Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling server activation. In the prior art, there exists a race condition between the shutting down of an old server and the starting up of a new server. Further, rapidly restarting servers, such as daemonic servers, are prone to thrashing behavior. However, an embodiment of the invention avoids this undesired behavior by providing an additional “shutting down” state in the server finite state machine running in the ORB daemon. This additional state allows an old server to complete the necessary shut down procedures prior to the startup of a new server. Also, a process is provided for handling servers that are too slow to shut down or start up. A second additional state is provided in the server finite state machine to handle self started servers.

Abstract: A clock buffer circuit utilizing an LC circuit for jitter reduction. The circuit includes a differential amplifier that is coupled to a buffer stage. The output of the buffer circuit comprises the buffer stage output. An inductor and capacitor are coupled between the buffer stage output and ground. The values of the inductor and capacitor are specified such that the resonant frequency of the LC circuit corresponds to the nominal clock frequency. The entire buffer circuit including the capacitor and inductor may be fabricated on an integrated circuit. Alternatively the capacitor and/or inductor may comprise discrete components that are coupled to the buffer stage output. Additionally, multiple capacitors and/or inductors may be fabricated on the integrated circuit to permit the resonant frequency of the LC circuit to be adjusted to match the nominal clock frequency.

Abstract: A computer interface allows as user to control aspects of its behavior by head motion. In one example, a head mounted display (HMD) includes a directional detector for generating an object detection signal when pointed at certain physical objects. The detector is mounted so users can point it by moving their heads. In another example, a graphical user interface includes the computation of a view space comprised of multiple separate portions, in each of which graphical user interface windows generated by separate computer processes can be selectively located by a user. The user can selectively move such windows between view space portions by a point and click interface. The method displays a subset of view space portions to the user at one time, senses motion of the user's head, and changes the portions of the view space displayed, in discrete units of view space portions, in response to changes in the position of the user's head.

Abstract: An intuitive graphical user interface is based upon a geographic map structure, and includes a system for controlling remote external electronic devices. In the defined graphical user interface, each space of the geographic map structure is rendered on a touch screen display as a graphic image of a geographic space. Within each space are colored cartoon-like icons called “objects” which can be selected and manipulated by the user. Certain objects, referred to as portals, transport the user from one space to another space when Selected. Other objects, referred to as buttons, perform associated actions or functions when Selected. The graphical user interface is displayed on a hand-held display device used to control remote devices. Each remote electronic device transmits a user interface program object that defines a graphical user interface to the display device.

Abstract: A method which allows for a more efficient pre-emphasis of a high frequency inter-chip signal. The method uses a single predriver stage to equalize a signal when a transition in value of a digital signal is detected. The method equalizes the signal with decreased power and area requirements for greater efficiency.

Abstract: A motion video image capture (MVIC) process monitors interaction between an authoring process and a graphics display library and captures each frame of the motion video image created by the authoring process. By capturing each frame of the motion video image created by the authoring process, the MVIC process can recreate the motion video image without storing or reexecuting the specific graphics display instructions executed by the authoring process. In addition, the frames can be collectively stored in a compact, standard motion video image format for delivery through at network such as the Internet using a standard multimedia protocol such as the World Wide Web. The MVIC process determines when the authoring process has completed a frame of the motion video image by interposing the MVIC process between the authoring process and the graphics display library and monitoring procedures of the graphics display library invoked by the authoring process.

Abstract: Apparatus, and computer program products are disclosed for constructing dispatch tables. In one embodiment of the present invention, the decision to allocate a new dispatch table entry is sensitive to the accessibility of a class. A dispatch table and dispatch table construction process is described in which the entries for a Vtable are determined such that conflicts between accessibility and class hierarchy are avoided. In particular, a dispatch table and dispatch table construction process is described which takes a method's accessibility and package status into consideration in determining the proper overriding semantics and table building techniques. The dispatch table may have more than one distinct entry for a method.

Abstract: A method and apparatus relating to a support bracket (18) enabling hot-swapping of component trays (16) in component racks (10) is disclosed. A bracket (18) is provided for removably mounting a tray (16) in a component rack (10). The bracket (18) has two guide channels (20) extending substantially from a front end of the bracket (18) through to a back end. The guide channel (20) is adapted for sliding engagement with the component carrying tray (16). In addition, there is at least one stop guide (30) that projects from each of the front and back ends of the bracket (18). This stop guide (30) aids in positioning the bracket (18) during installation. On a backside of the bracket (18), there is a detent (32) that projects outward. The detent (32) serves as an aid in positioning and releasably holding the bracket (18) in place during installation.

Abstract: Use of a smart proxy as a wrapper around a stub in a distributed system. Instead of receiving a stub as a result of a remote procedure call, a caller receives a smart proxy including the stub as an embedded object. The smart proxy performs predefined processing associated with a remote procedure call, the processing possibly occurring before, during, or after a response to the call.

Abstract: A mechanism for decoding linear shifted codes employs two shift registers. The shift registers are independently controlled by an associated control unit. Initially, the received parity bits are stored in a first shift register and the global syndrome bits are stored in a second shift register. While the right-most cell in the first shift register contains a logical “0”, both shift registers are shifted right one position. When the right-most cell of the first shift register contains a “1”, the content of the right-most cell of the second shift register is recorded as a first bit of a syndrome code which identifies the position of an error with any groups with an error. If the value recorded is a “1”, a bit-wise exclusive OR operation is then performed on the values in the first and second shift registers, and the result is stored in the second shift register. Subsequently, the contents of the second shift register are shifted by one position.

Abstract: A cable arm for a computer system includes a first leg, a second leg hingedly joined to the first leg, and an enclosure flange hingedly joined to the second leg. The cable arm further includes a rack flange, hingedly joined to the first leg, capable of being attached to a rack for holding the computer system, an enclosure bracket capable of being attached to the computer system and capable of being attached to the enclosure flange, and a hook, extending from the second leg, capable retaining a cable attached to the computer system.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture consistent with the present invention coordinate distribution of shared memory to threads of control executing in a program by using a cooperative synchronization protocol. The protocol serializes access to memory by competing threads requesting assignment of memory space, while allowing competing threads that have already been assigned memory space, to share access to the memory. A designated area of memory assigns the memory to requesting threads. The protocol is an application level entity and therefore does access the operating system to serialize the memory allocation process.

Abstract: The invention provides a flexible, extensible and customizable architecture for supporting e-commerce applications. The system allows the integration of extensible modules with a software bus providing access to common e-commerce services. Thus, the invention eliminates the need for creating a custom architecture for supporting desired services.

Abstract: A software package verification tool enables verifying a software package that includes at least one software component. The tool includes at least one test module defining a test of at least one parameter of a software component of the package. It also includes a control module operable to access a framework that identifies each test module and to cause at least one test module to perform the test defined thereby for verifying the package. The framework, within which individual test modules may be added or deleted as required, provides a flexible test structure for software packages. Typically, the framework identifies a plurality of test modules for verifying the correctness of a particular software package. In such a case, the framework can identify a priority for each test module for effecting an ordering of the tests. This enables the performance of the tests to be efficient, avoiding, for example, unnecessary tests that are redundant if the software package fails a more fundamental test.

Abstract: The invention is a method and apparatus for generating one or more Steiner trees representing a connection of at least two points. In accordance with an embodiment of the method, a Boolean network function is generated which represents a network of interconnects connecting the at least two points. A binary decision diagram (BDD) for the Boolean network function is generated, the BDD having a root and at least one variable node. The number of vertices for at least one variable node of the BDD is determined. The solution values for one or more of the variables of the Boolean network function are determined in accordance with a path(s) through the BDD from the root to one or more of the variable nodes. In one embodiment, the Boolean network function represents interconnects in an encoded space containing the points to be connected, the interconnects having no greater than “n” segments and arranged to join at a joint.

Abstract: A system and method for testing the conformance of a universal serial bus (USB) system to a set of predefined USB Specifications. One embodiment of the system comprises a USB interpreter that can be used to selectively examine device data, execute USB commands and exercise USB functions without having to create or compile a test program. The USB interpreter comprises a test application and a test application driver. The test application driver interfaces with the USB system software. The USB system software may include a USB driver, a host controller driver and other host software. The USB driver interfaces with the test application through the test application driver. The host controller driver interfaces with the host controller and thereby interfaces the software on the host system with the USB interconnect and USB devices. In one embodiment, the USB interpreter incorporates a command line interpreter through which a user can enter commands to perform specific operations and tests on the USB system.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture consistent with the present invention provides a development tool that enables computer programmers to design and develop a data flow program for execution in a multiprocessor computer system. The tool displays an interface that enables the programmer to define a region divided into multiple blocks, wherein each block is formed of a set of values associated with a function, and to define sets of the blocks, each block in a set having a state reflected by a designated portion of the program that when executed transforms the values forming the block based on the function. The interface also records any dependencies among the blocks, each dependency indicating a relationship between two blocks and requiring the portion of the program associated with a first block of the relationship to be executed before the portion of the program associated with a second block of the relationship.

Abstract: Data structures, methods, and devices for facilitating servant invocation in a distributed client-server based object oriented operating system are disclosed. In one aspect of the invention, descriptor data structures, which contain a typecode indicator, a marshaling function identifier, and an unmarshaling function identifier, are used to enable modules of application code to be shared between different objects, thereby facilitating servant invocation by increasing the amount of commonized code in the operating system. In another aspect of the invention, a server invocation object is used in the execution of a method call. In still another aspect of the invention, a commonized code base is used to process typecode interpreted and compiled calls to a server process.

Abstract: Apparatus and method to permit snoop filtering to occur while an atomic operation is pending. The snoop filtering apparatus includes first and second request queues and a cache. The first request queue tracks cache access requests, while the second request queue tracks snoops that have yet to be filtered. The cache includes a dedicated port for each request queue. The first port is dedicated to the first request queue and is a data-and-tag read-write port, permitting modification of both a cache line's data and tag. In contrast, the second port is dedicated to the second request queue and is a tag-only port. Because the second port is a tag-only port, snoop filtering can continue while a cache line is locked without fear of any modification of the data associated with the atomic address.

Abstract: The invention is a method and apparatus for optimizing a real function in the Boolean domain. In accordance with an embodiment of the method, the real function is represented as a Boolean function. A binary decision diagram for the Boolean function is generated, the binary decision diagram having a root and at least one variable node. The number of vertices for at least one variable node of the binary decision diagram is determined. The function is optimized by selecting a path or paths from the root to at least one variable node of the binary decision diagram having the least number of vertices. The solution values of one or more variables of the Boolean function are determined in accordance with the path(s) through the binary decision diagram. These values comprise an optimized solution set for the real function.