Abstract: A method of manufacturing a solar cell. The method includes the steps of providing a substrate, applying a first dopant to a first surface, applying a second dopant to a second surface, covering the doped first surface with a hard mask, applying a third dopant to the substrate side, removing the hard mask, applying a pattern of first electrical contacts to the doping pattern, and applying a pattern of second electrical contacts to the doped second surface, the pattern of second electrical contacts and the doping pattern being straight-lined opposed.

Abstract: A computer system, includes a mobile computer, a docking station for receiving the mobile computer, a bridge having a first side coupled to the mobile computer and a second side coupled to the docking station, and a flat panel display formed with the docking station for being coupled to the mobile computer via the docking station. The docking station includes a dock housing coupled to a desktop display and including a first bus, and a bridge coupled between the first bus and a second bus, the first bus residing in the dock housing and the second bus for being coupled to the mobile computer.

Abstract: A file manager (and method) provided for locating a file identified by a path referring to a logical unit and an identifier, includes a table associating the file with a priority list of physical units. The file manager can be incorporated into the controller of peripheral devices in a computer system or an operating system of the computer system.

Abstract: A method (and computer system in which at least one software component thereof is restarted based on projection of resource exhaustion), for selecting the most suitable projection method from among a class of projection methods, includes providing M fitting modules which take measured symptom data associated with the system as input and produce M scores, wherein M is an integer, selecting the fitting module producing the best score, and from the selected module, producing a prediction of the resource exhaustion time.

Abstract: A system and method of hindering an undesirable transmission or receipt of electronic messages within a network of users includes the steps of determining that transmission or receipt of at least one specific electronic message is undesirable; automatically extracting detection data that permits detection of the at least one specific electronic message or variants thereof; scanning one or more inbound and/or outbound messages from at least one user for the presence of the at least one specific electronic message or variants thereof; and taking appropriate action, responsive to the scanning step.

Abstract: System and method for generating classification using time sequences comprises inputting a set of time dependant feature variable graphs along with a set of time dependant category variable graphs; finding frequent shapes in the time dependant feature variable graphs; utilizing the frequent shapes to generate combinations of frequent shapes; generating rules relating one or more patterns of combinations of frequent shapes to a category variable; and, performing a categorization utilizing the rules generated.

Abstract: A wearable mobile computing device/appliance (e.g., a wrist watch) with a high resolution display that is capable of wirelessly accessing information from the network and a variety of other devices. The Wrist Watch device/appliance includes a password authentication system for enabling access to secured data stored therein. The authentication system includes a user interface display having a touch sensitive panel for detecting physical user interaction therewith and generating signals accordingly. The Wrist Watch device/appliance generates a sequence of one or more images for display via the user interface, the images of a sequence including that users' password elements which are flashed randomly at different interface display locations and varied temporally.

Abstract: A method for detecting document-infecting computer viruses in a computer system having a plurality of documents, comprises the steps of maintaining a database of information associated with program objects associated with one or more of the documents, comparing one or more of the documents on the system with corresponding database entries in the database to detect certain document changes, and using a set of criteria to determine whether or not the detected document changes are likely to have been caused by viral activity.

Abstract: In a multi-user environment, a method of controlling access to objects is required, such that updates performed by one user are not overwritten by simultaneous updates by another user. There is provided a method of controlling access to objects and containers, each representing a group of objects, in a multi-user environment whereby lock states of the objects and lock states of the containers are stored in a computer system, said method comprising the steps of: accepting a request for access to an object or a container; deciding access based on the lock state for that object or container, the lock state of a container if the request is for an object contained within that container, and the lock state of objects grouped within a container if the request is for a container object; and sending a message to the requester granting or denying access to said object or container object. Updates performed by one user on an object or a container are not overwritten by simultaneous updates by another user.

Abstract: A computer network system includes a plurality of computers each including a central processing unit (CPU), a memory and at least one peripheral device, a connection fabric having selectable first and second sides, the first side being coupled to a first computer of the plurality of computers and the second side being coupled to at least a second computer of the plurality of computers. Each of the first and second computers performs a negotiation to determine which one of the first and second computers controls resources of the other of the first and second computers.

Abstract: A method for deciding over the compliance of cells at an input of a switch. The time is counted with a time-counting device with a predetermined maximum counting range for determining the points in time of the arrival of the cells. The reading of the time-counting device is used to determine for a first arriving cell a first arrival time and for a second arriving cell a second arrival time. The second arrival time is compared with a theoretical arrival time for the second cell. The theoretical arrival time is calculated using the first arrival time and a predetermined value of an interarrival period. The number of wraps of the time-counting device is counted. The reading of a wrap-counting device at the second arrival time and at the theoretical arrival time is used to determine whether to use the comparison for deciding whether to consider the second arriving cell compliant or non-compliant or whether to consider the second arriving cell compliant or non-compliant without performing the comparison.

Abstract: A method of (and system for) recovering the state of a failed node in a distributed shared memory system, includes directing a flush of data from a failed node, and flushing the data from the failed node to a memory node.

Abstract: This invention concerns methods for the protection of resources in an open digital communication system, which resources are residing in or owned by physically and organizationally distributed, independent entities connected through that system, e.g. the Internet. Since, in such an open system, any entity can in principle access any resource of any other entity, precautions must be taken to avoid or minimize the danger of resource corruption and destruction, to maintain privacy and, where necessary, confidentiality. Thus, protection of resources is of ultimate importance to warrant integrity and function of an entity. For the intelligent protection of such resources, in particular against unauthorized access, a variable-grained control of the name space (consisting of all names an entity provides) and/or the provision of attachable and detachable guards accompanying each call for a file and/or service is provided.

Abstract: A system and method that enables a given sending user to specify a set of delivery policies and have them used for the electronic delivery of a given message, the message potentially having several heterogeneous parts (e.g., text and pictures) each of which is handled differently, and delivered to multiple heterogeneous devices (e.g., PCs, Smartphones, fax machines), and possibly to several distinct recipients. The factors with which a sender can qualify their delivery policies include: time/date, transmission cost; whether the transmission can be forwarded; receiving device capability; and network reliability, speed, and security transmission. Methods are also provided enabling a sender to specify that particular transmissions be redirected or copied, e.g., “send fax copy to my broker and my accountant.” In one embodiment, the delivery policies may be specified using PICS.

Abstract: A method of providing workload-management in a Workflow-Management-System (WFMS) includes a first method of automatically determining at least one enclave-graph within a process-model of a Workflow-Management-System (WFM), and a second method of executing the enclave-graphs. The method comprises an enclave-creation-step wherein if control-flow enters the enclave graph a first time, the WFMS creates a workload-management-enclave in the WLM on behalf of activities which are part of the enclave-graph. The method can comprise an enclave-join-step wherein the WFMS joins an activity of the enclave-graph to the workload-management-enclave in the WLM on behalf of the activity. Moreover the method can comprise an enclave-deletion-step for deleting the workload-management-enclave on behalf of the activities.

Abstract: A method (and system) for increased software dependability, includes learning how to predict an outage of a software system running on a computer, and, based on the learning, predicting an imminent outage, and avoiding the outage.

Abstract: A software facility for administering and executing connectivity and information management tasks for a portable device, includes a module for selectively adding, deleting, and editing a location object, and a module for selectively initiating a request for a connection, disconnection, and information synchronization, based on the location object. The location object represents all location-specific information for the portable device and includes an information object including information management tasks that must be performed for a specific location for the portable device to connect to a remote network.

Abstract: A method of enhancing software dependability, includes measuring an elapsed time in a software system running on a computer, determining whether the elapsed time matches a threshold, and when the elapsed time matches the threshold, rejuvenating at least a portion of the software system to reduce the likelihood of an outage and without modifying an application running in the software system.

Abstract: An information terminal connected to one of a plurality of servers which are allocated by a dispatcher is connected to another information terminal via its allocated server. When a Web Browser 111 is connected to a Web Server 143 via a Dispatcher 120, a content including a button for requesting the agent side for connection is displayed in the web screen. When the customer clicks this button, a customer ID and an IP address of the server 142 are stored in a table 155. After a CTI Server allocated an agent, an Agent proxy 173 obtains an IP address corresponding to the customer to be connected and accesses to the server 142.

Abstract: A wearable mobile computing device/appliance (e.g., a wrist watch) with a high resolution display that is capable of wirelessly accessing information from the network and a variety of other devices. The mobile computing device/appliance includes a user interface employing a bezel-based input mechanism including a bezel ring which may be rotated and depressed for generating both rotation and wheel click events for enabling navigation, selection and entry of various displayed textual and graphical items.