Abstract: A peer to peer connection authorizer is described. The connection authorizer involves three different entities: a system authorizer mechanism, a client connection manager, and a server connection manager. The system authorizer resides on the main or primary CPU while the client and server connection managers reside on individual IOPs. To obtain information required by a user and/or an application program, the client connection manager issues a request to the system authorizer. When the system authorizer receives the request, it first verifies that the client device is who it claims to be. If the system authorizer determines that the client device should be allowed to access the requested information, it then sends a token to the server device and a copy of the same token to the client device. Upon receipt of the token copy from the system authorizer, the client connection manager packages the token copy into a message that it sends to the server device.

Abstract: A visually aging scroll bar is associated with a window or viewport on a computer display as part of a computer system, and contains a slider to indicate relative positioning in the window of a document, such as a data file, image file, audio file, text file, or spreadsheet. The current position of the scroll bar slider is monitored by the computer system. After a first predetermined sampling period has elapsed, a first region matching the current position of the scroll bar slider is created. The visual appearance of the region is determined by a predetermined region heating rate. For example, a newly created region starts at "cold", which can be indicated by a violet-indigo color. After a second sampling period has elapsed, the computer system again checks the current position of the scroll bar slider. If the current position still matches the first region, the visual appearance of the first region symbolically "warms up" as indicated by the region heating rate.

Abstract: Three separate methods are used to provide the user with sounds that help the user understand where a particular current position is relative to a "location of interest" (LOI) within the viewable object. First, the user is able to use sound marks to mark specific LOIs within viewable objects so that the user may return to those LOIs at a later time. Second, the user is provided with view regions which aurally indicate the LOS of frequeuntly used portions of the viewable object. Lastly, the user is given an aural indication of the current position of the position identifier relative to the viewable object as a whole. This is called relational positioning. Each type of aural LOI indication can be presented to the user regardless of how the user is moving through the viewable object.

Abstract: A peer to peer connection authorizer is described. The connection authorizer involves three different entities: a system authorizer mechanism, a client connection manager, and a server connection manager. The system authorizer resides on the main or primary CPU while the client and server connection managers reside on individual IOPs. To obtain information required by a user and/or an application program, the client connection manager issues a request to the system authorizer. When the system authorizer receives the request, it first verifies that the client device is who it claims to be. If the system authorizer determines that the client device should be allowed to access the requested information, it then sends a token to the server device and a copy of the same token to the client device. Upon receipt of the token copy from the system authorizer, the client connection manager packages the token copy into a message that it sends to the server device.

Abstract: In a computer system including a host which operates in a pre-read mode to start a block data transfer after reading status of a peripheral device (HDD) in response to an interrupt from the peripheral device or in a post-read mode to read the status after completing the block data transfer, an interface circuit comprising mode detecting circuitry for automatically detecting whether the host operates in the pre-read mode or in the post-read mode so that data transfers can be correctly performed between the peripheral device and the host even if the host is in either mode, delay circuitry for delaying by a predetermined amount of time, a data request DRQ indicating that a block of data is ready to be transferred, when the post-read mode is detected, and interrupt circuitry for sending an interrupt request IRQ to the host in response to the output of the delay circuitry.

Abstract: A battery powered hand-held portable computer device for audible processing of messages stored at one or more remote central message facilities. A telephonic interface is included within the portable computer device. A connection between the portable computer device and the remote central message facility is automatically established in response to a connection to a telephonic network and the operation of a single switch. Thereafter, selected audio and/or digital messages from a remote central message facility are transferred to the portable computer device, digitized if necessary, and stored within random access memory or stored utilizing analog storage systems. The portable computer device preferably utilizes a limited number of tape recorder-like switches. In response to a single operation of a "start" switch, electronic messages stored in a digital format are sequentially coupled to a text-to-speech conversion application and converted to audible speech through a speaker or headphone.

Abstract: A data processing system include a plurality of data objects which are accessible by application programs through a system level interface. Each data object has an associated user access list. In addition, each object has at least one key indicating which applications can access that object. The key is preferably maintained in a protected storage area, accessible only by the low level system interface. Both the application identifier key and the user who invoked that application must match the identifier information in the data object for access to be allowed to that object. If an unauthorized user attempts access to the data object through the correct application, or an authorized user attempts access through an incorrect application, access to the data object will be denied by the low level interface.

Abstract: A touch screen apparatus with tactile feedback is disclosed. Tactile information, such as Braille or other symbolic representations, is integrally connected to an area on the touch screen surface. This tactile information can be molded into the touch screen surface as part of its initial manufacturing process, or can be added later by making the tactile information our of epoxy or or by placing a plastic film containing the tactile information over the touch screen surface. The touch screen display can be part of a desktop or laptop computer, can be part of a computer system in a public information kiosk or automated teller machine application, or can be included as an information panel in stereo equipment, transportation equipment, etc.

Abstract: A mechanism for monitoring and responding to the changes of a local area network (LAN) is disclosed. The automatic configuration mechanism (ACM) of the present invention is initiated as part of the normal "startup" of a network node. Once initialized, the ACM has three functions. First, nodes use the ACM to obtain configuration information from other nodes. Second, nodes use the ACM to provide configuration information to the other nodes of the network. Lastly, nodes use the ACM to respond to other nodes which seek configuration information.

Abstract: A telephone call is made by a calling party. The telephone call is routed through a telephone network to a piece of terminal equipment. The terminal equipment analyzes call information associated with the telephone call. The call information is divided into separate call attributes, such as calling telephone number and called telephone number. One or more number lists, stored in the terminal equipment, are then searched to see if they contain an entry that matches the call attributes. If a match is not found, the call is rejected. If one or more matches is found, the call is routed as specified by the number list entry having the most optimal match. The number lists can be easily user-modified.

Abstract: Disclosed is a rotating memory device or disk drive which includes a rotating media having tracks thereon and an actuator arm which includes a head for writing representations of data to the track on the rotating memory. The head also reads representations of data from the track of the rotating memory. The head is attached to the actuator arm. The actuator arm is used to move the head to a selected position over the rotating memory such as over the track in the rotating memory. Also disclosed is an apparatus that corrects for errors of low frequency. The device includes circuitry for producing a position error signal for integrating the position error signal to produce a control signal that is used to correct for any errors in the position of the head. The device also includes circuitry for detecting cross track head speed per sector which produces a signal used to control the integration of the position error signal.

Abstract: OOP environments comprise composite data structures and internal mechanisms for manipulating those structures. The structures are used to allow a user to realize the power of OOP. Hence, the layout of these structures, the way in which the structures inter-relate, and the manner in which they are built and used are all critical to the utility of a particular OOP environment. It is no surprise, then, that manufacturers and suppliers of OOP environments are constantly striving to design composite data structures and internal mechanisms which maximize user productivity. The internal mechanisms and structures that make up the present invention are collectively referred to as the New Object Model (NOM). The composite data structures and organization of the NOM OOP environment provide significant benefits that are not provided by the environments of the prior art.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the intraprocess locking of a shared resource in a computer system is disclosed. A computer system operates under the control of an operating system. The operating system supports the asynchronous execution of a plurality of tasks, referred to herein as processes. Each process is capable of being executed by a plurality of asynchronously executing programs. In addition to assuring that only one process may use a shared computer resource, such as a magnetic storage device, tape drive, printer, software module, message queue, etc, at one time, the operating system also grants access to a shared computer resource at the level of a program operating within a process. When one program executing within a process accesses a shared computer resource, it requests that the operating system lock out all other programs executing asynchronous within that process, as well as other processes executing within the computer system, from that shared resource.

Abstract: The digital actuator controller of the present invention reduces the effect of aliasing peculiar to the digital control by inserting a low-pass filter (LPF), which was considered inadequate in the past, between a digital-to-analog converter and a power amplifier to thereby reduce the gain in the high frequency region.

Abstract: The data dictionary manager takes advantage of the computer system's journaling capability enhanced to allow users and application programs to manipulate system objects without the use of the data dictionary's built-in utilities. As used here, journaling capability is an internal tracking facility which exists in a somewhat limited form on many computer systems. Typical journaling mechanisms maintain a repository of information about some of the activities that have taken place on the computer system. The information is usually stored in a record called an audit journal. Since many computer systems have limited journaling mechanisms already in place, these mechanisms can be enhanced to add the ability to record information about changes to system objects. Examples of system object changes included in the audit journal are deletes, creates, renames, and moves.

Abstract: A non-linear scroll bar is associated with a window or viewport on a computer display as part of a computer system, and contains a slider to indicate relative positioning in the window of a document, such as a data file, image file, audio file, text file, or spreadsheet. The current position of a user in a document, as referenced by a cursor or other marking device, is monitored by the computer system. After a first predetermined sampling period has elapsed, a first region containing upper and lower boundaries of a portion of the document that envelop the current position in the document is created in a portion of memory called "scroll data". The initial size of the region is determined by a predetermined region growth rate. When a user moves the slider of a scroll bar, the computer system checks scroll data to see if the new current position in the document is within the first region.

Abstract: The method of the present invention presents a plurality of option panels to a user, each option panel requiring at least one user input which specifies a system option for a selected data processing system. Thereafter, an installation profile is created utilizing these specified system options, including at least a description of the operating system to be utilized and a description of the data processing system hardware configuration. In one embodiment of the present invention this installation profile is then stored in conjunction with a complex multilevel software application on a portable storage media, such as a tape reel. Thereafter, the installation of the complex multilevel software application may be automatically accomplished by reference to the installation profile which contains those values which represent preset installation options.

Abstract: The disclosed data stream optimization process is containing two logical entities, the first being the pre-comparison optimizer component and the second being the comparison component. The pre-comparison optimizer component performs two discrete tasks. First, the input data stream is written into a next state buffer. Second, the elimination of redundancies involves detecting and removing redundant screen attributes, since the terminal's execution time for processing a screen attribute is more than that required for a data character. The comparison component contains three distinct sub-components. First, non-data constructs such as commands and orders are optimized and placed in the outgoing data stream. Second, the screen image that is represented by the data stream is compared to the existing screen image to further reduce the outgoing data stream.

Abstract: A service network has several computer systems connected together. A computer system can either be a "Service Requestor" (SR), a "Service Provider" (SP), or a hybrid of the two, a "Service Provider/Requestor" (SP/R). The service network is built by an enrollment process that adds computer systems into the service network. A SP (or SP/R acting as an SP) already in the network can initiate the enrollment of an SR (or SP/R acting as an SR) into the network. In addition, a SR (or SP/R acting as an SR) can initiate a request for enrollment into the network. If such a request is initiated, it must be approved automatically or with human intervention.

Abstract: Data processing systems often include multiple servers which provide facilities for other data stations within the system. A File System Driver loaded within an operating system is generally utilized to define the relationships among the operating system, the file systems and the device drivers. The method and system of the present invention loads multiple File System Drivers, each having a public entry point which may be utilized to identify each server device managed by an associated File System Driver. Thereafter, any server request by the user will result in an automatic sequential polling of each loaded File System Driver to identify the particular File System Driver which manages the server in question. In response to a failure to identify the particular File System Driver which manages the desired server, each File System Driver is polled a second time and permitted to transmit queries throughout the system to locate the desired server.