Abstract: The automatic linking to program-specific computer chat rooms is disclosed. A computer detects the channel selected on a corresponding tuner. By referencing the channel and the time and date in which the computer is operating against an electronic program guide, the computer is able to determine the specific program currently on the channel. A unique identification code for the program is sent to a central server. The server links the computer to a computer chat room specific to the program for the unique identification code. This enables computer users viewing the same program to automatically enter the same chat room and chat to one another.

Abstract: An applications program is provided for permitting a user of a host processing system to dynamically control a modem having forward compatible and expandable functionality. In a preferred embodiment, the applications program is designed to run on a personal computer running the Windows.RTM. shell, and the modem is compatible with ADSL promulgated standards. As part of such program, initialization and detection routines determine the capabilities of an ADSL modem, including whether the same has been upgraded to have enhanced data throughput. A calibration routine measures the computing power available to the host processor, and based on this information and other relevant parameters determines nominal setup parameters for the modem. These parameters are stored in a Device Parameter Table so that they can be accessed by various application programs that may make use of such modem.

Abstract: A message distribution limiter computer program and method are provided. The method preferably includes receiving a site address of target data stored at a remote site on a computer network; locating the target data stored at the remote site; examining the target data to determine if user addresses are present in the target data; extracting user addresses from the target data; and compiling a database containing the extracted user addresses. The method also preferably includes the steps of downloading the target data to a local memory; locating within the target data one or more embedded site addresses of remote sites on the computer network for locating additional target data referenced within the remote sites; screening the embedded site addresses according to a user-selectable criterion; and screening the target data according to a user-selectable criterion such that user addresses are extracted only from target data meeting the selected criterion.

Abstract: A stack group bidding protocol (SGBP) establishes systems as members of a stack group connected together through one or more networks. When an event, such as establishment of a point-to-point link, occurs on one of the systems, a bid request is sent to each stack group member. Each stack group member then bids for the event. The bid is based on dynamic bid weighting criteria that varies depending on the computation capacity of the member at the time the bid request is initiated. A multichassis multilink PPP (MLP) protocol utilizes the SGBP to conduct multilink PPP sessions for links that either originate or terminate on different physical systems. A L2F forwarding protocol is used in combination with multichassis MLP to forward the links from one system to another system and offers location transparency.

Abstract: A technique is provided for displaying a map of a portion of the World Wide Web. A number of Web documents are retrieved by a client computer system executing a search engine. Web documents are then represented on a display device as objects and the relevance of the Web documents to the search criteria is indicated by the apparent distance of the corresponding object to the user. Hypertext links between Web documents are represented as arrows between the objects. Additional information relating to Web sites, such as the popularity of a Web site, the length of a Web document, and the number of hypertext links in a Web document, are represented to the user visually using visual attributes of objects, such as color, shape, and texture.

Abstract: In a communications arrangement, a computer user accesses a server system to seek customer service over the World Wide Web (WWW). The server system assigns a customer service agent (CSA) to communicate with the user to realize the customer service. In a customer service session, the user and CSA may collaboratively browse hypertext markup language (HTML) documents at different uniform resource locators (URLs) to obtain relevant information. However, in accordance with the invention, the version of each document presented to the user may be different from that presented to the CSA. In particular, the CSA version contains proprietary information which is excluded from the user version.

Abstract: In a system for managing a telecommunications network the transmission network to be managed is connected to the management system by means of interface processes in such a way that devices used in the network are classified into different device categories (MD, SXC, SDH), the system comprising for each device category an interface process (IPI-IP3) which converts a device belonging to the concerned device category so that it appears, as viewed from the direction of the management system, as a generic basic device corresponding to a device represented by corresponding objects within the management system.

Abstract: An electronic mail alert system includes an e-mail server for administering an e-mail account of an e-mail service subscriber and an e-mail alert front-end. The e-mail server includes a subscriber account memory for storing an indication that e-mail has been received by the e-mail server for an e-mail alert service subscriber as well as a communication port for allowing the e-mail alert service subscriber to retrieve e-mail from the e-mail server via a subscriber terminal remote from the e-mail server. The e-mail alert front-end is coupled to the e-mail server and polls the e-mail server periodically to determine whether e-mail for the e-mail alert service subscriber has been received by the e-mail server.

Abstract: An apparatus and method retracts a mobile agent from a second execution environment back to a first execution environment, the retraction being performed by the first environment sending a retraction request, and the second execution environment establishing a connection to the first execution environment in response. The second execution environment searches for an agent under its control corresponding to an agent identity in the retraction request, and converts the corresponding agent, if located, to a bit sequence and returns the bit sequence to the first execution environment via the connection. Sending the bit sequence through the established connection safely alleviates firewall issues because a connection is established from the inside of the firewall to the outside.

Abstract: Method and system aspects for allowing user control of data transfer from websites on the Internet via a web browser on a client system are presented. A method aspect includes establishing limits for allowable connections in the client system, and communicating the limits from the client system to a server system hosting a selected website. The method further includes comparing within the server a current transfer session to the communicated limits for allowable connections, and controlling the current transfer session by the server according to comparison results.A system for allowing user control of data transfer from websites on the Internet includes a client system, the client system requesting connection to a remote website with established limits.

Abstract: A network hub which allows the transmission of data at varying data transfer rates. Data is divided into different transfer protocols and converted by an exchange unit to transform the data of different groups into appropriate speed networks.

Abstract: A high speed modem is provided which targets the use of a selectable, desirable portion of the total available bandwidth of a channel for achieving a data rate which nevertheless far exceeds that of conventional voice-band modems. In a preferred embodiment, the invention is implemented in an Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Loop (ADSL), and the nominal data rate is achieved using an analog front end (AFE) with subband filtering which causes an upstream transceiver to use only a selected number of available sub-channels for downstream data transmission and allows slower sampling rate for the AFE. The data rate of the modem is increased in a multiplicative fashion through modular expansion of a bank of AFEs to increase the number of transmitted downstream sub-channels.

Abstract: A home page updating notification apparatus is provided for avoiding useless access operations for accessing the same content of home page several times, so that updated necessary information opened in home pages can be effectively acquired. A home page formed in a home page forming apparatus and then transferred is written into a home page storage portion of a memory, so that updating of this home page is detected. When updating of this home page is detected, a document of an electronic mail, and an address of a transmission destination of this electronic mail are read which have been previously stored. Then, an electronic mail is formed based on the read document and the read address, and the formed electronic mail is transmitted to an address of a transmission destination. As a result, a user of a terminal allocated to this address can be notified by such a fact that the home page is updated by observing the electronic mail.

Abstract: A system and method for determining if a received identifier could be equivalent to one of a set of predetermined identifiers. Predetermined identifiers are encoded into an output. The coded output is stored on a node in a network. An identifier is received over the network and is tested against the coded output. The test reveals if the received identifier could be equivalent to one of a set of predetermined identifiers encoded into the output. An action can be taken that depends upon the outcome of the test. The present invention is useful in efficiently routing messages in a network, determining the authorization of user requests, and other applications.

Abstract: An electronic mail (E-mail) delivery system for delivering E-mail messages to and from a subscriber station in a wireless or wired communications system. The E-mail delivery system converts E-mail messages sent to the subscriber station from text to speech for delivery to the subscriber station. Furthermore, the E-mail delivery system converts E-mail messages sent by the subscriber station from speech to text for delivery to a remote destination.

Abstract: A computer system having first, second, third and alternate computers for generating a graphical user interface (GUI) on the first computer screen corresponding to a presentation generated with respect to the second computer screen irrespective of the operating system differences between the respective first, second and third computers, includes:a first device for providing a hypertext markup language (HTML) document including an applet tag corresponding to a Universal Client device to the first computer;a second device for initializing and executing the Universal Client device using a JAVA.TM.

Abstract: A method and system are provided to allow a cable modem to discover an address of a network host interface on a cable television network to connect the cable modem to a data network (e.g., the Internet). The cable modem is used in a data-over-cable system with telephony return. The cable modem is connected to a cable television network over a downstream cable data channel and connected to a public switched telephone network over a serial telephone line. The method provides a way for the cable modem to determine the address of network host interfaces (e.g., Internet Protocol hosts) available on the cable television system via the upstream channel connected to public switched telephone network. The method includes using existing Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol ("DHCP") messages and message fields to discover network host interfaces available on the cable television system even though the cable modem only has downstream connection from the cable television network.

Abstract: A method of providing a service, to a plurality of terminals on a communication network, through a server on the communication network includes the following steps: 1) coupling a correlator to the network which links a unique name for the server to multiple network addresses; 2) providing a set of multiple computers on the network, each of which performs the service and is assigned a different one of the multiple network addresses; and, 3) incorporating a network address selector on the network which directs any one of the terminals to a single one of the computers, when an operator of that one terminal generates a request for the service which includes the unique name of the server. Due to this method, the server has a virtual single network address which means that from the point of view of an operator of a terminal, the service is being provided by a single computer on the network that has a single network address that corresponds to the server's unique name.

Abstract: Delay times are modified in an Ethernet network device having captured the media channel by increasing the interframe spacing (IFS) between data packets. The modified IFS interval, increased by adding a delay interval to the minimum interpacket gap (IPG) interval after a first user-selectable number of consecutive successful transmissions, enables other network stations to transmit data during the deferral interval. The Ethernet network device maintains the modified IFS for a limited deferral interval, based upon a predetermined time interval, a number of successful transmissions by other network stations, or a second user-selectable number of consecutive successful transmissions. Additional delay intervals may be added if the network station continues to exceed the predetermined number of consecutive successful transmissions. Burst transmission can also be optimized by counting the consecutive successful transmissions only after detecting an attempted transmission by another network station.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for dynamically re-configuring network interconnections to achieve a more efficient utilization of the network's resources in light of the current intercommunication traffic. In one embodiment of the invention, a first computer system selects and disconnects a first decentralized direct network connection between the first computer system and a second computer system. The first connection is selected from a plurality of connections between the first computer system and a plurality of computer systems, and the first connection is selected based on a predetermined criterion. In addition, the first computer system selects and establishes a second decentralized direct network connection between the first computer system and a third computer systems, in place of the disconnected first decentralized direct network connection.