Abstract: An apparatus (120) for providing shared resources to a plurality of external devices (130) includes a portable network server motherboard (210) and a plurality of removable storage devices (220) for selectively configuring the apparatus (120), each storage device (220) storing a different category of resources. The apparatus further includes a plurality of portable removable storage device receivers (230) connecting the plurality of removable storage devices (220) to the portable network server motherboard (210) and a portable hub (216) operable to connect the portable network server motherboard (210) to the plurality of external devices (130).

Abstract: A number of systems and methods for analyzing electronic image signals are provided which include processing the image signal as one or more cells, each comprising a plurality of pixels. For consecutive frames of the monitored image, a set of pointers are generated, each containing a value related to the detail contents of the image. The pointers are used to address a memory array, each pointer corresponding to a row in the memory array and the content of each pointer pointing to a memory element in the corresponding row. For successive frames, the value of each memory element addressed by a pointer is updated.

Abstract: A method is provided for optimizing the operation of an equipment control system having an operating unit. In the method, an operating entity operable to perform a specific function is automatically added to the operating unit when such function is required of the operating unit. When the specific function of the operating entity is no longer required, the operating entity is automatically deleted from the operating unit.

Abstract: One aspect of the invention is a method for managing redundant objects in a distributed object system. A transaction service runs on a computer. At least two copies of the instance variables of a distributed object are maintained in a separate database. The distributed object (46) has a polymorphism of an interface object instantiation method. At least two copies of an interface object (48) are instantiated wherein each interface object (48) is associated with one of the copies of the instance variables of the distributed object (46). The interface objects (48) are instantiated using the polymorphism. A list of interface objects (48) is maintained with the distributed object (46). Each copy of the instance variables of the distributed object (46) are modified by traversing the list of interface objects (48) and sending a message with modification parameters to each interface object (48) on the list.

Abstract: An automated system (10) is provided for resetting a computing system user's log-in password. The automated system (10) includes a database (16) which stores at least one question and corresponding answer received from the user. In response to a request for password reset received from the user, an interface (12) displays the stored question(s), thereby prompting the user to input an answer to each displayed question. A processor (14) is coupled to the database (16) and the interface (12). The processor (14) determines whether each input answer is the same as the stored corresponding answer. If the answers are the same, the processor (14) automatically resets the user's log-in password.

Abstract: The invention comprises a method and system for scheduling product orders for a manufacturing facility. One aspect of the invention is a method for scheduling product orders wherein a pool of product order records and a pool of physical attribute records are maintained. A list of partially completed physical products available at an evaluation point in a manufacturing facility is maintained wherein the list includes a first physical attribute record. A digital computer is then used to compute a grade value for each of a plurality of product order records having a list of order attributes comprising sets of which the list of physical attribute data items associated with the first physical attribute record is a subset. The grade value comprises a weighted sum of a plurality of objective factors where each objective factor comprises a numerical measure of how well a particular objective is being met.

Abstract: A system (100) for processing career development information is provided which comprises a plurality of career development files (112). Each career development file is associated with at least one other career development file. The system includes a user interface system (120) which receives a user selection of one of the career development files (112) and displays the selected career development file. The system also includes a career library production system (116) with which a curriculum designer can modify one or more of the career development files.

Abstract: Interface object classes providing a template class (402) for list boxes (500) and a template class (410) for combo boxes (506) which encapsulates a linkage mechanism to associate the items listed in the list box and combo box to objects (614) in a business object (612). When an item is selected in a list box or combo box, the object associated with the selected item is referenced automatically without explicit coding.

Abstract: One aspect of the invention is a method of generating object-oriented code. An object model is captured for at least one object using a computer. Code interpretable by a compiler is then generated based upon the object model. The code comprises a base object class (46) and a custom object class (50) where the base object class (46) comprises a base object header file and base object implementation file while the custom object class (50) comprises a custom object header file and custom object implementation file. The base object class (46) inherits from a framework object class (44) while the custom object class (50) inherits from the base object class (46). In response to a change in the object model, a new base object header file, base object implementation file, and custom object header file are generated while preserving at least some code in the base object implementation file.

Abstract: A method for graphically displaying a UNIX directory includes the steps of identifying a base UNIX directory (44), and obtaining a listing of entries in the base UNIX directory, including all files, all subdirectories, and all files and subdirectories in the subdirectories (46, 64). For each entry, determining parameters including whether the entry is a file or a subdirectory, a level of indentation, and a uniform resource locator to the file (72, 74). An entry name and its associated parameters are then stored in a data structure (78, 82). An HTML document is then built for displaying all the entries in the data structure in a hierarchical graphical directory structure pane in a web page (48).

Abstract: The system and method of the present invention provide distributed on-line communications for electronic commerce applications. The system includes at least one system node having multiple processes for communicating with outside devices, such as ATMs and financial institutions. A configuration database accessible by the processes stores the logical name of each process and outside device, and the corresponding physical address. A system library is coupled to the processes for supplying a plurality of routines for transmitting and receiving messages to and from one another process and to and from another node in the system.

Abstract: The invention comprises a system and method for maintaining the integrity of a plurality of objects each comprising methods and instance variables. The method is used to maintain the integrity of a plurality of objects wherein each of the plurality of objects will experience a change in at least one of its instance variables in response to a transaction if the transaction is allowed to commit. The method comprises sending a validate message to ones of the plurality of objects using a transaction service running on a computer. A prepare message is sent to each of the plurality of objects if a valid indicator was received in response to each validate message. A commit message is sent to each of the plurality of objects if a valid indicator was received in response to each of the validate messages and a prepared indicator was received in response to each of the prepare messages.

Abstract: A computer network (10) is provided that includes a server (14) with a database (28) and an object definition generator (33). The database (28) stores a plurality of objects. The object definition generator (33) receives user input identifying a selected one of the objects and generates output code (37) including an object definition for the selected object. A client (12) includes a first application (26) operable to utilize the database (28). A second application (32) utilizes the output code (37) to access the database (28). The object definition generator (33) provides an automated method for enabling the second application (32) to utilize objects stored in the database (28).

Abstract: A system for Internet gateway performance charting includes an internal network (10) having one or more servers interconnecting a plurality of computing devices (12). The system also includes an Internet gateway (16) coupled to the internal network (10) and to the public Internet (14). The Internet gateway (16) provides connectivity between the internal network (10) and the public Internet (14). The Internet gateway (16) also executes an application that gathers statistics on the performance of the Internet gateway (16) and prepares a file (19) storing statistics information. The system includes a designated server (18) of the internal network (10) that executes an application that periodically receives the file (19) from the Internet gateway (16), processes the file (19), recovers the statistics information, and populates a database (21) with statistics data.

Abstract: A method and system for detecting dissolve transitions in a digital video signal made up of a series of video images is disclosed. In accordance with the method of the invention, a plurality of the video images are segmented into a number of cells wherein each cell comprises a number of pixels each having a pixel intensity value representing the intensity of the pixel. A plurality of cell contrast vectors each associated with one of the segmented video images is generated. Each element of the cell contrast vector is associated with one of the cells and comprises the standard deviation of the pixel intensity values for the pixels in that cell. A dissolve is detected for a video image in response to the cell contrast vector for that image.

Abstract: The invention comprises a method and system for managing computer database connections. In accordance with the method of the invention, a database operation request is received for a first database. The first database comprises a first database type and the first database operation request comprises at least a portion of a first transaction A pool of interface objects is maintained, each interface object comprising an interface to a database of the first database type. Interface object status information is maintained, either by the interface object itself or externally, indicating whether or not the interface object is connected to the first database and whether or not the interface object is currently being used for a transaction. If a first interface object is connected to the first database and is assigned to the first transaction, then the first database operation request is processed using that first interface object.

Abstract: A system (10) for registering a knowledge object (22) includes a server (12) and a client (14). The server (12) receives a request (38) from the client (14) to register the knowledge object (22). In response, the server (12) stores a trust stamp (46) and an envelope (50), and delivers a pointer (56) to the client (14).

Abstract: A system and a method for locating and deleting computer files stored in a directory structure in a mass storage device. The method includes the steps of receiving an input and establishing a starting directory and a file search specification. The method further includes storing directory names corresponding to all directories of the directory structure in a directory array and storing file names corresponding to all files of the directory structure that meet the file search specification in a file delete array. Finally, the method includes deleting the files associated with the file names stored in the file delete array. The system may be configured by a computer readable memory to perform the method.

Abstract: A knowlege discovery system (10) is provided for autonomously discovering knowlege from a database. The system includes a data reduction module (50) which reduces data into one or more clusters. This is accomplished by the use of one or more functions including a genetic clustering function, a hierarchical valley formation function, a symbolic exspansion reduction function, a fuzzy case clustering function, a relational clustering function, a K-means clustering function, a Kohonen neural network clustering function, and a minimum distance classifier clustering function. A data analysis modual (60) autonomously determines one or more correlations among the clusters. The corrolations represent knowlege.

Abstract: An object-oriented memory management framework (10) and method therefor provide for a foreign pointer class (14, 400) and a foreign object class (12) each having a plurality of encapsulated methods and variables for memory management. The foreign pointer class (14) provides one or more instances of active, passive, and restrictive foreign pointers (274, 284, 292). The framework (10) further includes a foreign object class (12) for providing one or more instances of foreign objects (16), where each foreign object (16) encapsulated an active list variable (32), a passive list variable (36), and a restrictive list variable (34) for recording therein any foreign pointer pointing thereto.