Abstract: Systems and methods for facilitating the exchange of data between users and modular services using a real-time communication client such as an instant messaging client. The services may be web services providing various services over a communication network. User commands may be generated in an instant messaging client, sent to an automated attendant, which generates a corresponding web service command, and forwards the web service command to the appropriate web service. The automated attendant may then forward to one or more users any messages that are generated by the web service.

Abstract: A system and method for updating audio channel profiles that are used to create personalized audio channels. According to one embodiment, the method includes the following acts: receiving a broadcast sound recording over a conventional broadcast audio channel; playing the sound recording so that the user can listen to the sound recording; receiving an indication from the user that the user likes the sound recording; and modifying at least one of the one or more audio channel profiles in response to receiving the indication.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and electronic mail messages (emails) are provided for automatically linking emails to matters or organizations. An email is received or constructed and linked to matters or organizations. The matters and the organizations are associated with matter areas and organization areas. Each of the areas includes matter data, organization data, personnel data, assignment data, and contact data. In one embodiment, the email is also interfaced to a billing system, a document management system, and a docketing system.

Abstract: A communications system serves as a proxy for a user device in a communications network. The communications system includes a network gateway that receives content in response to a user initiated content utilization attempt from a user device. A computer receives the content from the network gateway and, in response to receiving the content, determines whether the content utilization by the user can be permitted. The computer can also determine whether the content utilization by the user can be completed.

Abstract: The invention deals with a method and apparatus of realizing load equalizing on the stream media server. The load equalizer is placed in front of the stream media server and the servers are trusted by the load equalizer. Each server has its private IP address, and the load equalizer is in charge of its exoteric IP address, which comprises the processing module of the client port, the processing module of the server port, and the main control module. The processing module of the client port is set to recognize and transfer the data from the client. The processing module of the server port is set to recognize and transfer the data from the server. The main control module orderly matches the data required to be processed further to determine which actual server will process the data, and to establish the list of the stream rules between the processing module of the client port and the processing module of the server port.

Abstract: A data storage system comprises a first storage system, a second storage system, and a third storage system. The first storage system receives individual data files from a customer system, and on an individual file-by-file basis substantially in real time from receiving each of the individual data files, determines individual file types for the individual data files and transfers the individual data files based on the individual file types over a bonded time division multiplex connection. The second storage system receives and stores the individual data files on the individual file-by-file basis, and subsequently forms blocks of data including the individual data files, and transfers the blocks of data over an internet protocol connection. The third storage system receives and stores the blocks of data.

Abstract: A method for a cache for providing streaming media data to a client system includes receiving a request from a client system for a media meta file, the media meta file comprising a unicast URL for a stream of media data, retrieving the media meta file, initiating a connection with a media server associated with the unicast URL, selecting a multicast channel for broadcast of the stream of media data, modifying the media meta file to include data associated with the multicast channel to form a modified media meta file, sending the modified media meta file to the client system, receiving the stream of media data from the media server, and providing the stream of media data on the multicast channel. The client system receives the stream of media data on the multicast channel.

Abstract: A method includes storing a plurality of role data entries on a storage device coupled to a computer system, each role data entry corresponding to an assigned role of at least one of a plurality of individuals, each role corresponding to an enterprise with which the individual is associated and corresponding to a set of resources accessible through the computer system, receiving at the computer a resource request from one of the individuals, determining whether the requested resource is included in the set of accessible resources corresponding to the assigned role of the requesting individual, and selectively permitting access to the requested resource if the resource is determined to be in the set of resources corresponding to the assigned role of the requesting individual.

Abstract: A method, system, and product in a data processing system are disclosed for providing centralized management of an INFINIBAND distributed system-area network that includes multiple end nodes. A manager application is established in one of the end nodes. An agent application is established in one or more end nodes. Each agent application is independent from the manager application. The manager application maintains a current list of active agent applications and uses the list to manage the agent applications in the end nodes.

Abstract: An intelligent computer switch is described. The intelligent computer switch has an automatic detection capacity to control a plurality of computers with at least one keyboard, at least one mouse and at least one monitor. The intelligent computer switch comprises an input port, a control device, an output port, and a plurality of computer connection ports. The input port receives input commands and data, and the output port sends output commands and data. While a series connection cable connected to the input port, the intelligent computer switch is determined to be a slave. While the series connection cable is not connected to the series connection cable, the intelligent computer switch is determined to be a master. The intelligent computer switch further comprises an on-screen display function and an authority-setting function with at least 4 sets of passwords for different users.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved system and method for analyzing spam e-mail. The system and method monitors instances of spam across a distributed network, and creates and stores records of these instances as encoded information strings, which are attached to each message as a header. The system and method use information and statistics obtained from the information strings to dynamically create, modify and retire rules for analyzing and managing spam e-mail. The system also allows analysts to dynamically create, modify and retire rules based upon feedback regarding unidentified spam messages and false positives.

Abstract: A data stream selection/output apparatus that selects and outputs a data stream composed of sequentially obtained data. The data stream selection/output apparatus obtains timing information indicating a time at which a first data stream being output should be switched to a second data stream. The data stream selection/output apparatus, in a time period including the time indicated by the timing information, scans the first and second data streams to detect a first boundary between data blocks of the first data stream and a second boundary between data blocks of the second data stream, where the data blocks conform to a transmission protocol higher than Transport Layer of OSI Reference Model. The data stream selection/output apparatus then stops outputting the first data stream at the first block boundary and starts outputting the second data stream at the second block boundary.

Abstract: A method includes, in a grid computing environment, maintaining systems having grid managers having hierarchical relations, the relations of each grid manager stored in each of the systems. Each of these hierarchical relations are classified as superior or inferior.

Abstract: A method and system of filtering incoming email messages is provided which, on receipt of an incoming email, issues an email challenge to the sender of the received email requesting that they in turn send an email confirmation confirming that they are the sender of the originally received email, and in which received emails are then processed further according to whether or not they are occupied by a corresponding confirmation email. Senders that provide the requested email confirmation can be added to an approved list of senders such that subsequent emails received from them are not challenged again, whilst those emails to which an email confirmation is not received in response to the issued challenge can be deleted from the user's email system and the sender added to a blocked list of senders such that subsequent emails from a blocked sender are automatically ignored.

Abstract: A system and protocol for enabling bi-directional HTTP-based reliable messaging through a Web proxy server via the Internet is presented. The client processor residing on the private computer network side of the Web proxy establishes two virtual channels with a server. One of the channels is used for outgoing messages from the client to the server, and message delivery acknowledgments. The other channel is used for incoming messages from the server to the client, and message delivery acknowledgments. This incoming channel is established and maintained by the client through the Web proxy server so that the client has full control over the channel. The establishment is accomplished by the transmission of an HTTP-based “request” to the server. The server does not respond until and unless it has a message to be transmitted to the client. Once such a message is generated, the server generates an HTTP-based “reply” to this request, and transmits it to the client via the Web proxy server.

Abstract: The invention relates to methods for processing data packets according to a set of rules, and especially for preparing of decision trees for selecting the correct rule for processing of a data packet. In preparation of a decision tree, a splitting point within a dimension being studied is chosen as follows. The rules are sorted to allow monotonous iteration through all range end values specified in the rules in the dimension being studied. The range end values are then iterated through in a monotonous fashion, either increasing or decreasing. At each iteration, the number of range low end values and the number of range high end values being equal to the current iteration value is counted. From these counts and the accumulated results from the corresponding counts in previous iterations, the numbers of rules with ranges in different positions relative to the current iteration value are deduced, and from these values, the goodness of the iteration value is calculated.

Abstract: A mechanism for multiple instant messaging (IM) sessions associated with a single user name is provided. A frontend server receives user login requests and routes the instant messaging system to a back-end server. Each login associated with a particular user name is routed to the same backend server (or IM host). Messages targeted to a recipient having a plurality of active IM sessions are broadcast to all the active sessions. Messages targeted to recipients having a single IM session are unicast.

Abstract: Email senders may transmit emails over the internet to a mail server that handles emails for a plurality of users (clients). The mail server may use a spam filter to remove the spam and then transmit the filtered emails to the addressed clients. The spam filter may use a white list, black list, probability filter and keyword filter. The probability filter may use a user mail corpus and a user spam corpus for creating a user probability table that lists tokens and the probability that an email is a spam if the email contains the token. The probability filter may also use a general mail corpus and a general spam corpus for creating a general probability table that. Tokens of incoming emails may be searched for in the user probability table, and if not found, the general probability table to calculate the probability that the email is a spam.

Abstract: A generic conversion framework that allows developers to develop custom plug-in conversion algorithms and/or merge algorithms (referred to as pluggable modules). In one embodiment, document merging may be split into two processes including a document differencing process and a document merging process. The converter, differencing and merger processes may be implemented as separate pluggable modules, allowing multiple, independent passes of implementations of the differencing process and the merge process. The framework may accept document converter plug-in modules, merger plug-in modules and/or differencing plug-in modules to be added, updated or replaced as needed. In one embodiment, the modules may be plugged into the framework dynamically at runtime. In one embodiment, a plug-in module of one type may be used with two or more different modules of another type.

Abstract: An information output system in which an output destination management server is provided with an output destination management table for managing a mail address, performance information, and the like for each printer. In response to a search request from a terminal apparatus, the output destination management table is used to search for one or a plurality of candidate printers. The terminal apparatus is notified of the mail address of one candidate printer or the plurality of candidate printers. The terminal apparatus uses the mail address of a designated printer as a destination, and issues an electronic mail including the information to be printed. A printing mail server receives the electronic mail. The information included in the electronic mail is transferred to the designated printer from a print server. Accounting processing is executed prior to the printing of the information.