International Business Machines Corporation

Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Holdings Corporation

Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications Ab

Justin Monroe Pierce

Phuc Ky Do

Robert Thomas Cato

Timothy Wayne Crockett

Richard W Vanderpool, Iii

Julie Anne Morris

Julio Alvarez

Susan Elizabeth Wince

Ramon A Reveron

Shreyas Abhay Kale

Michael John Burkhart

David John Steiner

L Scott Bloebaum

James Campbell Colson

Eugene Michael Maximilien

Charles Ray Kirk

Jarrad Andrew Giles

Richard S Shryock

The illustrative embodiments provide a magnetic reader assembly, a magnetic reader subassembly, a computer implemented method, and a computer program product for diagnosing a magnetic reader subassembly. A processor generates a test signal during a diagnostic period. The processor then receives a return signal from the magnetic reader subassembly. The processor then compares the test signal and the return signal and diagnoses an operational status of the magnetic reader subassembly in response to the comparison of the test signal and the return signal.

Diagnosing a magnetic reader

A computer implemented method for diagnosing a magnetic reader subassembly. A processor generates a test signal during a diagnostic period. The processor then receives a return signal from the magnetic reader subassembly. The processor then compares the test signal and the return signal and diagnoses an operational status of the magnetic reader subassembly in response to the comparison of the test signal and the return signal.

Embodiments of the invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to file system access and provide a method, system and apparatus for a file system firewall. In one embodiment of the invention, a data processing system configured for file system access can be provided. The data processing system can include a file system, an operating system, a set of access rules, each of the access rules having an associated rule key, and a file system firewall disposed between the file system and the operating system. The file system firewall can include program code enabled to permit or deny a file system request according to an access rule in the set of access rules associated with a rule key formed from an application based attribute in the file system request.

File system firewall

File system views are created for each application executed by a user, where this user-specific view comprises operating system files needed to run the application and file system changes made with this application for this user. Changes made to the file system during execution are allowed (in accordance with the user's permissions), but by default, those changes are not visible to other applications or to other users. Optionally, a user or administrator may specify that one or more file system views are to be accessible from other views. The view-specific isolation of file system changes applies also to system files and meta-data alterations that might be made to the operating system. In one alternative approach, file system views may be created for an application without regard to individual users, where that application's view is then used for all users who execute the application.

Virtualized file system

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, an approach is provided in which a product request is received that corresponds to a point-of-sale (POS) device, which is located at a merchant facility. In addition to identifying a product location corresponding to the product, an employee location of an employee in proximity to the product location is also identified. In turn, an electronic message is sent to the employee's mobile device that includes a request to transport the product from the product location to the POS device.

Real-time product delivery during customer-driven point of sale retail transactions

The illustrative embodiments provide a computer implemented method, an apparatus, and a computer usable program product for varying the amount of received advertising content. A content editor provides a portion of a plurality of levels of advertising to a user, wherein the portion of the plurality of levels indicates an amount of advertising content to be received by the user. Responsive to receiving a user input selecting the portion of the plurality of levels, the content editor inserts the amount of advertising content into a media content to form a modified media content, wherein the amount of advertising content corresponds to the portion of the plurality of levels selected by the user. The content editor then transmits the modified media content to the user.

Method and apparatus for varying the amount of advertising content

An apparatus comprising a single memory device providing data storage, a controller for controlling data transfer to and from the data storage, and first and second bus connector plugs, wherein each plug has contacts for connecting with the power, ground, and data contacts of a port of a host system. The power and ground contacts of the first and second plugs are coupled together to provide power to the apparatus through either or both plugs. Data from either or both plugs is communicated with the controller depending upon which plugs are coupled to a port. The controller is responsible for controlling the read and write operations of the data storage. The apparatus may be any type of external memory device, such as a flash drive, or a peripheral device having a high data transfer rate, such as a digital video camera.

Peripheral device enabling enhanced communication

Performing local peer volume polling by a mobile device is provided. In response to determining that a polling function is enabled in a mobile device, a request is transmitted to each of the peer mobile devices using the polling function. The polling function requests audible operation level setting data from peer mobile devices within a predetermined distance of the mobile device. A map is computed of the peer mobile devices, along with their associated audible operation level settings, based on responses to the request for the audible operation level setting data. The map and audible operation level settings for the peer mobile devices are analyzed using rules to detect an inappropriate volume setting for the mobile device. In response to determining that a current audible operation level setting for the mobile device is inappropriate using the rules, a new audible operation level setting is applied to the mobile device.

Mobile device peer volume polling

Method and computer program product for identifying a primary disk storage medium that is higher in a boot order than a secondary disk storage medium in a software RAID, and testing for a hardware failure of the primary disk storage medium during the BIOS power-on self test. The boot order of the disk storage mediums in the software RAID is automatically changed to position the secondary disk storage medium in the RAID higher in the boot order than the primary disk storage medium in response to detecting a hardware failure in the primary disk storage medium. The operating system is then booted from the disk storage medium that is highest in the boot order. A hardware failure may be detected by reading and verifying a predetermined portion of the boot partition of the disk storage medium. Optionally, the predetermined portion of the boot partition may be less than the entire primary disk storage medium, but is preferably sufficient to allow loading of software RAID drivers for the primary and secondary disk storage mediums.

Resilient software-controlled redundant array of independent disks (RAID)

Methods for providing a user state file enabling interactions between virtual and real world identities include determining a real world identity of a user and determining a virtual world identity of the user. An associated user designation is provided for a first and a second associated user. A real world identity and/or a virtual world identity is determined for the associated users. The first associated user has at least a real world identity and the second associated user has at least a virtual world identity. A communication history is established between the user and the first and second associated users, the communication history including communications in the real world and/or the virtual world. The user state file is generated based on the determined real world and virtual world identities of the user and the associated users and the communication history between the user and the associated users. The user state file is configured to be accessed by the user in both the real world and the virtual world.

Systems methods and user state files for enabling interactions between virtual and real world identities

A location-based service includes detecting the relative motion of an on-site resource, detecting the absolute position of the on-site resource, and tracking the position of the on-site resource. The position is tracked by deriving a deduced position based on the detected relative motion and adjusting the deduced position as a function of and in response to the detected absolute position. According to one embodiment, the on-site resource can be a shopping cart and the tracking includes recording a travel pattern of the shopping cart as it moves through a site floor plan such that the travel pattern is reproducible. Preferably, the recorded travel pattern includes travel patterns within an aisle in the site floor plan such that the recorded patterns include travel along the length of the aisle and travel having components which are perpendicular to the length of the aisle.

Tiered on-demand location-based tracking service and infrastructure

Associating and/or disassociating a mobile point-of-sale scanner device with a particular shopper. Shoppers may be identified, for example, using biometrics or by scanning a loyalty card. As an example of using biometrics, the shopper's fingerprint may be scanned as a trigger of the scanner is activated to scan an item's barcode. The fingerprint is preferably transmitted, along with the scanned barcode, to a server or other device for comparison to previously-stored information. The scanner is then automatically associated with the shopper to whom the fingerprint corresponds. In another embodiment, scanned loyalty card information is preferably transmitted (optionally, along with a scanned barcode), such that the scanner is then automatically associated with the shopper to whom the loyalty card corresponds. Disassociating the scanner from a shopper is preferably triggered using a sensor (such as a light) that forms part of the scanner device, whereby the sensor is activated when the shopper releases the scanner device. A timer may be used to filter out accidental activation of the sensor.

On-demand point-of-sale scanner access

An apparatus including first and second memory devices, wherein each memory device includes data storage, a controller for controlling data transfer to and from the data storage, and a plug with contacts for connecting with the power, ground, and data contacts of an independent port of a host system. Additionally, the first and second memory devices are interconnected to share power and communicate data directly between the first and second memory devices. The memory devices may be any type of external memory device, such as a flash drive, or a peripheral device having a high data transfer rate, such as a digital video camera.

A method and system for detecting that a signature capture device is not performing optimally by analyzing captured signatures for either aesthetic quality or expected form, wherein the signature capture device performs the aesthetic quality or expected form analysis and wherein the analysis is performed by software external to the signature capture device.

Signature capture aesthetic/temporal qualification failure detection

The illustrative embodiments provide a computer implemented method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for testing a radio frequency identification reader. The radio frequency identification reader transmits a test signal to a diagnostic tag during a diagnostic period. Responsive to receiving a return signal from the diagnostic tag, the radio frequency identification reader compares the return signal with an expected return signal to form a comparison. The radio frequency identification reader identifies an operational status for the radio frequency identification reader using the comparison.

Growing community of inventors

Cary, NC, United States of America

Justin Monroe Pierce