Abstract: A method of transferring digital image data over a communication link transforms and orders the data so that, as data is received by a receiving station, a low detail version of the image is immediately generated with later transmissions of data providing progressively greater detail in this image. User instructions are accepted, limiting the ultimate resolution of the image or suspending enhancement of the image except in certain user defined regions. When a low detail image is requested followed by a request for a high detailed version of the same image, the originally transmitted data of the low resolution image is not discarded or retransmitted but used with later data to improve the originally transmitted image. Only a single copy of the transformed image need be retained by the transmitting device in order to satisfy requests for different amounts of image detail.

Abstract: Information obtained through a network and information distributed from a package medium are mixedly displayed. A package medium 3 has a URL (Universal Resource Locator) and information for converting a directory structure in the package medium. A terminal has information for managing correspondence between data of a received electronic mail 6 and a URL of the data. The URL is used for designating data. When the designated URL exists in the terminal, data is read from the terminal. When the designated URL exists in the package medium, data is read from the package medium. The read data is mixedly displayed on one screen.

Abstract: An interprise computing manager in which an application is composed of a client (front end) program which communicates utilizing a network with a server (back end) program. The client and server programs are loosely coupled and exchange information using the network. The client program is composed of a User Interface (UI) and an object-oriented framework (Presentation Engine (PE) framework). The UI exchanges data messages with the framework. The framework is designed to handle two types of messages: (1) from the UI, and (2) from the server (back end) program via the network. The framework includes a component, the mediator which manages messages coming into and going out of the framework.

Abstract: A computer system and method for transmitting information in variable length information packets, each of which can be independently processed by the receiving computer irrespective of other packets, is disclosed. The invention enables the transmission of packets concerning one process to be interspersed with packets concerning other processes so that information can be exchanged between computers in the system without having to wait for the completion of an ongoing process.

Abstract: A network manager automatically sends certain requests in response to selected events generated by network devices. When a device generates an event, the network manager can send stop requests to the device; send different event requests to the device; or send the same event request to the device, but over a different path. The stop request is sent to cut down on network management traffic. The different event requests can be sent to determine why the event was generated by the device in the first place. The same event request can be sent over a different path to determine whether a problem exists with the device itself or with the path to the device.

Abstract: A system comprising a personal computer card and an interchangeable extension consists of a personal computer card a card information storage (CIS) system and a coaxial connection socket. First logic means are arranged to control an interrogation means comprising a digital-to-analog current converter, comparator and reference voltage source in order to supply a series of DC currents to the socket. The extension has a coaxial connection pin and grounded resistor having a value which identifies the type of extension so that when a DC current is applied to the pin by the socket, a characteristic voltage is generated across the resistor which is compared by the comparator with the reference voltage. The comparator indicates the value of resistor as a digital value to the CIS system which communicates the characteristics of the extension to a host PC. A second logic means disables power upon removal of a previous extension from the socket.

Abstract: In a method and apparatus for persisting browsing information, first request is received from a user and a first host system identified by the first request is accessed, from which data corresponding to the first request is received. A second request is also received from the user and a second host system identified by the second request is accessed, from which data corresponding to the second request is received. The data corresponding to both the first request and the second request are displayed concurrently in a single web browser.

Abstract: A multimedia collaboration system that integrates separate real-time and asynchronous networks--the former for real-time audio and video, and the latter for control signals and textual, graphical and other data--in a manner that is interoperable across different computer and network operating system platforms and which closely approximates the experience of face-to-face collaboration, while liberating the participants from the limitations of time and distance. These capabilities are achieved by exploiting a variety of hardware, software and networking technologies in a manner that preserves the quality and integrity of audio/video/data and other multimedia information, even after wide area transmission, and at a significantly reduced networking cost as compared to what would be required by presently known approaches. The system architecture is readily scalable to the largest enterprise network environments.

Abstract: Processor apparatuses share data, used in common for a plurality of systems, in a global memory in a share system. The global memory is divided into constant units and the individual division units are managed by using identifiers which are definitely determined as viewed from the processor apparatuses and the share system. When an inter-system exclusive state conditioning unit of a processor apparatus designates a desired area on an address space in the processor apparatus by using an identifier to obtain a locked resource, an update state confirming unit checks whether data in a corresponding unit in the share system is updated, and when the data is updated, a data transferring unit transfers the data in the corresponding unit in the share system to the address space. Accordingly, a program operating on each computer system can easily access the data shared by the systems without being aware of the presence of the share system.

Abstract: A DMA controller receives size data in association with a DMA request. If first size data is received, a first amount of data (for example, one word) is transferred through the DMA controller for the DMA request. If, on the other hand, second size data is received, then a second amount of data (for example, two words) is transferred through the DMA controller for the DMA request. In the event that a DMA request cannot be serviced when received, the DMA request is stored in the DMA controller for later servicing. Size data for a DMA request is stored so that the size of the data transfer will be known when the stored DMA request is serviced. Using this size data, a single DMA channel can support data transfers of different sizes. In some embodiments, size data is used to increment a DMA current address register by the correct amount after the data associated with the size data is transferred through the DMA controller.

Abstract: A network access system is provided for distributing bulletins, such as advertisements, to external computers accessing a wide area computer network. The network access system of the present invention connects the external computers to the wide area computer network, and sends bulletins with information being transmitted from remote information servers within the wide area computer network to the external computers. A bulletin server within the network access system stores a plurality of bulletins to be transmitted to the external computers, determines whether to send a bulletin with the information being transmitted, determines what bulletins to transmit to the external computers, and sends the bulletins with the information being transmitted from the remote information servers to the external computers.

Abstract: A message exchange protocol for interconnecting packet forwarding devices through an intermediate network interconnect device is provided. According to one aspect of the present invention, a method is provided for communicating data between packet forwarding devices. The presence of an interconnect device that is coupled between a first packet forwarding device and a second packet forwarding device is detected by recognizing a configuration sequence, for example. After the link between the interconnect device and the first packet forwarding device is established, the first packet forwarding device receives a command from the interconnect device requesting the types of data that are pending on the first packet forwarding device. Responsive to the command, the first packet forwarding device transmits a "menu" including information indicating the availability of one or more types of data that are awaiting transmission to the interconnect device.

Abstract: Apparatus and a method for communicating media over a network including encoding the media into a server database at a server, downloading from the server database to a client database generally only those portions of the media which are necessary to satisfy user requests and in response to a user request for a given item of media, determining whether the media is present in the client database, and if not, automatically downloading those portions of the media which are necessary to supply the user with the given item of media from the server database.

Abstract: An ATM network topology management method for an ATM network using an NBMA Next Hop Resolution Protocol (NHRP) to obtain an ATM address from a network address in the ATM network, when a network management system (NMS) is directly connected to the ATM network, including the following steps: (1) reading a network address of an NHRP server that has been set in an NHRP client placed in the NMS; (2) recognizing a topology of a logical subnet served by the NHRP server within the ATM network by accessing the NHRP server with a network address derived from step (1) and obtaining information on a logical subnet served by the NHRP server, an ATM terminal and an ATM switch belonging to the logical subnet; and (3) the NMS reading information on another NHRP server within the ATM network from the NHRP server, obtains a network address of the other NHRP server, accesses the other NHRP server with an obtained network address and obtains information on other logical subnet served by the other NHRP server and an ATM terminal

Abstract: A downloading facility for downloading data while rejection of its use may be overridden is provided. In a preferred embodiment, the downloading facility receives a request to retrieve and use an identified body of data. In response, the facility initiates the retrieval of the identified body of data. At a time during its retrieval, use of the identified body of data is automatically rejected. In response to this rejection, the facility provides a user interface for authorizing the use of the identified body of data. During the provision of this user interface, retrieval of the identified body of data proceeds. When the provided user interface is used to authorize the use of the identified body of data, the facility uses the retrieved identified body of data in accordance with the request.

Abstract: A queuing system and method to provide efficient and effective message communication between computers, processing devices, or network elements. The queue includes three tables. A message data table includes the message data. A message state table identifies several parameters about a message including a message time-stamp, state, and partition. The partition associates the message with a predetermined one of several message processors used to send and receive messages. Each message processor selects and sends only messages having a corresponding partition. The queue further includes a queued message table that lists all messages destined for a computer or other processing device that cannot receive messages. In this manner, failed messages in the queued table are taken out of a processing queue until the off-line computer or other processing device comes back on line.

Abstract: When a processor within a computer system performs a synchronization operation, the system interface within the node delays subsequent transactions from the processor until outstanding coherency activity is completed. Therefore, the computer system may employ asynchronous operations. The synchronization operations may be used when needed to guarantee global completion of one or more prior asynchronous operations. In one embodiment, the synchronization operation is placed into a queue within the system interface. When the synchronization operation reaches the head of the queue, it may be initiated within the system interface. The system interface further includes a request agent comprising multiple control units, each of which may concurrently service coherency activity with respect to a different transaction. Furthermore, the system interface includes a synchronization control vector register which stores a bit for each control unit.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a novel apparatus for "on-the-fly" data correction and regeneration of a plurality of data read from and stored to a plurality of storage devices. A control circuit is provided for control of data flow to and from the storage devices. The control circuit establishes and maintains a relatively simple semaphore between itself and an interface circuit controlling a FIFO buffer. A mask register is provided as a type of programmable logic AND gate to assert a master ready signal when each of a selected plurality of the interface circuits, one interface circuit per FIFO buffer, indicates that its respective FIFO buffer is ready, either to output or input an entire block. When each is ready, routing and correction commences under control of the control circuit until an entire block has been processed. Each interface circuit includes an associated flip/flop having an output which provides an indication of the ready status.

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus and method for encoding, storing, transmitting and decoding multimedia information in the form of scalable, streamed digital data. A base stream containing basic informational content and subsequent streams containing additive informational content are initially created from standard digital multimedia data by a transcoder. Client computers, each of which may have different configurations and capabilities are capable of accessing a stream server that contains the scalable streamed digital data. Each different client computer, therefore, may access different stream combinations according to a profile associated with each different client computer. Thus, the streams accessed from the server are tailored to match the profile of each client computer so that the best combination of streams can be provided to maximize the resolution of the 3D, audio and video components.

Abstract: When data is to be sent from a communication apparatus connected to a local area network (LAN) to a destination communication apparatus via a communication line, communication parameters related to the destination communication apparatus are inquired to a predetermined terminal apparatus upon reception of a transmission request from a terminal apparatus connected to the LAN. Communication control of the data is performed in accordance with the transmission request based on the communication parameters obtained by the inquiry. Also transmission control of the data is performed in accordance with a communication mode decided based upon the result of an interpretation of reception capability of the destination communication apparatus.