Abstract: A separate cacheable-in-virtual-cache attribute bit (CV) is maintained for each page of memory in the translation table maintained by the operating system. The CV bit indicates whether the memory addresses on the page to which the translation table entry refers are cacheable in virtually indexed caches. According to a first embodiment, when there are two or more aliases which are not offset by multiples of the virtual cache size, all of the aliases are made non-cacheable in virtually indexed caches by deasserting the CV bits for all aliases. With regards to the contents of the translation lookaside buffer (TLB), the translations for all aliases may simultaneously coexist in the TLB because no software intervention is required to insure data coherency between the aliases. According to second and third embodiments of the present invention, when there are two or more aliases which are not offset by multiples of the virtual cache size, only one of those aliases may remain cacheable in virtual caches.

Abstract: A user operating a client system may access a plurality of remote servers requiring passwords for access by employing a master password. The master password is used to decrypt a stored password for a particular remote server to which the client desires access. The client system maintains a database of encrypted passwords and user IDs for remote servers to which the user is registered. Although each remote server is accessed using a different password, the user need only remember one master password. Since only the master password need be remembered, the passwords particular to specific remote sites may be made more random and thus more secure. Implementation of the password management system need not require modification of any remote servers.

Abstract: A system for restraining over-eager boosting of load instructions past store instructions in an out-of-order processor. The system comprises a memory disambiguation buffer for storing load and store instruction addresses and associated data and an instruction scheduling window in operative association with the memory disambiguation buffer. The instruction scheduling window and the memory disambiguation buffer determine load/store dependencies and effectuate replay of the store and load instructions wherein a dependent load instruction has been executed prior to a store instruction. An instruction cache is provided in operative association with the memory disambiguation buffer, together to associate the dependent load instructions with a store instruction such that the store instruction is subsequently executed prior to the dependent load instructions.

Abstract: In a preferred embodiment, the present invention provides a method and system for organizing selectable elements on a graphical user interface (GUI). Initially, the method provides at least two selectable elements for display on a GUI. Each selectable element is associated with a target element when it is selected. The method generates a first access frequency index for each selectable element in the list which corresponds to a number of times the selectable element is selected. Next, the selectable elements are organized on the GUI based upon the first access frequency index generated for each selectable element. In one embodiment, the selectable elements with a higher first access frequency index are placed in first area on the GUI while selectable elements with a lower first access frequency index are placed in a second area on the GUI. As a result, a user can select the selectable elements on a GUI easier when they are organized according to the principles of this invention.

Abstract: A micropower impulse radar is used to take measurements, such as those needed to establish room size and the dimensions and location of objects within the walls of a room. A computer controls the scanning of the radar and the collection of datapoints. A global positioning satellite (GPS) unit locates the precise portion of the radar and another unit loads a fixed referenced location to which all measurements from different rooms are baselined. By collecting points and referencing them to a common point or wireframe representation of a building can be developed from which "as built" architectural plans can be produced.

Abstract: A digital broadcast station is configured to "turn around" and add interactive programming to a television signal conveyed by a remote network. Prior to conveying the television signal, the remote network inserts a trigger within the vertical blanking interval of the signal. The trigger contains command information to control the loading and/or playing of a designated interactive program. After the trigger is combined with the television signal, the combined signal is modulated and transmitted from the remote network via a satellite uplink. This combined signal is correspondingly received at the digital broadcast station where it is digitized and routed through a video network for channel assignment and other processing. From the video network, the digitized television signal is provided to a VBI decoder which extracts the trigger. The extracted trigger is provided to an interactive flow manager and server to control the loading or playing of an interactive program identified by the trigger.

Abstract: A processor that includes hardware resources for the operating system that are separate and independent from resources dedicated to user programs. The OS resources preferably include a separate OS arithmetic logic unit (OS/ALU) along with a dedicated instruction buffer, instruction cache and data cache. The OS/ALU is preferably able to control the registers and program address of user processes, and can read a program request register from the user program.

Abstract: A system and method for providing multiple modes of parallel communications between a host and a peripheral. In the system and method, a driver provides support for a plurality of transfer modes while satisfying the streams requirements of a host kernel during both forward and reverse transfers. The driver begins in a known mode and negotiates the host and peripheral into a best mode supported by both the host and the peripheral. The driver satisfies streams requirements, thereby permitting high level handshaking and use of ioct1s in UNIX based systems. When data is to be transferred, a message is placed on a queue to be serviced in the order received. The type of the message is indicative of the direction of the desired transfer. Each message is serviced in turn, and the transfer conducted using the most efficient mode available.

Abstract: A method for delivering a message unit to a destination network resource within a transport communications layer includes the steps of configuring a mapping to the destination network resource based upon a source address of the message unit, and sending the message unit to the destination network resource based upon the mapping.

Abstract: A system and method is provided that displays different symbols on an input device corresponding to different input device layouts. On a keyboard type input device, each key on the keyboard has an individually controllable display device which displays one or more symbols in a given symbol set. Software detects which keyboard layout should be used, downloads the keyboard layout over a network, such as the Internet, and causes the display device in each key to display the appropriate symbol or symbols. A virtual machine embedded in the keyboard provides a platform independent execution enviromnent and simplifies the development of different types of input device layouts. This unique arrangement obviates the need for purchasing different keyboards and software to accommodate the different character sets used by different languages or different specialized software applications.

Abstract: Motion vectors and associated errors which are determined in the course of encoding a video signal are used to determine whether respective macroblocks of two or more frames represent the same subject matter albeit displaced by motion represented by the frames. The motion vector errors are compared to a predetermined motion threshold. If a particular motion vector error is less than the motion threshold, the macroblocks corresponding to the motion vector error are determined to represent substantially identical subject matter and the corresponding motion vector represents displacement of the subject matter between the frames due to motion of the subject matter. Accordingly, differences between the macroblocks corresponding to the motion vector error are determined to be due primarily to noise and not to differences in the subject. Therefore, a relatively heavy temporal filter is applied between the macroblocks.

Abstract: A new file system partition is added to an existing partition in disk storage space by creating a new file in the existing storage space of the existing partition and giving this file the attributes of a partition. This new file having partition attributes is referred to as a "raw file." Apparatus in a computing system for creating and accessing a raw file would comprise a storage system controller for creating a raw file of a predetermined size with the attributes of a partition, a storage space driver for accessing storage space in a data storage system and a storage access control for translating an access request for a raw file to an actual address for the raw file so the storage space driver can access the raw file based on the actual address for the raw file.

Abstract: An electro-optical transducer connector assembly (10) including an electro-optical transducer (15), a transducer housing (25) having a connector portion (45) that extends through an opening (21) in a wall (12) of the enclosure (11) for an electrical apparatus (8), such as a computer. Transducer assembly (15) preferably is a transceiver which includes a laser diode/photo detector assembly (19) and a printed wiring assembly (17). An optical channel (23) having two fiber optic members (23a, 23b) is releasably mechanically connected by a first connector portion (43) and a second connector portion (45) telescoped inside the first connector portion (43) so as to optically align the fiber optic members (23a, 23b) with the transducer (15).

Abstract: A class structure of an object-oriented program system is optimized for hardware and implemented as a hardware system in an object-oriented processor. For example, a class structure derived from a Java Virtual Machine software system is optimized for hardware and implemented as a hardware Java object-oriented processor. A processor is implemented by defining a data structure and an object-oriented instruction set for executing in the object-oriented operating environment, and generating a hardware implementation of the processor enforcing the logical relationships of the instruction set as defined by the data structure. The data structure includes a class structure. The class structure and the instruction set describe the processor operations. A processor includes an execution engine based on a class structure to execute instructions of an object-oriented instruction set. The instruction set uses pointers for indexing through data structures to define an object method for execution.

Abstract: A system for N-bit part failure detection using n-bit error detecting codes where n is less than N is disclosed. In a computer system having storage devices N bits wide and an error detection and correction capability of less than N bits, bit assignments are made so that storage device failures will be detectable because of the manner the effect of a part failure is distributed among multiple codewords. Consequently 8 and 16 bit wide DRAMs may be used in a memory system using error detection and correction codes which are not capable of detecting 8 or 16 bit errors in a codeword, and still preserve the ability to detect the worst errors possibly caused by a part failure.

Abstract: Requests from CPU module units are arbitrated according to a two-level priority scheme, the first level being of a higher priority than the second level. The first level includes a specific CPU module unit, and the second level includes a predetermined sequence of values corresponding to the remaining CPU module units. During each arbitration cycle, a request from the first level CPU module is automatically granted. If the first level CPU module unit has not asserted a request, requests from the second level module units are arbitrated according to the above-mentioned predetermined sequence. The sequence value corresponding to the second level CPU module whose request was most recently granted is latched. Arbitration is then granted to the module unit corresponding to the sequence value which follows the latched value.

Abstract: A system for retrieving a selected page of a structured document and for automatically developing context information about the selected page. This context information may include a table of contents showing the location of the selected hypertext page in relationship to other hypertext pages. In one embodiment, this context information is inserted into the hypertext page. The so-modified hypertext page may then be transmitted to a remote location for display. Since the context information is automatically developed after retrieval, it need not be manually generated and maintained. For WWW applications, the hypertext page with the context information inserted remains in the HTML format viewable by standard browsers. A powerful and convenient system for browsing through structured documents is thus provided.

Abstract: A configurable remote controller for remotely sensing the status(es) of one or more electrically-powered target systems and for altering the status(es) of the target systems in response. In one embodiment, the remote control device is coupled to a preexisting communication channel established between a command system and one or more target systems. A system administrator transmits control instructions over the pre-existing communication channel to the remote controller. The remote controller receives and processes the control instructions as well as senses for a change in the status of at least one of the target systems. If a change in status is detected, then the remote controller alters the status in accordance with the control instructions. The change can be a lowering of the voltage level in which disconnecting the one target system from the power source can be considered a form of altering the status.

Abstract: According to principles of the invention, a distributed data processing system having a host computer coupled by way of a network to one or more peripheral devices is presented. In part, this distributed data processing system has advantages over current technologies because executables run on a host device can also be downloaded and executed on a target peripheral device. The virtual machine instruction processor located in the host machine and the peripheral device run the same instruction set and therefore readily share executables. This capability opens up robust communication between the peripheral device and the host machine and sophisticated peripheral device management and administration.

Abstract: Apparatus, methods and computer program products are disclosed that create an "agent LWP" in a target process. Creation of the agent LWP allows a controlling process to control execution of computer instructions within the target process without co-opting an existing LWP in the target process. The invention thus provides a mechanism that does not unintentionally change the state of the target process because existing partially-completed system calls do not need to be aborted and reissued.