Abstract: A system and method provides an interactive puzzle to a user and scores the attempted solutions to the puzzle. Portions of a representation of a puzzle object are successively provided to a user over time and a user is allowed to attempt to solve the puzzle by guessing the puzzle object. If the attempt succeeds, a score is provided that is higher the faster the solution is reached. If the attempt fails, the user may make other attempts until a short time after the entire puzzle has been provided, at which time a minimum score is assigned. Another puzzle is provided after a different puzzle is scored. Points for a user are cumulated and may be redeemed for cash, discounts or other prizes, either upon request or automatically on or near a predetermined date.

Abstract: A support and method supports a tool and a raised floor using a single integrated support. The portion of the support supporting the raised floor may have an adjustable height, allowing the portion to be adjusted to the height and optionally the angle of the raised floor.

Abstract: A method and apparatus identifies changes made to a computer system caused by the installation of software. The state of the computer system is recorded before the software is installed and, after the software is installed, the recorded state is compared against the state of the computer system. Changes are written into a manifest, which may be combined with any new or changed files and an installation program to produce a package which can be sent to another computer system for installation.

Abstract: A method and apparatus generates identifiers of database records apart from the database. One or more application programs may request an identifier of a transaction, and a stored identifier of a prior transaction is incremented or otherwise altered to produce the identifier of the transaction. The identifier is provided to the application program, which uses it as an identifier of a record of a database if such a record is created. If a system failure occurs, the database is scanned to identify the most recently issued identifier stored in the database, for example by requesting from the database the highest transaction number stored, and that number is used to generate the next transaction number.

Abstract: A method and apparatus allows a file to be transferred from a mainframe computer to a client computer. A folder is set up on the client computer with a list of filenames and/or filters that designates some of the files on the mainframe computer as belonging to the folder. Conversion properties are assigned to the folder. A file is requested using the folder name and filename, and the file is transferred from the mainframe to the client computer and converted according to the properties of the folder to which the file belongs.

Abstract: A method and apparatus enrolls a user for voice recognition by prompting the user to speak a social security number or other number. A voiceprint is extracted from the social security number. Additional sequences of numbers are generated so that the total number of times each decimal digit appears in the social security number or the additional sequences meets or exceeds a threshold value. The user is then prompted to speak the additional sequences and the voiceprint extracted from the social security number is refined to include the additional information received from the responses to the prompts for the sequences. A standard sequence may also be prompted and a voiceprint of the standard sequence compared with the voiceprints of other users speaking the same standard sequence to identify the level of differentiation between the user's voice and other user's voices.

Abstract: A method and apparatus adjusts an opening in the flow of exhaust to ensure a constant velocity of the exhaust.

Abstract: A method and apparatus allows files stored on a mainframe computer system to be manipulated from a client computer system such as a personal computer. The mainframe may be represented by a UNC identifier or drive letter and a hierarchical folder structure may be arranged for the UNC identifier or drive letter in a manner consistent with the manner for arranging folders for locally stored files. Filenames or templates capable of describing multiple filenames may be associated with each folder to allow files on the mainframe to be manipulated using the hierarchical folder structure in a manner similar to that of locally stored files.

Abstract: A method and apparatus provides network management data in a manner that can be more efficient than data provided using conventional SNMP. A requested data description is received containing the names of the data requested, and this requested data is provided. Tables are provided by providing a table name, a list of columns, and for each row in the table, the name of the row and the data for the row in the order the column names were provided. Rows may be provided in the order stored, or numerically by row name. All columns of every row of a table may be provided or just columns specified in the requested data description.

Abstract: A method and apparatus establishes a connection for a communication session between two remote devices, then negotiates an additional connection. One of the connections is used to communicate data, not commands, allowing that connection to be more efficient because each remote device does not have to scan it for commands in the information it receives.

Abstract: A method and apparatus allows a switch or other network equipment device to provide Quality of Service information to a router or other user equipment devices using a management interface such as frame relay LMI. The switch and router negotiate the version of the management interface that has the capabilities of the present invention. The router can then request Quality of Service parameters from the switch. The switch provides the parameters and the router can use them to route information via the switch. If the parameters are changed in the switch or other changes occur, the switch notifies the router and the router can then request updated parameters from the switch.

Abstract: A method and apparatus checks a set of files against a manifest to determine whether to accept or reject the files. The manifest contains one or more policy sections that describe whether to accept files that are described in the manifest but not received, or received but not described in the manifest. The method and apparatus determines whether files are listed in the manifest but not received, or received but not listed in the manifest, and can accept the files in these circumstances based on the policy section of the manifest. The manifest may also contain a hash result for each file. The method and apparatus can hash the files received and compare the hash result produced with the hash result specified in the manifest. If the hash results computed for the file are different from the hash result for the file in the manifest, the file or the set of files may be rejected.

Abstract: A method and apparatus allows a client or other device separate from a server to retrieve from the server more data than is requested by an application program on the client. The additional data is maintained by the client or other device and provided to the application program in response to a subsequent request, reducing the number of times data is requested from the server, and also the processing and overhead required by the server to supply the data. If the server releases memory pointing to the data on the server at the time or after all data specified by the application program has been retrieved, because the data is potentially retrieved from the server in amounts larger than requested by the application program, the server may release memory pointing to the data on the server sooner than it would by processing requests for the data from the application program alone.

Abstract: A method and apparatus identifies the existence of differences between two files on a personal computer, such as two versions of a Windows registry file. Portions of each of the files are hashed into a four byte value per portion to produce a set of hash results, and the set of hash results is combined with a four byte size of the portion of the file from which the hash was generated to produce a signature of each file. If the two files are different versions of a Windows registry file, the portion of the file hashed are the values of the Windows registry file. If the two files are different, there is a high probability that the signatures of the two files will be different. The signatures may be compared to provide a strong indicator whether the two files are different. Each four-byte hash from one file can be compared against its counterpart from the other file to determine the portion or portions of the files that differ.

Abstract: A method and apparatus connects a user to a remote network, and enforces operation of management software before the user is allowed to perform other tasks on the remote network. The method and apparatus also allows connection of the user to a third party network. The user may be restricted from accessing third party networks not on a trusted list of networks, which may be updated by the management software. The method and apparatus enforces access rules for the third party software to prevent unauthorized retrieval or deletion of information by the third party software.

Abstract: A method and apparatus heats ultrapure water using microwaves. Chambers such as pipes containing the water are capable of admitting microwaves to the water, allowing the microwaves to heat the water. The pipes may be made of inert material such as PVDF or quartz that will not introduce contamination into the water.

Abstract: A computer program product and apparatus builds a set of uninstall instructions from a set of installation instructions so that one or more installations of computer updates can be removed.

Abstract: A system and method of (1) creating a temporal queue in which responses to multiple client requests received simultaneously, or nearly simultaneously, by a server computer include indications of periods of time such that subsequent rounds of client requests are staggered in time, and (2) notifying system users of the status of their messages with respect to the temporal queue. A log-in request is transmitted from a user to the server computer. In response, a message containing an estimate of the period of time required for prior threads to conclude is sent. The user is notified of the remaining time left in the temporal queue. Upon the expiration of the period of time, the thread continues with further messages.

Abstract: A method and apparatus allows a client to easily send multiple commands to a server. The client registers one or more tables with the method and apparatus of the present invention, which contain information with which to query the client if the client provides commands to be sent to a server. When the client sends a command intended for the server, the command and the tables are used to query the client. If the application responds affirmatively to the query, additional commands are generated for sending to the server. The method and apparatus assist in handling errors by deleting, either unconditionally or upon receipt of an instruction from the client, all pending commands related to the command causing the error and not generating additional such commands.

Abstract: A system and method for distributing software applications and data to many thousands of clients over a network. The applications are called “channels”, the server is called the “transmitter”, and the client is called the “tuner”. The use of channels is based on subscription. The end-user needs to subscribe to channel before it can be executed. When the end-user subscribes to a channel the associated code and data is downloaded to the local hard-disk, and once downloaded the channel can be executed many times without requiring further network access. Channels can be updated automatically at regular intervals by the tuner, and as a result the end-user is no longer required to manually install software updates, instead these software and data updates are automatically downloaded and installed in the background.