Abstract: A system and method for synchronizing records stored in differing formats in a shared data environment. One aspect of the invention involves distinguishing a record without regard to its format. Once a record is introduced into the environment, it is detected. A record file is generated and associated with the event. A record file typically includes a record tag uniquely identifying a given record in the shared data environment and a record type indicating information such as whether or not the record represents a recurring event as well as the format of the record. A record file also contains data indicating the status of the particular event, that is, whether it is new, unchanged, modified, or deleted. When synchronizing, only those records with equivalent record tags are compared. The record type and status are then used to guide the synchronization of equivalent records.

Abstract: Converting a electronic files. An initial step involves determining whether an electronic file contains distinct data strings or simple text associated with marks. Where the electronic file contains distinct data strings, those distinct data strings are located, and, from each distinct data string, format data is obtained. The distinct data string is then converted to simple text and associated with a mark, the mark representing the format data. Where the electronic file contains simple text associated with marks, those marks are located, for each located mark, the simple text associated with that mark is identified. The simple text is then formatted according to the mark forming a distinct data string.

Abstract: A coordinating push and user-initiated synchronization method and system. Initially, changes to a local application data store are detected and records affected by the change are identified. At some point, a record affected by a detected change is pushed to a remote system where it is ascertained whether the pushed record, in its current form as affected by the detected change, has already been replicated in or deleted from a remote application data store through user-initiated synchronization. If not, the pushed record is used to update the remote application data store. Instead, at some point it may be ascertained whether the identified record, in its current form as affected by the detected change, has been replicated in or deleted from the remote application data store through push synchronization as just described. If not, the remote application data store is synchronized with the local application data store.

Abstract: A system and method enabling synchronization of data stored on three or more devices in which synchronization between any two of the devices can be conducted independently of the other device. A method embodying the invention involves identifying a record in a first data store that is associated with a change counter that exceeds a maximum change counter recorded for the first data store and updating a second data store using the identified record.

Abstract: A system and method for secure network communication. In various embodiments of the present invention, data needed for authentication an encryption is included in each communication pass between network devices, so that when a network connection is broken, a secure connection can be reestablished with the next pass. A client authentication service on the client receives a server request and searches for a current client-side session key. If one is not present, the client authentication service generates and encrypts an initial session key, acquires credentials, adds the credentials to the server request, and encrypts the server request with the initial session key. The encrypted server request and the encrypted session key are sent to the server, where a server authentication service decrypts the initial session key, decrypts the server request with the initial session key, and authenticates the credentials before allowing the server request to be acted upon.

Abstract: A system and method for synchronizing records stored in differing formats in a shared data environment. One aspect of the invention involves distinguishing a record without regard to its format. Once a record is introduced into the environment, it is detected. A record tag, unique to the environment, is generated and associated with the record. When synchronizing, only those records with equivalent record tags are compared and updated.

Abstract: A voice user interface for accessing data is provided. This method and system receives a set of variables from a voice recognizer processing a voice request for information in a backend system; processes an integration method using the set of variables returned from the recognizer and an unstructured grammar based on entries in the database fields of a backend system; requests backend data from the backend system using the integration method and the set of variables as applied to the unstructured grammar; and receives backend data from the backend system responsive to the integration method used to request the backend data. Processes are described that add data associated with a database to increase the accuracy of interacting with the database through a voice interface and create the unstructured grammar for improved voice recognition capabilities.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for downloading firmware upgrades to a targeted remote field configurable embedded computer system over a computer network. The targeted device need not be disconnected from the network and requires no human intervention at the remote side. The entire firmware, including the downloading mechanism, can be updated in an efficient manner.

Abstract: A system ling client computers, particularly client notebook computers, to communicate with a computer local area network (LAN) using infrared or other transparent links. The system includes a pseudo nic driver, transparent communication hardware, and a transparent link in a network interface unit. The pseudo nic driver hides the technical details of the transparent communications by presenting itself as a traditional nic driver to the client networking software. The network interface unit bi-directionally communicates via the transparent link with an, for example, an infrared enabled client computer and performs the necessary bridging between the low level infrared signals and traditional LAN system such as Ethernet.

Abstract: An Xbase transaction processing system that allows Xbase and SQL clients to operate against an Xbase file set on a server computer with commit/rollback transaction behavior that protects the data integrity of the Xbase file set against corruption due to the failure of one or more client computers. The system includes a server network communication means, an Xbase transaction protocol interpreter, an Xbase transaction management means, and an Xbase data file execution means. The communication means is configured to receive Xbase transactional commands from the network and to present server responses to the network. Software interfaces attach the network communication means to the protocol interpreter, the protocol interpreter to the transaction manager and the transaction manager to the file execution means.

Abstract: A remote control system for remotely controlling a Microsoft Windows or other GUI-based first computer from a second computer over the internet using only a standard world-wide-web hypertext browser on the second computer. The second controlling computer may be dissimilar from the first controlled computer user interface, underlying operating system, and hardware architecture.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for downloading firmware upgrades to a targeted remote field configurable embedded computer system over a computer network. The targeted device need not be disconnected from the network and requires no human intervention at the remote site. The entire firmware, including the downloading mechanism, can be updated in an efficient manner.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for downloading firmware upgrades to a targeted remote field configurable embedded computer system over a computer network. The targeted device need not be disconnected from the network and requires no human intervention at the remote site. The entire firmware, including the downloading mechanism, can be updated in an efficient manner.

Abstract: A remote control system for remotely controlling a Microsoft Windows or other GUI-based first computer from a second computer over the internet using only a standard world-wide-web hypertext browser on the second computer. The second controlling computer may be dissimilar from the first controlled computer user interface, underlying operating system, and hardware architecture.

Abstract: A data base information engine subsystem which examines data on the fly as it is retrieved from a mass storage device (i.e., disk), and before storing it in memory, to select only the specified elements of data required by the host computer according to criteria set forth by the host computer. A page mapper circuit separates the host command processing from the data access processing for the command. The instruction set used by the information engine subsystem contains optimizing algorithms to parse and reorder the required operation to be most efficient (with respect to time). The information engine subsystem also contains a high speed processor which is a special purpose processor designed and optimized for data retrieval while doing operations on the data at high speed.

Abstract: The present invention provides a dedicated memory circuit which supports the generation of parity data in connection with the storing of data. This improved memory circuit allows the parity generation to be done remotely from the CPU while consuming less time. The memory array is provided with its data output being connected to combinational logic. Another input to combinational logic is for external data. The data already in the array and the new data are combined to the combinational logic, preferably an exclusive-or arrangement, to produce the parity data which is then returned to the memory array. A latch is provided between the exclusive-or logic and the memory array data lines to allow isolation of the data during the two cycles of the read out of the array and the right back to the array after the exclusive-or.

Abstract: A high-speed long-line data interface is provided which employs two pre-configured parallel connectors coupled by four lines. One connector is a convert/transmit connector and the other is an unconvert/receive connector. Each connector includes a processor which buffers incoming data. The four lines include an RS-422 pair of differential transmission lines, an RS-232 status line and a ground line. Incoming parallel data is converted to serial format, then transmitted over the differential transmission lines to the unconvert/receive connector. The serial data then is unconverted back to parallel format and output to the peripheral device. Status information is sent from the peripheral to the host computer over the status line as a multi-byte pulse encoded signal. Power for the convert/transmit connector is derived parasitically from the unconvert/receive connector via the status line. Storage capacitors store charge from the status line for driving the connector during a status transmission.