Abstract: Methods and computer program products for accommodating unforeseen events using an electronic calendar. Occurrences of unforeseen events pertinent to preexisting appointments are detected. Occurrences of unforeseen events may be detected by, for example, accepting input from the user conveyed by, for example, a keyboard, a mouse click, or a menu selection; or by accepting input from an automated information source that provides, for example, commute times or weather reports. The calendar responds automatically on behalf of the user to the detection of unforeseen events pertinent to preexisting appointments. Response may include sending notifications to other parties to appointments by way of, for example, electronic mail, instant messaging, or voice mail messaging; by canceling appointments; or by rescheduling appointments.

Abstract: A method for encoding a digitized speech signal so as to generate data capable of being decoded as speech. A digitized speech signal is first converted to a series of feature vectors using for example known Mel-frequency Cepstral coefficients (MFCC) techniques. At successive instances instance of time a respective pitch value of the digitized speech signal is computed, and successive acoustic vectors each containing the respective pitch value and feature vector are compressed so as to derive therefrom a bit stream. A suitable decoder reverses the operation so as to extract the features vectors and pitch values, thus allowing speech reproduction and playback. In addition, speech recognition is possible using the decompressed feature vectors, with no impairment of the recognition accuracy and no computational overhead.

Abstract: A distributed processing, interactive computer network and method of operation is described. The network is designed to provide very large numbers of simultaneous users access to large numbers of applications which feature interactive text/graphic sessions. The network includes one or more host computers having application data stores; a plurality of concentrator computers, also including application data stores, the concentrator computers being connected in groups of one of more to each of the host computers; and a plurality of reception system computers connected in groups of one or more to each of the concentrator computers, the reception system computers being arranged so that respective users can request interactive applications at the reception system computers. In accordance with the design, the reception system computers also include application data stores.

Abstract: A programmable workstation for collaborative working in a network comprises a conventional operating system and a network control program layer. Additionally, the workstation includes a collaborative application support subsystem for interfacing with application programs. The subsystem is responsive to predetermined application program calls to create a logical network model of a collaborative environment. The model comprises sharing sets of application programs, which share data and resources across nodes and logical dedicated data channels connecting members of the sharing set. The subsystem cooperates with the network layer to establish the physical links necessary to implement the model in a physical network, transparently to the application program.

Abstract: A distributed processing, interactive computer network and method of operation is described. The network is designed to provide very large numbers of simultaneous users access to large numbers of applications which feature interactive text/graphic sessions. The network includes one or more host computers having application data stores; a plurality of concentrator computers, also including application data stores, the concentrator computers being connected in groups of one of more to each of the host computers; and a plurality of reception system computers connected in groups of one or more to each of the concentrator computers, the reception system computers being arranged so that respective users can request interactive applications at the reception system computers. In accordance with the design, the reception system computers also include application data stores.

Abstract: A copolymer of (a) an unsubstituted 4-hydroxystyrene monomer and (b) a substituted 4-hydroxystyrene monomer of the formula ##STR1## wherein A, B, C, and D are independently H or C.sub.1 to C.sub.4 alkyl and wherein at least one of B and D is C.sub.1 to C.sub.4 alkyl; and wherein said copolymer has a molecular weight of from about 800 to about 100,000; and wherein the mol ratio of monomer (a) to monomer (b) ranges from about 3:1 to about 1:3.

Abstract: A method and apparatus teaching insertion of addressing indirection to form and to access an array hierarchy expressly permitting the concurrency of a high level RAID array, the bandwidth and degraded mode operation sustainable by a lower level RAID array, and after a DASD failure minimum spanning involvement when the array is rebuilding and rewriting missing data to a spare logical device. Also, disclosed are the accessing of variable length records on the array hierarchy; array hierarchy in which RAID 5 arrays have dissimilar number of logic devices (lower level RAID arrays) and interleave depths; formation of logical arrays using fractional storage defined onto real DASD subsets; and the defining of logical devices onto DASDs distributed in the same or different physical clusters of DASDs and the rebuild operation thereof.

Abstract: A method for processing distributed application programs in SNA type networks employing LU 6.2 protocols, including an information processing system having a host processor, a virtual machine type Operating System, and a plurality of Intelligent Work Stations (IWSs). The Operating System is provided with a Virtual Machine Pool Manager (VMPM). The function of the VMPM is to create and dynamically manage the assignment of a plurality of virtual machines in the pool to process requested individual LU 6.2 conversations, to permit the transfer of information between Parts A and B of a distributed Application, which parts are stored respectively at one IWS and the host processor. In response to a conversation request, an idle Virtual Machine (VM) in the pool is assigned by the VMPM to process one LU 6.2 conversation.

Abstract: Fault tolerance in a redundant array of disk drives is degraded when error conditions exist in the array. Several methods for rebuilding data of the array to remove the degradation are described. Data rebuilding for entire disk drives and partial data rebuilds of disk drives are described. All rebuild methods tend to reduce the negative affect of using array resources for the data rebuild. In one method rebuilding occurs during idle time of the array. In a second method rebuilding is interleaved between current data area accessing operations of the array at a rate which is inversely proportional to activity level of the array. In a third method, the data are rebuilt when a data area being accessed is a data area needing rebuilding.

Abstract: A pipeline data processor is simultaneously operable in a pipeline mode, a parallel mode and a vector mode which is a special case of the pipeline mode. Each pipeline stage has its own stage program counter. A global program counter is incremented in the pipeline mode. The instruction addresses generated in the global program counter are distributed to those pipeline stages which first become available to perform pipelined data processing. Any given pipeline stage may dynamically switch between pipeline mode and a parallel mode in which the stage program counter counts and supplies instruction addresses independently of any other pipeline stage. A vector mode uses pipeline instructions which are repeated to enable any number of the pipeline stages to participate in vector calculations. In the vector mode, one pipeline instruction address is held in the global program counter to be repeatedly supplied to respective first available pipeline stages until the vector calculations are completed.

Abstract: A method to preserve system resources during the execution of distributed application programs in an SNA type data processing network that supports program to program communication between an Intelligent Work Station (IWS) and a host processor in accordance with SNA Logical Unit 6.2 protocols when a Virtual Machine Pool Manager exists at the host processor and functions to,(1) create a pool of virtual machines at the host processor that are brought to a run ready state prior to any program to program communciation,(2) dynamically assign an idle run ready virtual machine to process each request from the IWS involving one application program so that sequential requests from the one program are assigned to different ones of the idle virtual machines and run concurrently, and3) provide a Pool Manager Data Structure for use by the Pool Manager during the step of dynamically assigning the idle run ready virtual machines in the pool.

Abstract: A method for processing distributed application programs in SNA type networks including a host system having a virtual machine type Operating System and an Intelligent Work Station (IWS) provided with an Operating System that is capable of running two distributed application programs concurrently, in which two idle virtual machines, from a pool of run ready virtual machines that are created and managed by a Virtual Machine Pool Manager (VMPM), are each assigned to process a different one of the two application programs concurrently to prevent the distributed application programs from being serialized on one virtual machine at the host even though both application programs are being invoked by requests at the IWS terminal involving the same USER ID.

Abstract: A method of simultaneously displaying day calendar information in first and second view ports, each of which displays it's calendar data in a different format. The information in the two simultaneously displayed view ports is functionally interrelated to provide an improved interactive user interface.The first viewport has a time structured format which displays a sequence of predesignated time slots, each of which represents a fixed period of time, such as 30 minutes. Each time slot is allocated to one display line in the viewport. If the number of time slots allocated between the beginning and end of a calendar day is greater than the number of display lines in the viewport, then the information is scrollable so that the entire day may be viewed by the operator. The first viewport also includes at least one column that is used to display a vertical busy bar adjacent to a time slot which indicates that the slot is already scheduled.

Abstract: A method to maintain all of the information that is originally displayed in a window on the display screen in an interactive information handling system, as the size of the window is decreased. A plurality of character sets which have different appropriate width and height attributes are stored in the system. When the size of the window is decreased, a stored character set is selected based on the amount that the window is decreased. Characters from the selected set are then substituted for the corresponding text characters originally displayed. Since the selected character set contains proportionally smaller characters no information is lost. The method allows the operator to dynamically vary the window size, after the initial window has been displayed, by operator action, such as by movement of a mouse. Movement of the mouse in a generally horizontal direction with the button in the held position causes the horizontal window size to decrease.

Abstract: A method is described which permits a user of an Intelligent Work Station (IWS) in an SNA type network in which communication with the host processor employs LU 6.2 advanced program to program protocols and in which the host processor does not assign a dedicated virtual machine to the user during the period the user is active on the system, to notify the system of the user's current terminal address so that distributed applications programs having component parts distributed at the host and the IWS may be executed. When resident counterpart programs of distributed applications are executed by assigning each LU 6.2 conversation to an idle virtual machines from a preestablished pool of virtual machines created by the host processor, rather than to a dedicated virtual machine, the prior art methods that are based on associating the current address of the user with the address of the dedicated virtual are no longer operable.

Abstract: An electronic calendaring method for use in a data processing system which includes a plurality of interactive terminals which are interconnected to permit an end user at each terminal to interchange information with each other and to maintain an electronic calendar. The method facilitates the reply process to an electronic invitation to attend a meeting that is issued by one of the end users by arranging for the system to advise the invitee that a meeting notice is available to review in the "In Box" of the terminal. The method causes a composite screen to be built which simultaneously displays the meeting details and the relevant section, i.e. a day of entries, of the owner's calendar in a side by side format so that calendar entries are correlated to the meeting data and time. The composite display permits an interactive selection by the calendar owner end user of at least one option which can be either to accept the invitation and calendar the meeting or to reject the invitation.

Abstract: A method for scheduling time initiated tasks from an Intelligent Work Station (IWS) of an SNA network in which a host processor has created a plurality of run ready virtual machines which are assigned under control of a Virtual Machine Pool Manager in response to an LU 6.2 allocate verb to establish an LU 6.2 conversation between distributed parts of an application program, one part of which is resident at the IWS and the other part of which is resident at the host. A distributed application program named BATCH is provided, Part A of which is resident on the user's IWS and Part B of which is resident on the host processor. Part B is functionally a component of Virtual Machine Pool Manager (VMPM). The BATCH program allows the user to tranfer information regarding the task that is to be initiated at a designated time, to the host processor.

Abstract: A method for processing a distributed application program in a SNA type network having a host processor executing a virtual machine type operating system and a relatively large plurality of terminals, in which a plurality of run ready virtual machines are established at the host and primed by pre-initializing each machine with the host resident portion of the application program under the control of a Virtual Machine Pool Manager that was previously created. Primed virtual machines are assigned to process requests from the terminals for LU 6.2 type conversation with the application program since the virtual machine is pre-initialized the request is immediately accepted for processing. At the end of the conversation the primed machine is returned to the pool of primed machines to await the processing another request. The Pool Manager is provided with a control strategy which determines the number of primed virtual machines that are in the pool during any period of time.

Abstract: A process and a device for substantially eliminating tolerance-dependent variations of a preselectable space between the components of an optical communication apparatus is described. U-shaped recesses are provided in a metal casing for pressing in flange-type necks of, for example, optical transmitting and receiving devices. The parallel arranged devices are so spaced from each other that they are not subject to tolerance-dependent variations. For this purpose the metallic necks are coated with a plastic layer, and ribs provided at the lateral walls of the U-shaped recesses dig into the plastic layer. The necks are pressed in precisely at a predetermined spacing by means of a gauge. By the application of varying degrees of pressure when the ribs are pressed in on one side and the other side of the neck, one of the U-shaped recesses can be off-center.

Abstract: A connection arrangement includes a plurality of sets of wiring planes, wherein any connection uses one and only one set of the planes. Each plane is a principal wiring direction. Various economies are affected by arranging the relationship between pairs of wiring planes in a set to have principal wiring directions lying at an acute angle. In one preferred embodiment each set includes a pair of planes and the acute angle between principal wiring directions is 45.degree..