Abstract: The present invention allocates a buffer within a buffer pool to each connection to an application or to each application. By managing the user of the buffers in this manner, the present invention avoids the conventional problems of the possibility of a dominant application monopolizing virtually all of the available buffer space and forcing the other applications to wait for space to become available. Additionally, because each application has its own buffer space allocated to it, it minimizes the risk of the problems of one application contaminating other applications. A method according to the present invention for buffer management for transferring data in a processing system comprises the steps of opening a virtual circuit, allocating a buffer for the virtual circuit, utilizing the buffer, and returning control of the buffer to an owner after utilization of the buffer.

Abstract: A method and a system are provided for managing fixed size memory blocks in a graphic imaging system. A system memory includes at least one queue containing a linked list of fixed size memory blocks and a page pool of variable size memory blocks. A system memory manager allocates memory blocks from the system memory in response to requests. Upon a request for a memory block of a particular fixed size, the system memory manager allocates a memory block of the fixed size from a queue containing memory blocks of the fixed size if the queue has memory blocks available. If the queue does not have memory blocks available, the system memory manager creates an extension to the queue containing memory blocks of the fixed size. The extension is created from a page pool. The extension is linked to the queue, and a memory block of the fixed size is then allocated from the queue.

Abstract: A system and method for automatically-calibrating display monitor beam currents. A device selects a target beam current within a display monitor. A current sampler measures a present beam current within the display monitor. A beam current controller increases a gain of an amplifier within the monitor by a delta value if the present beam current is less than the target beam current, and decreases the gain of the amplifier by the delta value if the present beam current is greater than the target beam current. A first step in the method selects a target beam current. A second step measures a present beam current generated by an amplifier. A third step increases a gain of the amplifier by a delta value if the present beam current is less than the target beam current. A fourth step decreases the gain of the amplifier by the delta value if the present beam current is greater than the target beam current. A fifth step sets a multiplier to a predetermined value.

Abstract: An automatic method in a teleconferencing system for merging at least two ongoing teleconferences. A first endpoint transmits a merge request message to the at least two teleconferences to a second endpoint. The merge request message includes a list of members in one of the at least two ongoing teleconferences. The second endpoint receives the merge request message and transmits join request messages to each member in the list of members. The first endpoint, the second endpoint and each member in the list of members then establish one teleconference.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for a first process operative in a computer system controlling a user interface on a computer system display under control of a second process operative in the computer system. An event handler is installed for the second process, the event handler servicing events generated for controlling the user interface display under control of the second process. The first process may then perform a first set of functions in the computer system. The first process generates events for controlling the user interface display, the events related to the functions performed by the first process. The event handler receives the events generated by the first process and updates the user interface on the computer system display according to the events generated by the first process and received by the event handler.

Abstract: A computer system comprises a plurality of nodes interconnected by point-to-point links and forms a serial bus. At least one of the plurality of nodes includes an associated configuration memory storing configuration information. The configuration memory is arranged into a plurality of directories according to an hierarchical structure. At least one of directories has a key value which indicates a unique directory entry within the configuration memory, the unique directory entry comprising an extended key value. In one embodiment, the extended key value indicates a driver directory. In a second embodiment, the extended key indicates a protocol directory.

Abstract: A method and system for providing an inverse transform for an audio compression decoding algorithm in software precalculates a plurality of identified values; each of which is computationally intensive. The method and system then performs a pre-inverse transform complex multiply utilizing a first portion of the identified values and an array of input coefficients to provide a plurality of intermediate values. Thereafter, an inverse transform complex multiply and a post inverse transform multiply are combined to provide a combined complex multiply operation. The combined complex multiply operation uses a second portion of the identified values and the intermediate values provides the inverse transform. Accordingly, through the use of the present invention, the number of instructions for implementing the inverse transform can be substantially minimized.

Abstract: A method for adjusting image geometry in a system having a video display monitor, an input device and an input device pointer visually representing the position of the input device on the video display monitor comprises the steps of generating an image geometry adjustment screen, hiding the input device pointer and generating a simulated input device pointer, using positional information received to accordingly adjust the image geometry, and restoring the input device pointer to the image geometry adjustment screen.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method in a computer for importing data from an import database to a target database. The method includes displaying a plurality of import items associated with one of the plurality of import records in an import window of a display screen of the computer. The plurality of import items represent at least one of the plurality of import data fields and the plurality of import headers associated with the one of the plurality of import records. There is further included displaying a target window in the display screen, thereby causing the target window to appear simultaneously with the import window in the display screen. The target window includes a plurality of target data fields corresponding to a plurality of target headers and substantially resembles one of a window employed for manual data entry of records and a window employed for data display for the database management program.

Abstract: A system and method for allowing a network application to interface with both a first transaction protocol and a second transaction protocol. The system and method provides an object-oriented base class for use by the network application. A first subclass is invoked from the base class when the network application interfaces the first protocol, and a second subclass is invoked from the base class when the network application interfaces the second protocol. The network application is made compatible with the first protocol by invoking the first subclass, and made compatible with the second protocol by invoking the second subclass.

Abstract: A technique is provided for creating an autonomous network entity that stores sensitive information in a cryptographically secure manner. The autonomous entity comprises a data structure that encapsulates cryptographically-transformed information along with the inputs of a secret key used to reverse the transformation. Cryptographic storage of the sensitive information and its reversable key within the encapsulated entity makes the entity autonomous and capable of transfer among computer platforms and their processes without compromising the security of the information.

Abstract: A method and system for transferring units of data between a computer memory and an external system in which a DMA controller stores and uses information from an I/O device interfacing with the external system to transfer data more efficiently.

Abstract: A system for processing color information is based on carrying with color data, an indicator of the color space in which the data is represented. In this manner, the system is enabled to process color data from a variety of sources independent of the color space of the sources, because it is able to respond to the color space of a particular color value perform the necessary transformations to operate within any other arbitrary color and color space combination. The system provides for manipulating or combining colors independent of the source and destination color spaces. Also, the system operates on a per color component basis in user selected working color space, independent of the color space of the input or destination devices.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing a user with increased flexibility and control over the appearance and behavior of objects on a user interface. Sets of objects can be grouped into themes to provide a user with a distinct overall impression of the interface. Themes can be switched dynamically by switching pointers to drawing procedures or switching data being supplied to these procedures. To buffer applications from the switchable nature of graphical user interfaces, colors and patterns used to implement the interface objects are abstracted from the interface by, for example, pattern look-up tables.

Abstract: A system and method for avoiding starvation and deadlocks in a split-response-bus multiprocessor computer system. The multiprocessor computer system includes a first node and a second node coupled to the a split-response bus, wherein the first and second nodes communicate by passing request packets over the split-response bus. The method and system includes providing precedence information in the request packets, and then using the precedence information when receiving the request packets to determine which request packets to process and which request packets to reject when a conflict occurs.

Abstract: A power supply provides a voltage to a digital camera. If the power supply voltage falls below a predetermined threshold, a voltage sensor generates a signal to a power manager. In response, the power manager configures the camera into a lower power consumption state. As the power source weakens further, the power manager continues to place the camera into a lower and lower power consumption state, until the power source is exhausted. The method of the present invention preferably comprises the steps of monitoring the power source's voltage, generating a signal if that voltage falls below a pre-determined threshold, and reducing the camera's power consumption in response to the signal.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for operating a computer system at the interrupt level. Rather than having a primary task list that is interrupted to service interrupts, all tasks derive from interrupts. To this end, interrupt-time data structures and representations are precomputed and represented. The taxonomy of real time data types is organized. It is preferable to include isochronous media, together with supporting algorithms and heuristics.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and system for providing a virtual reality environment utilizing images from a lens on a display of a data processing system is disclosed. The method and system comprises providing a plurality of images, each of the plurality of images including a plurality of parameters and optimizing the plurality of parameters for each of the plurality of images in accordance with a radial distortion model. The method and system also including generating the virtual reality environment of the plurality of images based upon the optimization of the plurality of parameters.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing a user with increased flexibility and control over the appearance and behavior of objects on a user interface are disclosed. Sets of objects can be grouped into themes to provide a user with a distinct overall impression of the interface. These themes can be switched dynamically by switching pointers to drawing procedures or switching data being supplied to these procedures. To buffer applications from the switchable nature of graphical user interfaces, colors and patterns used to implement the interface objects are abstracted from the interface by, for example, pattern look-up tables.