Abstract: A method and system for characterizing the content of a document is disclosed. The method and system comprise identifying a plurality of discourse referents in the document, dividing the document into topically relevant document segments, and resolving co-referentiality among the discourse referents within, and across, the document segments. The method and system also comprises calculating salience values for the discourse referents based upon the resolving step, and determining topic stamps for the document segments based upon the salience values of the associated discourse referents. Finally the method and system comprise providing summary-like abstractions, in the form of capsule overviews of each of the segments derived from its topic stamps. In so doing, a capsule overview is derived for the entire document, which will depict the core content of an average length article in a more accurate and representative manner than utilizing conventional techniques.

Abstract: Parsing routines extract from a conventional pronunciation dictionary an entry, which includes a dictionary word and dictionary phonemes representing the pronunciation of the dictionary word. A correspondence table is used to compress the pronunciation dictionary. The correspondence table includes correspondence sets for a particular language, each set having a correspondence text entry, a correspondence phoneme entry representing the pronunciation of the correspondence text entry and a unique correspondence set identifying symbol. A matching system compares a dictionary entry with the correspondence sets, and replaces the dictionary entry with the symbols representing the best matches. In the absence of a match, symbols representing silent text or unmatched phonemes can be used. The correspondence symbols representing the best matches provide compressed pronunciation dictionary entries. The matching system also generates decoder code sets for subsequently translating the symbol sets.

Abstract: A program routine generates Requests for a target system, such as a physical device or program code, to perform a service. Each Request includes identification information, and passes through intermediate layers, including a family program interface and a Family Server, for processing before it reaches the target system. The program routine also generates Cancels, which include the appropriate identification information, and sends the Cancels after the Requests. Each Cancel tracks its Request, and upon finding the Request, attempts to cancel it. A Cancel may find a Request before the Request has been forwarded to a target system, while it is being processed by the target system, after it has been executed by the target system, or may not find it. Results of the Requests and of the Cancels are returned through the intermediate layers to the program routine.

Abstract: A digital processing system and method which controls selection of a compressor in a communication system. In one embodiment, the method comprises receiving at the digital processing system information from a communication port, which information identifies decompression processing capabilities at a remote processor, and selecting in response to the information a particular compression process for use in compressing data for transmission to the remote processor.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing with a preferred processing application having a preferred identifier, an event associated with an object created by a dedicated creator application is provided. The method includes the steps of receiving the event, intercepting the event with a relay application program, and forwarding, with the relay application program, the intercepted event to the preferred processing application program.

Abstract: A structure and method for routing information desired by a particular entity within a pen-based computer system to that entity are provided. The desired information is contained in “packages” containing the desired information in one or more “parts” and also containing a package directory (located in front of the parts) that identifies the package and provides selected information about the package and its parts. The packages are received and processed by a package manager that maintains a registry of entities that desire specified types of information (parts) that might be found in an incoming package. When the package manager receives a package containing such information, it routes the part containing that information to a “part handler” associated with the entity requesting the information. The package manager then updates a package registry to reflect that the package has been successfully delivered.

Abstract: The transfer of video and graphic data from a frame buffer to a display system is interleaved in a manner which permits operation with a reduced memory bandwidth. For those scan lines of a display in which the video information appears, video data is retrieved from the frame buffer during the horizontal blanking time of the scan. Graphical data is retrieved from the memory during the active portion of horizontal scan line. By alternating the retrieval of data in this manner, a lower bandwidth operation can be employed, thereby reducing the expenses of the memory. An address translator permits video and graphic data that is stored in different respective formats to be retrieved with a consistent addressing approach. The use of multiple color look-up tables permits full-color video to be displayed even if limited-color graphics are being employed.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method and apparatus for identifying and locating computer network services. The invention gives an application the ability to search for network services in a manner independent of the network communication protocol used by the network. The invention can thus operate as a layer of abstraction between the Transport and Network Layers and the Application Layer of the Open Systems Interconnect (OSI) Reference Model of network architecture and suite of protocols. The invention gives the client application the ability to browse for network services based on the type of service (such as remote file access, mail, Web, domain name registration, etc.), rather than having to know the name or location of the service or the underlying network communication protocol used by the service.

Abstract: A system and method provide for synchronous operation of linked command objects in a general purpose software application. The software application provides a user with a variety of operations that manipulate available data objects. The software application manages the data objects in a number of contexts. Each context manages the existence and execution of a number of command objects. Each command object operates on one or more data objects in its context. To support synchronous operations that affect the state of data objects in more than one context, command objects are linked to each other. When one command object is executed, the context of the command object identifies a command object linked to the executed command object and initiates the execution of the linked command object via the context that manages that command object. This synchronization allows for synchronous undo and redone operations. The delete states of the command objects are also synchronized.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for reducing visibility of damping wire artifacts in aperture grill display tubes comprises a sensor device for locating the artifacts and responsively generating amplitude values, a processor for receiving the generated amplitude values and responsively calculating correction values, and a compensator device coupled to the processor for utilizing the correction values to correct said artifacts.

Abstract: To eliminate artifacts resulting from the quantization of images by means of an error diffusion process, a determination is made whether a current pixel being processed is within a shadow or highlight region of an image. If so, a dot of a complementary value is placed in the region only if a distance constraint between the current pixel and neighbor dots is satisfied. If the distance constraint is not satisfied, the placement of the dot is postponed. The distance constraint is based upon the grayscale level of the current pixel. A road map for determining the distance to other dots is defined in a manner such that it expands further from the location of the current pixel as the grayscale value of that pixel approaches the extreme limits of the grayscale range. As a result, a homogenous distribution of dots in highlight and shadow regions of an image is produced.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing information in a data processing system which is coupled to an information storage device having information stored therein. The method includes defining on a first processor a first search request which includes at least one parameter which specifies a first desired type of information, then performing a first search using the first request to determine whether the first type of desired information is stored in the information storage device. While performing the first search the first processor executes another process associated with searching for information in the data processing system. This other process typically includes defining a further search request and performing a further search using the further search request while the first search is being performed. The apparatus of the present invention includes a first processor coupled to the information storage device and a second processor coupled to a network to the first processor.

Abstract: A method for displaying data items of a data record on a computer display screen of a computer. The method includes the step of displaying, in accordance with a condensed display mode, a condensed data set in a condensed data section on the computer display screen. The condensed data set represents a first set of data items of the record that has been preselected to be displayed in the condensed data section in the condensed display mode. The method further includes the step of displaying, upon receiving a predefined user command and in accordance with a detailed display mode, a detailed data set in a detailed data section on the computer display screen. The detailed data section represents a corresponding detailed version of the condensed data section, and the detailed data set represents a second set of data items of the record that has been preselected to be displayed in the detailed data section in the detailed mode.

Abstract: A method for altering a linked series of image processors capable of manipulation digital image data includes providing a digital image capture device with an image processing chain, and modifying the image processing chain to form a new image processing chain. The modifying further includes deleting an image processor from the image processing chain. Alternatively, the modifying further includes altering the image processing chain with at least one externally provided image processor, inserting an image processor into the image processing chain, or replacing an image processor in the image processing chain.In a system aspect, the system includes a digital image capture device, the digital image capture device capable of processing digital image data through two or more image processors. The system further includes a central processing unit within the digital image capture device and capable of linking the two or more image processors to form an image processing chain.

Abstract: A system and method for increasing the speed and resource utilization of a computer system in which a personal computer uses a portable computer as an extra hard disk. While the portable computer is in SCSI target mode, the unused memory of the portable computer is converted into a disk cache for the hard disk of the portable computer. This enables the portable computer to perform as a very fast disk.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for a speech recognition system that uses a language model based on an integrated finite state grammar probability and an n-gram probability are provided. According to one aspect of the invention, speech signals are received into a processor of a speech recognition system. The speech signals are processed using a speech recognition system hosting a language model. The language model is produced by integrating a finite state grammar probability and an n-gram probability. In the integration, the n-gram probability is modified based on information provided by the finite state grammar probability; thus, the finite state grammar probability is subordinate to the n-gram probability. The language model is used by a decoder along with at least one acoustic model to perform a hypothesis search on an acoustic sequence to provide a word sequence output. The word sequence generated is representative of the received speech signals.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for simultaneously encrypting and compressing data identifies an encryption key and uses the encryption key to identify one compression algorithm from a set of compression algorithms. The data is then compressed according to the one compression algorithm.

Abstract: A method is provided for converting displayed text from one format to another. Text is input as handwriting in a pen-based computer and then automatically converted to a typeface text of a first text domain. Upon receipt of a conversion gesture that is recognized by the system as such, the system automatically converts the displayed text from the first text domain to a second character. The displayed text may be initially written as Hiragana and/or Katakana characters. Upon receipt of a conversion gesture, the system automatically converts the Hiragana and Katakana characters to appropriate Kanji characters.