Abstract: A data processing system that manages operator intercommunication in a collaborative data processing environment is capable of receiving first and second messages and respectively associated first and second sub-topic identifiers from a discussion forum, displaying each message associated with the first sub-topic identifier in a message window utilizing a first presentation format, and displaying each message associated with the second sub-topic identifier in the message window utilizing a second presentation format. In an illustrative embodiment, each message associated with the first sub-topic identifier is displayed in a first column in the message window and each message associated with the second sub-topic identifier is displayed in a second column in the message window.

Abstract: A method of generating a higher-order trigonometric sequence, by constructing a table having a first-order trigonometric sequence, indexing the table to yield a different sequence based on an order number of a desired higher-order harmonic, and catenating values in the table according to the different sequence to yield a higher-order trigonometric sequence whose order is the order number. The table may be a first-order sine sequence, with the method yielding a higher-order sine sequence, or the table may be a first-order cosine sequence, with the method yielding a higher-order cosine sequence. The table has a period N, and indexing is accomplished by computing pointer indices equal to (k*n)mod(N), where k is the order number, and 0≦n<N. In the special case where N is a multiple of 4, a single table may be used for both higher-order sine and higher-order cosine sequences.

Abstract: A system and method for operating a motor vehicle based data processing system having at least one rotating magnetic disk drive data storage device are disclosed. Sequential presentation data stored on a rotating magnetic disk drive installed in a motor vehicle or automobile is buffered and the context is saved in sufficient amount to transcend a time interval of data unavailability when a disk drive is initially powered up. When the vehicle is shut off and the drive is powered down, the data to be presented in the immediate future is saved in a non-volatile buffer. The amount of data saved in the buffer is sufficient to span the time interval that it takes the disk drive to power up and become data accessible. Preferably, the buffer is a general purpose buffer for use by the vehicle's on-board computer system, the amount of memory allocated to the buffer varying with the present state of the vehicle and disk drive, and other parameters.

Abstract: The present invention is a computer implemented method and system for minimizing contention for a shared resource between a plurality of processes executing computer instructions that are associated with said shared resource. The method analyzes at least one of said processes of computer instructions and determines whether at least one of said processes modifies said shared resource. If at least one of said processes does not modify said shared resource, the method controls access to said shared resource by at least one said process.

Abstract: A method and system for alerting a driver of a commercial vehicle or private vehicle, such as a truck or automobile, of an approaching emergency vehicle, such as a police or fire vehicle, and vice versa. The system includes a navigation information system in each vehicle, a transmitter in the second vehicle, a receiver in the first vehicle, a processing system, and a warning system in the first vehicle. Each navigation information system provides data that describe the geographic position and speed of the vehicle. The receiver in the first vehicle receives the navigation information transmitted by the second vehicle. The processor and associated electronics in the first vehicle determines the position and direction of travel of the second vehicle relative to the first vehicle. The warning system in the first vehicle provides a suitable indication to alert the driver if it is determined that the two vehicles are likely to collide.

Abstract: A processor-memory bus comprises a command portion for transmitting addresses and commands, having a unidirectional input portion for transmitting commands to a central repeater unit, and a unidirectional broadcast portion for broadcasting commands from the repeater. The input portion comprises a plurality of links running from different devices, wherein each link is less than the full width of the broadcast bus portion. A command is transmitted over the input portion in a plurality of bus cycles, and broadcast over the broadcast portion in a single bus cycle. Since multiple input links connect to the central command repeater, it is possible to keep the broadcast bus full notwithstanding the fact that multiple bus cycles are required to transmit an individual command on the input portion. Preferably, the links are arranged hierarchically, from processors to local repeaters, from local repeaters to the central repeater, and back again.

Abstract: Register allocation during computer program code compilation is accomplished by determining a set of spill candidates, by evaluating a cost function for each spill candidate using a plurality of spill strategies, and by selecting the spill candidate having the lowest cost function value. Preferably, the set of possible spill candidates is determined by the Chaitin method of constructing an interference graph of all live ranges of symbolic registers, and iteratively removing nodes and placing them on a stack. Preferably, multiple spill strategies are represented as varying numbers of deaths N of live ranges of other symbolic registers, a spill strategy N signifying that spill code is introduced whenever the number of deaths occurring between two successive uses of a symbolic register equals or exceeds N. In the preferred embodiment, the cost is a function of the number, type and frequency of each operation introduced by the spill, and is divided by a benefit factor represented as the degree of the node.

Abstract: Java™ Development Toolkit version 1.1.x (JDK) does not support the serialization of images. JDK on the other hand allows primitive data types to be serialized. This means that an application developer can design an application so that any primitive data type objects, including objects comprising primitive data type components, can be written to a file or another area of memory, before an application closes. When the application re-opens, the primitive data types can be de-serialized and so recovered and the application can continue as if it had never closed with the exception that image objects will not have been recovered. The invention discloses a component for a development kit comprising means for converting an image object into a primitive data type object and means for serializing that object so that the object can be made persistent.

Abstract: An electric motor, which is preferably a disk drive spindle motor, contains a multi-phase stator driven by switching the phases of drive current at corresponding commutation angles of the rotor. Small semi-random offsets are introduced into the commutation angles at which the drive current is switched, spreading the frequency of excitation over a wider range, and reducing the peak harmonic excitation at the switching frequency. Preferably, a table of offsets is maintained, and an offset from the table is added to each commutation point. The table preferably has more entries than the number of commutation points, the entries being cycled on a round-robin or other basis.

Abstract: A method of developing a software system using Object Oriented Technology. The present invention addresses the problem of providing a technical foundation for the development of software applications using Object Oriented Technology and frameworks. The present invention solves this problem with a framework supporting flexible interchange of domain algorithms. The present invention is applicable in the technical field of application development of software systems, e.g. for a business application as Financial or Logistic and Distribution, wherein it is the purpose of frameworks to provide significant portions of the application that are common across multiple implementations of the application in a general manner, easy to extend for specific implementation.

Abstract: A slider control cooperates with a viewport of a graphic user interface interactive application in which information is displayed. The invention is applicable where this information is divisible into a series of information vectors of varying lengths, at least some of which are longer than the length of the viewport in a direction parallel to said vectors. The slider control according to the invention is adapted to display the degree to which these vectors exceed said viewport length.

Abstract: A desktop manager for a multi-processing graphic user interface operating system operates to control the display of a plurality of controls each occupying respective display areas on a desktop. An improved desktop manager characterised by means adapted to receive a request for urgency from a process owning a control; and means adapted to diminish the display of one or more of any other controls to draw the attention of a user to the control owned by the process requesting urgency is disclosed.

Abstract: A data cache is constructed with the same dimensions as for a conventional n-way associative cache, but is constructed as an (n−1)-way associative cache, so that one associative column of the cache is left unused, although the cache has the same memory array size as a typical n-way associative cache. The extra column of data in the cache is organized as an independent logical translation look-aside buffer (TLB) that is n-way associative. Thus, there is no separate TLB array for the cache, rather, the TLB is contained within the data cache array. In this way, the cache can be implemented with a single chip, and can be of relatively large size, on the order of 8 MB or more.

Abstract: A mechanism for automatically generating icons. In the preferred embodiment, a browser displays a web page in a window on a display screen. The browser selects a subset of the page, and transforms the subset to an icon. The browser then displays the icon, which represents the browser and the page, on the display screen. Thus, when multiple invocations of the browser are active, each invocation will have a different, associated icon, depending on each invocation's current page. In this way, the user can easily distinguish between the browser invocations by viewing the different icons.

Abstract: A sensor detects a possible attempt to open a vehicle door latch by mechanical means, and temporarily disables an electronic unlocking signal until the mechanical activation means are absent. Preferably, all functions are performed by an on-board microprocessor controller, which checks the state of the door sensor(s) upon occurrence of an unlock event. If the sensor(s) indicate that a person is or may be attempting to open the door mechanically, no unlock signal is transmitted immediately to the door latch. Preferably, the controller continues to check the state of the door sensor(s), and activates the unlock mechanism after the sensor is clear. However, if the sensor is not clear within some timeout period, the controller may simply abort the unlock operation. This is done to avoid confusing the user with an unlocking action some time after pressing the unlock switch.

Abstract: A processor supports logical partitioning of a computer system. Logical partitions isolate the real address spaces of processes executing on different processors and the hardware resources that include processors. However, this multithreaded processor system can dynamically reallocate hardware resources including the processors among logical partitions. An ultra-privileged supervisor process, called a hypervisor, regulates the logical partitions. Preferably, the processor supports hardware multithreading, each thread independently capable of being in either hypervisor, supervisor, or problem state. The processor assigns certain generated addresses to its logical partition, preferably by concatenating certain high order bits from a special register with lower order bits of the generated address. A separate range check mechanism concurrently verifies that these high order effective address bits are in fact 0, and generates an error signal if they are not.

Abstract: A phase modulated servo method and apparatus are provided for use in a disk file. The disk file includes at least one disk mounted for rotation about an axis and the disk has at least one disk surface for storing data. At a predefined location of the disk surface a series of servo tracks of a predetermined high gain servo pattern are written. The predetermined high gain servo pattern includes 360° phase difference information within each data cylinder. The servo tracks are detected for identifying servo phase information.

Abstract: A method of developing a software system using Object Oriented Technology and frameworks. The present invention addresses the problem to provide a method of locating objects in different containers, particularly to address the allocation of objects across different containers when moving all objects of a certain class does not make sense. The present invention solves this problem with a method of locating software objects in a software system across logical storage units characterized in that said locating of said objects is performed according to a usage of said objects. The present invention is applicable in the technical field of application development of software systems, e.g. for a business application as Financial or Logistic and Distribution.

Abstract: A framework being used for developing software system e.g. for a business application. This framework includes a number of object oriented classes which may be processed by a computer system. The invention provides an interface and a base class which implements this interface that allows specific data to be added to the objects of classes supporting the interface at runtime without the need for subclassing of the original class. Specific data added in this way to an object are referred to as properties of the object, and the interface introduced by this invention is referred to as the property container interface.

Abstract: A disk drive is tested during the manufacturing process, after the head/disk assembly is completely assembled and enclosed in its protective enclosure. A known data pattern is written to selected tracks on the disk surface, and the data is read back. During the read process, the analog read signal is sampled at first and third harmonic rates, and the logarithmic ratio of the two sampled signals used to derive a harmonic ratio flyheight (HRF) signal approximating the flyheight of the head. When a transducer head passes over a surface asperity, a collision occurs, causing the transducer to be lifted momentarily above its normal flyheight. If the amplitude of the HRF signal exceeds a predetermined clipping level, a possible disk defect is indicated. In order to characterize the possible defect, a window of the HRF signal samples in the vicinity of the suspected abnormality is digitized and used as the input to a neural network.