Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for controlling the deferred execution of user requests in a data processing system. In the depicted embodiment of the present invention, each deferred user request includes a plurality of user defined attributes which may include a desired time of execution, a relative importance assigned, a ranking of the request security level and an indication of the organization level of the user for each deferred request. A deferred application request service is then established and utilized to evaluate the attributes associated with each deferred user request. The order of execution of each deferred request is then determined by the evaluation of each of these user specified attributes, in a specified order. A user specified precedence value for each attribute may be utilized in order to resolve conflicts in the order of execution between multiple deferred requests.

Abstract: A method and system for efficiently managing a time critical response to a distribution within a data processing system. The amount of time required to present a distribution to a recipient is determined in response to a receipt of that distribution at the user's station. Next, a specified time for response, action date or invalidation date is determined and a latest possible presentation initiation time is calculated which permits completion of the presentation of the distribution prior to the specified time for response or invalidation. An audible and/or textual notification is then generated and presented to the user prior to the calculated latest possible presentation initiation time, such that the user may efficiently respond to the distribution prior to the specified time for response.

Abstract: A method and data processing system are disclosed for processing incoming telephone calls. In one embodiment, the invention, in response to the receipt of an incoming telephone call, searches a calendar database for information describing the scheduled location of the party called. At the caller's option, the invention may transfer the incoming call to the scheduled location or telephone number of the party called or may inform the caller of the scheduled location or telephone number of the party called. The invention may search a directory database for a telephone number associated with the information describing the scheduled location of the party called if the information describing the scheduled location of the party called does not include a telephone number.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and system for creating a specific audio message for playback, in a data processing system. The data processing system has a multitude of diverse data types, and the audio message includes one or more audio segments and a presentation that is associated with one or more unique identifiers. Each of the unique identifiers includes a specification of a particular data type to be returned for presentation. The user is prompted to record one or more audio segments. One or more of the unique identifiers are associated with the audio segments. In response to a query from a caller or a signal from the data processing system, the audio message is automatically presented by presenting the audio segments and the presentation associated with the unique identifiers. The presentation is created by retrieving the data type and the location specified by unique identifiers from the data processing system.

Abstract: A method and data processing system are disclosed for placing a telephone call. In one embodiment, the invention, in response to user designation of a party and input of a CALL command, searches an electronic calendar database for information describing the scheduled location of the designated party and places a call to the scheduled location of the designated party. In another embodiment, the invention, in response to user selection of an electronic calendar event and input of a CALL command, searches an electronic calendar database for information describing the scheduled location of the event and places a call to the scheduled location of the event. In either embodiment, the invention may search an electronic directory database for a telephone number associated with the scheduled location of the designated party or event.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for enhanced electronic mail distribution which permits expeditious distribution of electronic mail documents to multiple host systems and/or external networks via a single host agent. A distributed data processing system having multiple host systems and/or external networks permits electronic mail documents to be distributed from local networks to nodes within various host systems or networks by establishing a host agent reference table at selected host agents within the local network. Each host agent reference table includes an identification of selected destination nodes associated with an identified host agent for those nodes. A referral to the host agent reference table may then be utilized to determine the appropriate host agent for an electronic document destined for a selected node. Thereafter, existing interprocess local network communications may be utilized to communicate the electronic document to the appropriate host agent.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to associate actions, attributes, objects or devices on a computer desktop to reduce multiple manual processes. A media association agent monitors, builds, maintains and recalls links based on prior actions and user choices. The media association agent exists within a data processing system as a background process which may be implemented as a terminate-and-stay-resident (TSR) process. Devices, attributes, objects and actions are registered by the media association agent and stored in non-volatile storage. Associations are then built by links among the entities registered with the media association agent. These links take the form of entries in relational database tables, entries in flat files, linked lists, sets of pointers, etc. The groups of links are assigned unique identifiers for internal use by the media association agent. The media association agent acts continuously to record actions and build links passively or on demand based on user specific user signals such as a trigger.

Abstract: A method of manipulating and obtaining access to graphical desktop objects is disclosed. Touch-sensitive fields are provided on a computer display for user selection. Upon selecting one of the fields with a fingertip, a fingerprint therefrom is analyzed and compared to a list of authorized fingerprints. Once the fingerprint passes inspection, the user is granted access to the underlying program.

Abstract: A system for manipulation of isochonous data provides for definition of frames within the string of isochronous data, if necessary, and then allows selection of frames of data from items of isochronous data to define segments therein. retrieve, copy and delete operations are facilitated by the use of the frames of data as arguments in the presentation of commands to an operator. Criteria such as time and frame numbers and names may be used to define segments and express Boolean logic operations to be carried out during these operations and to define, during editing, of the particular frames to be reproduced. By doing so, only the frames of interest are retrieved from or copied to memory to reduce memory operation and data transmission overhead.

Abstract: A data processing system determines the relative frequency of occurrence in a specified file object of two specified classes of display objects and displays the contents of the file object accentuating display objects of the class having the desired relative frequency of occurrence. Relative frequency of occurrence may be determined by number of occurrences of display objects within each of the two classes or by determining a weight for each display object of each of the two classes. Relative frequency of occurrence may be computed either by separately summing or by computing the difference of either the number of objects or the weight of objects of the two classes.

Abstract: Color coding of characters both for optical character recognition by a machine and for viewing by a human is provided by coloring a character with a predominate color distinguishable by humans and a non-predominate color non-distracting to humans, but distinguishable by a color scanner. The advantage of the present invention is higher optical character recognition accuracy rates without the severe visual distraction to human readers of prior art color coded characters. A further technical advantage is that the invention can be practiced with conventional color printers and color scanners instead of the specialized apparatus of prior art color coded characters.

Abstract: Method of, and apparatus for, processing a color coded character to recognize the character being examined by an OCR device. Said color coded character comprises a predominate color associated with said character distinguishable by humans, and a non-predominate color associated with said character and non-distracting to humans, but distinguishable by a color scanner. The present invention allows the non-predominate color of a character to be used as the sole criteria for recognizing the character.

Abstract: A method and system are disclosed for the efficient distribution of messages utilizing a data processing system. A distribution channel is selected in response to a user selection of a particular distribution media. If transmission via the selected distribution channel fails, an alternate distribution media is automatically selected and the message converted to that alternate distribution media. Transmission is then attempted utilizing the alternate distribution media via a different distribution channel. In one depicted embodiment of the present invention the process of automatically selecting a different distribution media and attempting transmission via a different distribution channel continues until such time as a transmission is successful or a specified maximum number of attempted transmissions has occurred.

Abstract: A method and system are disclosed for permitting automatic interaction between data and multiple applications in a data processing system. A selectable graphic representation associated with each application is displayed within the data processing system and after user selection of a particular graphic representation, designated data is automatically transferred to or utilized to access the associated application. A distinctive highlight overlay is associated with each graphic representation and utilized to graphically highlight data selected by user for interaction with a selected application. Alternately, data selected by a user may be utilized to automatically select a particular application to transfer that data to or for access and the distinctive highlight overlay associated with the particular application is then utilized to visually confirm access to that application.

Abstract: Automatic detection of the activities of a user of a data processing system is provided by the use of an Activity Event Detection Process, an Activity Detection Process, and an Interrogator Process. The Activity Event Detection Process detects events indicating user activity. The Activity Detection Process evaluates the user activity indicating events to determine the activity of a user. The Interrogator Process provides an interface to a requesting user and formulates appropriate queries to be sent to one or more Activity Detection Processes.

Abstract: A method and system in a data processing system, having a plurality of users enrolled therein and having a number of electronic mail objects which may be transmitted and received within the distributed data processing system, are provided for ensuring a specific response to a selected electronic mail object by a recipient thereof within the data processing system. The method and system include designating an electronic mail object as requiring a specific response and then transmitting the electronic mail object to a recipient. The recipient of the electronic mail object is prompted for a specific response in response to the recipient opening an electronic mail object and is prohibited from performing a selected action until the specific response has been entered by the recipient.

Abstract: A method and system which permits a user to selectively manipulate a display of a full motion video presentation within a data processing system, wherein the full motion video presentation is comprised of a number of frames containing picture elements arranged in rows and columns. The video presentation frames are sequentially displayed within the data processing system. Thereafter, a region of interest within each of a selected number of the frames of the full motion video presentation are designated. The picture elements contained within the region of interest within each of the selected frames are stored. Then, the picture elements from the region of interest within the plurality of frames may be independently manipulated during a sequential display of the frames of the full motion video presentation within the data processing system, wherein a display of a region of interest within a full motion video presentation may be independently manipulated.

Abstract: Method of, and apparatus for, providing automatic detection of potential information loss due to undersampling and automatic detection of potential storage waste due to oversampling based on automatic determination of an analog signal's Nyquist rate. The invention acquires an analog signal, determines a maximum frequency of the analog signal and a corresponding Nyquist rate, and allows a user to select a sampling rate based on either the automatically determined Nyquist sampling rate, a user specified sampling rate, a sampling rate determined by a user specified bandwidth, or a sampling rate determined by user specified available space. The invention also informs a user when a loss of information may occur due to a sampling rate being less than the Nyquist rate. The invention also informs a user when a waste of storage may occur due to a sampling rate being greater than the Nyquist rate.

Abstract: Modern electronic office environments often include hundreds of different document format types. Format/object transformation applications exist which are capable of transforming a first selected document/object format into a second selected document/object format; however, the existence of thousands of such transformation applications make it difficult to identify the existence of multiple stage format transformations. Accordingly, a matrix is established having multiple rows and columns of zero value cells. An identification of selected document/object formats is associated with each row and column of the matrix. Thereafter, for each existing transformation capable of directly converting a selected document/object format into a second selected document/object format a value of one is entered into a cell at the intersection of a row of the matrix associated with the selected document/object format and a column of the matrix associated with the second selected document/object format.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for the conditional deletion of selected data objects within a data processing system. In a data processing system having a plurality of data objects stored within a library service, it is common for a selected data object to be utilized or temporarily removed by a system user. In response to a request to delete a selected data object, a determination is first made whether the data object in question is in use or temporarily removed from the library service. If the data object to be deleted is in use or temporarily removed, the deletion of that data object is automatically halted in accordance with the method of the present invention. In one embodiment of the present invention, the deletion of a selected data object may be temporarily deferred in response to a determination that the data object is in use or temporarily removed, until such time as the data object is returned to the library service or no longer in use.