Abstract: A voice processing system for connection to a telephone line for providing telephony support to voice processing applications having a voice processing application and a media object, the media object having an output element for outputting a set of output components in accordance with one or more presentation criteria such as locale and style; a receiving element for receiving the media object from the voice processing application, the media object representing desired output over a telephone line; and the outputting element outputting the output components over the telephone line.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for optical identification an unknown character from a plurality of known characters. Each of the known characters includes a predominant color and a nonpredominant color in preselected proportions. The unknown character has at least one geometric feature and a plurality of pixels including a predominant color and a nonpredominant color. The method and apparatus of the present invention include an examination of at least one geometric feature of the unknown character. A hypothetical identity for the unknown character is generated in response to the examination of at least one geometric feature of the unknown character. A portion of the plurality of pixels of the unknown character is sampled and a proportion between the predominant color and the nonpredominant color within the sampled portion of the plurality of pixels is determined from the sampled pixels.

Abstract: A method and system for modifying a project model in response to an update. The project model including a plurality of activities, wherein each activities includes an early start date and a late finish date. A number of activities are initially added from the project model to a list in response to an update. Each activity added to the list is directly affected by the update. For early dates, an activity with an early start date that precedes all other early start dates with respect to other activities within the list is removed. Then, the early start date for the removed activity is redetermined in response to the update. Activities which succeed the removed activity and which are related to the activity to the list are added to the list if absence of a match between the redetermined early start date and the early start date associated with the removed activity exists.

Abstract: A graphical user interface for a computer system that includes one or more intelligent assistants. The interface includes composite icons comprising a graphical representation of a human figure, a representation of a desk, and a mini-icon that associates an assistant with the object it supports. The assistant's desk can be opened to show its contents and the human figure can move from its position next to the desk to a position on the computer display screen next to a suggestions dialog box that displays suggested actions to the user.

Abstract: A method of automatically informing a calendar user of certain meeting attributes when a meeting notice is posted to a calendar program. The user posts the meeting notice on the user's calendar. The posting routine of the calendar program reads the meeting notice and compares it with the user's posting profile which contains a plurality of search predicates. A search predicate includes one or more attributes of a calendar event notice, conjunctive specifications for the attributes, and specified criteria for each of the attributes. If certain attributes of the meeting notice match any number of the search predicates of the posting profile, the user's individual computer outputs an audio message associated with each search predicate found in the notice.

Abstract: A method and system for location dependent verbal command execution in a computer based control system within an installation having multiple physical locations. A specified function within each physical location, such as a lighting fixture or alarm setting, may be controlled by a selected verbal command. A microphone within each room or physical location within the installation is utilized to detect each utterance of a verbal command and the volume of each verbal command is determined for each physical location at which that command is detected. Thereafter, the physical location having the highest volume for a detected verbal command is identified and the specified function is controlled at only that location. In the event multiple speakers simultaneously utter a verbal command at different physical locations, the location of maximum volume is determined for each speaker and the specified function is controlled at only the maximum volume location associated with each speaker.

Abstract: A mechanism for controlling method invocation and avoiding problems such as premature method execution before object construction and premature object destruction before method completion, is provided through a protocol function table in a class library. For any virtual functions declared in a class library, the thread of control invoking the function is re-directed through the protocol function table where it is either selectively accepted or delayed for later acceptance pending completion of some related procedure. When used in conjunction with an automatic routine for locating the originating point in an operating program, the protocol function table is particularly useful for executing concurrency in object-oriented applications.

Abstract: In a video conference between N parties, each video conferencing terminal produces a respective video signal comprising, in the case of the National Television Standard Committee (NTSC) standard, sixty fields per second. The input video signals are input to an analog multi-point control unit which selects every Nth field from each input video signal and derives therefrom a single output video signal also of sixty fields per second, in which consecutive fields are derived cyclically from each of the N input video signals in turn. The single output video signal is transmitted to each video conferencing terminal, which separates out the fields of the input video signals present in the single output video signal to provide N individual reduced field rate video signals each comprising 60/N fields per second and each having fields derived from a respective one of the input video signals.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and apparatus for the maintenance of a data processing system. A topology map of the physical connections of direct access storage devices of storage subsystems is created. This map enables the system to keep track of the physical configuration of DASDs and their control units, especially in the case of interconnected processor complexes. According to an embodiment of the invention, the topology map also includes desired status data and other information data about the DASDs. This data is used in the monitoring of the DASDs to determine deviations from desired operating characteristics.

Abstract: A number of multimedia files representative of video or images information are stored in a set of directories, which are each characteristic of a predetermined surface area required to display the image or video information contained within the multimedia files stored within the director. Upon request by a producer creating an application, a set of multimedia templates are provided. Each multimedia template within the set is comprised of different and possibly overlapping zones, of which each have one of the predetermined surface areas. The producers are then provided with an opportunity to select a multimedia template within the set of multimedia templates, which is then displayed within the display screen. In response to a selection of a particular zone within the selected multimedia template, a window is displayed to the producer containing a listing of multimedia files stored within a directory characteristic of the predetermined surface areas of the particular zone.