Abstract: A system for household grocery management is provided. The system includes a bar code scanner (22) operable to scan a bar code on a grocery item and to provide bar code data obtained thereby. The system also includes a computer system (20) coupled to receive the bar code data provided by the bar code scanner (22). The computer system (20) has a fixed data storage storing a grocery inventory (26) and a processor executing a grocery management application (24). The grocery management application (24) operates to process the bar code data to identify a scanned grocery item, to maintain the grocery inventory (26), and to generate a replenishment list (32) of grocery items based upon differences between current grocery inventory (26) and defined full levels for the household (10).

Abstract: An interactive knowledgebase (48) system is provided. The system comprises a server (14) and a client (12). The server (14) is operable to retrieve a plurality of informational pages with each informational page containing items and links to items. The server (14) is further operable to maintain a directory (172) of the items organized by category. The client (12) is coupled to the server (14) and operable to display the directory (172) in a first frame of a web browser (32). The client (12) is further operable to request information pages from the server (14) and display the information pages in a second frame of the web browser (32). A user at the client (12) can participate in an exchange of items and comments regarding items with other users of the interactive knowledgebase (48).

Abstract: A method and system are described for defining a user's access to one or more features of an application. One or more “attributes” are assigned to users of a computer system and stored in a data table. Each attribute has a name which designates the feature to which access is being defined, (e.g, the ability to access data within the database), and a value defining the limits of access. Attributes may be assigned in groups to eliminate the burden of preparing attribute assignments one by one for each user. When an application is run, the attributes are retrieved and enforced such that the user's access to the features of the application is defined in accordance with the retrieved attributes.

Abstract: In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a method and system for communicating between a plurality of disparate hosts and an order processing system includes generating orders at each of the disparate hosts. The orders are transmitted from each of the hosts to a shared message handler using relational database statements. At the shared message handler, the orders are stored in a relational database table structure using relational database statements. The orders are transmitted from the relational database table structure of the shared message handler to the order processing system. Responses to the orders are received from the order processing system at the shared message handler. Each of the responses is associated with a corresponding order. The status of the corresponding orders are updated based on the responses and provided to the disparate hosts.

Abstract: A system for remote management of private networks having duplicate network addresses is provided which consists of a plurality of managed customer networks (16) within a customer domain (12). The managed customer networks (16) within the customer domain (12) are linked to a level one manager (34) and have unique network addresses. The managed customer networks (16) within the customer domain (12) which have duplicate network addresses are assigned to different level one managers. Errors occurring in the managed customer networks are sent to a level one manager (34) which generates an error message uniquely identifying the node or interface link experiencing the error. This error message is forwarded to a level two manager (40) which then routes the error message to an appropriate operator console (42) where the error is diagnosed and corrected.

Abstract: An Internet based performance measurement system includes a server operable to receive performance perception data from a client corresponding to a performance query. The system also includes a database comprising a metric corresponding to the performance query. The metric comprises actual performance data corresponding to the performance query. The system also includes a performance engine operable to access the performance perception data and the metric. The performance engine is operable to compare the performance perception data to the metric to determine variations between a client perception of performance and actual performance.

Abstract: A multi-port switch is provided having an Ethernet switching section for connecting and switching among network devices and includes at least three ports, a network management module operating according to SNMP, and a monitoring module operating according to RMON. The switch can arrange the ports to operate as virtual local area networks (“VLANs”). The switch is secured with a network element that is part of a network device. In a system including the multi-port switch, an automated teller machine local area network is connected to one port, a customer data LAN is connected to a second port, and a router is connected to a third port. The switch arranges the three port connections into two VLANs, each VLAN including the router. The switch alternately switches between the VLANs in order to enable the ATM LAN and the customer data LAN to communicate with an external network. The switch is secured with or located inside one of the ATMs in the ATM LAN.

Abstract: A multi-layered software architecture (90) comprises a software application layer (10), a predefined file filter interface layer (106) operable to perform basic file functions, and a data standard interface layer (94, 104, 114) having a plurality of standard methods for accessing data of a data type. Further, a first plug-in (91, 92) is provided that is operable to access a first data format (34, 31) of the data type according to the data standard interface layer (94, 104, 114), and a second plug-in (96, 98, 100, 102) is provided that is operable to access a second data format (41, 40, 38, 42) of the data type according to the data standard interface layer (94,104,114).

Abstract: A business information repository system (10) is provided that is coupled to a distributed network (12). The business information repository system (10) includes a user interface that is coupled to a control system (28). The control system (28) accesses a business information database (65) using a search engine (26). The business information database (65) includes business information including glossaries, graphics, resumes, skills inventories, citations, proposals, customer information and internal corporate profiles, vendor information, standard solutions, and forecasted deal information. Utility functions (56) are provided including a data access manager (32), a forecasting engine (58), a graphics utility (60) and a population engine (62).

Abstract: One aspect of the invention is a method for load balancing in a distributed object system running on a network comprising a plurality of computers (42, 44) including a first computer (44) wherein the computers (42, 44) are operable to access a plurality of shared objects in a distributed object system. The method comprises instructing an object comprising a part of an application process (50) running on the first computer (44) to record at least one performance statistic in response to a message directed to the object. The application process (50) comprises a multi-threaded process and includes a statistics thread (54). Periodically, at least one performance statistic is obtained using the statistics thread (54) and that performance statistic is sent to a local agent process (48) running on the first computer (44). The performance statistics are relayed to a workload service (46) running on a second computer (42) connected to the network.

Abstract: A communications network includes a transmit node and a receive node. A first transmission line extends between the transmit and receive nodes and includes a primary embedded channel for carrying channel traffic between the nodes and normal operation. A second transmission line extends between the transmit and receive nodes and includes a secondary embedded channel for carrying the channel traffic between the nodes in the event of a fault condition on the primary embedded channel. The transmit node is operable to automatically switch transmission of the channel traffic from the primary embedded channel to the secondary embedded channel in response to a fault condition being detected in the primary embedded channel at the transmit node. The receive node is operable to automatically switch reception of the channel traffic from the primary embedded channel to the secondary embedded channel in response to detection of the same fault in the primary embedded channel by the receive node.

Abstract: Message files preferably comprising MPEG video messages are provided to transaction terminals for display of non-transaction messages to users during a terminal transaction. The messages are selected and displayed upon transaction approval. Operation of the terminal in accordance with transaction approval, i.e., to dispense cash or print a record, is initiated during the interval when the selected message is displayed.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for communicating with a knowledge base (16) employs an interface (12) operable to receive a message initiated by an application (20), to translate the message to a knowledge base message cognizable by the knowledge base (16), and to communicate the knowledge base message to the knowledge base (16). In a client-server embodiment, the interface (12) comprises a client interface (40) coupled to the application (20), a server interface (42) coupled to the knowledge base 16, and a link (44) coupled between the client interface (40) and the server interface (42).

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: A recovery method for a resource management system having a message handler for communicating orders from a plurality of disparate hosts to an order processing system for assignment to remote resources includes shutting down the order processing system and the message handler. A restored order processing system is generated by replacing a current version of the order processing system with a previously saved version. The restored order processing system is restarted, as is the message handler. Each order in the restored processing system is set to pending. Orders in the restored order processing system that were closed subsequent to a time of the previously saved version are identified and deleted from the restored order processing system. Orders in the message handler that were transmitted from the message handler to the order processing system subsequent to the time of the previously saved version are identified.

Abstract: A communications system for remotely managing equipment includes a first remote device and a second remote device having the same network address. A communications network includes a first link connecting the first remote device to a management station and a second, disparate link connecting the second remote device to the management station. The management station is operable to individually access the first remote device via the first link and to individually access the second remote device via the second link.

Abstract: One aspect of the invention is a system for automating the communication of business information. The system comprises a server (20) operable to capture business information from a plurality of sources, capture distribution information associated with the business information, integrate the captured information in a standardized format, and display the captured information. The system also comprises a database (40) operable to communicate with the server (20). The database (40) is operable to store the captured information and communicate the captured information to the server (20).

Abstract: A system for retrieving and scoring of information from an information source includes a user interface operable to receive one or more search criterion and an importance rate assigned to each of the search criterion. A processor is coupled to the user interface and the information source and is operable to retrieve information from the information source. The system also includes a computer-readable storage medium coupled to the processor. A computer program encoded on the computer-readable storage medium and executable by the processor scores the retrieved information using the search criterion and the importance rates assigned to the search criterion.

Abstract: A customer at an enrollment section (12) uses a self-dial telephone (14) to make a toll-free call to a customer service operator at a workstation (26). The operator activates a check-cashing card (18) obtained by the customer at the enrollment section, which includes enrolling a checking account against which the customer wishes to cash checks. The customer can subsequently use the activated card with automatic teller machines (57) to cash checks in transactions that are entirely automated, and that do not require the customer to have funds available for withdrawal from an institutional account. Each automatic teller machine interacts with a switch system (42), which in turn interacts with a host system (37), in order to determine whether to proceed with the check-cashing transaction. If authorization is granted, a dispense amount is determined by deducting one or more fees from the amount of the check, and the customer is then paid the dispense amount in cash.

Abstract: A method and system for modifying program applications of a legacy computer system to directly output data as XML using a DOM instance, models the legacy computer system, maps the model to an XML schema and automatically modifies one or more applications to directly output XML formatted data from an internally constructed DOM instance in cooperation with a writer engine. The writer engine allows for an arbitrary number of contexts to be simultaneously active and builds a complete DOM instance by using the multiple contexts to buffer output data. The writer engine directly loads XML schema information to construct and output DOM instances in accordance with the schema and subject to further transformation by XSLT stylesheets.