Abstract: A new class of data file storing objects which have the ability to self-extract, i.e. within objects in the new class, there is a method to extract selected individual files stored in the objects. There is provided a computer controlled object oriented programming system having means for interfacing a plurality of programming objects with each other and including at least one data storage object of an object class comprising means within said object for storing a plurality of data files, and means within said object for extracting said stored data files from said object. The object class is most effectively used with Java objects. The compressed files stored in the objects may be program files. The files are usually compressed into a single file for distribution.

Abstract: A user interactive display computer process and program, provided by a distributer of computer components to a seller of computer systems, for configuring computer systems and networks including the computer components. The process involves prompting system purchasers to make a sequence of interactive data entries, each of said entries relative to the data processing needs of the purchaser using one of said computer systems and networks and then allocating the computer components to the networks and systems based upon said user entries. The quantities of the computer components thereby allocated to computer systems sold by said seller to said purchasers during a selected time period are tracked and stored. Then, a determination is made as to whether the quantities of components thereby allocated during the time period exceed a selected level and if the level is exceeded, fees due from said seller to said distributer for said process are foregone.

Abstract: A data processor controlled display system for displaying documents including natural language text representative of data transmitted in a markup language such as HTML to a display station from a location remote from said station. The HTML tags are tokenized prior to transmission, comments are removed from the HTML file prior to transmission and the file is then subjected to a conventional general text compression. After the HTML file is received at the display station, it is decompressed, detokenized and the resulting HTML file is used to create a document or page on the display.

Abstract: A computer controlled user interactive display system with an implementation for displaying within a defined display space a plurality of objects having dimensions proportionally representative of physical parameters of elements respectively represented by said objects, but this system is provided with a further implementation for nonlinearly modulating at least one dimension of at least one of said displayed objects so as to conform the object dimension to the dimensional limitations of the defined display space without affecting the dimensional status of the object with said modulated dimension relative to the other objects.

Abstract: A system, method and computer program are provided for viewer navigation within a virtual reality three-dimensional workspace containing functional three-dimensional objects which are capable of being moved and environmental three-dimensional objects which have stationary positions in the workspace. Navigation from an initial viewpoint interface in the virtual reality workspace to a subsequent viewpoint is carried out by the viewer selecting an environmental object whereupon the system responds by shifting the viewpoint to a subsequent position in the workspace.

Abstract: A network for small businesses is provided which is easy to install, configure and operate and still provides users of the client computers in the network with the same degree of flexibility in configuring graphical user interfaces to operating systems and application programs as do present stand alone personal computers. All of the software to be used by the client computers: operating systems and application programs is stored on the network server computer. The graphical user interfaces to the operating systems and application programs are customized in the conventional manner by the users of the client computers, usually at the client computer through a conventional interactive display. In the customization of a program, the data representative of an initial user interface is stored.

Abstract: A system is provided for the configuration of operations in a network comprising at least a server computer and a respective plurality of client computers connected to each server computer. The system involves the combination of means for interactively prompting a user to make a sequence of data entries, each of said entries being apparently unrelated to computer operations and covering a demographic aspect of the business environment using the network, and means for allocating network computing components and operations among the computers in the network in response to and based upon said user entries. All of the programming resources which are allocated may be found in the server and the algorithms for allocating and distributing are also on the server. The allocation of programs by the server computer is based upon user profiles for each user developed as a result of the data entries made in response to the above-described prompt panels.

Abstract: A data processor controlled system for providing virtual memory comprising a data processor memory for storing a plurality of real memory pages, secondary storage unit and a memory management control unit for moving the real memory pages into and out of the secondary storage unit wherein each real memory page is respectively stored as a virtual memory page. The invention provides a system and method for deferred allocation of space for a real memory page in the secondary storage unit for recording the address of the space in a table having a plurality of table pages for recording the secondary storage addresses of each of said virtual memory pages.

Abstract: A method and computer program is provided whereby a personal digital assistant or personal palm-type device of very limited RAM capacity can make available sufficient RAM capacity to store a complete global software distribution package so that the appropriate software or software upgrade may be installed into the device from the global package. The method includes the steps of: first deleting from the personal palm-type device RAM all application programs other than application programs required to support the device operating system to receive the global software distribution package and loading the received global software distribution package into the now available device RAM. Then, the software from the global package needed to make the distribution or upgrade of the device is loaded from the global distribution package into the device programmable ROM where all of the device software is permanently stored.

Abstract: A system, method and computer program are provided for presenting to a viewer at a display interface, a virtual 3D workspace containing virtual 3D objects and viewer interactive means for navigating in said workspace. Each object in the workspace has a plurality of face views associated with it. Viewer interactive means are provided for selecting one of the face views. A predetermined face view is presented in the absence of a viewer selection.

Abstract: In a data processor controlled display system having three-dimensional objects laid out in a three-dimensional virtual workspace, the objects have associated therewith virtual force fields around their peripheries. These force fields are defined by data stored in association with the data defining the objects. User interactive navigation means are provided for moving the viewpoint along a selected path at a velocity input by the viewer. Further, means are provided for exerting on said moving viewpoint, the force component of said field at the coordinate position of the viewpoint.

Abstract: A network of a server and a plurality of client computers for small businesses which is easy to install, configure and operate and still provides all of the users in the business with the same transparent access to all of their allocated software resources through a same graphical user interface irrespective of which one of the client computers in the network they may sign onto. The operating systems and the application programs to be used on the client computers are loaded on the server. The users have been prompted for the one time input of data required by the server computer to allocate an operating system and application programs for use by each of a plurality of users on each of the plurality of client computers.

Abstract: A method for installing programs, settings and configurations in a network of a plurality of server and client computers is provided which involves the steps of designating one of said server computers having an interactive display interface to function as the primary server computer, preloading all of the programs to be installed in said server and client computers of the network into the primary server computer and running a sequence of the keystroke and cursor entries required to install said selected components and programs on said server and client computers as recorded in a data file representative of said sequence of entries stored in said primary server computer, whereby said programs and components are automatically loaded into the respective server and client computers in said network requiring said programs and components.

Abstract: A system is provided for setting up what is in effect a “plug and play” local area network for small businesses comprising a server computer and a plurality of client computers. The server computer is preloaded with a network operating system, an operating system for each of the client computers and substantially all application programs to be used by the client computers. There is a programmed interactive display interface in the server computer for interactively prompting a user to make a sequence of data entries relative to the computing needs of the client computers and the users of the client computers. The server computer is then physically interconnected with the client computers. Then means in the server computer allocate the client operating systems and the application programs as needed by the user of the client computers based upon the set up resulting from the prompted data entries.

Abstract: A speech recognition system which interprets speech queries such as help queries and presents a list of relevant proposed commands sorted in order based upon relevance of the commands. The system organizes the displayed commands being prompted to the user through probability determining means which for each of a predetermined plurality of speech commands store an associated set of speech terms, each term having relevance to its associated command combined with means responsive to a speech query for determining the probability of speech terms from said set in said query, and means responsive to said probability determining means for prompting the user with a displayed sequence of commands sorted based upon said probability of speech terms associated with said commands. When such a sorted command is selected, the system has means responsive to a speech command for carrying out the system action corresponding to the command.

Abstract: A data processor controlled display system is provided having on-screen graphic control objects which are a composite of portions formed by vector graphics and portions formed by raster graphics. The peripheral regions of the individual objects are formed by vector graphics and preferably have curvilinear portions while the non-peripheral portions of objects formed by raster graphics have higher visual resolutions.

Abstract: An interactive display computer editing system is provided for the separation of different displayed information types in a designated portion of a document into separate buffers together with means for separately editing the different information types in the buffers. The computer controlled display system includes means for designating a portion of the displayed information in combination with means for storing information of a first type from said portion in a first buffer and means for storing information of a second type from said portion in a second buffer. In addition, first means for editing said stored information of said first type are provided together with second means for separately editing said stored information of said second type. Accordingly, the user need make no editing compromises. The editor best suited for each information type may be used to edit that particular information type.

Abstract: A computer managed communication network with user interactive access via a plurality of display terminals and including a plurality of linked network objects with a system for managing said network in which values of a selected parameter are sensed respectively for each of a plurality of selected objects and stored. The stored data is presented in a graph display including a plurality of icons, each icon representing aspects of said values with respect to one of said selected objects. User interactive means for selecting one of said icons are provided together with means responsive to said selecting means for graphically presenting other aspects of said values. In the monitoring of networks, the invention may be used to track network servers which are monitored via a distribution graph in which icons representative of servers are linked to more detailed line graphs of such servers showing the changes in parameter values versus a time line parameter.

Abstract: In a data processor controlled display system interface for controlling operations, there is provided an error message monitoring and logging system which includes an indicator having a normal state and an attention state together with means for switching said indicator to the attention state upon receipt of a new error message. There are means for enabling a user to designate or click on this indicator and means responsive to said designation for displaying a log including at least said new error message. There are also means responsive to a subsequent user designation or clicking on of the indicator for removing said log and means for restoring said indicator to the normal state after said log is displayed.

Abstract: A system, method and computer program are provided for user navigation within a virtual reality three-dimensional workspace containing functional three-dimensional objects. The viewer navigates from an initial viewpoint interface through a sequence of viewpoints, which sequence the system records. When the viewer has completed his accessing of a functional object for whatever purpose, he has the option of triggering a backout sequence. If the viewer triggers such a sequence, the system will backout from the accessed objects through the sequence of recorded viewpoints in reverse order. At any one of these viewpoints during the backout, the viewer has the option of interrupting the reverse or backout sequence and proceeding to any viewpoint he may desire in another direction.