Abstract: A system and method to facilitate selection and programming of at least one of audio and visual program are disclosed. A first computer is operative to connect to a second computer for filtering through a plurality of audio and/or visual programs based on selection criteria to provide a filtered representation of programs. A program from the filtered representation of programs may be selected at the first computer so as to cause a token indicative of the selected program to be assigned to a recipient operative to receive the token. The recipient may be a user at the first computer, a third computer, or an entertainment appliance. The token represents the selected program with sufficient particularity to program an entertainment system based on the token to record the program represented by the token.

Abstract: In methods in the transmission in a data communications network of arbitrarily formatted files between a sender (1) which represents an information provider and one/or more receivers (8) which represent users, a network server (5) is used in the transmission, the transmission itself taking place substantially transparent to both sender (1) and receiver (8). Before the transmission, a file which shall be transmitted is compression-coded, whereafter it is transmitted packet-divided via the server (5) to the receiver (8). In the transmission an already compression-coded file is subjected to a processing specific for one or more users and/or one or more specific application either in the server (5) or in the receiver (8) or both, without any effects on the transmission as such. Software used for the processing can be stored either at the sender (1), server (5) or receiver (8) and possibly downloaded automatically to the processing location.

Abstract: A system and method is provided for facilitating robust reception of multiple frame protocol messages. Initially, a first frame of data is received including therein a first segment of a multi-frame protocol message. Next, the received frame is placed into a data buffer. The buffer is then examined and the message contained therein is parsed to determine whether the received message is a complete message or not. If it is determined that the received message contained in the buffer is an incomplete message, a continuation message is sent to the remote transceiver ATU. However, if the message is determined to be complete, the message is parsed again and the complete message information contained therein is extracted and processed in accordance with the handshaking requirements. Upon receipt of the next frame in the message, this frame is concatenated onto the existing frames in the data buffer. The entire buffer is then re-parsed to determine its completeness.

Abstract: Techniques for transmission of message fragments between Object Request Brokers operating in distributed object oriented environments. The techniques provide an elegant mechanism for fragmentation of messages into sub-messages. In one embodiment, a fragment-offset is provided as a means for determining the location of data bytes in sub-messages with respect to the original message that has been fragmented. During the construction and transmission of sub-messages, the fragment-offset can be updated to indicate the current offset with respect to the original message. Accordingly, in contrast to conventional techniques, a significant amount of computations or bookkeeping to track of several other variables (e.g., number of fragments constructed, total number of bytes constructed, etc.) are not required. As will appreciated, the headers of the sub-messages need not be of the same size. Similarly, the data portions of the sub-messages can vary in size.

Abstract: A method of converting an abstract quality of service policy into a new configuration for one or more network devices of managed network, as routers. The abstract quality of service policy is received and converted into a first set of one or more basic commands. A current configuration of one of the network devices is obtained, e.g. through device discovery. The configuration is received in the form of one or more first command line interface (CLI) commands that represent the current configuration of the network device. A second set of one or more basic commands that correspond to the current configuration of the network device is determined, based on the first CLI commands. The first and second sets of basic commands are transformed into one or more second CLI commands which, when executed by the network device, will create a new configuration for the network device that implements the abstract quality of service policy.

Abstract: A computer system includes an enterprise gateway server and a remote gateway server connected via a data network, such as the Internet, that is relatively inefficient compared to typical private networks. The remote gateway server interfaces the enterprise gateway server to corporate messaging and collaboration data stored locally relative to the remote gateway server. The enterprise gateway server converts multiple data requests for the messaging and collaboration data into a single higher-level data request that is transmitted across the data network. The remote gateway server receives the request and converts the single high level request back into the original multiple request format for presentation to the messaging and collaboration database.

Abstract: A system for removing gaps from streams of packets is provided. The system includes a packet splitter, a header buffer, a data buffer, and a packet combiner. The packet splitter receives the packets. Each of the packets includes a packet header and packet data. The packet splitter separates the packet header from the packet data for each of the packets. The header buffer stores the packet headers and the data buffer stores the packet data. The packet combiner reassembles the packets from the packet headers in the header buffer and the packet data in the data buffer and removes gaps from the reassembled packets.

Abstract: An operating method on the basis of a data processing program is designed to control load-balanced access by a user computer to a server computer in a computer network. The load-balanced access takes place based on an inquiry by the user computer to all server computers regarding their load, and according to an assignment to the server computer with the lowest load.

Abstract: A method for automatically performing a network audit. The network may comprise a number of different types of devices, each with multiple possible configurations. In one embodiment, each device in a network is queried for its configuration. For example, a number of optical routers are queried as to what interface cards each has. All of the data may be collected from a single point in the network. Based on the responses, one or more status queries are issued to each device. Next, the process analyzes the responses according to a set of rules that are tailored for each possible device configuration. Then, one or more network audit tables are displayed. The tables have a similar look and feel regardless of the type of device or the device's configuration. For example, for each type of device configuration there may be tables pertaining to fault analysis, capacity and planning, configuration, and performance.

Abstract: A content supply apparatus is interposed between a portable terminal and a content server, to obtain content demanded by the portable terminal and transmit the obtained content to the portable terminal. A content holding section holds content obtained from the content server. A content supply section obtains the demanded content from the content holding section if the demanded content is there, or from the content server, and transmits the demanded content to the portable terminal. In a preferred embodiment, the content supply section transmits the content in divided content units of a maximum information amount that can be displayed by the portable terminal. In another embodiment, a prefetching section prefetches other content, referred from the transmitted divided content units, and stores the prefetched content in the content holding section.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for managing protocol information in a PNNI hierarchical network. In a PAR-enabled device (1) of the network PAR PTSEs received by the PAR-enabled device (1) from the network are checked to identify redundant protocol information encapsulated in the PAR PTSEs. Protocol information in received PAR PTSEs is then supplied to a protocol device associated with the PAR-enabled device (1). In some embodiments, protocol information identified as redundant is excluded from the protocol information supplied to the protocol device. In other embodiments, the protocol information supplied to the protocol device is tagged to distinguish redundant protocol information from non-redundant protocol information. This facilitates efficient configuration of the network topology for the protocol in question.

Abstract: An electronic control unit for engines or vehicles has multiple CPUs and a single non-volatile memory such as an EEPROM. The CPUs are programmed to directly receive data from the EEPROM. The CPUs may be programmed to generate respective data retrieving commands when the EEPROM is not being accessed for data retrieval. In this instance, the CPUs execute respective system register initialization processing differently from each other after a start of power supply. For instance, the system register initialization processing of a first CPU is divided while the system register initialization processing of a second CPU is not divided. Alternatively, the CPUs may be programmed to generate a data retrieving command only from the first CPU and receive the retrieved data by both the first CPU and the second CPU at the same time.

Abstract: A modular-type home gateway system that includes a HomePNA controller connectable to an existing home telephone line, for providing a home network interface; an ADSL controller connected to a prior outdoor telephone line for providing an access network interface; and a system controller for controlling the HomePNA controller and the ADSL controller, the HomePNA controller and the ADSL controller formed as a modular type that are detachably connected to the system controller through a predetermined interface, and that provides a bridge function between a home network and an access network. The modular-type home gateway system provides a plurality of informational terminals connected to the home network with various data sharing functions (e.g., Internet service sharing function, a peripheral device sharing function, file/and application program sharing function, and an entertainment service sharing function like a network game) for not only narrow-band service data but also wide-band service data.

Abstract: An improved system, method and software program is provided for distributed directory enabled applications using an XML API. The improvement provides an event system, a parser, and a bridge-based object model. The event system includes the ability to publish an event, subscribe to the event, and act on the event. The parser enables the XML API to parse XML files by accepting an XML file as an input stream, parsing the input stream, dynamically loading system services referenced in the input stream, and configuring the services. The bridge-based object model utilizes thread safeness, which enables a bridge to use semaphore access control to control thread access, smart pointers, which enable a bridge to automatically manage the memory it requires, and opaque interfaces, which allow a bridge to maintain interface compatibility when implementation changes occur in an interface.

Abstract: An apparatus, system and method for enabling individuals to communicate with each other to discuss predetermined topics of interest (e.g., health and fitness, weather, politics, science, etc.). In one embodiment, a mobile communicator enables a user to communicate with other participants on various predefined topics within a predetermined range of the device (e.g., five to ten miles). The mobile communicator includes a full-duplex transceiver which is able to send and receive signals on one or more channels, each channel corresponding to a predefined generic topic of interest. The mobile communicator further includes a channel selector operatively coupled to the transceiver for selecting a particular one of the transceiver channels and a corresponding discussion topic. In an illustrative application, the user selects a channel and may then participate in a discussion whose topic or subject matter corresponds to the selected channel.

Abstract: An apparatus, method, and method for doing business allows two business partners to communicate with each other in an architected manner. A first company monitors for changes to its internal data structure that indicate that communication with a second company may be required. A trigger mechanism monitors the data structure for changes, and invokes a software application when the data structure is changed in a defined manner. The software application extracts the new or changed data from the data structure, formats the data into an XML document, and sends the XML document to the second company via a secure communication mechanism, such as a virtual private network (VPN). The second computer system receives the information from the first computer system, parses the information, and processes the information. The second computer system then generates an appropriate response to the first computer system.

Abstract: A loop carrier system includes a home local area network having plural telephone modules and a hub coupled to in-home telephone wiring. The telephone modules and the hub communicate voice signals over the in-home wiring in a dedicated frequency band above baseband POTS. The hub converts between voice signals and voice packets and is connected to a network access device for transferring the voice packets from the home local area network to a telecommunications network which routes the voice packets to a gateway. The gateway converts between the voice packets and a circuit format compatible with a local digital voice switch. A network element includes a Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA)-based server, CORBA-based managed objects accessible by the CORBA-based server and a CORBA-based applications programming interface (API). The CORBA-based API is coupled to an external operations support system which can manage the plural CORBA-based managed objects directly.

Abstract: A method, system and program product for implementing communication to download a driver to a target device or business office appliance using an electronic network message or e-mail. A newest driver for the device/appliance may be downloaded from, for example, a service center connected to the device/appliance through a Wide Area Network (WAN) such as the Internet. The device driver of a client computer using the device/appliance may be updated from the target device/appliance if it is determined that a user of the client computer desires to update the driver of the client computer.

Abstract: When a server apparatus 10 accepts an access of a user, the server apparatus 10 saves both identification information of the user and an access time instant of the user into a file 27 during a preselected time period, and also counts identification information related to the same user, which has been saved in this file 27. Then, when a counted number is larger than, or equal to a certain number, the server apparatus 10 judges that this user intensively accesses the server apparatus 10 within a short time period. Thus, users who access the server apparatus 10 are classified into a user who intensively access this server apparatus 10 within a short time period, or another user who does not intensively access this server apparatus 10 within a short time period. As to such a user who intensively accesses a server apparatus within a short time period, log information of this user is not recorded, so that loads given to the server apparatus are reduced.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for improving an existing application infrastructure of an application service provider. First, a user is prompted to identify at least one aspect of an existing application infrastructure of an application service provider utilizing a network. Next, the identification of the aspect of the existing application infrastructure is received utilizing the network, and the aspect is translated into a common structure such that the structure is stored in a knowledge base. Such common structure is subsequently analyzed using a spreadsheet stored in a database, and the spreadsheet includes predefined rules that are used to identify upgrades to the existing applications infrastructure. Further, upgrades the existing application infrastructure are suggested and displayed based on the analysis utilizing the network.