Abstract: A method for establishing or reinforcing a path through an asymmetric network of interconnected nodes includes storing navigation data at one or more nodes, for use by an agent in traveling from that node to a subsequent node, while ultimately traveling from a first terminal node (for example, a source node) to a second terminal node (for example, a destination node). As the agent travels from a first terminal node to a second terminal node via an intermediate node, the agent modifies the navigation data intended for use by an agent traveling from the second terminal node to the first terminal node via the intermediate node. Agents traveling complementary routes reinforce each other paths, allowing paths to be determined and reinforced.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided that improve graphical software applications, by filtering the data for display according to techniques for defining and manipulating visual indicia. Data may be filtered according to multiple filters that are combined in a number of ways to form the set of data for display. Data may be filtered ontologically and geometrically according to their relationships with other data. Visual indicia that represent filters may be drag-and-dropped between input areas to facilitate ease of use. Data selected according to a filter may be displayed at the same time as non-selected data by applying visually distinctive characteristics to the selected data. A virtual environment may be shown simultaneously on several different video displays at a single workstation.

Abstract: A method of manipulating a three-dimensional object displays a first view of a three-dimensional object on a touchscreen. The touchscreen has three-dimensional views associated with at least one pre-specified visually undelineated portion of the touchscreen. The method receives a touch input on the touchscreen in a visually undelineated portion, and determines a second view of the three-dimensional object based on the view assigned to the visually undelineated portion that received the touch input. The method displays the second view of the three-dimensional object on the touchscreen.

Abstract: A 3-D view manipulation apparatus surrounds a 3-D model displayed on a display device, and allows a user to manipulate the view of the model by manipulating the apparatus, without having to divert the user's view from the model. The apparatus is transparent or semi-transparent, such that all of its surfaces are simultaneously visible. The apparatus may include control features on its surface, edges, or corners to facilitate changing the view of the model to a vantage point from or through that control feature. The apparatus may include a set of orthogonal axes at its center, about which the model may be made to rotate.

Abstract: Modifying 2.5D GIS data for a 2D GIS system involves displaying 3D graphic indicia on a display device, the graphic indicia being displayed in a geospatial manner as a function of 2.5D GIS data in a GIS database associated with a 2D GIS system, and further involves modifying the 2.5D GIS data in the GIS database using the 3D graphic indicia displayed on the display device, including mapping user selections relating to the 3D graphic indicia to 2D geo-location coordinates and modifying the 2.5D GIS data based on the 2D geo-location coordinates.

Abstract: A system and method for navigating a collection of toolbar items that are displayed on an electronic display screen. The toolbar items, such as buttons, are organized into an ordered set of toolbar pages. Each toolbar page contains a fixed number of toolbar items. One toolbar page from the set is displayed at a time in a fixed display area, e.g., a tile, on the display screen. User input causes the currently displayed toolbar page to be replaced by another toolbar page in the ordered set. The user input, such as a continuous swipe gesture across the toolbar display tile, determines the direction of navigation through pages in the ordered set and the speed of the page navigation. The toolbar display area can show the position of the currently displayed toolbar in the ordered set and animated transitions between toolbar items may be displayed to signal toolbar page replacements. A user input, such as a tap of a finger, can select the replacement toolbar.

Abstract: A method for creating a line drawing associated with a point cloud provides a line drawing representing a three-dimensional object and a point cloud of the same. The line drawing has line drawing coordinate data, and the point cloud has point cloud coordinate data. The point cloud also has point cloud distance data of the three-dimensional object. The method also associates the line drawing coordinate data with the point cloud coordinate data. Further, the method uses the associated coordinate data to apply the point cloud distance data to the line drawing.

Abstract: A system and method of distributing a file maintained on a first device located at the top tier of a secured network having at least a second device at a lower tier, without needing to change security parameters of the secured network, is disclosed. Network administrators may access the top tier of the network, may add files into the system, and may generate a file privilege file. The file privilege file can include configuration information for a computer on a tier and may include information about files accessible to a computer on a specific tier. The network propagates the file privilege file from the first device through intermediate devices and onto the second device. The second device may then receive a file authorized from the first device via a connection in the secured network. The second device may also propagate files up to the first device.

Abstract: Modifying 2.5D GIS data for a 2D GIS system involves displaying 3D graphic indicia on a display device, the graphic indicia being displayed in a geospatial manner as a function of 2.5D GIS data in a GIS database associated with a 2D GIS system, and further involves modifying the 2.5D GIS data in the GIS database using the 3D graphic indicia displayed on the display device, including mapping user selections relating to the 3D graphic indicia to 2D geo-location coordinates and modifying the 2.5D GIS data based on the 2D geo-location coordinates.

Abstract: A large number of objects, such as objects representing beams and columns in an object-oriented enterprise engineering system, may be geometrically transformed in a model database by dividing the objects according to criteria into a number of ordered partitions and transforming the objects in each partition as an atomic operation. Objects that are to be transformed are organized into the ordered partitions, and the partitions are transformed in sequential order, such that all predecessors of a given object are transformed before, or in the same operation as, the given object. If a large transformation operation abnormally terminates before all the small transformation operations have been completed, the model database is, nevertheless, left in a consistent state. The transformation operation may be resumed from the point of interruption. Furthermore, the number of objects that may be transformed is not constrained by the amount of memory available in the system.

Abstract: A computing system as described in which individual instructions are executable in parallel by processing pipelines, and instructions to be executed in parallel by different pipelines are supplied to the pipelines simultaneously. The system includes storage for storing an arbitrary number of the instructions to be executed. The instructions to be executed are tagged with pipeline identification tags indicative of the pipeline to which they should be dispatched. The pipeline identification tags are supplied to a system which controls a crossbar switch, enabling the tags to be used to control the switch and supply the appropriate instructions simultaneously to the differing pipelines.

Abstract: A computing system as described in which individual instructions are executable in parallel by processing pipelines, and instructions to be executed in parallel by different pipelines are supplied to the pipelines simultaneously. The system includes storage for storing an arbitrary number of the instructions to be executed. The instructions to be executed are tagged with pipeline identification tags indicative of the pipeline to which they should be dispatched. The pipeline identification tags are supplied to a system which controls a crossbar switch, enabling the tags to be used to control the switch and supply the appropriate instructions simultaneously to the differing pipelines.

Abstract: A method for maintaining consistency between objects in a computer system by defining relationship patterns. A relationship pattern is a collection of entities having relationships with a common entity called an active entity. A semantic entity is associated with the active entity describing the actions to be performed for updating one or more entities of the relationship pattern in response to modification, copying, or deletion of one or more entities participating in the relationship pattern.

Abstract: A computing system as described in which individual instructions are executable in parallel by processing pipelines, and instructions to be executed in parallel by different pipelines are supplied to the pipelines simultaneously. The system includes storage for storing an arbitrary number of the instructions to be executed. The instructions to be executed are tagged with pipeline identification tags indicative of the pipeline to which they should be dispatched. The pipeline identification tags are supplied to a system which controls a crossbar switch, enabling the tags to be used to control the switch and supply the appropriate instructions simultaneously to the differing pipelines.

Abstract: A disk system includes a disk cage having a spring and an interior wall that forms a disk drive chamber. The disk system also includes a disk drive removably coupled within the disk drive chamber. The spring in the disk cage preferably is coupled with the interior wall and extends into the disk drive chamber to form a receiving chamber. The spring contacts the disk drive to dampen disk drive vibration.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for a computer-aided design (CAD) system for dynamically switching from one CAD platform to another CAD platform. The invention includes building a library of generic CAD functions, each for directing a graphical manipulation process. Each one of the generic CAD functions is based on a platform-specific CAD function, there being a large number of common CAD functions among many different CAD platforms. The invention interprets received function calls and translates the call to a generic function call for invoking a generic CAD function. A processor then executes the generic CAD function, irrespective of the platform used to call the function.

Abstract: The present invention provides exemplary software and related hardware for monitoring and managing documents and document properties. One embodiment provides a computer system (40) including a processor (42), a display (44) coupled to the processor, and a computer readable storage media (46) coupled to the processor. The storage media includes code that directs the processor to retrieve a first computer file from the storage media, and code that directs the processor to examine the first computer filed to determine if a plurality of desired properties are contained therein. If all of the desired properties are not contained within the first computer file, the storage media code directs the processor to create a first shadow file which is linked to the computer file so that the shadow file may contain the missing desired properties.

Abstract: A system for graphically displaying an item (having a plurality of elements) on a display device as the item appears at a preselected time in a timeline first determines which of the plurality of elements are later in the timeline than the preselected time. Once this is determined, first and second sets of elements are defined, in which the elements in the first set each have a respective associated time that is no later than the preselected time. The second set of elements, however, includes each of the elements not in the first set of elements. The number of elements in each of the first set and the second set can range from no elements to many elements. The elements in the first set are drawn on the display device in a first format, and the elements in the second set are drawn on the display device in a second format. The second format, however, graphically indicates that the elements in the second set have respective times that each are later than the preselected time.

Abstract: The present invention provides a computer system with an improved graphically-oriented user interface that permits the user to more easily select for manipulation one object from a number of objects that overlap or are in close proximity to one another at a common location in a graphic display. In a preferred embodiment, the invention presents the computer user with the opportunity to preview all possible objects that the cursor might be identifying at its current position and the ability to select one of those objects for manipulation. Thus, rather than cycling through the entire list of objects available for selection at a location in the display, the user can immediately narrow the list down to the desired selection only. The present invention prevents selection errors and drastically reduces the number of user inputs required to select an object.

Abstract: A high-availability parallel processing server has multiple processors that are grouped into processor clusters and a plurality of memory segments. Each cluster may have up to four processors, and there may be up to five clusters of processors. Each of the processor clusters has dedicated memory buses for communicating with each of the memory segments. The server may be designed to maintain coherent interaction between all processor clusters and the memory segments.