Abstract: Laying out a paragraph using a layout services library. An entire paragraph is defined as a single text run. The text run is laid out by substituting glyphs for the characters of the text run and then positioning the glyphs. After the text run is laid out, the length of the text run is compared to the line length. If the length of the text run exceeds the line length, then the text run is divided into a parent text run and a child text run. If justification is enabled, then the parent text run is justified. If a child text run is created, then the length of the child text run is compared to the line length. If the length of the child text run exceeds the line length, then the process is repeated until the length of the last child text run does not exceed the line length. A layout services library provides text processing functions which support the paragraph layout and the justification.

Abstract: A system and method for extracting structure from stereo that represents the scene as a collection of planar layers. Each layer optimally has an explicit 3D plane equation, a colored image with per-pixel opacity, and a per-pixel depth value relative to the plane. Initial estimates of the layers are made and then refined using a re-synthesis step which takes into account both occlusions and mixed pixels. Reasoning about these effects allows the recovery of depth and color information with high accuracy, even in partially occluded regions. Moreover, the combination of a global model (the plane) with a local correction to it (the per-pixel relative depth value) imposes enough local consistency to allow the recovery of shape in both textured and untextured regions.

Abstract: A search engine implements a multi-level search scheme. A first level involves performing a keyword search based on character matching. A second level, performed only if the first level yields no results, is a keyword search based on phonetic representations of a search phrase and of the keywords. A third level, performed only if the first and second levels yield no results, is a rough matching search. The keywords or keyword phrases are specified in a phrase table. Each entry of the phrase table specifies a keyword phrase, its phonetic representation, a topic URL, and an action that is to be performed in conjunction with the topic URL. There are a plurality of defined actions, having different priorities. If multiple keyword phrases are found in the multi-level search, the one having the action with the highest priority is initiated. If there is a tie for the highest priority, the results are listed in a results page, regardless of the actions associated with the matched entries.

Abstract: When creating a distribution file for distributing software over a network, instructions for automatically invoking instructions for installing software can be placed in the software distribution file. If an installation program, the software, and the instructions are placed in the software distribution file, a single user action can download and activate the software distribution file, leading to automatic installation of the software. The installation can be accomplished without further user input. The software distribution file can include an extractor for automatically extracting items in the distribution file.

Abstract: An extensible set of commands to be executed in an ordered manner, such as a series of vector graphics commands, is provided in a Web page written in a markup language. The commands are embedded in statements in the Web page in a format that is conventionally used to define property variables. In each of such statements with embedded commands, the command and its associated data are included as the value specified for the property variable of that statement. The names of the property variables of the statements are provided according to a predetermined naming convention such that they indicate the sequence in which their associated commands as specified by their respective values are to be executed. When a Web control reads the Web page, it extracts the commands and their associated data from the values of the property variables of the statements, and executes the commands according to the sequence indicated by the names of the property variables.

Abstract: A system and method for managing locations of patch program files via a patch source list. The needed patch program files are identified. A list of alternative patch program file locations is referenced repeatedly until a valid alternative patch program file location is found or until each alternative patch program file location on the patch source list has been referenced. If a valid alternative patch program file location is found, the patch program file is retrieved from that location. New alternative patch program file locations may be added to the patch source list when a user identifies those new locations. The patch source list is continually maintained.

Abstract: Hard page fault patterns of an application program module are analyzed in order to determine the pages that will be retrieved from disk storage during a common hard page fault scenario. Copies of, or references to, the determined pages are stored in a scenario file, along with an index referred to as a page sequence. The scenario file may also include a prologue indicating events that lead to a hard page fault scenario and an epilogue that may indicate subsequent hard page fault scenarios. Execution of the application program module is monitored to detect the occurrence of a hard page fault scenario. When a hard page fault scenario is detected, a corresponding scenario file is fetched from disk storage and the determined pages, or copies thereof, are transferred into RAM.

Abstract: A method and system to provide management information of network devices by mapping between SNMP MIB module schema and Common Information Model (CIM) schema. MIB modules are tree-structured lists of objects for describing SNMP network device information, whereas CIM schema employs user-intuitive, object-oriented classes to model such information. A mapping process enumerates the MIB objects and then maps the objects into CIM Managed Object Format (MOF) classes using defined mapping tables. A correlation mechanism is further provided to efficiently determine in real time which MIBs (or portions thereof) and corresponding CIM classes a network device supports.

Abstract: A communications system that provides bandwidth efficient, bi-directional communications over a single communications channel, allowing a master device to control the operation of remote devices. A computer system continuously provides an audio/video presentation on a speaker and display device. During a first time period, the computer system also provides control and speech data, relevant to the presentation, to a link master controller. The link master controller encodes the control and speech data to reduce bandwidth requirements, and then transmits the encoded data to a remote device. The remote device receives and decodes the encoded data, places the data into a data buffer, and uses the data to control at least one motion servo motor and/or provide data to a speech synthesizer.

Abstract: The present invention provides predictable scheduling of programs using a repeating precomputed schedule. In a preferred embodiment, a scheduler accesses an activity scheduling graph. The activity scheduling graph is comprised of nodes each representing a recurring execution interval, and has one root, one or more leaves, and at least one path from the root to each leaf. Each node is on at least one path from the root to a leaf, and the number of times the execution interval represented by each node occurs during the traversal of the graph is equal to the number of paths from the root to a leaf that the node is on. Each node has associated with it an execution interval length, and is adapted to being dedicated to executing the threads of a single activity. The scheduler first selects a current node within the accessed scheduling graph.

Abstract: An interactive entertainment and information system using a television set-top box, wherein pages of information are periodically provided to the set-top box for user interaction therewith. The pages include associated meta-data defining active locations on each page. When a page is displayed, the user interacts with the active locations on the page by entering commands via a remote control device, whereby the system reads the meta-data and takes the action associated with the location. Actions include moving to other active locations, hyperlinking to other pages, entering user form data and submitting the data as a form into memory. The form data may be read from memory, and the pages may be related to a conventional television program, thereby providing significant user interactivity with the television.

Abstract: A motion video signal encoder maximizes image quality without exceeding transmission bandwidth available to carry the encoded motion video signal by comparing encoded frames of the motion video signal to a desired size of frame. If the size of encoded frames differ from the desired size, encoding is adjusted to produce encoded frames closer in size to the desired size. In addition, a cumulative bandwidth error records an accumulated amount of available bandwidth. The cumulative bandwidth error is adjusted as time elapses to add to the available bandwidth and as each frame is encoded to thereby consume bandwidth. As the cumulative bandwidth error grows in magnitude above or below zero, encoding is adjusted as needed to either improve image quality to more completely consume available bandwidth or to reduce image quality to thereby consume less bandwidth and to thereby cause the cumulative bandwidth error to move toward zero.

Abstract: A system, method, and medium for enhancing a GUI and viewing environment for a computer user is disclosed. Enabling a user to fully navigate and operate a computer through the use of a remote control device, the present invention includes at least a PC mode of operation and a theater mode of operation, wherein the theater mode is designed for distance use with the remote device. While operating in theater mode, received function key signals are interpreted by the computer system to operate various functions which have been modified to accommodate remote viewing and control. To enable the remote device to fully control the applications executable on the computer, the disclosed process notifies the various applications of the current operating mode.

Abstract: Remote printing using incremental font subsetting. A document to be printed on a remote printer is analyzed page-by-page to determine the fonts used on each page and which characters, or glyphs, from each font are needed to print the page. For the first page on which a particular font is used in the document, a “subsetted font” comprising only the glyphs used on the page by that font is generated and copied to a spool file. For each subsequent page on which a font is used, a “font delta” is created in the spool file comprising only the glyphs used on the page which have not been previously copied to a record in the spool file. Once all of the subsetted fonts and font deltas for a given page have been written to the spool file, the text information for the page is written to the spool file and the page may be printed by the print spooler. This process continues for each page in a document to be printed on a remote printer.

Abstract: A method and system for anticipatory optimization of computer programs. The system generates code for a program that is specified using programming-language-defined computational constructs and user-defined, domain-specific computational constructs. The system generates an abstract syntax tree (AST) representation of the program. The AST has nodes representing the computational constructs of the program. For each user-defined, domain-specific computational construct, the system determines whether a user-defined, domain-specific transform has been defined for the computational construct. The transform transforms a portion of the AST relating to the user-defined, domain-specific computational construct into one or more programming-language-defined computational constructs. When a domain-specific transform has been defined for the computational construct, the system transforms the AST in accordance with the domain-specific transform.

Abstract: The present invention uses a segmented caching data structure to cache database objects provided by a database server. The database server provides database objects in response to requests by a number of different programs. The segmented caching data structure is made up of a single central cache and a number of program caches, each corresponding to one of the programs. When a database object is provided by the database server in response to a request by any of the programs, a copy of the database object is stored in the central cache. Another copy of the object is stored in the program cache for the program that requested the database object. When the segmented caching data structure is maintained in this manner, when a request is made by one of the programs a copy of the requested object stored in either of the central cache or the program cache for the program may be used, making it unnecessary for the database server to provide the requested database object.

Abstract: Systems and methods for reporting the occurrence of events in a computer system to event subscriber software are disclosed. Events arc detected within a computer system or computer system environment by event detection components. An Event provider receives notification of the occurrence of each event. Instead of the event provider then forwarding each of the events to a single, centralized location for filtering, embodiments of the present invention perform the filtering of events at the location of the event provider. This is accomplished by custom forward marshaling a proxy to each event provider. Also marshaled is at least one event-filtering definition that specifics which events should be reported by that event provider to the subscriber software. The event-filtering definitions are written in a structured query language, which can be used to precisely select which events are to be reported.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for use in a computer system for organizing and displaying notification items associated with the system, applications or other components, within a notification area. The system monitors items that are placed in the notification comparing the period of placement with a predetermined time threshold value. If the item has remained inactive for longer than the predetermined threshold period, the item is hidden from the notification area. Additionally, the system monitors the hidden items for changes in icon appearance and will unhide the item upon a change in appearance or specific selection by a user. New items and unhidden items are arranged in the order of the most recent addition to the notification area. The system also allows a user to customize the behavior associated with individual notification items.

Abstract: An incremental garbage collector is disclosed. Upon termination of a function or program, the incremental garbage collector scans the object heap for objects allocated by the function or program that are not referenced outside the function or program that allocated the objects. Memory occupied by such objects is immediately reclaimed without having to wait for the garbage collector.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for organizing, displaying, and accessing representations of one or more running tasks on a graphical user interface in a computer system. The system organizes like application files and clusters the corresponding taskbar buttons and, upon reaching a threshold limit, creates and displays a group button that contains the like application files and removes the like taskbar buttons from the taskbar. Further, upon reaching a second threshold limit, the system ungroups the application taskbar buttons, displays them on the taskbar and removes the group button from the taskbar.

Abstract: A method and system is described for generating executable code for a computer program. A programmer creates an intentional program tree using a syntax-independent editor. The editor allows a programmer to directly manipulate the intentional program tree. The intentional program tree has nodes. Each node represents a high-level computational construct of the computer program. For each node representing a high-level computational construct, the system transforms the node into an implementation of the high-level computational construct using low-level computational constructs. For each node representing a low-level computational construct, the system generates executable code that implements the low-level computational construct.

Abstract: An interactive development environment for design and placement of tiered geometrical objects, such as objects used in pop-up card designs. Relations between objects are represented mathematically, allowing computerized modeling and enforcement of design constraints. For example, in the context of pop-up cards, a card that cannot close will not be allowed. A dependency hierarchy is used to track different objects of a card. Card objects are instantiated as related to other card objects so that changes to one card object can be appropriately propagated to related objects. If all card objects are defined with respect to a base card, an entire card design can be animated by only adjusting, e.g., “opening” and “closing,” the base card. A graphical interface provides drag-and-drop and manual forms of placing card parts. For drag-and-drop, design constraints can be used to automatically determine proper positioning of card pieces.

Abstract: A method, computer program product, and system for directly accessing URL data object requests in a proxy server array. A URL data object request is generated by an enabled client to request a URL data object that resides in the local cache of proxy server in an array of proxy servers configured as a distributed cache. The enabled client will deterministically identify the residing proxy server based on information residing thereon without resorting to expensive query-response transactions, such as those that occur in proxy server arrays using ICP, or routing the URL data object request through different proxy servers of the array. An array membership list containing array membership information is available at each and every proxy server as well as all enabled clients. This list is used in conjunction with the URL as the information for identifying the correct proxy server where the URL data object resides. First, a deterministic hash value is computed for each proxy server name and the URL.

Abstract: Methods of performing client-hosted application sessions in distributed processing systems. The application sessions involve network connected application clients sharing common data and state information. An application client designated as a host client selectively admits other clients into the application session and distributes a common set of application data to each newly admitted application client. The application data includes a unique identifier, assigned by the host client, for each application client in the application session. When a new client is admitted into an application session, application data is transmitted to it in a manner such that the new client receives data that is synchronized with the data possessed by the other application clients in the session. Changes in the application data made by an application client are communicated directly from the application client to other application clients so that each client can maintain a common set of application data.

Abstract: An intelligent real time tool to assist a computer programmer during the writing and/or maintenance of a computer program. The tool generates assist windows that contain program related information that the programmer can use to construct a programming language statement and/or to obtain real time information about a programming language statement. An assist window can be automatically displayed as determined by the tool itself, and/or manually displayed on demand in response to a user input command. An assist window displays two general categories of information including but not limited to selection menu information based on a partial compilation of all programming language statements, and informational displays based on a partial compilation and a reverse parse of an immediate programming language statement.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system by which information content data is delivered to a mobile device. The web content is divided into data and script information. The script information is used to operate on the data to render the data in a predetermined format.

Abstract: A computer system in accordance with the invention includes a USB transport layer and an HID class driver implemented on top of the transport layer. A client program calls the class driver (either directly or indirectly) to obtain HID reports and report descriptors. Before returning the reports to calling programs, however, the HID class driver normalizes the reports by making them a uniform length and by adding report IDs to any reports that do not already have report IDs. A provided parser includes a descriptor parsing function and an item retrieval function. After obtaining a report descriptor, a client calls the descriptor parsing function with the report descriptor as an argument. The descriptor parsing function returns a data structure containing a parsed report description. The client stores the parsed report description and submits it, along with HID reports, to the item retrieval function. A particular usage specification is also provided as an argument to the item retrieval function.

Abstract: A method and system for improved motion compensation between a previous frame of video information and a new frame. Each block of pixels in a block-based compression scheme uses four vectors, three from proximate blocks, to determine motion-induced changes to its pixels. The vectors are interpolated for each pixel based on the location of the pixel in the block with respect to the vectors. The address of each pixel in the frame block of the previous frame is altered based on the resultant vector determined therefor, whereby a color value for the new pixel is obtained from the altered address. Sharp contrasts at the edges between blocks are eliminated due to the gradual blending obtained by using vectors of the adjacent blocks to determine a pixel's color.

Abstract: A unified and straightforward approach to managing file and other resource security in a networked computing environment is disclosed. The invention can be implemented in a multi-user computer network that includes a client computer, a server computer that controls a resource sharable among users of the network, such as a shared file folder or directory, and a communications pathway between the client computer and the server computer. The resource is organized as a hierarchy of elements with a root elemnent at the top of the hierarchy and additional elements below the root element. According to the invention, a request is received to change a protection, such as an access permission, of an element of the resource hierarchy (other than the root) with respect to a particular network user. If the element in question lacks an associated access control list, a nearest ancestor element of the hierarchy is located that has an associated access control list.

Abstract: Enhanced folder racks have a number of improved capabilities, including the ability to lock a folder rack to limit access to objects held therein. The enhanced folder racks are logically partitioned to a number of slots. Each slot may hold one or more objects that are not limited solely to documents. When a slot holding multiple objects is opened, windows for each of the objects held within the slot are opened in response. A user may assign labels for each of the slots in a folder rack, and the labels may be independent of the objects held within the slots. A user may choose to configure a folder rack in accordance with a predefined scheme. The system provides a number of predefined schemes that define how many slots are included in a folder rack and predefines the labels for the slots. Each folder rack may include an auxiliary menu that lists the labels of the slots held therein.

Abstract: An improved computer network security system and method wherein access to network resources is based on information that includes the location of the connecting user. In general, the less trusted the location of the user, the more the access rights assigned to the user are restricted. A discrimination mechanism and process determines the location of a user with respect to categories of a security policy, such as to distinguish local users, intranet users and dial-up users from one another. Based on information including the location and the user's credentials, an access token is set up that may restrict the user's normal access in accordance with the security policy, such as to not restrict a user's processes beyond the user-based security information in the user's normal access token, while further restricting the same user's access to resources when connecting via a dial-up connection.

Abstract: A proxy server has a connection to a client computer and to a remote server over the Internet. The proxy server receives a request for an audio file from the client computer and, in response, transmits a requests for the audio file to the remote server. Upon receiving the audio file, the proxy server determines whether transcoding of the audio file is appropriate. If appropriate, the proxy server transcodes the audio file received from the remote server and then transmits the transcoded audio file to the client. Transcoding may include changing the audio file type, compressing the audio file, reducing the number of audio channels, or reducing the sampling rate of the data. The proxy server determines the extent and type of transcoding to be performed on the audio file as the audio file is downloaded from the remote server.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for utilizing pixel sub-components which form a pixel element of an LCD display, e.g., as separate luminous intensity elements, are described. Each pixel of a color LCD display is comprised of three non-overlapping red, green and blue rectangular pixel sub-elements or sub-components. The invention takes advantage of the ability to control individual RGB pixel sub-elements to effectively increase a screen's resolution in the dimension perpendicular to the dimension in which the screen is striped, e.g., the RGB pixel sub-elements are arranged lengthwise. In order to utilize the effective resolution which can be obtained by treating RGB pixel sub-components separately, scaling or super sampling of digital representations of fonts is performed in one dimension at a rate that is greater than the scaling or sampling performed in the other dimension. In some embodiments where weighting is used in determining RGB pixel values, e.g.

Abstract: An input device capable of being connected to a computing device includes a housing having transducer electronics capable of manipulating an electrical signal to indicate movement of a portion of a user. At least one but fewer than four conductors are connected to the transducer electronics, and are each capable of carrying an electrical signal related to the input device. Each of the conductors is coupled to a connector that is capable of being coupled to the computer.

Abstract: A method and mechanism to enforce reduced access via restricted access tokens. Restricted access tokens are based on an existing token, and have less access than that existing token. A process is associated with a restricted token, and when the restricted process attempts to perform an action on a resource, a security mechanism compares the access token information with security information associated with the resource to grant or deny access. Application programs may have restriction information stored in association therewith, such that when launched, a restricted token is created for that application based on the restriction information thereby automatically reducing that application's access. Applications may be divided into different access levels such as privileged and non-privileged portions, thereby automatically restricting the actions a user can perform via that application.

Abstract: A single cryptographically enhanced product is capable of exposing various strengths of cryptography. When first installed, the product exposes only a low-level, exportable strength cryptography that may be used in both the U.S. or overseas with a general export license. Stronger cryptography is implemented in the product, but is not exposed to the user. To enable the stronger cryptography, the user must obtain an authorization certificate issued from a certifying authority. The authorization certificate contains an identity of the certifying authority and a token granted by the product's provider. The token contains capabilities to expose the stronger cryptography in the product and an encoded ID of the certifying authority, which binds the token to a specific certifying authority.

Abstract: An electronic billing system provides a set of tools for a biller to create and design a customized billing statement. The system includes a statement designer that enables the biller to create a template for the billing statement. Once the statement is designed, the biller provides the statement format and billing data to a third party billing service center, which generates the electronic billing statements in the biller-designed format and electronically distributes the billing statements to consumers. To assist the biller in creating statement templates, the biller integration system maintains industry schema tables that are tailored to particular industries. The tables provide a default set of predefined billing categories for a given industry that the biller might wish to use in its template. The biller integration system and service center are each equipped with a gateway to facilitate the exchange of the statement template and billing data.

Abstract: A computer input device detects images on a surface. The computer input device generates input information indicative of a change event when the device switches from reading one predetermined pattern to reading another predetermined pattern. The present invention can also be directed to a method of using the input device or printable medium with the predetermined patterns disposed thereon.

Abstract: An object interface control system that provides a mechanism for identifying the functionality available at an interface separately from the interface itself. A COM implementation provides a new function call named QueryService which is similar to the existing QueryInterface function call. Services are defined which include a set of functionality. The set of functionality for a service is expressed through a family of interfaces. When requesting a pointer to a function using the QueryService call, one specifies the service name and the interface name. Different services may utilize the same interface. Different services may utilize the same interface through which each service provides different functionality. A QueryService function call may return a pointer to an interface on the same object to which the call was placed or it may return a pointer to an interface on a different object. Object identity is not assumed with the QueryService function call and hence queries for services can be easily delegated.

Abstract: Dynamic data caching for object-oriented environments. In one embodiment, a system having a container and external objects, the container having a data object, a data cache object, internal objects and a controller object. The data object has static properties. The data cache object provides for access to the data object, and temporarily stores dynamic properties for the data object. The controller object provides for access to the data cache object.

Abstract: A method and system for enumerating a trie of states of nodes. A node near the middle of a state of alphabetically ordered nodes is selected as a skip node and moved to the logical beginning of the state. The skip node is provided with a pointer to a jump node that is at the skip node's former position, and the node immediately to the left of the node's former position is marked as a soft terminal node. As a result of the alphabetic ordering, the segment of nodes before the jump node are alphabetically before the skip node, while the segment of nodes after the jump node are alphabetically after the skip node. The segments of the state may be recursively split into further segments via further skip nodes, jump nodes and soft terminal nodes, and, once the segments are split as desired, the nodes within the segment may be sorted.

Abstract: A computer readable medium in a computer system has instructions for storing a first and second data packet destined for the same address. The first and second data packets are appended together to produce a merged data packet that is then compressed to produce a compressed data packet. The compressed data packet is then sent to the common address.

Abstract: A method and system for adding application defined properties and application defined property sheet pages are provided. The application defined properties may be added to a list of system defined properties. Once added, the application defined properties may be displayed and edited. In addition, a user may select several objects, display the properties common to all of the objects in a list, and edit the common properties. Moreover, application defined property sheet pages may be added to a set of system defined property sheet pages. A user may then display and edit the application defined property sheet pages. Also, a user may select several objects, display the properties common to all of the objects on a per-property browsing list, and edit the common properties. In addition, a user may select several objects, display the property sheet pages common to all of the objects, and edit the properties on these property sheet pages.

Abstract: Components in a system have interconnectable ports, groups of which are to be interconnected. A method of negotiating negotiable parameters between a plurality of the ports includes specifying parameter sets corresponding respectively to the ports. Each parameter set is expressed as a list of constraints on allowable values or ranges of values. When connecting a group of ports, the constraints on their parameter sets are conjoined to form a parameter set intersection. The parameter sets of the ports are then limited to those values included in the parameter set intersection. In addition, parameter sets relating to other ports are potentially limited based on the results of the intersection. The conjoining and limiting steps are repeated until the various parameter sets exhibit no further limitations in response to further repetitions, and this process is repeated for all port interconnections. Subsequently, values for the negotiable parameters are selected from the limited parameter sets.