International Business Machines Corporation

Steven Charles Erickson

Ivory Wellman Knipfer

Fraser Allan Syme

Jeffrey George Komatsu

William Robert Taylor

Ryan Paske

Clinton William Erie

Michael John MacPherson

Matthew H Zemke

Jason S Lee

Shawn Matthew Johnston

Barry Alan Kritt

Thomas S Mazzeo

Antoine George Sater

David Joseph Gimpl

Kenneth Wayne Roberson

Kael Benjamin Eddy

Tate Thomas Harnack

Michael J Macpherson

John Walter Marreel

Benjamin Luedeman

Donald Hrtanek

Robert Noble Strong

Methods and systems for protecting a secure computing system. Aspects include connecting a pluggable security card to a motherboard of the secure computing system. Aspects also include activating a detection circuit to monitor a physical connection between the pluggable security card and the motherboard. Based on detecting that the physical connection between the pluggable security card and the motherboard has been interrupted, aspects include setting a tamper event flag, wherein the secure computing system is prevented from being operated when the tamper event flag is set.

Secure enablement of a removable security module on a logic board

An apparatus for thermal interface material detection includes a heat dissipating device stack up that includes a heat dissipating device, a thermal interface material, a heat generating component, and a printed circuit board. The heat dissipating device is disposed on the thermal interface material, the thermal interface material is disposed on the heat generating component, and the heat generating component is disposed on the printed circuit board. A channel in a body of the heat dissipating device includes an embedded conductive probe, where a first end of the embedded conductive probe leads to a lower surface of the body of the heat dissipating device and a second end of the embedded conductive probe leads to an upper surface of the body of the heat dissipating device.

Thermal interface material detection through an electrical conductivity test

An integrated shipping ramp for multi-package unit loads including a ramp portion configured to guide an upper package down from atop a lower package; and a lower package attachment portion comprising a corner board for insertion into a cavity of the lower package, wherein inserting the corner board into the cavity of the lower package secures the lower package attachment portion to the lower package, wherein in a shipping configuration the ramp portion is integrated with a multi-package unit load comprising the upper package and the lower package, and wherein in a dismounting configuration the ramp portion provides an inclined platform from a top of the lower package to a height below the top of the lower package.

Integrated shipping ramp for multi-package unit loads

A modular shipping container includes a layer of two side pieces positioned against sides of a component of several components with a same width. The side piece include pegs protruding from a top of each side piece and bottom openings in a bottom of each side piece sized and positioned to conform to the pegs. The container includes one or more end pieces on the same layer as the side pieces. Each end of the end piece is shaped to attach to an end of a side piece and is shaped to maintain a width between the side pieces. A length of an area formed by the side pieces and end pieces is sized to accommodate a maximum length of each component. The components have a height that is an integer number of standard units and a height of the side pieces matches an integral number of the standard units.

Flexible dynamic packaging of product entities

A cable configuration tool includes an attachment base, a first cable retainer, a second cable retainer, and a cable guide. The attachment base includes an attachment point for mounting to an edge of an enclosure and an arm for mounting the first cable retainer, the second cable retainer, and the cable guide. A first aperture of the first cable retainer, a second aperture of the second cable retainer, and a third aperture of the cable guide are each configured to accept the arm of the attachment base, where the first cable retainer, the second cable retainer, and the cable guide are slidable along the arm. One or more cables for creation of a cable harness are placeable along an outer edge of the cable guide, where the cable guide defines a bend radius for the one or more cables of the cable harness.

Cable routing and bend radius defining tool

Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to manufacturing production and provide a novel and non-obvious method, system and computer program product for reuse of cancelled products that are partially manufactured. In one embodiment of the invention, a method for reusing a partially manufactured product during a manufacturing process can be provided. The method can include reading a configuration of the partially manufactured product and reading a set of rules that match a given configuration with one of a set of defined target configurations. The method can further include executing the set of rules upon the configuration of the partially manufactured product so as to match the configuration of the partially manufactured product with a target configuration. The method can further include initiating re-configuration of the partially manufactured product to the target configuration with which it was matched and stocking in inventory the partially manufactured product that has been re-configured to the target configuration.

Converting assets for reuse during manufacturing

A method for dynamically altering manufacturing routings to add, remove, or skip operations and combinations of operations within a shop floor control system in real-time to respond to current conditions. One aspect of the present invention is a computer-implemented method for dynamically generating a manufacturing production work flow. One embodiment of this method comprises receiving indication that an assembly has completed a manufacturing operation, the assembly having a work flow and a sampling strategy associated therewith; querying a data source for characteristics of a plurality of previously sampled components; querying a manufacturing floor control system for current production status; and dynamically updating the work flow for the assembly based at least in part on the sampling strategy, characteristics of the plurality of previously sampled components, and the current production status.

Dynamically generating a manufacturing production work flow with selectable sampling strategies

A system for generating a work unit test ahead candidate list. A list is generated of all potential candidate systems for test ahead operations. A system in the potential candidate list is selected. It is determined whether any work unit in the selected system is waiting for short parts. Determining that no work unit in the selected system is waiting for short parts, a complexity score is calculated for each work unit in the selected system. The calculated complexity scores are added to a total system complexity score. It is then determined whether an override exists for a work unit in the selected system. Determining that an override does exist, the selected system is removed from the potential candidate list. A candidate list is generated from remaining systems in the potential candidate list. Then, the candidate list is outputted to provide recommendations for optimizing work unit test ahead operations.

Providing real-time test ahead work direction for manufacturing optimization

Data associated with supply chain events for a manufactured assembly is automatically stored. In preferred embodiments the supply chain events for the manufactured assembly are stored on an RFID tag attached to the assembly as it travels through the supply chain to insure the data concerning the assembly is readily available and not separated from the assembly. In other embodiments, the supply chain events or characteristic data is stored on the RFID tag in a hierarchical structure beginning with the original state of the assembly and with additional entries for each step in the assembly process. In other embodiments, as the product undergoes rework, conversion to a different assembly, or personalizations, the new state of the assembly is stored in the RFID tag. In other preferred embodiments, other information is also stored on the RFID tag such as country of origin, failure data, cycle times and a quality status indicator.

Utilizing an RFID tag in manufacturing

A method, system and computer-usable medium for generating a manufacturing-usable easily modifiable product order document is presented. An object collection of objects that describe features of components of a product is created. A view database that describes a logical relationship among components in the object collection is also created. A single document that includes the object collection and the view database is then generated. This single document can be updated according to technical requirements for a product being manufactured according to a product description created from the single document.

Use of extensible object data to represent a fully qualified solution order

Utilizing an RFID tag in manufacturing for enhanced lifecycle management

An apparatus, system, and storage medium that, in an embodiment, receive service data at a computer system from an RFID tag, where the service data was sent to the RFID tag from an RF transmitter while the computer system was powered off. The RFID tag includes tag memory and an antenna, and the RFID tag is attached to the computer system. In another embodiment, the computer system sends the service data to the RFID tag, and the service data is received by an RF scanner from the RFID tag via the antenna while the computer system is powered off. In various embodiments, the service data identifies the computer system or a product within the computer system. In another embodiment, the service data includes log information associated with the computer system.

Sending service data to an RFID tag while an attached computer system is powered off

The present disclosure is directed to a method for determining dynamic test coverage for a product. The method may comprise: receiving a customer order, the customer order comprising at least one product configuration; receiving a rule set associated with the at least one product configuration; analyzing the rule set to determine a proxy part to add to the at least one product configuration; providing the proxy part an indicator; adding the proxy part to the at least one product configuration; iteratively comparing the product configuration to the rule set until the product configuration meets the rule set; providing a test associated with the at least one product configuration; receiving at least one signal from at least one indicator; and removing at least one proxy part from the at least one product configuration.

Dynamic determination of a minimal configured product to achieve desired test coverage

A self-optimizing algorithm for real-time problem resolution using historical data. Upon receiving failure symptom characteristics for a product or process failure, the algorithm queries historical failure data to locate historical failure symptoms and corrective actions matching the failure symptom characteristics. If a total number of the historical corrective actions identified meets a minimum match threshold, the algorithm selectively prunes a failure symptom characteristic having the lowest priority level to form an adjusted search query. The algorithm may repeat the querying, identifying, and determining steps using the adjusted search query until the total number of historical corrective actions identified meets the minimum match threshold. Once the threshold is met, the algorithm sorts the historical corrective actions to form a list of recommended corrective actions for the failure symptom characteristics and provides the list of recommended corrective actions to an end user.

Self-optimizing algorithm for real-time problem resolution using historical data

A time-phased reutilization of configured products is provided. Partially configured products are detected. Each partially configured product is analyzed to determine if the partially configured product is a valid partially configured product, suitable for being modified into other configurations. A time phased management process is applied to the valid partially configured product.

Growing community of inventors

Rochester, MN, United States of America

Steven Charles Erickson