Abstract: Methods, systems, and software for executing a particular form of a multi-purpose program in a distributed computing environment are disclosed. In one embodiment, a multi-purpose program is executed in one of two forms upon a request to invoke the multipurpose program in a distributed computing environment. If the program is invoked for executing in an applet form, one possible form of the multi-purpose program, the system makes dynamic calls to a remotely accessible file library for operation of a specific function of the program. If the program is invoked for executing in an application form, another possible form of the program, the system makes local calls to a locally accessible file library for operation of a specific function of the program. In a preferred embodiment, a startup environment is created and adapted for running any one of the several forms of the multi-purpose program.

Abstract: A magnetic component assembly includes a circuit board having at least one layer. A first winding is provided on at least one surface of a layer of the circuit board and a further winding is provided on the same or a different surface of the circuit board. A first magnetic core is associated with the first winding to define a first magnetic component and a further magnetic core is associated with the further winding to define a further magnetic component. There is thereby provided an assembly of two or more magnetic components integrated in a single circuit board providing an efficient space saving configuration. A particular application relates to the provision of integrated magnetic components for power supplies.

Abstract: A network and CD-ROM caching product that runs under both Windows 3.X and Windows 95, is completely transparent to end-users, and works with a wide variety of file systems running under both Windows 3.X and Windows 95 is disclosed. The approach used to fulfill these requirements has been to utilize the services provided by a virtual device driver (VxD) supplied with Windows 95 known as the Installable File System Manager (IFSMGR). Windows 95 is designed so that all file system input/output (I/O) requests may be "hooked" to the IFSMGR VxD. The disclosed caching product is effectively "layered" between the IFSMGR VxD and the generic file system of Windows 95. The disclosed caching product has been designed so that it will run under both operating systems. This has been accomplished by rewriting portions of the Windows 95 IFSMGR VxD, enabling it to run under Windows 3.X. The rewritten version is based on the IFSMGR specification provided by Microsoft Corporation.

Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed for viewing computer generated images and for tracking the positions of the user's head and hand. One alternative of the apparatus includes a frame element, versatilely mountable, with sensors for the head tracking of a user whose bodily movement is constrained to a small area. Short range and inexpensive sensors are deployed for tracking the position of the user's head; these sensors are deployed partly on a on the user's head and partly on the tracking frame. All the electronics for tracking and user input are enclosed in a mobile pack. In another alternative of the tracking invention natural forces such as gravity, the Earth's magnetic field, and inertia are used, so additional references. The display allows for interchangeable optical elements so that it may be tailored to suit the needs of a particular user or application. One optical element disclosed is a bicolor polarizer, which allows an lcd to inexpensively provide a bicolor display without loss of resolution.

Abstract: In executing a new method, a hardware processor loads the execution environment on a stack in the background and indicates what portion of the execution environment has been loaded so far, e.g., simple one bit scoreboarding. Thus, the hardware processor tracks the information in the execution environment loaded on the stack. The hardware processor tries to execute the bytecodes of the called method as soon as possible, even though the stack is not completely loaded. If accesses are made to variables already loaded, overlapping of execution with loading of the stack is achieved. Thus, execution and loading continue until information in the execution environment needed for the execution is not on said stack as indicated by said tracking.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for maintaining and enforcing security rules using protection domains. As new code arrives at a computer, a determination is assigned to a protection domain based on the source from which the code is received. The protection domain establishes the permissions that apply to the code. In embodiments where the code to be executed by the computer belongs to object classes, an association is established between the protection domains and the classes of objects. When an object requests an action, a determination is made as to whether the action is permitted based on the class to which the object belongs and the association between classes and protection domains.

Abstract: A circuit for comparing two digital words has a set of bit compare circuits that generate a set of compare signals. Each bit compare circuit receives a first bit from a first digital word and a corresponding bit from a second digital word and generates one compare signal that indicates a match between the first bit and the corresponding bit. In response to the set of compare signals, a composite match detector circuit generates a composite match signal. A last bit detector circuit generates a last bit signal that indicates a match between a last bit from the first digital word and a last bit from the second digital word. When the last bit signal is received, a match hit generator circuit generates a match hit signal based on the composite match signal and the last bit signal.

Abstract: A single phase edge-triggered dual-rail dynamic flip-flop circuit for use with dynamic logic gates includes an input stage, precharge stage and buffer. The input stage is coupled to receive a data-input signal and a clock signal. During the precharge phase, the input stage provides an output signal that is the complement of the data input signal. When the data input signal is provided by a dynamic logic gate, the input stage output signal is precharged to a logic high level. During the evaluation phase, the input stage generates an output signal that either remains at a logic high level or else transitions from high-to-low. The precharge stage receives the output signal from the input stage and the clock signal. During the precharge phase, the precharge stage generates a logic high level output signal independently of the signal received from the input stage.

Abstract: A cache memory system including a cache memory having a plurality of cache lines. An index portion of a tag array includes an n-bit pointer entry for every cache line. A shared tag portion of a tag array includes a number of entries, where each entry includes shared tag information that is shared among a plurality of the cache lines. Each n-bit pointer in the index portion of the tag array points into an entry in the shared tag portion.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for performing power management in a Java operating system environment is disclosed in which a state change request having a value and a type is received, wherein the value is associated with a power management state, and the type is one of a system or a device. The type of the state change request is determined and the request is processed in accordance with the state change request type. The power management state is changed in accordance with the processed request.

Abstract: A method for making an asymmetric MOS device having a notched gate oxide is disclosed herein. Such MOS devices have a region of a gate oxide adjacent to either the source or drain that is thinner than the remainder of the gate oxide. The thin "notched" region of gate oxide lies over a region of the device's channel region that has been engineered to have a relatively "high" threshold voltage (near 0 volts) in comparison to the remainder of the channel region. This region of higher threshold voltage may be created by a pocket region of increased dopant concentration abutting the source or the drain (but not both) and proximate the channel region. The pocket region has the opposite conductivity type as the source and drain. A device so structured behaves like two pseudo-MOS devices in series: a "source FET" and a "drain FET." If the pocket region is located under the source, the source FET will have a higher threshold voltage and a much shorter effective channel length than the drain FET.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for managing a buffer memory in a packet switch that is shared between multiple ports in a network system. The apparatus comprises a plurality of slow data port interfaces configured to transmit data at a first data rate between a slow data port and the buffer memory and a plurality of fast data port interfaces configured to transmit data at a second data rate between a fast data port and the buffer memory. A first level arbiter is coupled to the plurality of slow data port interfaces. The first level arbiter chooses an access request of one the slow data ports and outputs the access request. A second level arbiter is coupled to the plurality of fast data port interfaces and to the output of the first level arbiter. The second level arbiter chooses an access request from among a plurality access requests from the fast data port interfaces and the access request from the first level arbiter, and forwards the chosen access request to the memory.

Abstract: A cache system including a data cache memory comprising a plurality of cache lines. A tag store has an entry representing each line in the cache memory where each entry comprises tag information for accessing the data cache. The tag information includes state information indicating whether the represented cache line includes dirty data. A speculative write back unit monitors the state information and is operative to initiate a write back of a cache line having more than a preselected amount of dirty data.

Abstract: An apparatus for seamless connectivity between a narrow-band network like the Internet and an interactive TV wide-band network and methods of operating the same support on the fly translation and routing of data between the Internet and the interactive TV wide-band network. The apparatus for interfacing between a wide-band network and a narrow-band network comprises a decoder, having a decoder input, a first decoder port, and a second decoder port, which receives wide-band data from the wide-band network via the second decoder port and decodes the wide-band data to provide decoded data in response to decoder requests from the decoder input.

Abstract: A method and system for creating and maintaining a journal of transactions directed to a configuration database is disclosed. A multi-threaded journaling method logs transactions in a configuration database by first receiving a database transaction, the transaction being either a single modification, e.g. insertion, deletion, update, or a series of modifications directed to the configuration database. An initial entry is inserted into a journal file where the initial entry includes a transaction identifier or handle that corresponds to the database transaction. Subsequent entries are inserted into the journal file corresponding to the specific updates of the transaction, the subsequent entry containing the transaction identifier and actual transaction data relating to the specific update. The journaling mechanism then determines whether each of the specific updates to the configuration database has been successfully completed.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for providing a data framework and associated client/server protocol for storing and exchanging data among computers in a network. A data schema having an n-way tree-type structure with a root node layer, intermediate node layers, and a data layer for storing configuration data is described. The intermediate node layers contain a multitude of nodes containing categorical information relating to components and various aspects of the computer network. Following a tree structure, each intermediate node and root node has branches emanating to nodes below it. These subordinate nodes are referred to as children nodes. The data node layer is at the bottom of the tree and contains actual specific configuration data relating to components and other aspects of the computer network, such as information regarding users registered to use the network.

Abstract: A system and method for avoiding collision between objects and wingtips of an aircraft when the aircraft is on the ground includes mounting detecting devices such as a low cost radar unit and a video camera in the wingtip. These detection devices are coupled with one or more indicators to provide an operator of the aircraft such as a pilot that an imminent collision with an object is about the occur. The indication can be an audio or visual signal, either within or outside of the aircraft.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for dynamically configuring authorized clients with the address of a protected host and the key and address of an intermediate device (e.g., encrypting firewall, encrypting router, secure gateway) which is protecting a number of hosts on a private network located topologically behind that intermediate device. The registered name server for a domain is configured to return a new resource record type, herein called an SX record, in response to requests for information needed for secure communications with protected hosts in that domain. The resolver on (or otherwise associated with) the authorized client is configured to use the data in the SX record to dynamically update the information used by the client to handle secure communications.

Abstract: An apparatus for cooling an electrical component is disclosed which comprises a sorber containing a sorbent; a condenser in fluid communication with the sorber; an evaporator in fluid communication with both the sorber and the condenser and connected in heat-exchange relation to the electrical component; wherein a sorbate which has been condensed in the condenser is evaporated in the evaporator, thereby absorbing heat from the electrical component, and then adsorbed onto the sorbent; an electromagnetic wave generator, a waveguide coupler for directing the electromagnetic waves to the sorbent; wherein the sorbate is desorbed from the sorbent by the electromagnetic waves and condensed in the condenser; and wherein the desorption of the sorbate from the sorbent is substantially isothermal.