John Thomas Shaffer

US Patent:

6498782, Dec 24, 2002

Filed:

Feb 3, 1999

Appl. No.:

09/243956

Inventors:

Mark William Branstad - Rochester MN
Jonathan William Byrn - Kasson MN
Gary Scott Delp - Rochester MN
Philip Lynn Leichty - Rochester MN
Todd Edwin Leonard - Williston VT
Gary Paul McClannahan - Rochester MN
John Emery Nordman - Rochester MN
Kevin Gerard Plotz - Byron MN
John Handley Shaffer - Rochester MN
Albert Alfonse Slane - Oronoco MN

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

G06F 1100

US Classification:

370231, 370236, 370397, 3482551

Abstract:

A method and Gigabit Ethernet communications adapter are provided for implementing communications in a communications network. A transmission queue is defined of data to be transmitted. A transmission rate is set for the transmission queue. Data to be transmitted are enqueued on the transmission queue. The transmission queue can be subdivided into multiple priority queues, for example, using time wheels, and a transmission rate is set for each transmission queue.

US Patent:

6536014, Mar 18, 2003

Filed:

Sep 26, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/964300

Inventors:

Gary McClannahan - Rochester MN
John Emery Nordman - Rochester MN
Scott Thomas Senst - Rochester MN
John Shaffer - Rochester MN
Todd Jason Youngman - Rochester MN

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

G06F 1750

US Classification:

716 1, 716 5, 716 18

Abstract:

Method, system and signal bearing medium for configuring an integrated circuit are provided. One embodiment provides a method for configuring an integrated circuit, comprising: providing a user interface for displaying one or more abstract data elements for user selection, wherein the one or more abstract data elements represent one or more controls associated with characteristics of the integrated circuit; receiving a user selection of an abstract data element; validating associated abstract rules for the user selected abstract data element; and validating product rules for the one or more product data elements associated with the user selected abstract data element, wherein the one or more product data elements represent one or more controllable features of the integrated circuit.

US Patent:

6765911, Jul 20, 2004

Filed:

Feb 3, 1999

Appl. No.:

09/243858

Inventors:

Mark William Branstad - Rochester MN
Jonathan William Byrn - Kasson MN
Gary Scott Delp - Rochester MN
Philip Lynn Leichty - Rochester MN
Todd Edwin Leonard - Williston VT
Gary Paul McClannahan - Rochester MN
John Emery Nordman - Rochester MN
Kevin Gerard Plotz - Byron MN
John Handley Shaffer - Rochester MN
Albert Alfonse Slane - Oronoco MN

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

H04L 1256

US Classification:

3703951, 395466

Abstract:

A method and apparatus are provided for implementing communications in a communications network. The apparatus for implementing communications includes a system interface to the communications network. A scheduler schedules enqueued cells and enqueued frames to be transmitted. A segmenter segments frames and cells in into cells or frames applied to a media adaptation block for transmission in a selected one of multiple modes.

US Patent:

6804652, Oct 12, 2004

Filed:

Oct 2, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/676907

Inventors:

John Handley Shaffer - Rochester MN

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

G10L 1500

US Classification:

704270, 396300

Abstract:

A method and apparatus are provided for adding captions to photographs. An apparatus for adding captions to photographs includes a medium for storing a photograph image. A microphone is provided for receiving user spoken words. A voice recognition system is coupled to the microphone for generating text unit instructions. A caption generation unit is coupled to the voice recognition system for storing a caption with the photograph image on said medium. Both a film camera system and a digital camera system are used for adding captions to photographs. In the film camera system, the caption is simultaneously stored with the photograph image on photographic film. In the digital camera system, the caption can be simultaneously stored with the photograph image on digital storage medium or can be added at an earlier time or a later time.

US Patent:

7668841, Feb 23, 2010

Filed:

Mar 10, 2004

Appl. No.:

10/796273

Inventors:

John H. Shaffer - Rochester MN, US
Kevin G. Plotz - Byron MN, US

Assignee:

Brocade Communication Systems, Inc. - San Jose CA

International Classification:

G06F 7/00
G06F 17/00
G06F 12/00

US Classification:

707100, 707101, 707200

Abstract:

A method for accelerating storage access in a network. The method comprises receiving a data record having a plurality of data segments. The data segments are stored in a local memory of a network controller (NC). A virtual write buffer (VWB) entry is assigned for the incoming data record in the NC local memory. The data segments of said data record are reassemble using the VWB. The data record is sent from the network controller directly to an I/O controller of a storage device.

US Patent:

7916487, Mar 29, 2011

Filed:

Oct 10, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/544415

Inventors:

Yosef Bitton - Rochester MN, US
John H. Shaffer - Rochester MN, US
Kenneth D. Aaker - Rochester MN, US

International Classification:

H05K 7/20

US Classification:

361724, 36167902, 36167957, 713194, 3122231, 3122232, 174 50

Abstract:

An apparatus for protecting a digital electronic data processor or stored digital data from damage includes a digital data unit comprising a data storage medium, a protective housing having side, top, and bottom walls defining a closed compartment which contains the digital data unit to shield the digital data therein from environmental damage. Active and passive protection from overheating and data encryption provides further data protection. The housing has at least one access port for supplying electrical power or for information transfer to or from the data unit therein. The port is sealed to prevent the introduction of environmental substances into the housing in the event of potential damage from an environmental disaster or other cause. The invention thus makes possible the safe storage of digital information in a computer data storage system which therefore has substantially increased capacity to survive disasters such as fires, floods, earthquakes, and theft, as well as more common computer problems such as disk drive failures. The invention can employ multiple computer network data access mechanisms that store digital data, including but not limited to Microsoft Windows File Sharing, Common Internet File Systems (CIFS), Network File Systems (NFS), Novell Netware File Systems, iSCSI, Storage Area Network Protocol, and Network SQL Database Mechanism or other data processing units.

US Patent:

60288434, Feb 22, 2000

Filed:

Mar 25, 1997

Appl. No.:

8/823155

Inventors:

Gary Scott Delp - Rochester MN
Victor Firoiu - Amherst MA
Roch A. Guerin - Yorktown Heights NY
Philip Lynn Leichty - Rochester MN
David Richard Poulter - Rochester MN
Vinod Gerard John Peris - Croton-on-Hudson NY
Rajendran Rajan - North Tarrytown NY
John Handley Shaffer - Rochester MN

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

G06F 1100
H04L 1228
H04J 316

US Classification:

370235

Abstract:

A method and apparatus are provided for scheduling the transmission of cells of a plurality of data streams in a communications network. An earliest deadline first (EDF) scheduler is provided for scheduling the transmission of cells of a plurality of data streams in a communications network to ensure that the connection or data stream with the earliest deadline is transmitted first. Each of the multiple data streams has a delay bound or deadline. Data of each data stream is enqueued to a corresponding data cell queue. A timing wheel time slot based on an identified target transmission time for each data cell queue is calculated utilizing an addition of a maximum delay value. A move forward timing mechanism includes a scan forward feature to identify a succession of virtual connection or data stream cell queues for transmission. A multiple tier cell scheduler is provided that includes at least two scheduling timing wheels. The priority of a first timing wheel is higher than the priority of a second timing wheel.