Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed within a DVD player that allows multiple view angles to be displayed on a common display with one view angle designated as a primary view and the remaining view angles being subordinated to the primary view angle. The system and method also provide that any Modifications to the primary view similarly affect the secondary views. Any of the secondary views may be selected at any time to become the primary view whereupon the remaining viewing angles are subordinated and synchronized with the newly selected primary view.

Abstract: An intelligent printing system is extended to handle print objects such as EPS and PDF print objects without requiring the objects to be reformatted by selectively decomposing the EPS and PDF print objects and placing resource information contained in the objects in a resource database along with the print data. The resource information is not duplicated; only the first appearance of a resource is stored, later duplicates are discarded. Appropriate references are placed in the page description data stream so that the resource information can be retrieved and downloaded to the printer when the data is being processed at the print server. The downloading of a particular resource occurs only once. When the print data is sent to the printer, the downloaded resource information is recombined with the data and the combination is sent to a conventional EPS or PDF rasterizing program which converts the objects to printable data.

Abstract: Optical pumping arrangements are provided for the broadband or multiple wavelength pumping of optical sources. Sources may be based on Raman gain media and may use multiple output couplers to couple out different wavelength ranges. Cascaded Raman resonator (CRR) configurations may also be used. Overlapping resonators at different wavelengths may be configured to share gain media, and may have separate portions in separate optical paths. Attenuation filters may also be used that are matched to the gain profile of a gain medium, to flatten the gain spectrum and allow equalization of gain to different output wavelengths. In one embodiment, polarization maintaining fiber is used to develop resonant conditions at different wavelengths in different polarization states. Wideband output gratings may be substituted for narrowband gratings to provide CRR configurations with a broader output band. Broadband amplification may also be provided by using a laser source operating in coherence collapse.

Abstract: In order to support filtering operations in a CORBA system, the marshaling and unmarshaling process is encapsulated in a server invocation object created from a class which contains data, including the request ID, the marshal buffer and the marshal and unmarshal methods. Filtering is supported by extending the class with a subclass that overrides the marshal and unmarshal methods to invoke the filters at the proper points. During operation, the CORBA object request broker examines the request to determine whether filtering is requested and instantiates a server invocation object either from the parent class, if filtering is not requested, or from the subclass, if filtering is requested.

Abstract: A pump source for rare earth and Raman amplifiers or for distributed amplification uses two or more light sources to generate two source beams that are combined by a beam combiner to form the output pump beam. In accordance with one embodiment, the light sources are a diode laser array having be two or more monolithic laser stripes providing dual output beams having substantially the same polarization, such as the TE mode. One of the polarized due outputs is rotated 90° and both beams are applied to a birefringent crystal that combines the beams for insertion into an optical fiber or into a rare earth doped fiber or into a fiber capable of Raman amplification via SRS. The power output of each polarization in the combined beam can be measured and used to drive a feedback circuit that controls the current provided to each diode in order to maintain the power in the two polarization components of the output beam equal.

Abstract: Text-based object-oriented class code, located in either local or remote machines is converted into proxy components which can be used in existing visual builders. Proxy components are created from each method, including constructors, in the class code and encapsulate the parameters of the methods. For example, parameters associated with a method are represented by properties of the proxy component created from that method. These properties are visually editable and can be bound visually to other component properties using, for example, pull down menus in a visual builder. Exceptions which occur during operation of the method are treated as events and can be visually passed to other components. An add-on allows the components to appear directly in the visual builder palette. The components can interact with the text-based class code by means of a universal transport API.

Abstract: A shopping bot uses real time agents that automatically contact disparate web pages representing vast variety of different categories and merchants and retrieve and unify the information therein for display when a request for the information is made. Consequently, there is no need to create a “wrapper”, or a “information adapter” for each category or each merchant because the same agent can retrieve and process information in various formats. In particular, the shopping bot generates queries from keywords entered by a user and a database of URL information. Information returned by the queries is filtered, parsed and mapped to a standard format. The formatted information can then be displayed. Since the information is converted to the standard format in real time, the invention allows quick addition of online merchants and additional product categories can be added quickly and easily.

Abstract: A multi-block, read-ahead technique permits a DVD player to read and cache DVD data from a DVD source in response to navigation packs (NAV-PCKs) of individual VOBUs to avoid crossing title boundaries, Each VOBU has a NAV-PCK, which specifies the number of blocks in that VOBU. This information can guide the DVD player in performing read-ahead operations aligned to VOBUs, i.e., reading and caching data blocks separately for individual VOBUs. The invention takes advantage of the fact that data blocks within individual VOBUs do not cross title boundaries, and so read-ahead operations aligned to VOBUs avoid reading blocks that cross title boundaries.

Abstract: A collaborative session is represented by a session object which receives all messages generated by the programs and transmits the messages to all programs participating in the session. The session object can include shared objects which are managed by the session and can be updated without requiring messages to be transmitted over a network. Accordingly, programs may enter a session after it begins and immediately access common session information, such as a state database.

Abstract: A technique for matching Internet telephone calls originating on a packet-switched data network with legacy automatic call distribution centers on a public switched telephone network utilizes a gateway architecture to accommodate disparate network architecture and protocols. The gateway receives a call on an Internet Protocol-based network, placing the call in queue at a gateway port, and places an analogous call over a traditional PSTN line to a legacy call center. The gateway provides the call center with information identifying the port at which the IP based call is queued. The call center is provided with software capable of resolving the identification information into the network protocol address of the gateway and the actual port for establishing a dual communication path, both over a PSTN network, and an Internet protocol address to the caller.

Abstract: For communication services, a metering and processing system for processing metered information incorporates configurable processing modules and a configuration manager. The system can by readily and flexibly configured, responsive to operator directions, to process metered information to meet the needs of data consumers, such as NSPs and ISPs. Each processing module performs a specific sub-part of a computation on the metered information, and the configuration manager generates a configuration file for specifying the order of operation, computation sub-part, and other operational parameters for the individual processing modules.

Abstract: An improved graphical control for desktop computing systems utilizes one or more control devices with adjustable opacity and size to allow an operator to perform desired operations or edit object properties while also minimizing screen clutter. According to the illustrative embodiment, the graphical control is implemented as one or more “rollerballs” having a peripheral border defining a central interior region. The speed with which the selected value scrolls is dependent upon the active region of the rollerball currently selected. Values associated with the data entity may be scrolled at a rate, which increases nonlinearly as the selected portion of the active region progresses from the central interior region toward the peripheral border. A group of rollerballs, each representing a different entity may be moved collectively about the desktop and ordered in accordance with a predefined criteria, such as frequency of user selection.

Abstract: A strain sensor is disclosed for example for use in a Bragg fiber grating, in which piezoelectric actuators are arranged to compress or extend the fiber, and a capacitance micrometer for measuring the strain on the fiber in a servo loop with the actuators to provide a tunable grating in which the selected wavelength is a unique and linear function of the control command parameter. The micrometer electrodes can be placed on opposing faces of ferrules on the fiber, or capacitance between a coating directly on the fiber and a reference electrode can be used.

Abstract: The surface of a cylindrical, conical or stepped tooth implant has numerous groove-shaped recesses along its lengthwise axis or at a sharp angle to it. An alternative embodiment provides crosswise groove-shaped recesses at a sharp angle. In another embodiment, the surface of the implant body is divided along its lengthwise axis into numerous sections or steps that are separated by radial bands or transitions. The sections or steps have numerous groove-shaped recesses in their perimeter that follow the lengthwise axis of the implant body or run at a sharp angle or crosswise at a sharp angle. To create the tooth implant, a cylindrical, conical or stepped implant body with a smooth surface is preformed by creating groove-shaped recesses in a material-removing process. The material removing process is advantageously carried out with a digitally-controlled laser beam.

Abstract: A hot plugging system has a first mechanism for selectively connecting, responsive to a first control signal, each of a plurality of slots with a primary bus, e.g.,a PCI bus connected to a system bus of a computer system; and a second mechanism for connecting, responsive to a second control signal, at least one of the slots with a secondary bus, e.g., a dedicated PCI bus, or other connection interface, used for testing purposes during hot-plug insertion of an adapter card. In another aspect, a hot plug controller makes the connection of the at least one slot to the primary bus in response to a BUS_IDLE signal from the host bridge that indicates when the PCI bus is idle. The BUS_IDLE signal can be generated from the FRAME and IRDY signals for the primary bus by combinational logic in the host bridge. In this way, the hot plug controller need not be connected to and load the shared lines, e.g., the FRAME and IRDY lines, of that bus.

Abstract: On a multi-node client server network, a client node obtains access to remote services by means of a communications directory service located in each node of the network. The communications directory service includes a tree structure to which existing directory services and other network services can be added. The tree structure has a plurality of nodes each of which includes specific methods that query and browse the associated directory service if such actions are supported by the underlying service. The communications directory service further includes shared libraries which store a service object associated with each service offered on the network. The service object, in turn, includes the service exchange address and communication link configuration information. A client desiring to access a remote service retrieves the appropriate service object from the communications directory service and uses the service object to set up the communications path.

Abstract: The set up information associated with at least some of a DVD disc's titles are stored in a DVD player's local memory. Items are chosen for storage based upon the likelihood that a title will be played. The likelihood that a title will be played is balanced against the availability of local memory for storing this information. Titles are ranked according to the likelihood they might be played and titles of lower rank may be purged from the local memory, or title cache, set aside for this task. Six basic criteria are used to rank a title as extremely likely, highly likely, likely, or not likely to be played. A title ranked extremely likely to be played has top caching priority, one that is highly likely to be played has the second highest caching priority, and so on. Each time a title's set up information is read, the title is ranked for caching. Additionally, the state of the title cache is stored every time a user plays a DVD.

Abstract: The alarm manager display in a distributed network management system is arranged to have two modes of operation. In one mode of operation, the alarm manager display automatically scrolls when new events arrive. If there are sorting criteria defined, the alarm manager window scrolls either up or down depending on the sort order so that when new events arrive, they always appear on the screen. In the second mode of operation, the alarm manager window does not scroll when new events arrive. The scroll bar operational modes are selectable by an operator from a menu. In accordance with another embodiment, a special attribute is added to the alarm manager configuration file. This attribute is read when the alarm manager is started and places the alarm manager into the operational mode in which it was last used.

Abstract: An optical fiber amplifier has an amplification stage that uses an optical fiber pumped with pump energy of a first wavelength that oscillates through the gain medium. In one embodiment, the pumping is essentially a cavity resonator that is coupled to either end of the optical fiber such that oscillating pump energy is directed into one end of the fiber and out the other, as it reflects back and forth between the ends of the cavity. Highly reflective gratings are used to maintain the oscillation of the pump energy, and a pump energy source, such as pumped doped optical fiber, is coupled to at least one of the gratings. In another embodiment, the pump source comprises multiple reflectors that are employed at each end of the fiber, and independent pump sources each having a slightly different wavelength within the absorption spectrum of the amplifier are coupled together, such that two pump wavelengths are simultaneously oscillated through the gain medium.

Abstract: The client portion of a distributed client-server network management system uses an interface designed with, and written in, a platform independent language, such as Java. This allows management application programs to be written in the platform independent language and insures their portability. Further, in accordance with another aspect of the invention, the inventive interface allows a user to query an alarm log while the alarm log record information is cached at the server so that only a small client program is necessary. This program can run on a system with minimal resources, thereby allowing a network manager to manage a network from virtually any location on the network. For example, the client management application could be written as a Java applet which could then be run on any Java-enabled browser.