IBM’s work force in North Carolina isn’t nearly as large as it used to be, especially in the Triangle. But researchers and scientists based in the Tar Heel state still play a crucial role in technology development at Big Blue.

“IBM inventors in North Carolina contributed to more than 800 of the company’s record-setting 6,478 patents in 2012,” Doug Shelton, head of corporate media relations told The Skinny, after WRAL News inquired about just how many patents N.C. workers produced.

IBM last week won the race for most patents awarded in the U.S. for the 20th consecutive year.

Shelton also noted thagt Big Blue dominated patents awarded to North Carolina-based firms,

“IBM was the leading patentee in North Carolina in 2012 with more than twice as many patents as Red Hat and Bank of America combined and almost 20 [times] the number of patents received by SAS Institute,” he pointed out.

The North Carolina patents focused in big part on IBM’s “Smarter Planet” initiative.

“IBM inventors in Raleigh were responsible for a range of 2012 patented inventions that will reshape how companies apply technology in today’s Smarter Planet,” Shelton explained.

“For examples, below is a group of patents for inventions that will support, enable or increase energy efficiency in computer chips, systems and data centers.

He then cited several, with the names of the North Carolina inventors cited: 

  • Patent #8,341,441: Reducing energy consumption in a cloud computing environment

http://1.usa.gov/RWgAAc
Inventor: Fletcher; James C. (Apex, NC)

  • Patent #8,311,683 Processor cooling management

http://1.usa.gov/UjYl2X
Inventors: Angell; Robert Lee (Salt Lake City, UT), Cosby; David Wayne (Raleigh, NC), Friedlander; Robert R. (Southbury, CT), Kraemer; James R. (Santa Fe, NM)

  • Patent #8,307,220 Managing power consumption of a computer

http://1.usa.gov/ZlGbVd
Inventors: Thomas M. Brey (Cary, NC), Wesley M. Felter (Austin, TX), Sumeet Kochar (Apex, NC), Charles R. Lefurgy (Austin, TX), Ryuji Orita (Redmond, WA), Freeman L. Rawson, III (Austin, TX), Malcolm S. Ware (Austin, TX)

  • Patent #8,140,195 Reducing maximum power consumption using environmental control settings

http://1.usa.gov/UcWcXs
Inventors: Jason Aaron Matteson (Raleigh, NC), William Joseph Piazza (Holly Springs, NC)

  • Patent #8,245,069 Multiple power supplies providing enhanced power efficiency

http://1.usa.gov/12nH0LW
Inventors: Markesha L. Farmer (Durham, NC), William J. Piazza (Holly Springs, NC), Nancy A. Schipon (Apex, NC), Edward S. Suffern (Chapel Hill, NC)

[IBM ARCHIVE: Check out a decade of IBM stories as reported in WRAL Tech Wire.]