Abstract: A system and method for upgrading software application is disclosed. The system provides a profile upgrade utility that generates a profile of desired application upgrades based upon information provided from a user. In operation, a user may provide a description of modules for upgrade, along with any associated components and a description of the module location. Using this information, the system generates a profile of the desired upgrade. The upgrade profile is then converted to a text file and uploaded to an import/export utility that retrieves the requested upgrades.

Abstract: Name Type Value Storage (“NTV”) provides a very flexible technique for storing data for use in the Internet and in World Wide Web based applications. NTV provides a list of values or names, referred to as triplets, that is used to identify a correspondence. In the triplet, NTV provides both an identifier and a name of a type, where a type can be one of several things, e.g. a type can be an integer, a floating point number, a string, an array of any of those values, or an another NTV object. A third part of the triplet is the actual value itself, which is stored in its native type.

Abstract: A method whereby application and network services (such as access control and electronic mailing list servers) can use a directory service to define groups of directory members using a directory search specification evaluated at service delivery time (dynamic group membership.) Traditionally, network services have been delivered to groups of users defined in relatively narrow manners: either by keeping a list of all users who are members of the group, or by attaching specific group membership attribute information to the information maintained about each specific user. Dynamic group membership allows these services to be delivered to groups of users who can be defined by a completely arbitrary specification of user attribute information. For example, electronic mail can be sent to a group of users whose office was located in a certain building (specifically, whose office location attribute matched a specific value.

Abstract: A user-configurable control palette for the extraction and tagging of highlighted objects where the user performs any desired task upon the objects. A control palette library is provided for the user to save custom palette layouts to and retrieve custom palette layouts from and allow the user to setup standard palettes for specific tasks such as document version control, training documents, interactive tutorials, survey questionnaires, interview forms, and on line testing. The user performs simplified extraction and tagging of highlighted objects from various sources through the control palette, changing each object's attributes such as font type, font style, font pitch, and color, through simple button clicks on the control palette. User defined tags or HTML tags may also be selected by the user to be associated with an object and the user may also specify links back to the source document for future reference.

Abstract: A common interface solution to the problem of burgeoning information sets, referred to as inline tree filters, structures the represented data in a hierarchical tree. Inline filters are information-filtration devices that are applied to a traditional interface element, such as a hierarchical tree viewer. The invention provides a technique that enables the user to choose selectively the data that they want to display, while not otherwise altering the behavior and interaction of the tree viewer itself. Inline tree filters are suitable for any graphical user interface that could potentially use a tree viewer.

Abstract: An electronic document routing system in a computer network environment integrates into the existing framework of the Internet browser using a Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME) type. An ordered list with optional rules is placed in a MIME attachment, describes the route, document movement, time allotments, and options for each recipient. An originator creates a document, an ordered list of recipients, and specifies tasks and time allotments for each recipient The originator sends the document to the first recipient; each recipient performs a required task. Upon completion or expiration of the allotted time, the message is routed to the next recipient and a status report containing the current version of the document is sent to the originator. When all recipients have completed their tasks or the route has completed, the final document is sent to the originator. Thus, the originator receives a final document and intermediate versions of the document.

Abstract: An apparatus for an integrated dynamic encryption and/or decryption for use in an application includes a policy filter, a policy filter module coupled to said policy filter, a service module coupled to said policy filter, and a cryptographic module, where the apparatus retrieves the cryptographic module and configures the policy filter in accordance with the cryptographic module and the policy filter module performs a plurality of verification upon the cryptographic module, and further where the service module is configured to generate a plurality of cipher suites and the policy filter is configured to filter the plurality of cipher suites in accordance with a predetermined policy filter parameters to generate a plurality of filtered cipher suites.

Abstract: A graphical user interface provides a scalable information structure. Interactive categories are displayed as expansive locations on a display as part of a desktop. In a first preferred embodiment of the invention, each category in a tier of an information structure occupies a dedicated expansive location in a list displayed within a defined region on the display. A location occupied by a selected category is expanded or compressed to display the next tier in the information hierarchy as a list, or as a cluster. Remaining locations are resized to accommodate newly-displayed contents within the defined region. The list is directly scrolled by selecting and moving locations with a pointing device. In a second, equally preferred embodiment of the invention, expansive locations are displayed as a cluster arrangement. A selected cluster is highlighted and expanded to display the next tier in the information hierarchy as a list, or as a cluster. Any previously-selected cluster is deselected and contracted.

Abstract: An electronic mail (e-mail) search folder device utilizing an easily configurable search system that allows the user to associate attributes to a folder and will automatically search and organize the user's e-mail messages. Search attributes that are specified by the user are associated with a file folder by the invention. Search strings and properties, the frequency of the search, and the scope of the search are designated by the user. The invention waits for the specified interval or event condition to become true and performs the search across the folders and objects specified by the user. The invention inserts pointers to the e-mail messages that were found to match the search criteria into the search folder which is always available to the user.

Abstract: A session navigation and recording system for a computer environment automatically records every web page that the user visits, thus preserving the context of the paths and allowing the user to view all of the paths traversed in a session which are placed in a file. The user navigates through the saved session paths using a session history toolbar which allows the user to navigate through any selected session path and provides controls for backward, forward, pause, and record commands. Sessions can be automatically executed by the user with a time delay between each task. The user can edit and display any session path. Pages may be marked for different levels of priorities and also for aging, i.e. marked to expire within a certain time span or by a certain date. The user also creates a custom path comprised of web pages, macros, filters, search queries, email, and any object that can be acted upon, including other application programs and may also be combined with all or part of a session path.

Abstract: A collaborative computing system that permits the use of network and platform independent applications, and is easily customized. A conference engine provides a network interface between applications and the network, so that applications can be written independent of the network or platform. The conference engine provides both networking and conference management functions. The applications are organized into application modules, each of which provides a discrete collaborative computing function. The application modules use a library of collaboration commands to provide collaborative computing functions to the conference engine, and connect to the conference engine via inter process control mechanisms. The application modules can, in turn, be customized by user interface modules, which customize the user interface of the application modules and permit application module-independent user interfaces.

Abstract: A window splitter bar system in a computer environment provides a control button in the splitter bar between two panes in a multi-pane window application. The control button is used to open and close the pane. It is clicked to close the pane when the pane is open. The splitter bar stays visible when the pane is collapsed, appearing stuck next to the window's outer edge with the control button remaining visible. The control button is then clicked again to open the pane. The splitter bar can also be dragged in order to resize the pane, with the system storing the location of all of the splitter bars on the screen for restoring a closed pane back to its open state. The user can also drag the splitter bar to open and close the pane. When a pane is closed and the user drags an item over the splitter bar, the pane automatically expands so the user can drop the item into the pane. Once the item has been deposited in the pane, it automatically closes.

Abstract: A session navigation and recording system for a computer environment automatically records every web page that the user visits, thus preserving the context of the paths and allowing the user to view all of the paths traversed in a session which are placed in a file. The user navigates through the saved session paths using a session history toolbar which allows the user to navigate through any selected session path and provides controls for backward, forward, pause, and record commands. Sessions can be automatically executed by the user with a time delay between each task. The user can edit and display any session path. Pages may be marked for different levels of priorities and also for aging, i.e. marked to expire within a certain time span or by a certain date. The user also creates a custom path comprised of web pages, macros, filters, search queries, email, and any object that can be acted upon, including other application programs and may also be combined with all or part of a session path.

Abstract: The present invention provides the ability to use an existing store-and-forward messaging network such as an electronic mail system to replicate data between computer sites. The replication provided by the present invention can be used with software applications, such as workgroup applications, to replicate data located on multiple sites. Workgroup replication data is sent to other sites via electronic mail (“e-mail”) messages. The present invention provides reliability features to handle errors in electronic mail transmissions. For example, the present invention provides the ability to reassemble objects at a replication site such that an object and all of its dependencies exist prior to the object's use at the site. Messages referred to as “ACK” messages are used to communicate a site's state and to provide other control information. Each site maintains latency information to determine transmission failures.

Abstract: The present invention is a method and apparatus for storyboard scripting of instructions within a software application program. More specifically, the present invention provides for an organized storyboard of logic flows for navigating a visitor through a World Wide Web site. By organizing the commands in discrete parallel logic flows, future editing of the system can be easily performed.

Abstract: A distributed locking apparatus for a collaborative computing system permits members of a collaborative session to obtain and transfer a lock without the use of a central lock server. Each member of the collaborative session has a lock engine, which transitions among four states depending on the location of the lock. An Available state indicates that the lock is available. A Pending state indicates that the member has requested the lock. A Held state indicates that the member currently holds the lock. A Locked state indicates that another member currently holds the lock. A message structure permits the members to obtain and release the lock and to resolve conflicts over the lock between members of the session.

Abstract: A unifying push framework in a computer network environment uses a plumbing approach wherein a "pipe" (producer) is created to interpret a specified push protocol. Push Universal Resource Locators (PURLs) (the streams) are delivered from a server across the computer network to each pipe that handles the specific protocol which interprets the protocol and delivers the stream to the subscribing client (consumer). Several pipes can be combined and clients can subscribe to several different protocols. These pipes are capable of delivering streams to multiple clients and are created dynamically as each client subscribes to different protocols. Filters are easily added and removed dynamically to or from the system to filter streams. A filter can be added to the output side of a pipe before distribution to the clients and/or added before the client to filter the incoming stream, allowing for a flexible system with multiple filtering schemes.

Abstract: A system provides an efficient way of providing electronic accounts to customers over a public network, in which all payments are traceable, i.e. anonymity is available to the degree that the customer provides an account number for paying for the transaction, and that uses as much as possible of emerging public network payment protocols. One embodiment of the system handles small payment from customers to merchants without burdening the banks with each small transaction by aggregating the payment at a payment gateway from the customers and to the merchants.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for transferring state information between a server computer system and a client computer system. In one embodiment of the method, an http client requests a file, such as an HTML document, on an http server, and the http server transmits the file to the http client. In addition, the http server transmits a state object, which describes certain state information, to the http client. The http client stores the state object, and will typically send the state object back to the http server when making later requests for files on the http server. In a typical embodiment, the state object includes a domain attribute which specifies a domain or network address, and the state object is transmitted from the http client to a server only when the http client makes an http request to the server and the server is within the domain. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a processor and memory and a computer readable medium which stores program instructions.

Abstract: Occluder nodes, which are planes with given width and height in object space that block the rendering of objects behind them in world space, are used to compute a conservative set of visible objects from a current viewpoint. Occluder nodes can be incorporated by scene designers and authoring tools to perform many high performance rendering techniques, including culling geometry in densely occluded models, region based scene division, and using images to represent far distant geometry. Using this simple primitive, generalized scene viewers are provided that allow interactive rendering of complex worlds, including multi-user environments, architectural models, three dimensional games, and large engineering models.