International Business Machines Corporation

Lenovo (singapore) Pte. Ltd.

Colin David McCall

Richard Ian Knox

Brian L Robertson

Stuart P Lees

Kenneth Skene Murray

William French

Gavin Munro Cameron

Andrew Liam Massey

Amodeo Ojeda Guillermo

David Robert Skeen Rogers

Andrew Wyllie

David William Morton

Frederick S Jackson

Roger Philip Hoggarth

Sohail Syyed

David K Halliday

Jane Henderson Shaw

Christopher D Smith

Alexander S McKinnon

Neil Lindsay Robertson

Frank Martin Orr

A technique for supporting a user of a first device coupled to a second device of a support agent. A current screen image of the first device is sent to the second device. The second device displays the current screen image of the first device. The agent device determines the position of an input icon to be displayed on the current screen image, and the position is sent to the first device. The first device displays an input icon on the current screen image on the first device based on the position. The second device also determines how the user should operate the input icon on the first device. Corresponding operation information is transferred to the first device.

Remote support for computer or other electronic device

In a computer system, a user action can cause a computer program to perform actions which may destroy data stored on the computer or on an associated computer. User actions are managed to reduce this possibility by testing the consequences of the user action and if the consequences of the user action are benign, the user action is completed. If the consequences are not benign, a delay period prior to completing the user action is initiated. During this delay period, the user is able to cancel the user action.

Cooling-off period for destructive software

Objects can be tracked within a building using a radio device associated with each object to be tracked and an array of transmitting beacons. Each of the beacons transmits identification data. The received identification data from the object to be tracked is sent to a server which determines the location of the object. The identification data may be sent from the object to the server using a data communications network such as a local area network. The beacons may have a variable power output allowing the receipt or non-receipt of the signal from the beacon to be used to assist in locating the object. The beacons may be associated with an existing wireless communication mechanism, such as Bluetooth.

Electronic physical asset tracking

A method for backing up data stored using a filing system on a computer non-volatile storage device is described. First pre-defined signature data is written, using the filing system, to substantially all of the unused portion of the computer non-volatile storage device. The data stored on the computer non-volatile storage device is then backed up, independent of the filing system. Data consisting of the first pre-defined signature is not backed up. In this manner, a backup is completed without access to the filing system, but which backs up only portions of the non-volatile storage medium which are in use.

Disk image backup/restore with data preparation phase

Methods of booting a client data processing system attached to a control data processing system in a data processing network. At power-on or re-boot of a client system, an initial program load request is issued from the client system onto the network and responsive to the receipt of the initial program load request at the control system, bootstrap code is transferred to the client to cause the client to boot from operating system code stored on a mass storage device of the client; alternatively, bootstrap code is transferred to the client system to cause the client to boot from operating system stored on a mass storage device of the client, or bootstrap code is transferred to cause the client system to boot from the control system.

Initial program load in data processing network

A client computer system (,) is adapted to connect to a server (,) across a network (,). The client system includes memory (,or a storage medium) into which an operating system is loadable. The client includes a network card (,) having a PROM (,) adapted to download a bootstrap program (,) from the server. The bootstrap program (,) is in turn adapted to load an operating system image (,) over the network from the server into a location in the memory. The client then boots from the operating system image in memory, with the client system being adapted to subsequently modify the operating system image in memory, without reloading the image over the network, and re-boot the client system.

Booting a computer system from a network

An electronic location tag comprises stored data which includes a identifier. The data is transmitted to an attached data processing system through an interface. The attached data processing system is adapted to initiate a security action responsive to receiving the identifier. The electronic location tag is adapted to be physically attached to the environment surrounding the tag.

Electronic location tag

A data processing network comprises a plurality of client systems and a controlling system operable to issue wake-up requests to the client systems to cause the client systems to issue boot requests onto the network for servicing by a connected server system. The controlling system, which may be embodied in the server system or in a separate system issues the wake-up requests in accordance with a wake-up schedule calculated, for each client, to complete the boot process for that client before a target start-up time when a client user wishes to use the client system.

Automatic wake-up of systems in a data processing network

A tool for soldering pin-in-hole electronic circuit components includes a tool plate with a set of via holes corresponding to the holes of a circuit board on which a circuit component is soldered. The board is aligned with the tool plate and hot gas is supplied through the set of plate vias to reflow solder in the board holes. The tool is particularly suitable for use in removing and replacing pinned circuit components. Use of particular gases (e.g., nitrogen) allows soldering to be carried out without the use of flux. Advantages of the tool are that it prevents burning the circuit board and/or unintentionally reflowing other circuit components mounted on the board (by directing hot gas only substantially onto the circuit board's solder-containing holes).

Solder apparatus and method

A data processing network has a client connected to first and second servers in which the first and second servers are operable to communicate with the network according to first and second incompatible data communication protocols. The client is operable to issue, onto the network, a first initial boot request (e.g. RPL) according to the first data communication protocol (IEEE 802.2) and the first server is operable, in response to the client request to send BOOTP bootstrap code to the client system. The BOOTP bootstrap code is loaded into client memory and when executed causes the client to issue a BOOTP request for servicing by the second server system.

Data processing network with boot process using multiple servers

An X-ray computerized system for programmable, high-resolution X-ray inspection of manufactured electronic circuits. Such a system comprises: means for directing X-rays to produce X-ray images representing illuminations of circuit elements from different angles; and detecting means for detecting said images, said detecting means comprising a plurality of detectors, each of said detectors positioned to intercept X-rays after passing through a circuit element from a particular associated angle of illumination.

Growing community of inventors

Glasgow, United Kingdom

Colin David McCall