Abstract: A system, method and computer program product are provided for compression of characters. Upon receipt of a plurality of characters, at least one test is performed on the characters to determine if an outline of the characters is capable of being approximated by a mathematical approximation. If the outline of the characters is capable of being approximated, the characters are approximated using the mathematical approximation.

Abstract: A system, method and computer program product are provided for gathering statistics associated with a network session. Initially, a plurality of packets is received at a plurality of analyzers. Such packets are analyzed to identify a plurality of flows. Further identified are a session associated with the plurality of flows and at least one application associated with the session. The session is then reconstructed utilizing the identified application for analysis purposes. A plurality of statistics associated with the session is then gathered based on the analysis.

Abstract: One aspect of the invention is a method for playing a stored content providing a plurality of segments which collectively contains the stored content, each segment has using first terminus and a second terminus with the content having a temporal flow from the first terminus to the second terminus. At least one segment is associated with a plurality of links to other segments. The method includes playing at least one segment with the temporal flow, determining whether a content expansion is desired prior to reaching the second terminus. If the content expansion is desired, then linking to an expansion segment and playing the expansion segment. If the content expansion is not desired, then linking to a continuing segment and playing the continuing segment. The method includes an additional link from the expansion segment to the continuing segment such that the continuing segment is played after the expansion segment has been played.

Abstract: A method and system for on-access virus scanning within an enterprise or in a workgroup, where all users are authenticated against a trusted certificate authority. The first time an item, such as an executable file or document, is accessed, it is scanned for viruses, worms, trojan horses, or other malicious code, and, after the item is determined to be free from threats or is corrected, a certificate noting this information is generated. At the same time a Globally Unique Identifier (“GUID”) is generated and appended to the item. The certificate contains various information, including the identity of the scanner that performed the virus check, as well as a means for determining if the original item has been altered since it was scanned, and is stored in a certificate database. The GUID is used as a pointer for locating the certificate. A subsequent user who accesses the item will detect the GUID and can use the GUID to locate the certificate for the item.

Abstract: A method for analyzing a connection oriented multiplexing and switching network (COMSN), includes dividing a subsection of a COMSN network into a plurality of virtual channel characterization (VCC) layers, extracting frames from the subsection when the frames are available over a period of time in each of the plurality of VCC layers, and selectively displaying objects associated with the frames and the relationships between the objects.

Abstract: A system, method and computer program product are provided for filtering various voice protocols. A plurality of voice protocols is initially displayed. Next, an indication is received from a user as to the selection of the voice protocols. It is further determined as to a particular filtering mode that is currently operating. Next, the selected voice protocols are filtered in the determined filtering mode.

Abstract: A magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) sensor system and a method for fabricating the same are provided. First provided is an antiferromagnetic (AFM) layer. A first ferromagnetic layer with a pinned magnetization is disposed adjacent to the AFM layer for serving as a pinned layer. Next included is a tunnel barrier layer adjacent to the first ferromagnetic layer, and a second ferromagnetic layer adjacent to the tunnel barrier layer. Adjacent to the second ferromagnetic layer is a spacer. A third ferromagnetic layer is positioned adjacent to the spacer for working in conjunction with the second ferromagnetic layer to serve as a free layer. The magnetization direction of the pinned layer is substantially perpendicular to the magnetization direction of the free layer at zero applied magnetic field. A cap layer resides adjacent to the third ferromagnetic layer. A thickness of the first ferromagnetic layer and second ferromagnetic layer is selected to achieve a resonant tunneling effect.

Abstract: A method for improving the performance and responsiveness of a computer program is presented. The system consists of a read-ahead mechanism that scans current data-sets and reads data-sets referenced within the current data-set prior to any actual request or access to the data set by the system. The determination of which data sets to access is made based upon a prioritization computed either through user defined settings or through heuristic observation of the system's behavior. The present invention has particular value in connection with Internet communications and access to remote data.

Abstract: A system, method and article of manufacture are provided for decomposing surfaces for rendering purposes during computer graphics processing. Initially, an interior mesh of primitives is defined in a surface to be rendered. Next, a plurality of surrounding meshes is defined along sides of the interior mesh. The exterior sides of the surrounding meshes each include a plurality of equally sized segments and at least one fractional segment that is a fraction of the equally sized segments. With this configuration, a pattern of triangles is used that permits the number of triangles to be varied continuously from frame to frame while accommodating incremental evaluation techniques such as forward differencing without visual artifacts such as popping.

Abstract: The present invention is directed at the implementation of a dynamic wrapper for discovery of non-exported functions and subsequent method interception. A practical usage of dynamic wrappers is for security software packages to augment access controls applied to the wrapped modules. The invention permits interception of distributed component object model (DCOM) client initiated method calls at a DCOM server during runtime. The interceptor of the method call denies or grants access to the DCOM method to be executed. The actual logic to determine access permissions need not be part of the interceptor. The interceptor runs as part of the DCOM server. It contains logic to distinguish at runtime the identity of the principal associated with the DCOM client requesting the execution of the function call. The technique works with commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) software and does not require modification of the application source code.

Abstract: A system and method for increasing the security of a data guard is disclosed. The data guard is based on a multi-part proxy that includes a first proxy agent that communicates with an inside computer network region, a second proxy agent that communicates with an outside computer network region, and a content-based filter application that reviews information that is passed between the first proxy agent and the second proxy agent. Both the first and second proxy agents can be based on existing firewall proxies. The proxy agents listen for protocol operations (e.g., IIOP requests or replies) and translate those protocol operations into protocol-independent data. The protocol independent data is then analyzed by a protocol-independent content-based filter. The behavior of the multi-part proxy can be further constrained through the use of software wrapper technology.

Abstract: A method interfacing of a display and a pointing device employing regions of the display, sub-regions and objects with induced motion effects which alter the observed motion on the display of the content related to the pointing device are claimed. Induced motion effects include use of induced motion rules. The display may present one or more views of a 2-D, 3-D, 4-D or higher dimensional virtual space with regions, sub-regions and objects reflecting that dimensionality.

Abstract: A computer program product enables a computer device to implement a method of monitoring Web page traffic. The multi-step method begins by automatically sending a first ping at a first time to a first Internet address associated with a first Web page. A first response time for the first ping is measured to determine a first level of Internet traffic on the first Web page. Using the first response time, a first value is assigned to a perceptible characteristic of a first graphical object, which is then displayed on a display device associated with the computer device. Next, a second ping is automatically sent to the first Internet address at a second time. The second response time to the second ping is measured to determine a second level of Internet traffic on the first Web page. Based on the second response time a second value is assigned to the perceptible characteristic of the first graphical object, which is then redisplayed on the display device.

Abstract: A method is provided for processing multiple types of pixel component representations. The method first includes identifying a plurality of texels in a texture pattern grid that correspond to a pixel. Thereafter, information components of the pixel, i.e. R, G, B, and &agr; are multiplied if the information components of the pixel are in a postmultiplied representation. Further, a colorkeyed replacement operation is carried out if the information components of the pixel are in a colorkeyed representation and at least one of the texels substantially matches a colorkey. Next, a position is interpolated on the texture pattern grid between the texels that corresponds to the pixel. Finally, the information components of the pixel are filtered.

Abstract: A system, method and computer program product are provided for compression of characters. Initially, characters are received after which a mathematical representation for the characters is selected based on a desired level of compression quality of the characters. Such characters are then represented using the selected mathematical representation so that the mathematical representation of the characters may be compressed.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and article of manufacture are provided for sequencing graphics processing in a transform or lighting operation. A plurality of mode bits are first received which are indicative of the status of a plurality of modes of process operations. A plurality of addresses are then identified in memory based on the mode bits. Such addresses are then accessed in the memory for retrieving code segments which each are adapted to carry out the process operations in accordance with the status of the modes. The code segments are subsequently executed within a transform or lighting module for processing vertex data.

Abstract: A computer system utilizing software to map content by determining a field of relevance and at least one topic in the field of relevance is presented. The system determines at least one content pertaining to the topic, retrieves a representation of the content and maps the representation of the content onto the field of relevance. Then, it provides an extremely flexible presentation mechanism where the content is organized by multi-dimensional mappings to present the information effectively. One of the features allows a vector to be assigned to each entity, queries a user or software agent for a particular focal element and displays the multiplicity of distinguishable entities based upon the assigned vectors utilizing the focal vector as a reference point to view the information. The system facilitates the organization of results of database interrogations, web searches and other large data situations, creating a multi-dimensional topic space of content.

Abstract: A system, method and computer program product are provided for scanning a source of suspicious network communications. Initially, network communications are monitored for violations of policies. Then, it is determined whether the network communications violate at least one of the policies. Further, a source of the network communications that violate at least one of the policies is identified. Upon it being determined that the network communications violate at least one of the policies, the source of the network communications is automatically scanned.

Abstract: A system and method update client computers of various end users with software updates for software products installed on the client computers, the software products manufacturered by diverse, unrelated software vendors. The system includes a service provider computer system, a number of client computers and software vendor computer systems communicating on a common network. The service provider computer system stores in an update database information about the software updates of the diverse software vendors, identifying the software products for which software updates are available, their location on the network at the various software vendor computer systems, information for identifying in the client computers the software products stored thereon, and information for determining for such products, which have software updates available. Users of the client computers connect to the service provider computer and obtain a current version of portions of the database.

Abstract: A system, method and article of manufacture are provided for interweaving shading calculations and texture retrieval operations during texture sampling in a graphics pipeline. First, a shading calculation is performed in order to generate output. Next, texture information is retrieved, and another shading calculation is performed using the texture information in order to generate additional output. Texture information may be retrieved and shading calculations may then be repeated as desired. Thereafter, the generated output may be combined. As such, the repeated texture information retrieval and shading calculations may be carried out in an iterative, programmable manner.