Abstract: An apparatus and method for processing multiple cache misses to a single cache line in an information handling system which includes a miss queue for storing requests for data not located in a level one cache and a comparator for comparing requests for data stored in the miss queue to determine if there are multiple requests for data located in the same cache line of a level two cache. Each new request for data from the same cache line of the level two cache as an older original request for data in the miss queue is marked as a load hit reload. The requests marked as load hit reloads are then grouped together with the matching original request and forwarded together to the level two cache wherein the original request requests the data from level two cache. The load hit reload requests do not access level two cache but instead bypass access of level two cache by extracting data from the cache line outputted from level two cache for the matching original request.

Abstract: A retention device for retaining the forward edge of a PCI or ISA adapter card in a computer frame is provided. The retention device has a channel mounted to the frame opposite a rearward edge of the card. The channel has upper and lower panels which define a slot for receiving the forward edge of the card. A finger is pivotally mounted to one end of the channel and has grooves on a lower surface for engaging grooves on an upper surface of the forward edge. The finger is movable between an engaged position for capturing the forward edge to retain it from moving, and a disengaged position for releasing the forward edge and allowing the card to be removed from the slot.

Abstract: A multi-processor computer system with clustered processing units uses a cache coherency protocol having a "recent" coherency state to indicate that a particular cache block containing a valid copy of a value (instruction or data) was the most recently accessed block out of a group of cache blocks in different caches (but at the same cache level) that share valid copies of the value. The "recent" state can advantageously be used to implement optimized memory operations such as intervention, by sourcing the value from the cache block in the "recent" state, as opposed to sourcing the value from system memory (RAM), which would be a slower operation. In an exemplary implementation, the hierarchy has two cache levels supporting a given processing unit cluster; the "recent" state can be applied to a plurality of caches at the first level (each associated with a different processing unit cluster), and the "recent" state can further be applied to one of the caches at the second level.

Abstract: An audio-video broadcast apparatus has non-volatile data storage that contains a file which includes at least one of audio and video data. In addition, the audio-video broadcast apparatus has an audio-video server coupled to the non-volatile data storage. The audio-video server broadcasts contents of the file and causes the non-volatile storage to delete a portion of the file from the non-volatile storage prior to the audio-video server broadcasting all of the contents of the file. In this manner, the amount of required non-volatile storage may be greatly reduced.

Abstract: A method of accessing electronic information, by loading an original document onto a data processing system, selecting a link embedded in the original document (wherein the link is associated with a linked document), and creating a new document by merging the linked document with the original document. Other new documents can similarly be created by merging additional linked documents with the earlier new documents in response to the further selection of other links embedded in the new documents. The original document and one or more linked documents can thus be displayed as a single, unitary file, as well as being printed as a single document. The linked document can be merged with the original document in a variety of manners. The invention is particularly useful in accessing hypertext pages on the World Wide Web of the Internet.

Abstract: A method for providing audio sample rate conversion within a data-processing system is disclosed. An audio data stream is first received. If the input sample rate of the audio data stream is not equal to a target sample rate, several frequency multiplications or frequency divisions are selectively performed until the target sample rate is reached. Then, the audio data stream is passed through a lowpass filter having a cutoff frequency that is less than half of the target sample rate. Finally, the audio data stream is output.

Abstract: A system for managing the flow of real time data streams into a data system cache memory is disclosed. The data system includes a central processing unit or micro controller, with a cache memory, which operates at a relatively fast operating speed, near that of the central processing unit. An interrupt controller is provided as well as a quantization timer that disables the interrupts to the CPU during an execution quantization (EQ) period, and allows the interrupts to pass at an EQ boundary. In operation, the quantization timer controls interrupts to occur only when cache load actions are at a specific quantized time, thus ensuring that a given task in the cache will execute or load for a given quantized length of time, and therefore, the possibility of loading a cache randomly only to execute a few instructions is eliminated.

Abstract: A method and system for locating and displaying the actual position of a cursor contained within a predetermined selectable segment of a compound document within a graphical user interface environment within a data-processing system wherein only a portion of the predetermined selectable segment can be displayed at one time. In response to user input, the graphical user interface dynamically moves to the relative location of a predetermined selectable segment of a compound document wherein a cursor is located. Next, if the cursor is not located within a viewable portion of the graphical user interface, the graphical user interface automatically scrolls within the predetermined selectable segment to a relative location of the cursor within the predetermined selectable segment. Thereafter, a portion of the predetermined selectable segment wherein the cursor is located is displayed within the graphical user interface.

Abstract: A method of scanning an integrated circuit, by converting a parallel scan input (scan data and scan control) to serial, passing the serial scan input through scan circuitry to create a serial scan output, converting the scan output from serial to parallel, transmitting the scan output in parallel from the integrated circuit to the tester. A tester clock signal is derived by synchronizing the tester to a divided clock signal (1/N) of the integrated circuit. Communications take place at a speed of the tester clock signal, but the scan operates at the full operational speed of the device under test. At-speed scan testing can be achieved for speeds in excess of 1 GHz.

Abstract: Provided are a method and system for replacing terminals, linked in a client server relationship with a central server, interacting with hardware specific programs within the central server, and wherein each terminal is identified by hardware specific programs within said central server via specific hardware attributes, and where the specific hardware attributes include at least a port identification and an I/O processor identification associated with the port identification. The method and system achieve the foregoing via the following. A processor is substituted for a selected terminal. Particular hardware attributes of the selected terminal are identified. The identified particular hardware attributes of the selected terminal are emulated using communications software.

Abstract: A method and system for use with wireless communication systems having a cellular architecture with at least a first and a second cell. The method and system provided ensure near uniform capacity and quality of channels within the second cell via the following steps. The noise signal power in unused data channels within the second cell is monitored. When a request for channel access is received, a determination is made whether the request for channel access is either a request for handoff from the first cell into the second cell, or not. In the event that the request is not a request for handoff, a determination is made whether idle channels exist to satisfy the request for channel access. In the event of a determination either that the request for channel access is a request for handoff, or both that the request is not a request for handoff and that idle channels exist to satisfy the request, a measured received signal power of a mobile unit subscriber unit making the request is determined.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for directing a computer system, having at least a processor, user controls, and computer display, to automatically resize a window displayed on the computer display. The method includes the first step of in response to a command from user controls over a first portion of the window, determining whether the window is zoomed out. The second step includes if the window is not zoomed out, automatically resizing the window to a smaller size while continuing to display the contents of the window. The third step includes re-displaying on the computer display the window using the smaller size.

Abstract: A system for synchronizing circuit operation within an integrated circuit having a high frequency clock. The system includes an oscillator for providing a clock signal and a transmission line coupled to the oscillator for distributing the clock signal to load buffers. The load buffers provide sub-circuits within the integrated circuit with synchronized clock signals. The load buffers are resonant and convert the capacitive load impedance of receiving circuits into a virtual inductive load. The impedance converter boosts the clock signal transition times to provide improved high frequency circuit synchronization within the integrated circuit.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for monitoring the performance of an echo canceler within a telephone communications network is disclosed. In accordance with the method and apparatus of the present invention, an embedded echo-cancellation performance monitoring circuit comprises three separate units, namely, a test data injection unit, an echo path simulator unit, and a test data extraction unit. The test data injection unit is utilized to inject test data into a serial data stream intended for an echo canceler. The echo path simulator unit is utilized to simulate an echo path by attenuating the test data in the serial data stream and to loop the test data in the serial data stream back to the echo canceler. The test data extraction unit is utilized to extract the test data from a send-out data stream exiting from the echo canceler.

Abstract: A method and system are displayed in a computer network for providing a two-dimensional representation of a three-dimensional graphic representation to be displayed in association with the three-dimensional graphic representation. The computer network includes a client connectable to a server. Initially, a remote application is transferred from the server to a client. Next, the remote application is displayed within a graphic interface of the client system. Thereafter, the remote application is automatically searched for three-dimensional data representative of a three-dimensional graphic representation. If the remote application includes three-dimensional data, then the three-dimensional data is automatically converted to a two-dimensional representation. Thereafter, the two-dimensional representation is displayed within the graphic interface of the client system in association with the remote application.

Abstract: A method and system in a superscalar data processing system are disclosed for the temporary designation and utilization of a plurality of physical registers as a stack. For each of the multiple instructions to be processed during a single clock cycle by the data processing system, a determination is made whether each of the instructions is a particular type of instruction. If a determination is made that an instruction is a particular type of instruction, a quantity of physical registers to be temporarily designated as a stack is determined utilizing the instruction. A second plurality of physical registers available to be utilized as a stack are determined whether the second plurality of the quantity. The second plurality of physical registers are then temporarily designated and utilized as a stack.

Abstract: A data transmission system generally comprising a bus with transmission lines, and a signal driver that applies a first signal to a first one of the transmission lines, and applies one or more signals to at least one other of the transmission lines which is adjacent the first transmission line, wherein the second signal has an amplitude proportional to an amplitude of the first signal such that crosstalk between the first and second transmission lines is substantially reduced. The signal driver may take the form of a current mode driver, which provides the compensating (second) signal with a current which is k/c times smaller than the current of the first signal, wherein k is the mutual capacitance between the first and second transmission lines, and c is the capacitance between either of the first or second transmission lines and a ground plane. If the first and second transmission lines are orthogonal, the current mode driver preferably includes differential input lines.

Abstract: A method and system are disclosed for handling exceptions generated by a particular processor among a number of processors within a multiprocessor data processing system. The data processing system includes a global queue from which threads are dispatched in a priority order for execution by the processors and a number of local dispatch flags, which are each associated with one of the processors. In response to an occurrence of an exception during execution of a particular thread by a particular processor, a state of the particular thread, which is at least partially defined by volatile data within the particular processor, is saved. A selected exception handler associated with the exception is then executed. Next, a determination is made whether resumption of the particular thread depends upon an occurrence of a specified event.

Abstract: Disclosed is an IC card having a connector wherein a socket or a jack can be inserted in a direction that is parallel to the face of the IC card. The connector includes a connector body having a rotatable housing attached thereto. The housing has an opening by which a socket or a jack can be fitted and secured to the connector body. When a socket or a jack is not connected to the IC card, the housing member can lie level along the face of the IC card but when a socket is to be connected, the housing can be raised such that it is almost perpendicular to the face of the IC card. The socket or the jack can therefore be inserted parallel to the face of the IC card.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for automating validation and payment within a Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) system having a number of trading partners linked via an independent (or proprietary) communications network utilizing an Electronic Data Interchange (EDI). Planned orders for production items generated via a Materials Requirement Planning (MRP) system and/or orders for non-production items are utilized by a purchasing system to create a purchase order which is then transmitted to a supplier via Electronic Data Interchange (EDI). A planned receipt list of items is created based upon the purchase order and utilized to validate those items listed within an advanced ship notice. In response to such validation, or after correcting any discrepancy in accordance with listed tolerances, an authorization for payment is automatically generated and payment is issued.