Abstract: A method and apparatus for scrolling functionality in a graphical user interface utilizing a software tether. Preferably, the invention is utilized in a data processing system which supports a graphical user interface which is utilized by the operator to create, modify, or review software objects. At least one particular work space is provided in the graphical user interface. A scroll bar activation function is provided which initiates scroll bar functionality after a predefined interaction of the graphical pointing device with said graphical user interface. The data processing system is utilized to monitor for interaction between the graphical pointing device and the graphical user interface, which satisfies the scroll bar activation function. After detection of satisfaction of the scroll bar activation function, the at least one scroll bar functionality is associated with the graphical pointing device.

Abstract: According to the present invention, an apparatus for arbitrating between several competing requests that has a number of components cooperate together is disclosed. A number of arbiter cells are provided. These arbiter cells contain a device for shifting a token value, a number of receptors for receiving request signals, and internal circuitry for selecting one of the request signals. The request signal selected by a given arbiter cell depends on the state of the request signals being received by the cell and the position of the cell's token. Also, one or more group arbiters are provided. These group arbiters contain a device for shifting a token value, a number of receptors for receiving request signals, and internal circuitry for selecting an arbiter cell. The arbiter cell eventually selected by a given group arbiter depends on the state of the request signals being received by the arbiter and the position of the arbiter's token.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for directing a computer system, having at least a processor, memory, and touchscreen, to create a virtual pointing device on the touchscreen for executing commands. The method includes the steps of detecting at least a first portion of a hand positioned on the touchscreen, creating a virtual pointing device on the touchscreen under at least a second portion of the first portion of the hand, such that the virtual pointing device moves in accordance with movement of the second portion of the hand along the touchscreen, and, in response to activating the virtual pointing device by at least a third portion of the hand, executing at least one command.

Abstract: A method and system for altering data contained in a structure without requiring a lock to the structure itself. The method and apparatus retrieve a pointer to the structure from a location responsible for maintaining a pointer to the structure. The structure has a reference count for indicating processes that are currently using the data residing within the structure itself. The reference count is then atomically incremented and a new structure is obtained. The data contained in the structure, to be altered, is then copied to the new structure. The new structure also has a reference count for indicating processes that are currently using the data residing in the new structure. The reference count of the new structure is then set to indicate that a single process is accessing the new structure. Thereafter, the pointer in the responsible location for the structure, to be altered, is atomically replaced with a pointer to the new structure.

Abstract: A method and system for rendering in a printable medium hyper-link information contained in a document displayed within a graphical user interface within a data processing system linked to other data processing systems in a data processing network. A document constructed from data generated at a data processing network server is selected and displayed within a graphical user interface. Thereafter, in response to the selection of the document, if the document includes hyper-link information, a reference object is generated. Next, the reference object is associated with the hyper-link information. Thereafter, in response to a user input, the document is automatically printed in a printable medium, in association with the reference object, such that the hyper-link information is automatically presented in association with the printed document.

Abstract: An apparatus, method, and memory direct a computer system, having at least a touchscreen, to breakaway at least a portion of a virtual pointing device. The method includes displaying a virtual pointing device on the touchscreen, wherein a first cursor is associated with the virtual pointing device. The method also includes, in response to detecting at least one finger or stylus placed on at least a first portion of the virtual pointing device, breaking away only the first portion of the virtual pointing device in accordance with movement of the finger or stylus along the touchscreen. At least a first function is associated with the first portion.

Abstract: The present invention defines a a method, an apparatus and a computer program product for establishing a secure connection between a Java Applet and a secure web server for protocols other than Https via the use of a Java Security Service. More specifically, the present invention uses the web browser's installed certificates to setup and establish an encrypted session between the Java Applet and the secure web server. The secure connection is then used to retrieve the certificates required by the Java security service.

Abstract: A method of determining if a requested memory block of a memory device is contained in a cache used by a processor of a computer system is disclosed. An address associated with the requested memory block is compared to a plurality of address tags stored in a cache directory of the cache, while simultaneously performing error checks on the address tags. Corrected address tags are supplied for any erroneous address tags indicated by the error checks, and any corrected address tags are also compared to the address of the requested memory block. The error check may be a parity check of a portion of the address tag, either the entire portion, or of several subsets having a number of bits smaller than the address tag. The address tags can be stored in a redundant cache directory of the cache, and the corrected address tags supplied by substituting corresponding address tags from the redundant cache directory.

Abstract: A method and system for retrieving specific types of objects contained within a compound document displayed in a graphical user interface environment within the data processing system. First, in response to user input, a dialog box which includes a listing of object types is displayed within the graphical user interface environment. Next, an object type is selected from among the listing of object types. Thereafter, in response to the selection of the object type, the graphical user interface dynamically searches for the relative location of a first object of the selected object type from among a sequential number of objects of the selected object type contained within the compound document. Next, in response to user controls, the graphical user interface automatically scrolls to the relative location within the compound document of the first object of the selected object type.

Abstract: In a data processing system including a system bus supporting memory mapped devices, dynamic response to a memory mapped command is achieved by receiving a status response from each device attached to the system bus and comparing a priority associated with each such status response to a predetermined priority. If a priority associated with the status response from one of the devices equals or exceeds the predetermined priority, indicating that the address in the memory mapped command is acknowledged in some form by that device, the status response from that device is forwarded to all devices attached to the system bus. If no status response received from the devices has an associated priority equalling or exceeding the predetermined priority, the address is acknowledged and the memory mapped command accepted and forwarded to a lower bus. If the memory mapped command is not accepted by the lower bus, dummy data is returned and a machine check is signaled.

Abstract: A L2 (high-level) cache according to the present invention implements an efficient pipelined algorithm for flushing the high-level cache and back-invalidating a L1 (low-level) cache. Initially, an address calculation stage calculates the address of a directory entry contained in an array of directory entries every clock cycle. Connected to this address calculation stage is a directory entry lookup stage. The directory entry lookup stage receives an address from the address calculation stage and retrieves the directory entry to be modified from the array of directory entries. Finally, a directory entry modification stage, connected to the directory entry lookup stage, receives the directory entry from the directory entry lookup stage. The directory entry modification stage first looks to see if the directory entry is not marked as invalid. If the directory entry is already marked as invalid, no further processing need be performed on the directory entry.

Abstract: A computer system, article of manufacture, and method direct a computer system, having at least a processor, memory, and touchscreen, to create a virtual pointing device. The method includes the steps of detecting a hand placed on the touchscreen, designating at least one area of the touchscreen under at least a portion of the hand as the virtual pointing device, in response to movement of the portion of the hand across the touchscreen, moving the activated area in substantial accordance with the movement of the portion of the hand, positioning a pointer on the touchscreen such that movement of the area on the touchscreen in a first direction causes the pointer to move in the first direction, and in response to activating the area by at least a second portion of the hand, executing at least one command on an object or text positioned substantially under the pointer.

Abstract: Accordingly, the preferred embodiment includes an improved computer-implemented method and apparatus for interfacing a STREAMS processing path of a local machine to a network communications protocol of a network having at least one remote machine connected thereon. The method includes the addition of information to the primitives defined for the NPI as well as the steps of examining the primitives received from an application and processing them according to their information. If the primitive is a bind primitive, the method determines if the primitive contains a TRANSPAC option. If the TRANSPAC option is set, the method stores this information in the NPI context or data structure. If the primitive contains a PVC option, the method sets a PVC option in the context. The method then builds an X.25 listen primitive and sends it to the network to establish a listen for a connection.

Abstract: A computer system, memory, and computer-implemented method for generating at least one high performance communication path is provided. The communication path has a plurality of linked components, including a negotiator and a controller. The method includes the steps of registering the negotiator with the controller (e.g. stream head), verifying acknowledgement of negotiation from each component linked between the negotiator and the controller, and in response to a valid verification, redirecting I/O between the controller and the negotiator.

Abstract: In a data processing system having an operating system and a power management controller coupled to one or more power-managed devices, each of the power-managed devices is assigned a device identifier. An architected power-managed device select register and an architected power mode select register are provided within the data processing system. To modify a power mode of a power-managed device, the operating system writes a selected one of the device identifiers to the architected power-managed device select register for selecting an identified one of the power-managed devices. Thereafter, the operating system writes a power mode identifier to the architect power mode select register for selecting one of a plurality of power modes within the selected power-managed device. The device identifier and the power mode identifier are translated into control signals for the power management controller within the data processing system.

Abstract: A L2 cache for resolving collisions between processor request originating from a processor and system request originating from a computing unit attached to the system bus is provided. First, the L2 cache snoops a system request to access a shared resource. This shared resource is often an area of main memory contained in the L2 cache. Next, the L2 cache receives a processor request to access the shared resource also. The L2 cache will delay sending an acknowledge signal to the processor. The L2 cache then makes a determination as to whether the address and system request type must be sent to the processor. If data associated with the system request would alter a line in a L1 cache associated with the processor, a retry signal is sent to the processor. If the system request would not alter a line in the L1 cache, the L2 cache will wait until the system request finishes accessing the shared resource to process the processor request, thereby avoiding the sending of a retry signal to the processor.

Abstract: A method and system for graphic video image control of selected segments of video data from within a video presentation which includes a large number of video frames. The video frames are displayed in a stacked overlapping manner within a computer display system. Upon selection of a particular edge of the display of an uppermost frame, each frame is then slightly offset from an adjacent frame such that a small portion of each overlapped frame may be visually accessed. A user may then select some portion of the video presentation for display by observing the transition effects along the exposed edge of each frame and then graphically selecting a particular frame utilizing a graphical pointing device, such as a mouse pointer. The selected frame is then displayed and a particular portion of the video presentation, beginning at the selected frame, may then be presented, greatly enhancing the efficiency of video display control.

Abstract: An improved operating system for a computer provides support for specific hardware components. The operating system is loaded by first loading a base portion which initializes the operating system and determines the particular type of hardware components present. Then, appropriate software components are loaded that are specifically associated with the hardware components. The hardware components can be detected by leaving a trace in the memory device that is associated with the software component and later retrieving the trace, or by testing the computer for the hardware component. The hardware component may be a bus architecture selected from a group of bus architectures, and bus-independent interfaces are defined which are mapped to addresses in the kernel. Alternatively, the software component can include a PAL which contains specific instructions for communicating with the hardware component. The PAL is constructed from a plurality of files each associated with the hardware component.

Abstract: Accordingly, a computer implemented method, uniquely programmed computer system, and article of manufacture embodying computer readable program means all allow a customer on an external network to initiate an authorized business transaction utilizing internal business resources on an internal network without violating security firewalls. Specifically, the method directs an internal computer system to allow an external computer system to initiate a transaction request using internal resources without violating a security firewall between the internal computer system and the external computer system. The method includes a first step of authenticating a connection initiated by the internal computer system between the internal computer system and the external computer system, thereby establishing an authenticated connection. The second step includes calling by the external computer system a transaction request received by the external computer system.

Abstract: As SCSI systems increase in size, especially where there are a plurality of physically separate components, cables are often used to connect various components of the system, such as drives, to one another via repeaters and convertors. Unfortunately, as the length of the connecting cable increases, the cable in combination with the repeaters and convertors skew the signals and data passed between the components. A method and system is presented that reclocks the skewed data and signals so as to compensate for the skewing. The method and system accomplishes this task dynamically for Fast and Fast 20 modes of operation of the SCSI bus.