International Business Machines Corporation

Ryan Elsasser

Enrico A Romano

Noah B Singer

Suraush Q Khambati

Milnes P David

Marc Henri Coq

Wiren Dale Becker

Syed F Hossain

Khaalid Persaud Juggan McMillan

Paul Samaniego

Camillo Sassano

Matthew Allen Butterbaugh

Michael Scott Good

Mateusz Koziol

William Paul Risk

Bjorn J Ahbel

William Louis Brodsky

Yuet-Ying Yu

Robert L Weiss

David Charles Olson

Oswald J Mantilla

Brian E Hanrahan

Steven J James

Charles E Mellinger

Annam K Nguyen

David Clifford Long

John Richard Dangler

Stefano Sergio Oggioni

Silvio Dragone

James A Busby

Michael T Peets

Michael J Fisher

Kevin Lavern Schultz

Lannie R Bolde

Richard Burton Finch

Jason R Eagle

William Santiago Fernandez

Khaalid P J McMillan

James C Utter

Karl Owen Casserly

Daniel Ruiz

Michael J Doscher

Adam Benjamin Childers

Brian Werneke

Eric Mallery

David Fratzke

Joseph Scaglione

Kevin Bryant

Steven P Hompesch

Barry P Knapp

Franklin Gurney

An imaging device is provided that may be used for visually inspecting structures. In one embodiment, the imaging device includes an image capture device; and a rail system having a stationary component connected to the image capture device and a sliding component for movement along a horizontal axis. The system can further include a jig structure engaged to the sliding component of the rail system. The jig structure may include a first mount location for engagement to a first type connector and a second mount location for engagement to a second type connector. The jig structure is engaged to the sliding component to position the housing so that the first and second mount locations are in line and parallel to a direction of travel along the horizontal axis including a point at which the first and second mount locations pass through the imaging location.

Alignment system and tool for visual inspection

An apparatus includes an electrical plug insertable into a power outlet of a receptacle, where the electrical plug includes a ground pin with an indent. The apparatus further includes a retention mechanism enclosed by the receptacle includes a rod configured to interact with the indent of the ground pin, where the rod seated within the indent of the ground pin prevents a removal of the electrical plug from the power outlet.

Power outlet with retention and shock protection

Aspects of the present disclosure provide a computer-implemented method that includes, responsive to receiving a pickup location request indicating a pickup location, identifying a vehicle in a vicinity associated with the pickup location, the vehicle having vehicle location data associated therewith. The method further includes selecting a shortest route from the vehicle to the pickup location. The method further includes, responsive to determining that a crossing is present along the shortest route, receiving target object location data for a target object associated with the crossing. The method further includes determining whether the target object and the vehicle intersect are predicted to intersect at the crossing. The method further includes, responsive to determining the target object and the vehicle are predicted to intersect at the crossing, identifying another vehicle in the vicinity, wherein the other vehicle traverses a route that avoids the crossing.

Vehicle route optimization

Provided are systems, methods, and computer products for interactive cable routing and planning optimization for customized hardware configurations. An example method includes receiving a set of cable characteristics and a set of user selections, in which the set of user selections are received via a graphical user interface (GUI). Identifying possible cabling routes for a hardware configuration based, at least in part, on available plug start and termination locations. Ranking each of the possible cabling routes based, at least in part, on a prioritized list of optimization criteria and the set of cable characteristics. Generating a suggested cabling configuration for one or more applications based, at least in part, on the set of cable characteristics, the set of user selections, and the ranking. Outputting the suggested cabling configuration to the user by at least providing a three-dimensional view of the suggested cabling configuration via the GUI.

Enabling interactive cable routing and planning optimization for customized hardware configurations

Slidable assemblies are provided which include a support, a slidable assembly, and a spring-clip element. The slidable assembly, which includes a slide member, is coupled to the support to slide along the support between a first position and a second position. The spring-clip element is associated with the support, and receives the slide member of the slidable assembly. The slide member translates within the spring-clip element as the slidable assembly is slid between the first position and the second position, and is retained by the spring-clip element in position when the slidable assembly is slid to the second position to hold the slidable assembly and restrain the slidable assembly from sliding along the support to the first position.

Slidable assembly with spring clip retainer

A cassette for insertion and removal of an edge-connected printed circuit card connectable to a server chassis is disclosed. The cassette includes a housing comprising a bottom wall having at least one elongated slot and a catch formed thereon. The cassette further includes a connector sub-assembly overlying the bottom wall having an edge connector socket formed thereon and configured to receive the edge-connected printed circuit card. The cassette further includes a guide sub-assembly underlying the bottom wall having a spring latch formed thereon. The spring latch is operable in a first state to engage the catch to prevent movement of the connector sub-assembly and the guide sub-assembly relative to the housing. The spring latch is operable in a second state to clear the catch to permit the connector sub-assembly and the guide sub-assembly to slide in unison in the at least one elongated slot.

Printed circuit card assembly connectable to a server chassis

Systems for varying orifice cross-section for 3D printing are provided. Aspects of the invention include an actuator operable to control an actuator rod, a plurality of nozzles connected to the actuator rod, the plurality of nozzles comprising a first nozzle and a second nozzle, wherein the first nozzle comprises a first cross-section, wherein the second nozzle comprises a second cross-section, and a controller configured to operate the actuator rod to maneuver the first nozzle under a printer head, wherein the printer head extrudes a filament that passes through the first cross-section of the first nozzle.

Varying orifice cross-section for three-dimensional printing

The present invention relates to a method to fabricate a tamper respondent assembly. The tamper respondent assembly includes an electronic component and an enclosure fully enclosing the electronic component. The method includes printing, by a 3-dimensional printer, a printed circuit board that forms a bottom part of the enclosure and includes a first set of embedded detection lines for detecting tampering events and signal lines for transferring signals between the electronic component and an external device. The electronic component is assembled on the printed circuit board, and a cover part of the enclosure is printed on the printed circuit board. The cover part includes a second set of embedded detection lines. Sensing circuitry can be provided for sensing the conductance of the first set of embedded detection lines and the second set of embedded detection lines to detect tampering events.

Enclosure with tamper respondent sensor

Multi-directional monitoring of connector motion is provided to facilitate identifying potential wear of one or more connector electrodes. A sensor assembly is configured to sense in multiple directions motion of a plug connector relative to a connector receptacle when the plug connector is operatively plugged to the connector receptacle, and to generate sensor data based on sensed motion of the plug connector relative to the connector receptacle. A control system is provided to monitor, based on the sensor data, motion of the plug connector relative to the connector receptacle to facilitate identifying potential wear of one or more electrodes of the plug electrode(s) and the receptacle electrode(s) due to the motion.

Multi-directional motion monitoring of plugged electrical connector

A method of mounting a module to a land grid array is provided. The method includes installing a tool to a fixture. The tool includes at least one alignment member and at least one cavity partially defined by the at least one alignment member. The at least one cavity of the tool is aligned with one or more corresponding sockets of the land grid array. The method further includes installing a module through the cavity such that the module is substantially aligned with the socket as it is connected to the land grid array.

Method of mounting a module to a land grid array (LGA)

Rack-mountable assemblies are provided which include a structure to be mounted to a frame of an electronics rack, and a spring-hinged mounting bracket associated with and extending from a side of the structure to facilitate mounting the structure to the frame of the electronics rack. The spring-hinged mounting bracket facilitates insertion of the structure into the frame by pivoting inward towards the side of the structure upon the spring-hinged mounting bracket encountering an obstruction as the rack-mountable assembly is positioned within the frame for mounting to the frame.

Rack-mountable assembly with spring-hinged mounting bracket(s)

An apparatus for providing a stiffener and cooling to a printed circuit board includes a printed circuit board coupled to a top surface of a stiffening cooling structure, where a lower surface of the printed circuit board is opposite the top surface of the stiffening cooling structure. One or more channels of the stiffening cooling structure defined by the top surface of the stiffening cooling structure, a bottom surface of the stiffening cooling structure, and one or more support members, where the one or more support members are positioned between the top surface of the stiffening cooling structure and the bottom surface of the stiffening cooling. One or more apertures in the top surface of the stiffening cooling structure directs airflow from the one or more channels of the stiffening cooling structure to one or more components disposed on a top surface of the printed circuit board.

Stiffener cooling structure

Rack-mountable assemblies are provided which include a cover configured to fixedly mount to a frame of an electronics rack, and a drawer configured to slidably mount to the frame adjacent to the cover to slide relative to the cover. When operatively mounted to the frame, the cover and drawer together define an enclosure for one or more electronic components. The assembly further includes an electromagnetic shielding structure to provide, at least in part, electromagnetic shielding at a gap between the cover and drawer when operatively positioned within the electronics rack. The electromagnetic shielding structure includes an electromagnetic shielding plate which overlies, at least in part, the gap between the cover and the drawer, and which self-adjusts with sliding of the drawer into the electronics rack to facilitate providing the electromagnetic shielding at the gap between the cover and the drawer.

Rack-mountable assembly with electromagnetic shielding structure(s)

An electronic cable is provided that is able to measure, store, transmit, and/or interpret mechanical strains that are applied to the electronic cable. The electronic cable includes a centrally located piezoelectric fiber sensor, two or more flex sensors, a battery, a memory, and a microprocessor. The piezoelectric fiber sensor is configured to produce voltage readings that are proportional to tensile loads experienced by the electronic cable in the axial direction over time. The flex sensors are arranged radially external to the piezoelectric fiber sensor, and are configured to output voltage readings that are proportional to lateral loads experienced by the electronic cable in a radial direction over time. The battery is configured to supply a current to the piezoelectric fiber sensor and flex sensors. The microprocessor is configured to store the voltage output readings in the memory.

Smart cable enclosure incorporating mechanical strain, measurement, storage, transmission and interpretation

A module installation assembly for installing a module into a socket of a land grid array includes a tool having a mounting bracket for connecting the tool to an adjacent fixture, an alignment member connected to the mounting bracket, and cavity defined at least partially by the alignment member. The cavity is substantially aligned with a socket of the land grid array such that the module is configured to pass through the cavity when being connected to the socket.

Module installation alignment device

Growing community of inventors

Poughkeepsie, NY, United States of America

Ryan Elsasser