Abstract: A software layer (filter driver) residing between software components or application programs running locally or on a client across a network and a persistent store of an operating system provides on-the-fly conversions of persistent information formats. The filter driver determines which format a program expects, and dynamically converts the information from its storage format to the format expected by the program. Conversion includes both data format conversion, and conversion of access semantics. Loadable conversion modules are provided for converting application specific formats due to the potential large number of such formats which can be encountered. The filter driver may change the format that information is stored in based on access history or other system requirements.

Abstract: Managed code, including applications, runtime, and driver, have a priori knowledge of the client's exact hardware configuration, just as the JIT compiler has a priori knowledge of the microprocessor type on the target computer system. At compile time, the compiler knows the effective version various system drivers, so that the compiler can emit an executable tuned for a particular driver version and target system.

Abstract: A system by which a software product may be tested on multiple client computers on various platforms. Product developers submit requests for tests on their products, in the form of test packets, to a test component, via an API. For each platform and language (i.e., group) on which a product developer wants a product tested, the product developer provides a test packet that defines tests that the product developer wants conducted on the product in that group. The test component searches, via an autolab component, for an available client machine for performing the tests in the test packet. The autolab component finds an available client computer, and the client machine is assigned the test packet. The client machine performs the tasks in the test packet, and forwards the results back to the test component.

Abstract: Camera depth-of-field effects are simulated through a system and method that blurs at least a portion of an image. A source image having a plurality of pixels is transferred to a frame buffer. Either during the transfer or after the transfer, a blending factor is determined for each pixel of the source image. A blurred copy of the source image is generated using hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software. The blurred copy of the source image is then blended with the source image using the determined blending factors to produce an image having simulated camera depth-of-field effects.

Abstract: A method and system for injecting an exception into a hung program module to recover unsaved data. The method and system allows a user to determine that the program module is hung and inject an exception into the hung program module. In response to the injected exception, program code, within the program module, is activated to detect the crash and launch a failure reporting executable program that instructs the hung program module to execute its data recovery program. The file recovery program recovers the unsaved data and notifies the failure reporting executable program when it has completed the data recovery. Once the failure reporting executable program receives the notification, it will instruct the operating system to restart the program module. The restarted program module then displays a user interface with a list of the unsaved data that were recovered. The user interface also provides controls for a user to select, from the list of recovered data, the data that the program module will keep.

Abstract: A computer input device that comfortably supports the hand of the user while the thumb and fingers are associated with buttons, a trackball, and a scrolling wheel carried on the device. The overall configuration of the device and the arrangement of these actuators permits the user to easily and effectively operate all of the actuators while the hand and arm of the user are in a comfortable position. The device includes a housing having thumb-side and finger-side surfaces. The trackball extends from the thumb-side surface. The finger-side surface includes four input buttons and the scrolling wheel. The thumb-side surface is fairly steep and almost at right angles to the finger-side surface. This helps enable the motion of the thumb to fall along its natural axis of flexion/extension. The thumb-side surface extends above the top of the ball to provide a stop when the thumb is moved inwardly off the ball.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for handling a dismissed dialogue box that displays an animation in which the dialogue box moves to an off-screen space beyond the perimeter of a computer display. Based on a later user request to view the dismissed dialogue box, the present invention provides a further animation that brings the off-screen space and the dialogue box into view. Under some embodiments, multiple dismissed dialogue boxes are stored in the off-screen space and the user can manipulate the boxes when viewing the off-screen space. In some embodiments, the off-screen space is brought into view by rotating the space into the user's current view. In other embodiments, the user's current view is rotated to show the space.

Abstract: A search and a browse on a single user query is performed. A refined query is selected from the results of the first user query. Thereafter, a list of concepts from a first directory associated with the refined query is obtained. The concepts are defined in a hierarchical relationship with concepts having broader scope being higher in the hierarchy and concepts having a narrower scope being lower in the hierarchy. Additionally, a list of web sites associated with the search concept is obtained from a second directory.

Abstract: A method and a system are provided for controlling the coding rates of a multimode coding system with respect to a sequence of input audio signal frames. The method eliminates or minimizes the overflow and underflow of a bit-stream buffer maintained by the coding system for temporarily recording bit-stream data prior to transmission or storage.

Abstract: A method and system for multicast network transmissions dynamically sets response time parameters for handling negative acknowledgments (NAKs). When the sender receives a NAK for a lost packet, it returns an NAK confirmation (NCF), waits for a back-off time before sending requested repair data, and then waits for a “linger time” during which the sender does not respond to other NAKs for the same lost packet. The back-off time and the linger time are dynamically set according to the position of the requested sequence number in the sender's transmit window such that the back-off time is shorter when the requested data is closer to being flushed out of the transmit window. After receiving the NCF, the receiver waits for a timeout period and resends the NAK if no repair data is received. The timeout period for data receipt is dynamically set according to a statistical average time for receiving repair data from the sender and the estimated sender's transmit window size.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for analyzing the performance of a data processing system, particularly a distributed data processing system, provide a system user with tools for analyzing an application running thereon. Information about the flow and performance of the application can be specified, captured, and analyzed, without modifying it or degrading its performance or data security characteristics, even if it is distributed across multiple machines. The user interface permits the system user to filter the performance information, to set triggers which the performance analyzer is able to reduce and/or combine, to observe multiple time-synchronized displays of performance data either in real time or post mortem, and to play and re-play the operation of an automatically generated application model. The invention is implemented in part by providing suitable Application Program Interfaces (APIs) in the operating system of the data processing system.

Abstract: The present invention includes in a system and method for estimating and tracking an orientation of a user's face by combining head tracking and face detection techniques. The orientation of the face, or facial pose, can be expressed in terms of pitch, roll and yaw of the user's head. Facial pose information can be used, for example, to ascertain in which direction the user is looking. In general, the facial pose estimation method obtains a position of the head and a position of the face and compares the two to obtain the facial pose. In particular, a camera is used to obtain an image containing a user's head. Any movement of the user's head is tracked and the head position is determined. A face then is detected on the head and the face position is determined. The head and face positions then are compared.

Abstract: A method and system translating instant messages between users who communicate in different languages is presented. Two or more users engaged in an instant messaging session compose messages according to a source language or destination language. The source language corresponds to the preferred language of the user of the device that sends messages during the session, while the destination language corresponds to the preferred language of the user of a device that receives sent messages. During the session, devices can exchange user profile information that specify one or more translation preferences, including the destination address(es), source address(es), and corresponding source and destination languages. A content translation module implemented as a computer-executable module (e.g., DLL, exe) utilizes the information contained in the user profile to translate messages from the source language to the destination language. The translated message is then transmitted to the destination device.

Abstract: A network protocol and associated methods for optimizing use of available bandwidth across a network under varying traffic conditions. The protocol and methods allow the available bandwidth for a link connecting two computers to be determined on an ongoing basis. A method for measuring a clock bias between two computers linked in communication is also presented, along with methods for determining link saturation and dropped messages. The message send rate of the link can be continually tuned based on the measured bandwidth, link saturation condition, number of backlogged messages and/or detection of dropped messages. The protocol and methods preferably are implemented as part of an application program interface. The protocol resides at the application layer, and can be used for various network protocol suites, including TCP/IP and IPX/SPX.

Abstract: A system and method for controlling usage of a particular software program in a computer network environment is disclosed. The invention operates by controlling the throughput of the software as it executes on a server computer. In particular, the invention monitors the number of active requests to the software. If the number of active requests exceeds a predefined number, the software throughput on the server (e.g., requests completed per minute) is artificially restricted. As such, the present invention continues to allow further connections to the software but intentionally restricts further use by inhibiting the throughput for all connections to the software. Preferably, the present invention continues to allow the predefined number of active requests to be exceeded, but as more requests are made, the overall performance of software progressively degrades.

Abstract: A progressive hull sequence is provided that approximates the outer surface geometry of a three dimensional object to be rendered. The progressive hull sequence is an adaptation of the earlier progressive mesh representation developed for level-of-detail control and progressive transmission of geometry. The progressive hull representation of an object is a sequence of lower and lower resolution mesh geometries with the property that the volume within each successive lower resolution mesh contains the volume defined by the previous higher resolution mesh. This requirement is met by ensuring that, as each edge is collapsed, each new vertex generated by the collapse is placed in the convex volume defined by the intersection of the half spaces above the face planes touching the collapsed edge. In addition, to ensure that the hull representation is as accurate as possible as edges are collapsed, it is desirable to minimize the increase in volume from hull to hull in the sequence of progressive hulls.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method, system, and computer program product for generating a digital image having spatially varying effects. A preexisting source image is selected and used to generate a three-dimensional texture volume by convolving the pixels of the selected source image with a predetermined convolution kernel. A display image having spatially varying effects is then generated using the pixels of the three-dimensional texture volume and the pixels of a reference image, where each pixel of the reference image acts as an index to the pixels of the three-dimensional texture volume. The display image may be generated by either copying pixels from the three-dimensional texture volume to a frame buffer or by blending pixels from the three-dimensional texture volume with the pixels of an image already stored in the frame buffer.

Abstract: A system for spacing, storing and recognizing electronic representations of handwriting and printing comprises a central processing unit that couples with a display device, an input device, and a memory. The memory includes means for spacing ink stroke representations, means for recognizing outline elements, means for performing deferred recognition, means for highlighting drawing areas and means for storing and displaying ink stroke representations. These means operate together to provide a pen-based or graphics oriented computer system with improved performance and added functionality for manipulating the space between ink stroke representations.

Abstract: A computer-implemented process for simulating, in an HTML-formatted primary file, certain user-expected characteristics of an electronic document containing an embedded file. In response to initiating a save operation for a primary file to be saved as an HTML document, a file embedded within the primary file is detected. In turn, a support file is created for storage, in a separate storage location and physically removed from the primary file, to logically represent the embedded file. In addition, a current file list, which is associated with the primary file, is created and saved to the storage mechanism, typically the hard disk drive for the computer. When the HTML-formatted primary file is opened in a work session, the editor can open a link to each support file identified by the file list. In response to conducting a save operation for a primary file, an inquiry can be conducted to determine if a prior file list is associated with the primary document.

Abstract: A system and method for generating timing signals is disclosed. The memory mapped timer system provides the ability to easily and efficiently program a timer to generate a periodic interrupt signal to a processing unit or a one-shot interrupt signal after a defined time delay. The system also provides the ability to set a programmable rollover value for a counter to define the time between interrupts. A high-resolution counter provides the ability to generate a periodic interrupt every one hundred nanoseconds.