Abstract: An improved method and system for performing case-based reasoning is provided. A belief network is utilized by the preferred case-based reasoning system for assisting a user in problem resolution. After resolving a problem of a user, the preferred embodiment of the present invention updates the probabilities in the belief network so as to provide for a more accurate problem resolution upon the next invocation of the preferred embodiment. The belief network of the preferred embodiment contains six data types relating to a problem resolution scenario. The data types utilized by the belief network of the preferred embodiment include: issues, causes, resolutions, symptoms, terms, and alternates.

Abstract: A speech recognition test system comprising a single host processing system having a host processor and a memory device, wherein the memory device contains a plurality of audio files accessible by the host processor. The test system also includes a speech recognition application having a vocabulary, an independent test application, a means for concurrently executing the speech recognition application and the independent test application on the host processor, a means for queuing the audio files as input to the speech recognition application by way of the test application, a means for programming the test application at configuration time to expand the vocabulary of the application being tested and/or other voice gender, volume, and speed playback parameters, and a means for capturing and evaluating test results from the speech recognition application by way of the test application.

Abstract: A method and system for displaying results of multiple level aggregation queries and providing hierarchical table sets in response to multiple level aggregation queries. In a preferred embodiment, a database engine program receives multiple-level aggregation queries from a database front-end program. A multiple level aggregation query defines two or more data aggregation levels. In response to a multiple-level aggregation query, the engine creates a hierarchical table set, which contains a separate table for each level of aggregation specified by the multiple-level aggregation query. Each table in the hierarchical table set contains the aggregation information for one level of the multiple-level aggregation query. In a preferred embodiment, the front-end uses the tables in the hierarchical table set to generate a hierarchical window display that the user can view.

Abstract: A method and system for caching data that improve the efficiency of a cache are provided. Generally, three types of data are stored in a cache constructed according to the principles of the present invention. These types of data include: (1) path tables, (2) directories, and (3) files. Path tables include data regarding all of the directories on a storage medium, directories include data regarding all of the subdirectories and files in each directory, and files include the actual file data. The preferred embodiment of the cache logically includes eight regions. These regions include (in order of preferred descending priority): (1) path table, (2) directory, (3) two-access, (4) zero-access or prefetch, (5) sequential-locked, (6) one-access, (7) discarded, and (8) invalid.

Abstract: A modified buddy system is adopted for managing disk space in a disk storage. The modified buddy system uses a minimal amount of memory space and provides very quick access to extents within the disk space. The modified buddy system utilizes a tree structure of nodes, wherein each node represents an extent of disk space. A bitmap is provided for holding state bits for each of the nodes in the tree structure. The bitmap is organized to preserve locality of reference.

Abstract: A protected mode operating system utilizes a protected mode hard disk driver which bypasses an existing real mode hard disk driver on computer systems in which the real mode hard disk driver performs geometry translation of hard disk addresses. The protected mode hard disk driver determines a geometry translation based on geometry data retrieved from the computer systems' hard disk, then verifies whether the geometry translation is utilized by the existing real mode hard disk driver by trapping accesses to hard disk input/output ports, and issuing read requests to the existing real mode hard disk driver at plural hard disk addresses.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of recognizing an input speech utterance compares the input speech utterance to a plurality of hidden Markov models to obtain a constrained acoustic score that reflects the probability that the hidden Markov model matches the input speech utterance. The method computes a confidence measure for each hidden Markov model that reflects the probability of the constrained acoustic score being correct. The computed confidence measure is then used to adjust the constrained acoustic score. Preferably, the confidence measure is computed based on a difference between the constrained acoustic score and an unconstrained acoustic score that is computed independently of any language context. In addition, a new confidence measure preferably is computed for each input speech frame from the input speech utterance so that the constrained acoustic score is adjusted for each input speech frame.

Abstract: Method and system for connecting link object to a link source. In a preferred embodiment, a source process registers the link source in a running object table when the link source enters a running state. When a consumer process subsequently puts a container object containing the link object in a running state, the consumer process determines if the link source is registered in the running object table. If the link source is registered in the running object table, then a connection is established between the link object and the link source. If, however, the link source is not registered, then the consumer process registers the link object in an alert object table. When a source process subsequently puts the link source in the running state, the source process determines if the link object is registered in the alert object table.

Abstract: A system for providing haptic information to a human operator. The system utilizes display devices that dynamically convey touch sensations to the human operator, thereby creating various tactile sensations such as texture and slippage. The system can combine multiple display devices as needed in order to create a specified sense.

Abstract: A method and system for training a handwriting recognizer at the time of misrecognition is provided. In a preferred embodiment, a trainer program traps and stores the output from a recognizer. The output includes the recognized symbols mapped to the handwritten data. When training is requested by a user, the trainer displays the handwritten data that was input by the user and the recognized symbols. The user then selects the symbols to train on. In response to the selection, the trainer displays the portion of the handwritten data corresponding to the selected symbols. The user then enters the symbols that the displayed portion of the handwritten data should be recognized as. The trainer then requests the recognizer to train based on the displayed portion of the data and the entered symbols. When training is complete, the trainer requests re-recognition of the handwritten data and displays the newly recognized symbols.

Abstract: A method for creating a scalable graphic image for display by a pixel-oriented display device. A pixel-based design of the desired graphic image is created and thereafter separated into constituent parts. A geometric descriptor is created for each constituent part. These geometric descriptors are then hinted to ensure that the constituent parts represented by these descriptors can be overlaid or combined to form a display of the desired graphic image for various point sizes. The hinted geometric descriptors for the graphic image are stored in a font file that can be accepted by a rasterizer. In response to a request to display a graphic image, the rasterizer reads the corresponding hinted geometric descriptors from the font file and generates character bitmaps defining the pixels to be illuminated to display the constituent parts. This allows the scaling of the displayed graphic image at different sizes based upon the particular requirements of the user.

Abstract: A method and system for aggregating objects within a computer system are provided. In a preferred embodiment, the method aggregates an enclosed object within an enclosing object. The enclosed object has an object management interface and an external interface, while the enclosing object has a controlling object management interface. The controlling object management interface and the external interface of the enclosed object have query function members for receiving an identifier of an interface and for returning a reference to the identified interface. A preferred embodiment creates an instance of an enclosing object and an object to be enclosed. In static aggregation, the controlling object management interface of the enclosing object knows in advance how to return an identifier to the external interface of the enclosed object. In dynamic aggregation, an object to be enclosed is added to the enclosing object after the enclosing object is instantiated.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are described for facilitating the migration of accounts from a source domain to a target domain in a computer network without affecting the capability of users and services associated with the source domain to access source domain resources after the users' and services' accounts have been migrated to the target domain. Migrating source domain accounts is facilitated by a dual-identity Domain Controller having simultaneous access to replicating mechanisms of both the source domain and the target domain. When accounts are migrated to a directory service of objects for the target domain, the accounts are modified to include security information defining access rights of the migrated accounts within the target domain. Security information relating to an account's access rights in the source domain is preserved in the migrated account stored in the target domain directory service of objects databases.

Abstract: A system and method for inserting a data signal into a preexisting video signal in a transmitter so that the data signal is transmitted along with the video signal. The data signal is inserted into an unused portion of the video signal spectrum. The data signal is separated from the video signal in a receiver and may be used for any purpose, even purposes unrelated to the video signal. The data signal is filtered to create a filtered data signal having spectral characteristics that correspond to the unused portion of the video signal spectrum. The filtered signal modulates a carrier signal whose frequency is selected to permit direct insertion of the modulated filtered data signal into the video signal spectrum. In the receiver, the video signal is processed in a normal manner; and the data signal is undetected by normal television receivers. A signal separator separates the filtered data signal from the combined video signal, and an inverse filter recovers the original data signal.

Abstract: A peripheral device interrupt controller maintains a count of pending interrupt events for a peripheral device up to a preset limit and times a preset delay interval from a first pending interrupt event or last interrupt servicing before asserting an interrupt request. When the interrupt request is asserted, the then pending interrupt events can be serviced as a group by a central processing unit of a computer. The overhead of processing a separate interrupt request for each interrupt event is thus avoided. The preset limit and preset delay interval can be set under software control to control the rate at which interrupt requests can be asserted by the peripheral device.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for efficiently transferring a data block of bytes from a source to a destination in memory of a computer system. The method transfers bytes in multiple-byte words on word-aligned boundaries of memory as much as possible to reduce the number of fetches and writes and the number of memory cycles required to execute the transfer. For handling data block transfers of various sizes and locations, the method is implemented in a compiler that compiles different portions of code at run time into a block of code that is then immediately executed. The compiler employs a state machine stored in memory and having a plurality of states. Each state is associated with a portion of code for aligning a destination address or for transferring bytes in multiple-byte words on word-aligned boundaries. The states correspond to different starting source and destination addresses.

Abstract: An improved method and system for binding data is provided. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, bound controls transfer data to cursors through a binding manager. The binding manager is also responsible for transferring data from a cursor to a bound control. In addition, a preferred embodiment of the present invention provides for a notification mechanism as part of the cursor. The notification mechanism of the cursor of the preferred embodiment provides synchronization amongst all binding managers utilizing the cursor. The notification mechanism of the preferred embodiment provides synchronization amongst all binding managers by invoking event handlers registered by the binding managers. The event handlers are invoked by the cursor both before and after an operation is performed by the cursor.

Abstract: A self-optimizing font width cache provides an efficient caching mechanism for providing font widths to an application program. The font width cache acts as a font width server that services requests for widths for any given character. The font width cache maintains good system performance by minimizing the number of calls to the operating system without requiring an inordinate amount of memory for the font width cache. The font width cache is designed for use in conjunction with the Unicode character set, which assigns phonetic-based characters to a lower subrange of character codes and ideographic characters to an upper subrange. Each font realization is associated with a font width cache, which include two hash tables. One hash table is associated with each subrange of character codes. Both hash tables start out small and grow dynamically in response to the demands placed on the hash table by the data being displayed.

Abstract: A computer system having a visual display indicating the status of an attached printer is disclosed. The visual display allows the user to determine various status states of the attached printer without physical examination of the printer itself. Printer states requiring user intervention, and printer states not requiring user intervention, are disclosed. In a preferred embodiment, the computer system displays a Printer Status window which both graphically and textually indicates the printer state. When printing, a graphical representation of the attached printer is displayed within a portion of the Printer Status window, and is animated to represent the actual printing of a page. If an error occurs while printing, the Printer Status window preferably indicates the nature of the error, and the steps which must be performed (if any) to continue printing.

Abstract: A method and system for generating a merged menu list using a conflict resolution protocol. The conflict resolution (CR) protocol includes container menus of a container application and server menus of a server application. The container application has a container object and a container window environment, and the server application has a containee object which is contained within the container object. The CR protocol displays the container window environment and displays the containee object within the displayed container window environment. When the displayed containee object is selected, the CR protocol merges the container menus and the server menus into a merged menu list. In particular, when a container menu corresponds to a server menu, the CR protocol creates a combined menu and adds the combined menu to the merged menu list.