Abstract: A message generated by an originator participant is entered into a “bottle” that passes the message from participant to participant. The bottle may be a hand-held device that is capable of directly communicating with another such device. When the originator is located close enough to another participant who also has such a hand-held device, the devices communicate and the message is passed from the originator to the other participant. The bottle may be a hand-held device that is capable of communicating with a central base station, such as a pager or cell phone or a computer that communicates with the base station via the Internet. When the originator enters a message into the device, a program at the base station selects a participant from the list to receive the message and the message is sent to the other participant.

Abstract: A time-weighted metric is associated with each line of data that is being held in a data cache. The value of the metric is recomputed as the lines are accessed and the metric value is used to group cache lines for paging purposes. The metrics are computed and stored and the stored metrics are maintained by linking the storage locations together in several linked lists that allow the metrics to be easily manipulated for updating purposes and for determining which metrics represent the most active cache lines. In particular, indices are maintained which identify linked lists of metrics with similar values. At regular predetermined time intervals, these indices are then used to assemble an ordered linked list of metrics corresponding to cache lines with similar metric values. This ordered list can be traversed in order to select cache lines for removal.

Abstract: Database tables which are to be loaded with large data objects are defined with a special logging attribute that causes the associated database management system to suspend recovery logging for the databases so defined, but to continue with logging control information, such as space management changes. During a two-phase commit operation for a database transaction in a distributed system, at each database all modified data pages are written to disk before the end of the phase 1 commit, if the pages have not been previously written. This and other write operations are monitored for errors. If any of the changed data pages cannot be written to disk successfully before the end the phase 1 commit operation, then the transaction is rolled back at all databases.

Abstract: A digital versatile disc (DVD) playback apparatus is disclosed for searching program chain (PGC) objects within a DVD content source. The DVD playback apparatus includes a DVD reader for reading a DVD content source and a user input device for receiving user commands. The DVD content source comprises a plurality of PGC objects and the DVD playback apparatus is able to search among the PGC objects using the following mechanisms. A PGC object pointer allocating mechanism is provided that is configured to allocate a unique pointer to each PGC object on the DVD content source. Once the PGC object pointers are allocated, a PGC search mechanism, which is coupled to the PGC pointer allocating mechanism, performs searches for a requested PGC object using a pointer assigned to the desired PGC object. Selected of the PGC objects are allocated to at least one data block while the remaining are considered to be non-block objects. The PGC pointers are place within a linear array for searching.

Abstract: A communications manager provides communication services for an activity-based collaboration system, in which data change requests comprising deltas are communicated over a network between network-capable devices. The communications manager is operable on a local network capable device for sending locally-generated deltas over the network to at least one remote network-capable device and for receiving remotely-generated deltas over the network from the at least one remote network-capable device. The communications manager can send the deltas via unicasting, multicasting, or broadcasting techniques. The communications manager is responsive to network connection status information indicating that the remote network-capable device is connected to the network for sending the local deltas directly to an address for the remote network-capable device. A presence mechanism maintains and distributes, on request, the network connection status information, which it acquires from each of the network-capable devices.

Abstract: Cache memory lines are dynamically paged out to underlying storage in accordance with their current levels of activity and are clustered for paging purposes on the same basis. Activity measures are assigned to each line when it is paged into cache; these measures are updated whenever a cached line is re-accessed. When space is needed in the cache for new lines, the activity measures are sorted based on their relative activity levels and those lines that are least active are grouped onto pages and paged out together. In this manner, the currently most active lines are retained in the cache; and lines having the same temporal characteristics and access frequencies are grouped together on the same page, thereby increasing the likelihood that when a new line is brought into the cache, the other lines that are on the same page, and hence that are brought into cache along with requested line, will themselves soon again become active.

Abstract: In an injection molding machine, an apparatus for controlling delivery of a fluid material to mold cavities of selectively variable size, shape, volume or configuration, the apparatus comprising a modular mold mounting mechanism having mounting apertures for receiving first and second molds having first and second mold cavities of different size, shape, volume or configuration, the mounting apertures being adapted for ready insertion and ready removal of the first and second molds; a manifold into which fluid material is injected, the manifold having first and second fluid delivery channels through which the fluid material is injected, one channel having an exit aperture communicating with a gate to the cavity of one mold, the other channel having an exit aperture communicating with a gate to the cavity of the other mold; each channel being associated with a drive mechanism which is interconnected to and controls operation of a fluid flow controller which varies flow of the fluid material through an associate

Abstract: A health monitoring system which tracks the state of health of a patient and compiles a chronological health history of the patient uses a multiparametric monitor which periodically and automatically measures and records a plurality of physiological data from sensors in contact with the patient's body. The data collected is periodically uploaded to a database in which it is stored along with similar health histories for other patients. The monitor is preferably self-contained in a chest strap which is located on the patient's torso, and makes use of a controller which controls sampling of the desired data and storage of the data to a local memory device pending uploading to the database. The data includes voice sound data indicative of voice sounds made by the subject over a predetermined period of time.

Abstract: System resources are automatically assigned by a single resource conflict resolver to all functions on expansion buses in a computer system. Such system resources include, but are not limited to, memory ranges, input-output (I/O) register ranges, interrupt request lines and direct memory access (DMA) channels. Generally, the assignment is exclusive, however, in some cases, the assignment may be shared so that one or more resources will be shared between different functions. In order to prevent contention between two functions for the same resource, classes are provided which classes can be instantiated to construct resource lock objects. The resource lock objects provide an access control mechanism to synchronize access to the resources among the devices that use and, possibly, share the resources. The lock object contains methods which retrieve the resource assignments for an I/O function and acquire a lock on the resources.

Abstract: In order to test component class code with a conventional visual builder, a proxy component is created for each method, including constructors, in the component class code, which proxy component encapsulates the parameters of that method. In particular, parameters associated with a method are represented by properties of the proxy component created for that method. When each proxy component is displayed on the GUI of the visual builder, its properties, and consequently, the parameters of the underlying method, are visually editable and can be bound visually to other component properties using, for example, a mechanism in a conventional visual builder which links objects. Exceptions which occur during operation of the method are treated as events and can be visually passed to other components. Therefore, a program can be visually constructed and parameterized for runtime operation.

Abstract: An injection molding apparatus and system are provided in which the rate of material flow during the injection cycle is controlled. According to one preferred embodiment, an injection molding system is provided that includes an injection molding machine including a hydraulic power source, a manifold for distributing material injected from said injection molding machine to a plurality of gates leading to one or more mold cavities, and a controller to individually control respective rates at which material is injected through said gates during an injection cycle. The controller is coupled to the hydraulic power source and the hydraulic power source supplies hydraulic power to both the injection molding machine and to control said respective rates.

Abstract: A temperature compensation technique is disclosed which allows to obtain a compensated clock signal. The temperature compensation technique comprises the use of a thermal model of the oscillator with a temperature sensor in order to accurately compute the oscillator frequency, irrespective of time-variations and rates.

Abstract: System-directed checkpointing is accomplished following each checkpoint by mapping all memory pages, including read-only pages and read/write pages as read-only pages. Therefore, when an attempt is made to write to a page, a page-fault interrupt is generated. If the page is a read-only page, then normal page-fault interrupt protocol is followed. If the page is a read/write page that has temporarily been labeled read-only, the page is copied to a buffer and the memory map is changed to indicate that the page is now a read/write page. The pages in the buffer can then be used to restore the system after a fault. In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, after the aforementioned system interrupt occurs, the identity of the page is recorded in a backup computer, but the page itself is not copied. In addition, the locations of all pages modified through I/O events are also recorded.

Abstract: An optical gain device preferably uses stimulated Raman scattering and is in a ring configuration. Fused fiber couplers are used in one embodiment in combination with wavelength selective reflectors to input pump energy to the ring, and to output the desired output wavelengths. The couplers and reflectors are arranged so that the relative phase shifting induced by the couplers allows the optical energy to be directed as desired. The system may also make use of a redirecting reflector at the output wavelength that keeps output light in the ring propagating in the proper direction. A plurality of reflectors may also be used in the ring to select the desired wavelengths at the different Stokes orders being used. In an alternative embodiment, thin film type couplers are used rather than fused fiber couplers.

Abstract: In a message-passing, queue-oriented bus system, a separate interrupt work queue assigned to each interrupt line for each PCI device sends interrupt information packets from the device to the host. To prevent an interrupt from being transmitted before another DMA data write has been completed, interrupt requests are held on the interrupt work queue until all outstanding data transfer requests have been acknowledged. A special data structure called an interrupt scoreboard is created for each interrupt work queue entry associated with a DMA write in order to track the DMA data transfer. When an interrupt is received, the interrupt scoreboard acquires a “snapshot” of the state of the pending data requests and tracks the pending DMA transfers. When acknowledgement messages have been received for all pending DMA transfer requests, then the interrupt data packet is transmitted so that the interrupt can be serviced.

Abstract: An electronic rights management and authorization system to account for the dynamic, multi-dimensional, and granular nature of rights. A database structure divides works and rights into two related tables. A works table includes information sufficient to identify works managed by the system, while a rights table identifies a right associated with a work and includes one or more date fields delimiting the right. The rights table may also include type of use information. Additional tables, such as a work relation table, a party table, or an order table, may be provided. Software is used to manage and to query the database structure. The system has broad applicability to intellectual, real, and personal property; contract management; and similar items. The system may be implemented in standalone mode, through the client/server model of computing, or over the Internet.

Abstract: An event aggregator allows an application program to receive notification of events generated by selected objects without registering as a listener for events with each object. The event aggregator has a registration list module that receives a registration request from the application program indicating from which object types the application program wants to receive notification of events, an object monitor that continually checks the computer system for objects and registers a listener with each object; and an event monitor that that notifies the application program if any listener receives notification of an event generated by an object type indicated by the registration request.

Abstract: Speculative prefetching during DMA reads in a message-passing, queue-oriented bus system is controlled by creating a special data structure, called a “DMA scoreboard”, for each work queue entry associated with a DMA read. The DMA scoreboard tracks the completion of DMA writes and reads by monitoring acknowledgements received from DMA writes and data tags received from DMA read responses. The DMA scoreboard also contains a section that indicates the current PCI address, and size and number of prefetches to be performed. After a DMA read has completed, the PCI current address is incremented to obtain a new PCI address for the first prefetch request. A new work queue entry is then created from the information in the DMA scoreboard to perform the prefetch.

Abstract: Bus testing logic is built into some of the devices connected to the bus to enable these devices to perform diagnostic testing of the bus. Under control of the test logic, the devices drive the bus with output voltages corresponding to a predetermined test bit pattern that is selected to cause the bus to reach a target bus utilization level. The bus signals produced by the devices propagate along the bus and are received by other devices. The received bus signals are resolved into a received bit pattern. The received bit pattern is compared with the test bit pattern used to generate the bus signals in order to detect discrepancies. In one embodiment, the devices can operate in a first mode by driving the bus in accordance with performing normal functions or in a second mode by performing diagnostic testing on the bus by driving the bus in accordance with the test bit pattern. Test patterns can be interleaved with normal bus signals.

Abstract: An optical pumping apparatus provides pumping for a Raman amplifier across either the C-band alone, or across both the C-band and the L-band. A first pump unit provides the optical pump energy necessary for a flat gain response in the C-band. A second pump unit, operating as an upgrade module, can be activated to expand the pumping range into the L-band. The second unit provides both the pump energy for the expanded portion of the gain spectrum, as well as pump energy for the C-band that compensates for any disruption of the gain profile, so that a flat gain response is maintained across both the C-band and the L-band.