Abstract: Method and apparatus for locking by sharing lock states. Each resource or object has an associated lock state (that may be cached) comprised of transactions that own a lock in a specific mode for the resource. Several resources may share the same lock state. In one embodiment of the invention, a table of immutable lock states (TILS) is utilized to maintain the correct association of locked resources and immutable lock states. To acquire a lock, a new lock state is computed by adding the current transaction to the old lock state. If the new lock state is already in the TILS, the association between the resource and the lock state is updated to reflect the new lock state. If the new lock state is not in the TILS, the new lock state is added to the TILS. To release a lock, the transaction determines the new lock state that will result after removal from the lock state for that resource. The association between the resource and the lock state is then updated to reflect the change.

Abstract: The present invention provides an electrode for a ceramic electrode fluorescent discharge lamp; an electrode material for a discharge lamp, which has high electron flow density, high thermal shock resistance, and reduced deterioration due to sputtering; and also a method for manufacturing the same. The invention makes it possible to reduce the tube diameter of the ceramic electrode fluorescent discharge lamp. An electrode material for a discharge lamp is obtained from a first component of 0.5 to 1.5 mols of BaO, CaO or SrO, a second component of 0.05 to less than 0.3 mols or more than 0.7 to 0.95 mols of ZrO2 or TiO2, and a third component of 0.025 to less than 0.3 mols of V2O5, Nb2O5, Ta2O5, Sc2O3, Y2O3, La2O3, Dy2O3, or Ho2O3, or 0.05 to less than 0.15 mols or more than 0.35 to 0.95 mols of HfO2, CrO3, MoO3 or WO3. This electrode material is granulated and is turned into a massive, granular, or porous electrode material.

Abstract: A digital film scanner interface obtains digital image data produced by projecting a motion picture film frame onto a sensor. The image data is transferred from the sensor to a Digital Signal Processor (“DSP”) block. The DSP block processes the image data to, for example, minify, magnify, enhance colors, or correct for errors in the image data. The DSP block comprises four DSPs. One of the DSPs receives the image data from the sensor and controls the flow of the image data to the other three DSPs. The processing tasks can then be distributed to the DSPs based on availability. Alternatively, the digital signal processing tasks can be allocated such that each DSP processes one color component of image data. After the image data is processed, it is transferred over a bus to a long term storage device.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for coupling object state and behavior in a DBMS is provided such that an object's class definition, behavior information, and state information are included in the DBMS. An object is instantiated using an object class definition, state information, and behavior information from the DBMS. In addition, an object can be stored in the DBMS by storing its class definition along with its state and behavior information in the DBMS. The behavior information stored in the DBMS can be used within and without the DBMS environment.

Abstract: The present invention provides apparatus and method for automatic number identification (ANI) for a data access arrangement (DAA) of a modem. Modems or telephones equipped with an ANI system use the caller ID (ANI) signals to identify the calling telephone or modem. For automatic number identification, the invention uses a new switch element on the secondary winding side of a transformer and a standard DAA circuit on the primary winding side of the transformer. The invention does not require an additional AC coupling path for the caller ID (ANI) signals. During an ANI operation, the new ANI switch on the secondary winding side is opened so that the impedance looking into the modem from the telephone line side becomes relatively high and the prior art voltage divide effect is eliminated or reduced.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a method for allowing a controlling object to interface with any number of user interface objects without requiring separate interface code for each user interface object and without restricting the user interface to certain predetermined designs. The present method provides objects called association objects that are interposed between a controlling object and each user interface object. Each kind of user interface object has a corresponding association object. The association object for a particular kind of user interface object contains code that allows the association object to interact with the specific kind of user interface object with which it is associated. Each association object also presents a standard interface to a controlling object, regardless of the kind of user interface object with which the association object is associated.

Abstract: The invention is a method and apparatus for generating an autostereo image. The apparatus comprises at least one light source generating at least two views of an image, a parallax or "slit"-type barrier screen and at least one light-transmitting elements projecting the at least two different views provided by the light source at one or more apertures in the barrier screen. A viewer viewing the screen perceives an autostereo image as a result of the left and right eyes of the viewer seeing different views of the image. In one embodiment, the light source comprises at least one digital projector. In one embodiment, the light-transmitting elements comprise fiber optic strands. A first end of the strand is arranged to receive light projected by one of the light sources. A second end of the strand is arranged to project at a rear side of the barrier screen.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a system for delivering an interactive multimedia work from a storage device, for example a hard disk drive, a CD-ROM drive, a network server, etc. to a playback device, for example a personal computer, in a manner that provides improved performance regardless of the playback sequence selected by a user. In one embodiment of the present invention, for each segment of an interactive multimedia work, a probability factor is assigned to each possible alternative succeeding segment. In addition a retrieval and delivery time cost factor is also assigned to each possible succeeding segment. In one embodiment of the invention, the time cost factor for each resource is assigned a fixed value. In another embodiment, the time cost factor is recalculated periodically to reflect changes in location and status of resources. The probability and time cost factor for each possible succeeding segment are combined to produce a relative priority ranking.

Abstract: The present invention creates a model that maps object classes in an object-oriented environment to a data source. The model maps the relationship between properties of each object class and data of the data source. The present invention can be used with a data source such as a relational database, user interface, file system, or object-oriented database. An application's object classes and data source schema are designed independent of the other since the model can be used to map one to the other. The model is comprised of entities and attributes. An entity maps to an object class and to at least one table of the DBMS. An entity contains attributes either simple or derived. A simple attribute maps to a DBMS column. A derived attribute is a combination of other attributes and does not directly map to a DBMS column. A relationship creates a link between entities of the model. A relationship can be used to flatten an attribute or flatten a relationship.

Abstract: The present invention employs a generative approach for configuring systems such that a system may be configured based on component or resource requests, or input in the form of need. The present invention provides a constraint-based configuration system using a structural model hierarchy. The structural aspects of the model provide the ability to define a model element as being contained in, or by, another model element. In addition, the structural model provides the ability to identify logical datatype and physical interconnections between elements and establish connections between elements. To configure a system, the present invention accepts input in the form of requests (e.g., component or resource) or needs, such as an expression of a need for a desktop computer system to be used in a CAD (i.e., computer-aided design) environment.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating addresses. The present invention provides for fast generation of a series of addresses in an array where the series comprises a column or diagonal of the array, such as for layered ECC code words in CD-ROM. Whereas each address is computable individually using multipliers and modulo circuits, the present invention operates on the series of addresses as a whole, forming a dependence between successive addresses. The dependence is separated into multiple address indices that may be summed together for the desired address. The present invention is thus able to generate a series of addresses by accumulation processes requiring only selection of the appropriate increment value and addition to a previously stored address index value. Address generation throughput is increased with savings in layout area and power.

Abstract: The invention provides an improved user interface component comprising a set of icons, called Zframes, that correspond to each page in a tabbed notebook. Objects can be copied, moved, or displayed using the Zframes. When a user drags an object off the client surface of an exposed page and drops it into one of the Zframes, the object is moved to the page that corresponds to the Zframe. When an object is dropped into a Zframe it is displayed only as long as the user holds the mouse button down. When a user depresses the mouse button when pointing to a Zframe the corresponding page is displayed while the mouse button is depressed. Links between objects on the exposed page of the tabbed notebook are illustrated using link lines. Links from an object contained in the exposed page to objects on other pages can be illustrated by displaying rings within Zframes that correspond to pages that contain objects linked to a selected object. The rings are removed when the object is released.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention comprise a design tool for designing an application interface. The design tool includes a graphical user interface (GUI) that visually represents a hierarchy of data and the relationships between the data. Thus, the design tool eliminates the need for an interface designer to have independent knowledge of the structure of the data (i.e., the data fields and relationships between the data). The design tool's GUI represents the data and the relationships between the data in a hierarchical display referred to as a data palette. An output hierarchy comprised of output levels is created as the user selects fields from the data palette to be displayed in the application's interface. When a data field is selected, the design tool automatically determines the appropriate interface component and output level of the output hierarchy using the relationships defined for the data. Output levels are associated with interface components that comprise the application's interface.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for system building with a transactional interpreter. Unlike interpreters of the prior art, a transactional interpreter permits large interpreter-based operations, such as a system build, to resume processing from a point within the operation, i.e., the most recently completed transaction, rather than restarting from the beginning when the operation is interrupted. Control over transaction processing is maintained at the virtual machine level by the interpreter, and is therefore transparent with respect to the user of the interpreting software. In one embodiment of the invention, a virtual machine comprises a computer system running a transactional interpreter process with an underlying database such as an object-oriented database. The transactional interpreter individually processes instructions from an input stack, and, between the processing of each instruction, determines whether a commit operation is to be performed, marking the end of a transaction.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for timely delivery of classes and objects is provided. A header comprising timing information is attached to said classes and/or objects. A "start loading" time and a "load by" time are specified in the header. Other classes and/or objects to be loaded are also specified in the header. Optional compression, security, and/or error resilience schemes are also specified in the header. A process for creating the header and attaching it to a class or object is provided. A process for receiving and processing a class or object with an attached header is provided. Embodiments of the invention allow timely delivery of classes and/or objects over a wide variety of transport mechanisms, including unreliable transport mechanisms and those lacking any guarantees of timely delivery.

Abstract: The invention is a digital library system that includes: 1) a data capture mechanism that includes data transfer and cataloguing mechanisms, 2) an asset management system for access and storage management of data, and 3) a distribution system for distributing the data and system functionality. A data capture system includes a transfer system and a cataloguing system. The transfer system converts multimedia material that exists in analog form to a digital format. The cataloguing system catalogues data. The cataloguing system creates a catalogue that can be used to perform content-based searches. A content-based search retrieves data based on the ideas or concepts contained in the data. An asset management system is used to access the data using the catalogue created by the cataloguing system. A distribution facility can be used to transmit the data thus giving a user access to all of the data contained in the digital library system despite the user's location.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a method and apparatus for manipulating screen objects utilizing multiband regions of influence. Positioning a reference point of an object within a particular band invokes a particular functionality or operation related to that band. In one embodiment, three types of functionality are provided. Moving a reference datum (for example, a line representing an edge or a user defined reference point) of an object A into a first band of an object B places object A under the influence of object B's gravity, causing object A to be pulled into precise alignment with object B. Moving the reference point of object A from the first band into a second band turns off object B's gravity, allowing object A to be freely moved to any arbitrary position near the object B. Moving the reference point of the object A to a position outside all bands causes object B's gravity function to be turned back on.

Abstract: The invention is directed to providing a saturation compensation technique for color printing that compensates for the over or under reduction of colorant levels that can result from gray component replacement (GCR) or under color removal (UCR) techniques. To solve the problems associated with the prior art GCR/UCR systems, embodiments of the invention implement a saturation compensation technique such that an overreduction of colorant levels is compensated for by increasing the color components (e.g., C, M and Y color components) of a color model accordingly. The saturation level that has been reduced to below a threshold TAC value can be increased to define richer looking, denser images. Embodiments of the invention determine the amount of the increase that is used to achieve a level of saturation that does not exceed the threshold TAC value. Alternatively, if there is an insufficient reduction of colorant levels such that the combined colorant levels (e.g.

Abstract: The present invention consists of a method and apparatus for authenticating an electronic document. In one embodiment of the invention, a party wishing to digitally sign an electronic document (the "client") stores the unsigned electronic document, and the client's public and private keys, on transportable storage media such as a floppy disk. The client conveys the storage media to an authorized electronic document authenticator. An authorized electronic document authenticator is an individual or enterprise that has access to the apparatus of the present invention or that has been authorized to use the method of the present invention. The client presents identity documents to the authenticator to verify the client's identity. The client digitally signs the electronic document in the presence of the authenticator. The authenticator verifies the digital signature using the public key provided by the client.