Patents by Inventor Tom Williams

Tom Williams 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: 8417691
    Abstract: Provided are techniques for collecting client information for client applications running on a client computer, wherein the client information includes a client application identifier for each client application that issues queries to a database along with text of each of the queries that the client application issues; collecting database monitoring information that includes text of each query issued against the database and performance information for each query; combining the client information and the database monitoring information based on the text of the queries to obtain combined information that provides the client application identifier and the performance information for each of the queries; and identifying a problem query and at least one client application that has issued the problem query using the combined information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Stephen Andrew Brodsky, Zeus Orion Courtois, Anshul Dawra, Tom William Jacopi, Tony Kai-chi Leung, Sonali Surange
  • Patent number: 8339066
    Abstract: Holding current circuits in light sources controlled by a dimmer are operated in a coordinated manner to maintain proper operation of the dimmer without wasting energy. A plurality of light sources each including a separate holding current circuit may be controlled by a dimmer. The holding current units are selectively disabled and/or a maximum holding current drawn by the holding current units are selectively adjusted to maintain a desired current draw.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Light-Based Technologies Incorporated
    Inventors: Tom William Thornton, Milen Moussakov, Gregory Bernard Sheehan
  • Patent number: 8283875
    Abstract: Holding current circuits and lighting assemblies comprising same are provided. Holding current circuits may be connected to loads to ensure that the load and holding current circuit together draw at least a holding current from a dimmer when the dimmer is in conduction. A holding current circuit may comprise a controlled current source configured to selectively draw current from a dimmer. The controlled current source draws current according to a control signal based on the conduction state of the dimmer and the sum of the currents in a load and the controlled current source. The control signal is generated by a current controller configured to generate the control signal to cause the controlled current source to draw a supplementary current at least as great as the difference between the holding current and the load current when the dimmer is in conduction and the load current is less than the holding current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Inventors: Miroslaw Marek Grotkowski, Milen Moussakov, Gregory Bernard Sheehan, Tom William Thornton, Thomas George Foxall
  • Publication number: 20120161665
    Abstract: A method of controlling an illumination apparatus comprises monitoring a dimmer modulated control voltage, controlling the illumination apparatus in a normal mode wherein changes in the dimmer modulated control voltage adjust a light output of the illumination apparatus within a normal range until the dimmer modulated control voltage manifests a first mode change condition, and, when the dimmer modulated control voltage manifests the first mode change condition, switching from the normal mode to a deep dimming mode wherein changes in the dimmer modulated control voltage adjust the light output of the illumination apparatus within a deep dimming range which is smaller than the normal range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2010
    Publication date: June 28, 2012
    Inventor: Tom William Thornton
  • Publication number: 20120098454
    Abstract: Apparatus for maintaining at least a holding current in a leading-edge phase-cut dimmer during a period of transient voltage variations, the apparatus connectable to the dimmer and connectable to a load connected to draw current from the dimmer. The apparatus may comprise an edge detector connected to receive a voltage from the dimmer and generate a leading-edge signal in response to a leading-edge of a phase-cut waveform, and a current offset circuit connected to receive the leading-edge signal and draw a supplementary offset current in response to the leading-edge signal, wherein the supplementary offset current is sufficient to maintain at least a holding current in the dimmer during the period of transient voltage variations. The current offset circuit may comprise a holding current circuit which also draws supplementary current in response to an instantaneous value of load current.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2011
    Publication date: April 26, 2012
    Applicant: LIGHT-BASED TECHNOLOGIES INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Miroslaw Marek Grotkowski, Milen Moussakov, Gregory Bernard Sheehan, Tom William Thornton, Thomas George Foxall
  • Publication number: 20120062138
    Abstract: An illumination apparatus comprises a plurality of LEDs and a control system connected to receive dimmer-modulated AC line voltage and control the LEDs. The control system is configured to operate in a plurality of different modes wherein changes in dimmer-modulated AC line voltage adjust various characteristic of the LEDs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2011
    Publication date: March 15, 2012
    Applicant: LIGHT-BASED TECHNOLOGIES INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Stephen Christian Wilson, Tom William Thornton, Thomas George Foxall, Miroslaw Marek Grotkowski, Brent York
  • Publication number: 20110266974
    Abstract: Holding current circuits in light sources controlled by a dimmer are operated in a coordinated manner to maintain proper operation of the dimmer without wasting energy. A plurality of light sources each including a separate holding current circuit may be controlled by a dimmer. The holding current units are selectively disabled and/or a maximum holding current drawn by the holding current units are selectively adjusted to maintain a desired current draw.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2011
    Publication date: November 3, 2011
    Inventors: Tom William Thornton, Milen Moussakov, Gregory Bernard Sheehan
  • Publication number: 20110241557
    Abstract: Holding current circuits and lighting assemblies comprising same are provided. Holding current circuits may be connected to loads to ensure that the load and holding current circuit together draw at least a holding current from a dimmer when the dimmer is in conduction. A holding current circuit may comprise a controlled current source configured to selectively draw current from a dimmer. The controlled current source draws current according to a control signal based on the conduction state of the dimmer and the sum of the currents in a load and the controlled current source. The control signal is generated by a current controller configured to generate the control signal to cause the to cause the controlled current source to draw a supplementary current at least as great as the difference between the holding current and the load current when the dimmer is in conduction and the load current is less than the holding current.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2010
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Applicant: LIGHT-BASED TECHNOLOGIES INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Miroslaw Marek GROTKOWSKI, Milen MOUSSAKOV, Gregory Bernard SHEEHAN, Tom William THORNTON, Thomas George FOXALL
  • Patent number: 7991756
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for allowing efficient updating of metadata and high performance searching through the use of a text index and a separate updateable metadata index. Generally, an updateable metadata index is used to store document metadata. A text index is used to store document text. Documents in the text index are stored in the same order as the corresponding metadata entries. Upon receiving a search query, a search engine decomposes the query into a metadata condition and a text condition. Search engine performs a parallel scan upon the metadata index and the text index. To increase performance, metadata entries are skipped over if the corresponding text entries do not match the text condition. During the scan, when a document in the metadata index matches a document in the text index, the document is stored in the search results. After the scan, search results are displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Tom William Jacopi, Andreas Neumann, Liem Gioi Tran
  • Patent number: 7963685
    Abstract: A rear combination lamp y for a vehicle includes a rear combination lamp housing with an inboard cavity, an intermediate cavity, and an outboard cavity. First, second, and third light-emitting diodes extend into the inboard cavity, intermediate cavity, and outboard cavity, respectively. A turn signal member is operably connected to the first, second, and third light-emitting diodes and engagement of the turn signal activates the first, second, and third light-emitting diodes sequentially.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2011
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: John Kowalczyk, Tom William Partch, Jeff Scott Lossing, Douglas George Rosner, George Saridakis, Kelley Maria Adams-Campos
  • Publication number: 20110095703
    Abstract: An illumination apparatus comprises a plurality of LEDs and a control system connected to receive dimmer-modulated AC line voltage and control the LEDs. The control system is configured to operate in a plurality of different modes wherein changes in dimmer-modulated AC line voltage adjust various characteristic of the LEDs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2010
    Publication date: April 28, 2011
    Inventors: Stephen Christian Wilson, Tom William Thornton, Thomas George Foxall, Miroslaw Marek Grotkowski
  • Publication number: 20110078123
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, system and computer program product for maintaining distributed state consistency in a distributed computing application. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for maintaining distributed state consistency in a distributed computing application can include registering a set of components of a distributed computing application, starting a transaction resulting in changes of state in different ones of the components in the registered set and determining in response to a conclusion of the transaction whether or not an inconsistency of state has arisen amongst the different components in the registered set in consequence of the changes of state in the different ones of the components in the registered set. If an inconsistency has arisen, each of the components in the registered set can be directed to rollback to a previously stored state. Otherwise a committal of state can be directed in each of the components in the registered set.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2009
    Publication date: March 31, 2011
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Busch, Rajesh M. Desai, Tom William Jacopi, Michael McCandless
  • Publication number: 20100332473
    Abstract: Provided are techniques for invoking with a processor executing on a computer a source code parser to obtain source information that includes a first location of an Application Programming Interface (API) call and parameters of the API call in source code of a client application, where the parameters the API call do not include query text for a query that is to be used to access a database; examining a stack trace to determine a second location of the API call in the stack trace; and deriving the query of the API call and a third location of the query in the source code by identifying the query in the stack trace at the location of the API call in the stack trace.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2009
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Stephen Andrew Brodsky, Zeus Orion Courtois, Tom William Jacopi, Michael Yiupun Kwong, Tony Kai-chi Leung, Sonali Surange
  • Publication number: 20100124073
    Abstract: A rear combination lamp y for a vehicle includes a rear combination lamp housing with an inboard cavity, an intermediate cavity, and an outboard cavity. First, second, and third light-emitting diodes extend into the inboard cavity, intermediate cavity, and outboard cavity, respectively. A turn signal member is operably connected to the first, second, and third light-emitting diodes and engagement of the turn signal activates the first, second, and third light-emitting diodes sequentially.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2008
    Publication date: May 20, 2010
    Inventors: John Kowalczyk, Tom William Partch, Jeff Scott Lossing, Douglas George Rosner, George Saridakis, Kelley Maria Adams-Campos
  • Publication number: 20100042599
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for allowing efficient updating of metadata and high performance searching through the use of a text index and a separate updateable metadata index. Generally, an updateable metadata index is used to store document metadata. A text index is used to store document text. Documents in the text index are stored in the same order as the corresponding metadata entries. Upon receiving a search query, a search engine decomposes the query into a metadata condition and a text condition. Search engine performs a parallel scan upon the metadata index and the text index. To increase performance, metadata entries are skipped over if the corresponding text entries do not match the text condition. During the scan, when a document in the metadata index matches a document in the text index, the document is stored in the search results. After the scan, search results are displayed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2008
    Publication date: February 18, 2010
    Inventors: Tom William Jacopi, Andreas Neumann, Liem Gioi Tran
  • Publication number: 20100016780
    Abstract: In a tampon applicator, an elongated barrel has an interior chamber for housing a tampon therein, a grip region generally adjacent an outer end of the barrel, a tip region generally adjacent an inner end of the barrel, and a central region extending longitudinally between the grip region and the tip region. A plunger extends into the barrel at the outer end thereof and is moveable relative to the barrel to expel the tampon from the barrel at its inner end. The outer surface of the barrel at the grip region has a different coefficient of friction than at the central region of the barrel. In other embodiments the coefficient of friction of the barrel outer surface at the central region is different from the coefficient of friction at the tip region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2008
    Publication date: January 21, 2010
    Applicant: KIMBERLY-CLARK WORLDWIDE, INC.
    Inventors: Tom William VanDenBogart, Cao Hue Chi Pham, Yein Sze Ong, Franz Aschenbrenner, Dusan Pavlik, Gary Mastalish, Irina Tsareva, Lynn Ann Weggel, Anastasia Barlas, Priscilla Eng Cho Goh, EunJung Kang
  • Publication number: 20080272090
    Abstract: A compact, portable resistance heating device that takes a source of alternating current electricity and through a series of connections and circuitry splits the alternating current electricity into a plurality of circuits. The compact, portable resistance heating device is capable of heating a plurality of cartridge heaters at one time, individually or a combination thereof. The compact, portable resistance heating device is controlled by at least one controller that controls three (3) power output receptacles. The controller is capable of producing 0-100% output power to each respective cartridge heater. Each cartridge heater may be individually controlled by an on/off switch, and an indicator light may be provided and illuminate when each cartridge heater is energized. The cartridge heaters of the compact, portable resistance heating device do not require close tolerances with an axial bore of a stud or threaded bolt and are further capable of being bent to suit the particular operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2008
    Publication date: November 6, 2008
    Applicant: XTREME BOLTING SERVICE, INC.
    Inventors: Jody Lynn Keihle, Tom William Decker
  • Publication number: 20070256056
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and machine-readable media are disclosed for automating setup of configuration data for an application program. In one embodiment, a method of automating setup of configuration data for an application program can comprise identifying a set of configuration data used by a first instance of the application program. The set of configuration data can contain data for substantially replicating a configuration for the first instance of the application program. The method can further include extracting the set of configuration data from the first instance of the application program. A manifest can be created identifying data in the set of configuration data. The set of configuration data can be saved in a portable format that includes the set of configuration data and the manifest.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2006
    Publication date: November 1, 2007
    Applicant: Oracle International Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel Stern, Manuel Neyra, Yu-feng Gu, Tom Williams, Shawn Martine, Jason Reicheneker
  • Patent number: D602588
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2009
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Tom William VanDenBogart, Cao Hue Chi Pham, Yein Sze Ong, Franz Aschenbrenner, Du{hacek over (s)}an Pavlik, Gary Mastalish, Irina Tsareva, Lynn Ann Weggel, Anastasia Barlas, Priscilla Eng Choo Goh, EunJung Kang
  • Patent number: D620592
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Tom William VanDenBogart, Cao Hue Chi Pham, YeinSze Ong, Franz Aschenbrenner, Dusan Pavlik, Gary Mastalish, Irina Tsareva, Lynn Ann Weggel, Anastasia Barlas, Priscilla Eng Choo Goh, EunJung Kang