Abstract: An image acquisition system for capturing images of a scene is provided. The system includes a stationary image acquisition device that receives optical images. A light-directing device directs images toward the image acquisition device. The light-directing device pivots about a pivot axis over a scan range that is less than 360 degrees.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus to restore the operating system of a personal internet communicator (PIC) to a “known good” operational state in the event of a catastrophic failure. In an embodiment of the invention, the hard drive of the personal internet communicator is organized in three partitions: 1) a partition for the operating system and related files; 2) a user data partition; and 3) a “restore” partition. The restore partition is hidden by modifying the type of partition that can be detected by the user or any operating system. Upon a catastrophic failure, the system can be returned to an operational state by performing a sector-by-sector restoration to copy an image of the operating system and related system files back to the operating system partition. In various embodiments of the invention, the PIC system state is continuously monitored by a “registry sniffing” routine that maintains a file containing data corresponding to the system state of the PIC.

Abstract: When a mail server 31 and a mail server 32 are in a failover state, switches 21, 22 select communication paths E, F. A temporary save server 50 stores email received from a mail reception server 10 during the failover in a disk storage 60, and after the completion of the failover, transmits to a mail server (e.g., mail server 32) that has been switched to function as a primary system an email stored in disk storage 60 and a write request for a disk storage 40. Mail server 32, upon receiving an email and a write request from temporary save server 50, stores the received email to disk storage 40 to update stored content.

Abstract: A method and a communication system for exchanging data between at least two users interconnected over a bus system are described. The data is contained in messages which are transmitted by the users over the bus system. To improve data exchange among users so that in the normal case, there is a high probability that it will be possible to transmit messages with a low latency, while on the other hand, in the worst case, a finite maximum latency can be guaranteed, the data be transmitted in an event-oriented method over the bus system as long as a preselectable latency period elapsing between a transmission request by a user and the actual transmission operation of the user can be guaranteed for each message to be transmitted as a function of the utilization of capacity of the bus system, and otherwise the data is transmitted over the bus system by a deterministic method.

Abstract: A wire-speed forwarding platform and method for supporting multifield classification of a packet fragmented into a plurality of fragments in the wire-speed forwarding platform, comprising: receiving a fragment of the fragmented packet at the forwarding platform and deriving a key from one or more fields of the received fragment; and performing multifield classification of the received fragment by matching the key to a rule out of a plurality of rules, the rule comprising a plurality of fields including at least one field for specifying whether the received fragment's fragmentation characteristics are to be applied when performing the multifield classification.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for streaming multimedia data from a client to a server using HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP). A session is initiated with a header that identifies a content length header that is a maximum allowed by the server, regardless of the actual length of the data to be streamed. If a firewall or proxy server limits access to the server, the content length of the data is specified to be about an amount of data that can be streamed to the server in one minute. If more data remains to be streamed when an amount of data approximating the content length has been streamed, a continuing streaming session is requested and subsequent data is streamed to the server in the continuing streaming session. The process repeats until all data has been streamed.

Abstract: An electronic apparatus allows communication devices to be connected thereto, and has a plug-and-play function of automatically setting a communication device to be connected. A communication monitoring module monitors the communication statuses of the communication devices connected to the electronic apparatus. A registry stores information indicative of the priorities in use of the communication devices connected to the electronic apparatus. A switching module uses a plug-and-play function to switches the communication devices such that one communication device is used exclusively, on the basis of the communication statuses of the communication devices obtained from the communication monitoring module and the information stored in the registry.

Abstract: There is disclosed a network status server for receiving an inquiry from a web server accessed by a client, and using path information and determining the optimum web server to return a response to the accessed web server. The web server receiving the response instructs the client to access the optimum web server from the next time. In this constitution, accesses among the dispersed/arranged web server sites are leveled, and access loads can be leveled even among the web servers in the respective web server sites. Moreover, the client can access the optimum web server.

Abstract: A method for initialization of secure communication between a network resource and a client via a network. The method includes receiving an access at the network resource from a management application of a client. In response to the access, configuration parameters are generated for initializing secure communication with the client via the network. Security configuration information is printed showing the configuration parameters. The security configuration information is for enabling manual input of the configuration parameters into the management application. Secure communication is implemented with the management application in accordance with the configuration parameters.

Abstract: A system and method for recording and playback of a live presentation that enables a reproduction of audio and visual aspects of the live presentation and enables on-demand viewing of the presentation at a later time. A live presentation comprising a plurality of presentation slides, audio content, and optionally, visual content are recorded as a data stream, so that when the recording of the data stream is played, the presentation slides are displayed in substantial synchrony with reproduced audio and visual content on a viewer's computer, thereby reproducing the live presentation. The plurality of presentation slides are saved as HTML files to a predetermined location that is accessible by the viewer's computer over a computer network, such as the Internet. During the presentation, the live audio and visual content is captured and encoded into the data stream, which is in an active streaming format (ASF), and the data stream is saved to a file.

Abstract: A method of controlling concurrent users of a distributed resource on a network is disclosed. In one aspect, there are one or more local lock managers executing on corresponding hosts and cooperating as a distributed lock manager. The resource is limited to a maximum number of concurrent users. A user identification for each user is associated with one host. In response to a request associated with a particular user associated with a first host, a lock is requested from a first local lock manager process executing on the first host. A related method of handling a request for a count-limited resource includes receiving a request from a client process for the computer resource. If it is determined that the request exceeds a maximum count for the resource, then it is determined whether a current time is within a retry time period of the client's first request.

Abstract: A method of operating a computing device wherein said device is adapted to perform a supervisory and/or supporting role in relation to peers in a peer-to-peer network, the method including the steps of: a. the computing device establishing contact with a plurality of peers which are to be the subject of the supervision and/or support role; and b. providing said supervision and/or support.

Abstract: A method is described comprising: maintaining a plurality of data relating to client streaming connections across a plurality of servers; and assigning a particular client streaming connection to a first server upon detecting that a second server previously serving a streaming connection to the client has become inoperative.

Abstract: An electronic disc jockey service in which the services of a disc jockey are effectively transformed into an Internet-based (or other network-based) service that is accessible from anywhere the Internet is accessible. Disc jockey services may in theory be provided to anybody, anytime, anywhere, as long as they have sufficient access to the Internet or other network. This service also may be used to link together several parties going on at the same time in different geographic locations. Thus, several parties that are separated by great distances may be united into a single virtual party. The electronic disc jockey service may deliver various content to the parties such as music, video clips, interactive games, and the like.

Abstract: An automatic service discovery approach allows a network management system to discover service managed objects from the network, eliminating the need for a user or other management application to provide such information. As a result, a network management system can automatically perform network-level or services level discovery of objects and services for which network components have no understanding. Embodiments are applicable, for example, in the context of management of packet voice (VoIP, VoATM) and metro Ethernet (TLS service) domains, as well as other domains.

Abstract: An administrative server automatically manages the operating time of each of plural terminal equipments and promotes rotation between those having respective, longer and shorter operating times to thereby reduce the occurrence of trouble and improve operating efficiency. Respective operating times of a plurality of terminal equipments are measured and equalized at the expiry of a predetermined operation period tf. Rotation candidate terminal equipments are determined, based on their respective, accumulated operating times before the expiry of the predetermined operation period tx, and terminal equipments rotation messages are sent to the so determined rotation candidate terminal equipments. After an exchange of one of the rotation candidate terminal equipments with another, both are re-connected and the data associated with the one of the rotation candidate terminal equipments is downloaded onto the another rotation candidate terminal equipment.

Abstract: Disclosed is a network service system and method. A data server receives contents from a plurality of network web servers that provide the contents, and provides them to a portable terminal via the network. The data server comprises a contents processor for processing the contents transmitted by the web servers according to standards of the portable terminal. Accordingly, since the contents provided by the web servers are converted according to standards, performance and parameters of the portable terminal and are then transmitted, a portable terminal user can appropriately receive information from contents providers that aim at general computer users.

Abstract: Traffic handling load on network servers is moderated by delaying POP checks at proxy servers located across the network. Delay of POP check processing is accomplished by intercepting each POP check packet at a proxy server that is nominally local to where the user is located. The proxy server permits a given user's initial POP check to proceed on through the network to the mail server. Thereafter, though, the proxy server only permits that user's received POP checks to proceed onward only after interjecting a delay in the POP process. Optionally, automatic messages are sent on a daily basis to a user who performs abusively rapid POP checks to inform them that their POP checks are being delayed and/or attenuated and educating them how to modify the configuration of their mail client software.

Abstract: Collaboration space object model provides for a Place consisting of rooms. A room is made up of pages. Folders are used to organize pages. Members belong to rooms, and are those users authorized to access them. Place type controls the creation of a place, including how many rooms it has, for example. Room type controls the appearance and content of rooms. A form manages the display of data notes. A form can contain fields for containing data and employ scripts to process and compute data. A page is the basic vehicle for content. Content is created using an or importing content from an external source. A member is also a data note, and each place contains its own member directory. A place is created and managed from a client browser in on-line mode and in offline mode with respect to a replicated copy of the space. Room security is independently managed, and security and aesthetics characteristics of subrooms selectively inherited.

Abstract: A method for providing a persistent connection between a client and a real server. The method includes receiving a request originating from a client for connection to a virtual server and selecting a real server associated with the virtual server for connection with the client based only on a natural class of an IP address of a device sending the request. Transmissions originating from the client are forwarded to the selected real server.