Abstract: A system and method for concurrent WLAN and WPAN wireless modes from a single device is presented. A client uses a Wi-Fi device's infrastructure mode to communicate in a WLAN environment and, during idle WLAN times, uses the Wi-Fi device's adhoc mode to communicate in a WPAN environment. The Wi-Fi device uses a watchdog timer to switch between infrastructure mode and adhoc mode. When the client's Wi-Fi device switches to infrastructure mode, the client's Wi-Fi device uses an infrastructure register and an infrastructure device driver to transfer data over the WLAN environment. Likewise, when the client's Wi-Fi device switches to adhoc mode, the client's Wi-Fi device uses an adhoc register and an adhoc device driver to transfer data over the WLAN environment. The client uses a code shim to act as a virtual device driver at times when either the infrastructure device driver or the adhoc device driver is inactive.

Abstract: A device that requires a regulatory label includes a label affixed to a surface of the device and a marking mechanism in the device that detects a configuration setting associated with the device and alters a portion of the label based on the configuration setting such that the label indicates information related to the configuration setting of the device.

Abstract: A system and method for using a client-side hypervisor in conjunction with a secure network-side monitoring mechanism to detect removable media insertions since a client's last network session with the secure network is presented. The hypervisor uses a “client-side insertion value” to track the number of times that a user inserts removable media into a socket located on the client. When the client is connected to the secure network, the client's hypervisor notifies the secure network of each insertion and the secure network increments a “secure network-side tracker value.” For each login request, the client includes the client-side insertion value, which the secure network compares against its secure network-side tracker value. When the two values are different, the secure network sends an action request to the client, such as a request to perform a full system scan.

Abstract: A security fob periodically transmits wireless access signals that can be received by entities such as computers, buildings and the like to which access is sought. A motion detector is in the fob so that when the fob has been motionless for a threshold period non-essential components are deenergized, putting the fob in a sleep mode to conserve battery power.

Abstract: Communications are provided for wide-channel and narrow-channel wireless devices within a common area over a number of channels within a common radio frequency band. Since communications using a wide-channel wireless signal interfere with at least two channels over which communications using narrow-channel wireless signals can occur, wide-channel communications are established only when it is determined that a wide-channel wireless device is present within the common area.

Abstract: A client computer is connected via a network to an anti-virus server and polls the server for indication that an anti-virus needs to be immediately downloaded from the anti-virus server. The client computer disengages from the network, and re-establishes a link with only the trusted anti-virus server. The anti-virus fix is installed, the client computer re-booted, and the client computer is then allowed to reconnect to the full network. If the client's primary operating system (OS) is infected, a secondary OS in the client computer performs the anti-virus download and execution. The disengagement from the network is performed by applying a filter in a network interface card (NIC) driver by the primary OS, the secondary OS, a service processor (SP), or by a virtual machine manager (VMM), depending on which is available at the client computer.

Abstract: A wireless network access point is described which provides the resources of a backbone network to wireless clients. The access point is able to minimize the performance impact on 802.11g clients in the presence of mixed in 802.11g/802.11b traffic by isolating wireless network traffic based on protocol. At least one 802.11g timer is maintained for 802.11g traffic. Request for transfers by 802.11b clients which are blind to 802.11g traffic are delayed until after the expiration of the 802.11g timer. Traffic for 802.11g clients proceeds unimpeded while the 802.11g timer is active. A similar timer is optionally maintained for 802.11b traffic.

Abstract: A system, method, and program product is provided that manages a rental computer system by verifying installation of a secure time-day module in a computer system. The computer system is rendered inoperable if the secure time-day module is not installed. A current time-day value is retrieved from the secure time-day module and an end time-day value is retrieved from a secure storage area. The current time-day value is compared to the end time-day value in order to determine whether a rental period has expired. If the rental period has expired, then the user is prevented from using the rental computer system.

Abstract: A computer tablet includes a wireless receiver, and a pen is configured to be manipulated by a person to ride against the computer tablet and thereby provide input to the computer tablet. The pen includes a wireless transmitter. A processor associated with the computer tablet outputs an alarm when a signal from the transmitter of the pen is not sensed by the computer tablet within a time period.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for autonomically disposing a computer such as a workstation. The computer's local persistent storage medium is configured with pre-boot image which is configured with a set of functional modules that facilitate disposal or recycling of the computer to the next user. The disposal and recycle methods are automated, require minimal user intervention, and facilitate moving configuration options and data to a different computer. The entire process may execute from the pre-boot image on the computer's local persistent storage medium without ever booting the primary operating system.

Abstract: A printed circuit board (PCB) for supporting a ball grid array (BGA) includes stress relief features to reduce stress on the solder balls. The stress relief features can be plural lines formed into the PCB along the edges of the BGA, and/or holes formed through the PCB near the corners of the BGA.

Abstract: A ball grid array (BGA) includes straight pins at the corners and if desired along the edges of the array that are engaged with a PCB to reduce stress on the solder balls. The pins can be on the chip substrate of the BGA or on a separate frame that is glued to the chip substrate.

Abstract: A hard disk drive unit includes a microprocessor programmed to erase data stored within the drive unit if it is determined that a process potentially leading to a misuse of the data stored within the drive unit, and if secure disposal configuration data stored in nonvolatile storage within the drive indicates that the data is to be erased. Such a process includes initializing the drive unit for operation without providing a password matching a password stored in the drive unit, initializing the drive unit in a system not having CMOS configuration data matching the drive unit, and determining that a failure rate within the drive unit exceeds a threshold level.

Abstract: An apparatus for securely backing up data using a cryptographic module includes a mass storage device having a first accessible portion and a second encrypted portion. The mass storage device is initialized to only decrypt the encrypted portion on the system that first created the encrypted portion. The cryptographic module may be a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) based on specifications from the Trusted Computer Group. The mass storage device comprises a trusted platform interface module configured to communicate with the TPM. The system may include a motherboard having a TPM, and the mass storage device. The method in one embodiment comprises providing a computer readable mass storage device, initializing a password module, transmitting an encrypted password to the cryptographic module, authenticating the encrypted password, decrypting the encrypted password, transmitting the decrypted password to the computer readable medium, and decrypting the second encrypted portion using the decrypted password.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer-usable medium for minimizing in-band noise in a WLAN network is presented. The method includes the steps of detecting, at a first wireless device that communicates with a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) via a first access point, a signal interference that is caused by a second wireless device that communicates with the WLAN via a second access point, wherein the first and second access points communicate with their respective first and second wireless devices via a same channel; and minimizing the signal interference by sending an instruction to the second wireless device to switch to a third access point, wherein the third access point uses a different channel than the channel that is used by the first and second access points.

Abstract: An arrangement facilitating the connection of a client to a network through an access point, particularly in an area with overlapping 0.11n channels. Preferably, a client may communicate with two access points and “ask” one of them to stop transmitting long enough so as to facilitate communication with the other access point. Current specifications otherwise provide no workable arrangement for handling overlapping channels.

Abstract: A method, computer program product and system for handling the use of multiple 802.11n channels in a location where there are a small number of available channels. An access point (“access point A”) having a client (“client A”) located solely within its coverage area and another client (“client B”) located within its coverage area and a coverage area of an adjacent access point (“access point B”) may receive a request to hold back 802.11n traffic from client B. Client B sends such a request since it is prevented from communicating with access point B using the 802.11n standard due to the interference from access point A communicating with client A using the 802.11n standard. As a result, access point A switches its standard of operation from using the 802.11n standard to communicate with client A to a standard that uses a bandwidth of 22 MHz (e.g., 802.11b, 802.11a, 802.11g standards).

Abstract: A method and system for booting up multiple PCI peripheral devices, such that the number of bootable PCI peripheral devices is not limited by the amount of computer system memory that is dedicated to storing executable boot code for the peripheral devices. The executable boot code is stored on a Read Only Memory (ROM) on each peripheral device. When a new PCI peripheral device begins to boot up, a check for available memory space in a ROM scan memory address space is performed. If there is not enough available room in the ROM scan memory address space for the new device's executable boot code, then a ROM scan detection logic pages an image of another peripheral device's executable boot code out of the ROM scan memory address space before storing the new device's executable boot code into the ROM scan memory address space.

Abstract: A network includes a plurality of wall plates, each of the wall plates couples a network resource such as a computer or a network attached device to the network and includes an RFID circuit to detect proximate devices having an RFID tag. The proximate devices can be network attached devices or non network attached devices such as desks, phones, and artwork. Logic is included within each wall plate which includes wall plate physical location information. The logic is designed to respond to a broadcast signal. In so doing, the physical location of any resource can be determined. The physical location of all known resources are provided to an inventory application in the network, thereby allowing network administrators and users to remotely determine the physical location (room, floor, building, etc.) of any and all known resources attached to the network. Likewise, local computer users are able to identify the network resources located in their vicinity.

Abstract: A method and system for configuring an operating system in a computer system including language selection during bootup rather than at manufacture. A first aspect of the method and system comprises providing a plurality of operating system images in the computer system, each of the plurality of operating system images being based upon a particular language, selecting one of the plurality of operating system images based on the language supported by the computer system and loading the selected operating system image into the computer system. A second aspect of the method and system comprises providing a language-independent operating system image in the computer system, determining a language supported by the computer system, loading the language-independent operating system image into the computer system, and associating the language supported by the computer system with the language-independent operating system image.