Abstract: Selected visual content is unobtrusively presented on a computing system display, so as not to obscure or prevent access to underlying content. The selected visual content may be designated from among various types of visual content by a user or by a program. The selected visual content is maintained as the topmost content so that it is not obscured by other visual content. In addition, the selected visual content is rendered to be at least partially visually transparent and functionally transparent, preferably using functionality already included in an operating system used by the computing system. The selected visual content can thus be viewed by a user while the user is still able to see and work with the other visual content on the display that may underlie the selected visual content, enabling the user to work more efficiently and make better use of the display.

Abstract: Technology for protecting a digital content including a first content protection system capable of decrypting the digital content, the digital content including an inclusion list; a linkable library providing access for an application to the functionality of the first content protection system, the application including a second content protection system; and a means for evaluating the second content protection system to determine if the second content protection system is on the inclusion list.

Abstract: A schema-based device service that provides centralized access to per-user device data, wherein access to the device data is based on each user's identity. The device service includes a schema that defines rules and a structure for each user's data, and also includes methods that provide access to the data in a defined way. The device schema thus corresponds to a logical document containing the data for each user. A service such as a notification/alerts service accesses data in the logical document by data access requests through defined methods, such as in order to customize or modify a notification for a device based on the device characteristics. In one implementation, the device schemas are arranged as XML documents, and the services provide methods that control access to the data based on the requesting user's identification, defined role and scope for that role.

Abstract: Described is a method and system providing a dynamic, live (active) surface and/or model elements to complement and enhance what is being modeled or visualized, enabling the addition of new features and functionality to visualization and modeling tools. A dynamic surface is accomplished by extending traditional HTML, rendering APIs and/or components to enable visualization and modeling functionality. The surface background and model elements may comprise HTML elements, and the surface can include a Web site. The model elements are HTML elements layered dynamically atop the surface, as the user interacts with them, and completed designs may be saved in a non-proprietary format, (e.g., HTML). The live surface bases its services on HTML rendering engine services, and further provides a visualization and modeling engine that wraps and extends the rendering engine through multiple interfaces.

Abstract: A framework is provided within a database system for specifying database monitoring rules that will be evaluated as part of the execution code path of database events being monitored. The occurrence of a selected database event triggers a rule that evaluates some parameter of an object related to the event against a condition in the rule. If the condition is met, a specified action is taken that can alter the execution of the database event or database system performance. Lightweight aggregation tables are utilized to enable aggregation of object parameter values so that presently occurring events can be compared to a summary of the object parameter values from previously occurring database events. Signatures are assigned to queries based on the structure of the query plan so that information in the lightweight aggregation tables can be grouped according to query signature.

Abstract: An accessory is provided for use with an existing antenna on a wireless device to improve directionality and/or signal strength. The accessory includes a conductive surface that is coupled to the existing antenna using a clip disposed on an arm that supports the reflector. The conductive surface is disposed at a quarter wavelength spacing from the existing antenna. Alternatively, the reflective surface may be made sufficiently large to reflect received wireless signals in regard to a plurality of existing antennas that are spaced apart, e.g., internal and external antennas. The reflector can optionally be curved to achieve a desired directional characteristic for the wireless signals reflected by the accessory. Also, a director can be included on the accessory to provide improved gain and directionality for the wireless signals, relative to the existing antenna system.

Abstract: Aggregation queries are performed by first identifying outlier values, aggregating the outlier values, and sampling the remaining data after pruning the outlier values. The sampled data is extrapolated and added to the aggregated outlier values to provide an estimate for each aggregation query. Outlier values are identified by selecting values outside of a selected sliding window of data having the lowest variance. An index is created for the outlier values. The outlier data is removed from the window of data, and separately aggregated. The remaining data without the outliers is then sampled in one of many known ways to provide a statistically relevant sample that is then aggregated and extrapolated to provide an estimate for the remaining data. This sampled estimate is combined with the outlier aggregate to form an estimate for the entire set of data. Further methods involve the use of weighted sampling and weighted selection of outlier values for low selectivity queries, or queries having group by.

Abstract: Techniques are described for adaptive changing a displayed foreground color when a conflict between the displayed foreground color and an extracted background color is detected. Upon detection of such a conflict, a new foreground color is selected in accordance with a predetermined legibility criterion. That is, a color pool candidate may be considered to be a viable foreground color if a legibility value for the candidate color in relation to the extracted background color exceeds a predetermined legibility threshold value.

Abstract: In computerized recognition having multiple experts, a method and system is described that obtains an optimum value for an expert tuning parameter in a single pass over sample tuning data. Each tuning sample is applied to two experts, resulting in scores from which ranges of parameters that correct incorrect recognition errors without changing correct results for that sample are determined. To determine the range data for a given sample, the experts return scores for each prototype in a database, the scores separated into matching and non-matching scores. The matching and non-matching scores from each expert are compared, providing upper and lower bounds defining ranges. Maxima and minima histograms track upper and lower bound range data, respectively. An analysis of the histograms based on the full set of tuning samples provides the optimum value. For tuning multiple parameters, each parameter may be optimized by this method in isolation, and then iterated.

Abstract: A description file that includes multiple statements written in a customizable, tag-based interpreted language for processing data contained in the messages is disclosed. A data shaper translates and then executes each statement in the description file. The customizable, tag-based interpreted language, defines the operational behavior of the data shaper. The operational behavior shapes data contained in the messages to produce publishable matter suitable for online presentation.

Abstract: A method and system for managing admission to a network considers the packet delay of the network in making an admission decision. The packet delay of the network is periodically probed. To avoid disturbing or impairing the traffic of the network, a sequence of probing packets is sent to the network at an irregular interval. Responses to the probing packets are analyzed to obtain delay information of the network. If the delay information is insufficient to make an admission decision, then the packet loss rate of the network is measured and considered.

Abstract: Verification of intermediate language code. In one embodiment, a computer-implemented method first verifies metadata of an intermediate language code for consistency and accuracy, and then verifying the intermediate language code for consistency and accuracy. This latter part in one embodiment is accomplished by performing first a syntactic check of the intermediate language code, and then a semantic check of the intermediate language code.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for asynchronously providing interested applications of state changes in removable devices. A device driver polls the device associated with the driver for state changes. The state changes result in a change notification being generated. The driver provides the change notifications to the interested applications. The present invention also provides a change notification by a device driver to interested applications when a client application initiates a change in the device.

Abstract: A method, identification tag reader and computer program product for communication with an identification tag are disclosed. To communicate with the tag, identification data may be retrieved from an identification tag. A guest identification, compliant with at least a portion of a standard network protocol address, may be assigned to the identification tag. A message addressed to a tag routing address of the tag may be received, and a response to the message may be sent.

Abstract: An adaptive pattern classifier makes use of training patterns and a known non-linear invariance transformation to generate a classifier representation based on an infinite set of virtual training samples on a training trajectory. Given the non-linear invariance transformation, optimization can be formulated as a semidefinite program (SDP), which is given by a linear objective function that is minimized subject to a linear matrix inequality (LMI). In this manner, a small training set may be virtually supplemented using the non-linear invariance transformation to learn an effective classifier that satisfactorily recognizes patterns, even in the presence of known transformations that do not change the class of the pattern.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for configuring and monitoring multiple computers coupled to a network. A management computer includes software for monitoring multiple monitored computers such as server computers that are networked together on a network. The management computer includes an aggregator component that accumulates information regarding the multiple monitored computers. A video display displays a result from the aggregator component. Each of the monitored computers implement a schema for responding to queries by the aggregator component of the management computer by providing an access point to information about the monitored computer. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention the schema is implemented using WMI functionality of Windows 2000® which is a specific implementation of the Web-Based Enterprise Management protocol (WBEM).

Abstract: A computer may be remotely accessed. At a first location, display commands are generated. The display commands are converted into a compressed video data stream. Each display element (50) is checked if it is encoded (52). If an object is encoded, it is transcribed into MPEG (54). The image is adjusted for display (56) and compression (58). Additional steps of motion determination (60), change detection (62), compression depth and frame determination (66, 68) are executed. Then the data is transmitted to a second location. This display commands are decompressed and displayed as an image at the second location.

Abstract: Method for the interactive graphical presentation of multidimensional data to a user. Data is extracted from multidimensional database, in which it is arranged and stored according to predetermined attributes, representing different measures for each dimension. A data processing means having user interface is coupled to the database, so as to extract data for presentation. Upon receiving a request for presentation from the user, data which is relevant to the request is extracted from the corresponding dimension(s) in the database, processed by the processing means and displayed in two or more separate windows linked to each other. Each window corresponds to a single dimension and contains colored bars or other means of representation for comparative presentation of the data related to this single dimension.

Abstract: In accordance with another aspect, the invention is embodied in a computer operating system capable of supporting plural objects running in a computer having a working memory, the computer operating system including a kernel resident in the working memory at link time, and a loadable mutation object resident at link time outside of the working memory and dynamically loadable into the working memory at run time upon demand of one of the application programs, the mutation object including an interface with methods for mutating any one of the plural objects. The kernel includes a loader for loading the mutation object into the working memory in response to a demand from one of the plural objects. The computer further includes a storage memory separate from the working memory, the loadable mutation object residing at link time in the storage memory.

Abstract: A method is provided for tuning a database to recommend a set of physical design structures for the database that optimize database performance for a given workload given a total time bound that defines a maximum amount of time that can be spent tuning the database. A cumulative set of recommended structures is maintained and incrementally updated based on tuning that is performed in intervals over portions of the workload. The cumulative set of recommended structures is updated by tuning the database by examining a predetermined portion of the workload during a time slice that is a fraction of the total time bound. At the end of the time slice, a set of recommended structures has been enumerated that is based on the workload portions that have been examined thus far. The set of recommended structures is updated until all queries in the workload have been examined or until the time bound is reached.