda
  • Patent number: 8375370
    Abstract: A method, system, and computer-readable medium for identifying root causes of problems in a software factory. Each work packet being executed within the software factory is assigned meta-data, which describes a relationship between that work packet and other work packets, as well as a relationship between that work packet and resources within the software factory. These metrics provides means for identifying any problems within the software factory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jarir K. Chaar, Joseph P. Huchel, Thomas A. Jobson, Jr., Daniel V. Oppenheim, Krishna C. Ratakonda
  • Patent number: 8370188
    Abstract: Work packets are assembled, within a software factory, into a customized deliverable unit of software by software factory components that have been rated as being the most suitable according to requirements set by the customer. The work packets comprise exit criteria for returning the work packets and the customized deliverable unit from an assembly line to a software factory operations unit in the software factory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Fausto Bernardini, Jarir K. Chaar, Yi-Min Chee, Joseph P. Huchel, Thomas A. Jobson, Jr., Daniel V. Oppenheim, Krishna C. Ratakonda
  • Publication number: 20130014081
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method, system, and/or computer program product supports a user who is servicing a work packet request within a software factory. A tooling environment that is necessary to service a work packet request in a software factory is established. The software factory includes an assembly line that executes work packets to create the deliverable software, and a published set of services that describes what assembly services for assembling the work packets are offered by the assembly line. A full work packet-aware Integrated Development Environment (IDE) that is specific for a work packet identified by the work packet request is created. The full work packet-aware IDE and an associated Graphical User Interface (GUI) are transmitted to a user who has been assigned to service the work packet request, thus allowing resources depicted in the GUI to be interactively supplied to that user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2012
    Publication date: January 10, 2013
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: JARIR K. CHAAR, JOSEPH P. HUCHEL, THOMAS A. JOBSON, JR.
  • Publication number: 20130014079
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method, system, and computer-readable medium for determining if a software factory is ready to take on a software project is presented. In a preferred embodiment, the computer-implemented method includes the steps of: determining if an infrastructure for a software factory has been procured; determining if operational software needed to assemble work packets in an assembly line in the software factory has been installed; determining if a workflow event model for an assembly line in the software factory has been configured; determining if workload in the assembly line has been balanced; determining if communication channels between the software factory and a customer's computer system have been defined and cleared for data transmission; and in response to determining that any element described above has been determined not to have occurred, prohibiting an induction of a software project into the software factory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Publication date: January 10, 2013
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: JARIR K. CHAAR, RONALD D. FINLAYSON, THOMAS A. JOBSON, JR., NAOMI M. MITSUMORI, FRANCIS X. REDDINGTON
  • Patent number: 8336026
    Abstract: A method, system, and computer-readable medium for aiding a user who is servicing a work packet request in a software factory. A full work packet-aware Integrated Development Environment (IDE) is created and sent to the user. This full work packet-aware IDE provides specifically tailored access to all hardware, software, licenses, normative guidance and other resources that are needed by the user to service the work packet request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jarir K. Chaar, Joseph P. Huchel, Thomas A. Jobson, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8327318
    Abstract: A method, system, and computer-readable medium for maintaining a health of a software factory that creates custom software in a standardized manner is presented. In a preferred embodiment, the method includes the steps of: defining work packets to perform sub-functions of a custom software; tracking a transmission of the work packets to an assembly line in a software factory; monitoring any retrieval of software artifacts that are used to create the work packets; monitoring any on-going changes of work activities that are contained in the work packets; determining if execution of the work packets conforms to governance guidelines for the software factory; monitoring the software factory to ensure that the work packets comply with an architecture of the software factory; tracking quality metrics for an execution of the work packets in an assembly line in the software factory; and transmitting all tracked and monitored information described above to a dashboard.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jarir K. Chaar, Ronald D. Finlayson, Thomas A. Jobson, Jr., Naomi M. Mitsumori, Francis X. Reddington
  • Patent number: 8296719
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method, system, and computer-readable medium for determining if a software factory is ready to take on a software project is presented. In a preferred embodiment, the computer-implemented method includes the steps of: receiving a software project proposal including a custom software description describing a specific project type of the software project; determining, by a computer processor, that the software project proposal is qualified for acceptance by a software factory, utilizing a scorecard for the specific project type, wherein the scorecard provides a maturity assessment of resources required and identifies any potential choke-points for the specific project type; and in response to a determination that the software project proposal is qualified for acceptance by the software factory, the software factory undertaking the software project proposal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jarir K. Chaar, Ronald D. Finlayson, Thomas A. Jobson, Jr., Naomi M. Mitsumori, Francis X. Reddington
  • Publication number: 20120245896
    Abstract: A method, system, and/or computer-readable medium analyzes problems in a software factory. Factory metrics that describe resources and operations within the software factory are collected and analyzed to detect problems that might have occurred during an execution of a work packet within the software factory. If the detected problems exceed one or more threshold criteria, then a detailed analysis of the detected problems is performed by matching each detected problem to one or more specific root causes through an analysis of the factory process building blocks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2012
    Publication date: September 27, 2012
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: FAUSTO BERNARDINI, JARIR K. CHAAR, YI-MIN CHEE, JOSEPH P. HUCHEL, THOMAS A. JOBSON, JR., DANIEL V. OPPENHEIM, KRISHNA C. RATAKONDA
  • Patent number: 8271949
    Abstract: A method, system, and computer-readable medium for self-healing a software factory are presented. Factory metrics that describe resources and operations within the software factory are collected and analyzed. If the analysis reveals a significant problem within the software factory, then corrective measures are taken and stored, thus enabling the software factory to evolve and improve over time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Fausto Bernardini, Jarir K. Chaar, Yi-Min Chee, Joseph P. Huchel, Thomas A. Jobson, Jr., Daniel V. Oppenheim, Krishna C. Ratakonda
  • Publication number: 20120185461
    Abstract: A method and system for rewriting Structured Query Language (SQL) statements. A SQL statement having search criteria including conditions pertaining to fields in database tables is received. A table from the SQL statement listing all combinations of the search criteria is created, every combination reflecting a subset of information used to determine combined results. A set of patterns among the possible combinations of the SQL statement based on the fields referenced in the combinations is identified. The table based on the set of patterns is sorted. Based on the sorting, the table is divided into temporary tables which are joined with the SQL statement. New temporary tables are generated. Each new temporary table includes results of a search conducted using a separate portion of the SQL statement as joined with the set of temporary tables. All results from the new temporary tables are combined into a single result table.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2012
    Publication date: July 19, 2012
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Howard S. Bloom, Roy Froehlich, Thomas A. Jobson, JR., Edith A. Kanyock, Charles F. Matula, Arnold M. Rosenberg
  • Publication number: 20120144363
    Abstract: Work packets are assembled, within a software factory, into a customized deliverable unit of software by software factory components that have been rated as being the most suitable according to requirements set by the customer. The work packets comprise exit criteria for returning the work packets and the customized deliverable unit from an assembly line to a software factory operations unit in the software factory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2012
    Publication date: June 7, 2012
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: FAUSTO BERNARDINI, JARIR K. CHAAR, YI-MIN CHEE, JOSEPH P. HUCHEL, THOMAS A. JOBSON, JR., DANIEL V. OPPENHEIM, KRISHNA C. RATAKONDA
  • Patent number: 8185518
    Abstract: Under the present invention, a SQL statement having search criteria is received. Upon receipt, a table that lists all possible combinations of the search criteria is created. From the table, a set of patterns among the possible combinations is identified. Based on these patterns, the table is then sorted. Once sorted, the table is divided into a set of temporary tables based on the set of patterns/sorting operation. The set of temporary tables are then individually joined with the SQL statement and separate searches are conducted. A new set of temporary tables is then generated and populated with results of the separate searches. These result tables are then unioned/combined into a single result table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Howard S. Bloom, Roy Froehlich, Thomas A. Jobson, Jr., Edith A. Kanyock, Charles F. Matula, Arnold M. Rosenberg
  • Patent number: 8141040
    Abstract: A method, system, and computer-readable medium for assembling work packets within a software factory are presented. In a preferred embodiment, the computer-implemented method comprises the steps of: collecting a plurality of software artifacts that have been archived during an assembly of previous work packets; collecting a plurality of metrics that have been utilized during the assembly of previous work packets; defining a template for a new work packet, wherein the template for the new work packet is created by a packet definition process that defines attributes that are needed in the new work packet; selecting requisite software artifacts from the plurality of software artifacts; selecting requisite metrics from the plurality of metrics; and sending the template, requisite software artifacts and requisite metrics to a packet assembly process, wherein the packet assembly process assembles the requisite software artifacts to create the new work packet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jarir K. Chaar, Ronald D. Finlayson, Thomas A. Jobson, Jr., Naomi M. Mitsumori, Francis X. Reddington
  • Patent number: 8140367
    Abstract: A method, system, and computer-readable medium that support an open marketplace for distributed service arbitrage with an integrated risk management is presented. Orders for work packets, which are processed within a software factory, are allowed to be bid upon only by software factories that have been previously ranked by a centralized marketplace portal, thus ensuring that only qualified software factories are allowed to service such orders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Fausto Bernardini, Jarir K. Chaar, Yi-Min Chee, Joseph P. Huchel, Thomas A. Jobson, Jr., Daniel V. Oppenheim, Krishna C. Ratakonda
  • Patent number: 7958494
    Abstract: A method, system, and computer-readable medium for rapid on-boarding of a software factory are presented. In a preferred embodiment, the computer-implemented method comprises the steps of: identifying choke-points in a first software project; creating a checklist of identifying factors that caused the choke-points that were identified in the first software project; receiving a new software project at a software factory, wherein the new software project is in a same software category as the first software project; presenting the checklist for the first software project; receiving new answers to the checklist; determining if the software factory is ready to handle the new software project based on the new answers to the checklist; and in response to determining that the software factory is ready to handle the new software project, configuring the software factory in a same configuration as that previously used by the first software project.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jarir K. Chaar, Ronald D. Finlayson, Thomas A. Jobson, Jr., Naomi M. Mitsumori, Francis X. Reddington
  • Patent number: 7870041
    Abstract: An exemplary embodiment of the invention relates to a method and storage medium for integrating forecasting and replenishment activities for a networked supply chain including an enterprise and at least one supplier. The method comprises receiving a demand forecast for a first manufacturing cycle from the enterprise, performing a hub inventory assessment, performing a capability assessment, and transmitting a commitment response to the enterprise based upon the demand forecast, the results of the hub inventory assessment, and the results of the capability assessment. The demand forecast is utilized to manage hub inventory for use in a second manufacturing cycle. Other embodiments include a storage medium for implementing the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Mark A. Henderson, Thomas A. Jobson, Jr., Michael P. Murray
  • Publication number: 20100031234
    Abstract: A method, system, and computer-readable medium for aiding a user who is servicing a work packet request in a software factory. A full work packet-aware Integrated Development Environment (IDE) is created and sent to the user. This full work packet-aware IDE provides specifically tailored access to all hardware, software, licenses, normative guidance and other resources that are needed by the user to service the work packet request.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2008
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: JARIR K. CHAAR, JOSEPH P. HUCHEL, THOMAS A. JOBSON, JR.
  • Publication number: 20100031090
    Abstract: A method, system, and computer-readable medium for self-healing a software factory are presented. Factory metrics that describe resources and operations within the software factory are collected and analyzed. If the analysis reveals a significant problem within the software factory, then corrective measures are taken and stored, thus enabling the software factory to evolve and improve over time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2008
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: FAUSTO BERNARDINI, JARIR K. CHAAR, YI-MIN CHEE, JOSEPH P. HUCHEL, THOMAS A. JOBSON, JR., DANIEL V. OPPENHEIM, KRISHNA C. RATAKONDA