Patents by Inventor Tom Robert Christopher

Tom Robert Christopher 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: 7249151
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method, system, program, and data structure for performing a clean operation on an input table. The input table to clean is indicated in an input data table name. At least one rule definition is processed to clean the input table. Each rule definition indicates a find criteria, a replacement value, and an input data column in the input table. For each rule definition, the input data column is searched for any fields that match the find criteria. The replacement value for the particular rule definition is inserted in the fields in the input data column that match the find criteria. Subsequent applications of additional rule definitions applied to the same input data column operate on replacement values inserted in the input data column during previously applied rule definitions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Mark Anthony Cesare, Tom Robert Christopher, Julie Ann Jerves, Richard Henry Mandel, III
  • Patent number: 7120638
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method, system, program, and data structure for performing a clean operation on an input table. The input table to clean is indicated in an input data table name. At least one rule definition is processed to clean the input table. Each rule definition indicates a find criteria, a replacement value, and an input data column in the input table. For each rule definition, the input data column is searched for any fields that match the find criteria. The replacement value for the particular rule definition is inserted in the fields in the input data column that match the find criteria. Subsequent applications of additional rule definitions applied to the same input data column operate on replacement values inserted in the input data column during previously applied rule definitions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Mark Anthony Cesare, Tom Robert Christopher, Julie Ann Jerves, Richard Henry Mandel, III
  • Patent number: 6920443
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method, system, program, and data structure for transforming data in an input table in a database in a server in communication with a client. A transform command is received from the client indicating an input data table name in the database and at least one rule indicating at least one cell in the input table to transform and a transform operation to perform with respect to the at least one cell. The transform command is executed in the server including the database by accessing a copy of the input table from the database and transforming data in the accessed input table according to each rule specified in the transform command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2005
    Assignee: International Business Machines, Corporation
    Inventors: Mark Anthony Cesare, Tom Robert Christopher, Julie Ann Jerves, Richard Henry Mandel, III