Abstract: A participant in an instant messaging chat room may send restricted messages to only a set of selected participants in the chat room. Enabling a user at a display station to select a set of only users to receive a restricted message, and send the restricted message to this selected group of users, and displaying the restricted message only in the chronological displays in the stations of the set of recipient users, i.e. not displaying the restricted message in the displays of the other users in the chat room.

Abstract: A data processor controlled user interactive display system for displaying hypertext documents, each including a sequence of display screen pages received over a communications network such as the World Wide Web. In order to reduce downloading time, Web pages are transmitted as HTML files in which images are represented by identifiers. The images corresponding to the identifiers may be fetched from libraries of universal images. The invention is implemented by the display stations which receive the Web pages. These stations, through associated browsers, retrieve the universal image libraries via the internet and download such libraries once and store them locally on caches associated with the browsers.

Abstract: In a computer controlled genetic algorithm method for providing non-deterministic solutions involving physical constraints the effectiveness of the genetic algorithm may be enhanced by periodically changing the combination or set of genetic operators during the genetic algorithm operation and before selecting the final solution.

Abstract: Graphically displaying the proportion of a total value of a time dependent variable contributed by each of a set of elements. Applicable in a graph environment comprising the steps of displaying the proportion contributed by each element as an area within an ordered set of areas under a line representative of the total value of said time dependent variable. The user is enabled to interactively select one area in the set of areas and perform one of the following operations: hiding the selected area, displaying the selected area or reordering the position of the selected area within said ordered set responsive to said user selection. This implementation is effective in the manipulation of stacked area line graphs by visualizing how the various areas representative of the contributions of the individual elements to the whole time dependent variable affect and coact with the other variables in the set.

Abstract: An implementation for the generation of a surrogate Web browsing session at a Web receiving display station by a user who does the basic browsing or searching for a principal user, e.g. the physically limited individual or the executive/professional ordering the browsing session. A user to is enabled to interactively navigate the Web through a sequence of linked hypertext documents in a browsing session at a receiving display station in combination with recording on a real-time basis, keystroke by keystroke and mouse point and click by point and click, page by page and selected hyperlink by selected hyperlink, the interactive navigation of said user in said browsing session.

Abstract: A World Wide Web (Web) distribution site for accessing a plurality of Web documents from a database through a distribution system comprising a plurality of server computers of different computer powers wherein server computers are designated for documents based upon document weights calculated for the Web documents. The system has means for determining a document weight for each of said plurality of Web documents, which include means for counting the total number of bytes of 15 data representing the content of each of said documents, means for assigning a complexity weight to programs in each of said plurality of documents, and means for multiplying the byte total for each Web document by the complexity weight of the Web document. Based upon said 20 document weights, the system provides means for designating the server computers for said respective Web documents.

Abstract: A display interface at a sending/receiving display terminal including the conventional implementations for reading and sending E-Mail with an implementation for organizing the text content of a chronological sequence of E-Mail documents having the same subject identifier or header. There is designated a subject identifier of one received electronic mail as a message text sequencer and there is an implementation at a receiving display station for enabling the display of a chronological sequence of the text of said received message and the text of all subsequent messages having said designated subject identifier. The designation of the identifier may automatically designate a subject identifier as a message text sequencer based upon user predetermined attributes.

Abstract: A display interface system for computer controlled displays including a window in a display screen, for the display of visible data; a set of selectable items in the portion of said display screen; an implementation for varying the area of the display screen portion; and for varying the comprehensiveness level of the items in response to the varying area of the display screen portion. It is often the case that the area in a window needs to be reduced for any of a variety of purposes. In such a situation, the items in the menu are maintained at a high level of comprehensiveness, e.g. icon plus explanatory text, while its window area is greatest. Then, as the window area is reduced, the levels of comprehensiveness of the items in the menu or set are also reduced since the space can no longer accommodate them.

Abstract: A speech recognition system which does not switch modes of operation when interpreting speech queries, such as help queries, or receiving actual spoken commands. The system handles both concurrently and seamlessly in the same operation mode. The present invention is directed to an interactive computer controlled display system with speech recognition comprising an implementation for predetermining a plurality of speech commands each associated with a corresponding plurality of system actions in combination with an implementation for concurrently detecting speech commands and speech queries for locating commands. There is also provided an implementation responsive to a detected speech command for carrying out the system action corresponding to the command, and an implementation responsive to a detected speech query for attempting to locate commands applicable to said query.

Abstract: Selecting the optimum service provider for each telephone call made so as to minimize the cost of each call. Each of the service providers is likely to be charging fees for calls at different rates determined by the measures of different sets of predetermined calling conditions that the provider sets up. An implementation for initiating a telephone call from the calling station to a selected receiving station, determining the measures of the predetermined calling conditions, determining the optimum service provider charging the minimum fee for the telephone call based on the determined measures of said service provider's set of predetermined calling conditions and routing the initiated telephone call to said receiving station through said optimum service provider.

Abstract: There is provided to developers and owners of Web documents, the ability to create Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) documents, which in addition to their basic set of natural language data conveying a first version of information of a particular content displayable to users at conventional Web desktop display stations, a second set of natural language data conveying a second version of condensed displayable information of the same particular content displayable to users of personal palm-type display computers connected to the Web. Also, in addition to the basic set of HTML tags which identify the basic set of natural language data, the document provides for a second set of tags identifying said second set of natural language data which is available only for the palm-type devices. The natural language data to be displayed may include both text and image data.

Abstract: Tracking and displaying of allocated messages in dynamic workload balancing systems in message driven transaction environments which involve distributing data processing transactions into messages and dynamically allocating each of the messages to different computer systems for performance, comprising enabling a user to request the performance of a data processing transaction, dynamically transforming via a server computer any requested transactions into messages free of user input and then allocating the messages to different computer systems. The system has user interactive displays for displaying the allocated messages and associated computer systems when required by the user so that he may track the messages.

Abstract: Apparatus for eavesdropping within an area layer adjacent to and surrounding a LAN area periphery for potential wireless transmissions of an intruder having a lower frequency within a level below the LAN frequency; and an implementation responsive to said eavesdropping apparatus for changing the encryption code of said encrypted wireless transmission upon the eavesdropping detection of a wireless transmission of said lower frequency addressed to a network location of one of the terminals in said LAN.

Abstract: A display interface at a sending terminal including the conventional means enabling the sender of an electronic mail document to specify users to receive the document; but, in addition, provides means enabling the sender of the electronic mail document to specify users not receive the document. Then, users specified not to receive the electronic mail document are precluded from receiving the document. Thus, the sender is enabled to specify users not to receive a copy, forward or print of the document. A display interface is also provided at a receiving terminal that includes means enabling the receiver of an electronic mail document to further specify users to be forwarded the document; and also means enabling the receiver of the electronic mail document to specify users not to be forwarded the document.

Abstract: The E-mail sender's address book is safeguarded from computer virus intrusion with only minimal interference with normal E-mail distribution from the sender. Complete encryption of the address book create interference with the send function in that before any E-mail function may be started, the address book must be accessed and decrypted even when the E-mail being sent does involve the address book. However, the address book may be safeguarded from the computer virus with minimum E-mail interference if only a part of the address book is encrypted. There is stored the unencrypted data representative of a plurality of aliases for plurality of addressees of electronic mail, and separately stored encrypted data representative of the electronic mail addresses of said plurality of addressees. In response to a request to send electronic mail to one of said aliases, the entry of the key to decrypt the encrypted data is required to thereby provide the address of the addressee having said alias.

Abstract: In order to reduce overall downloading time for Web documents without depriving the user of valuable Web document resources, the user at a receiving Web station is enabled to preselect which received Web documents will be downloaded in a text-only mode. An implementation is provided at the receiving Web station for determining whether a received web document has been preselected for downloading in a text-only mode, and in responsive to this determination, there is an implementation for downloading such received preselected Web documents in a text-only mode. The user is enabled not only to designate specified documents to be downloaded in a text-only mode but the user may also preselect whole World Wide Web domains or specified Web sites within such domains from which received Web documents are to be downloaded in a text-only mode.

Abstract: A handheld palm-type device senses that it is being held in a human hand, but not any specific human hand. It can sense whether it is held in any human hand. A handheld palm-type device with keys for data entry and apparatus for preventing inadvertent striking of the keys when the palm-type device is not handheld that comprises the combination of an implementation on the device for sensing a bi-stable physical condition having an on state when the device is handheld and an off state when not handheld and apparatus responsive to the sensing means for locking the data entry keys when the off state is sensed. The device has a housing with a surface for engaging the palm of a user's hand so that the sensor means are at the surface that interfaces with the palm of the hand. The bi-stable electrical condition sensed may be temperature, electrical capacitance or resistance at the palm-device interface.

Abstract: The current operating system on the primary computer system continues to run, i.e. the computer system on which the operating system is to be changed. A second computer or surrogate computer system with the new operating system to eventually be installed in said first computer system to replace the current operating system. The root volume group of stored data from said first or primary computer system is copied to a computer readable/writable medium external to this first computer system and this root volume group is installed from the computer readable/writable medium into the surrogate or second computer system. This second computer system is run with said root volume group of data to thereby update said root volume group. Now, the upgraded root volume group, including the new operating system, is copied back from the surrogate computer system and reinstalled into said first computer system.

Abstract: If RF transmission repeater units could be mounted in as many automobiles as possible, particularly automobiles owned by drivers residing in low population regions, the likelihood would increase that there could be established wireless transmission paths between a wireless telephone unit and cellular array base stations, including a set of at least one automobile mounted repeater unit intermediate and independent of said wireless telephone unit and said base station. With enough automobiles with mounted repeaters travelling in the remoter regions, there would be a reasonable likelihood that such sequential sets of repeaters connecting to base towers of adjacent cellular arrays could be randomly established. The situation could occur that two or more alternate paths could be establishable between a cellular telephone and cell base stations via two different sets of repeaters.

Abstract: A distributer of the computer components, which has developed the process for configuring computer systems or networks, provides to the seller or reseller a configuration process comprising a prompting system for computer purchasers to make a sequence of interactive data entries, each of said entries relative to the data processing needs of the purchaser of one of said computer systems, allocating said computer components to said computer systems based upon said user entries, and tracking the quantities of said computer components thereby allocated to computer systems sold by said seller to said purchasers during a selected time period. There is presented to the seller a tiered structure of financial incentive levels offered by the distributer based upon said quantities of allocated computer components and enabling the distributer to dynamically modify the levels of said tiered structure of financial incentives.