Abstract: The present invention provides a network interface adapter for connecting a client computer to a computer network that includes a reduced hardware media access controller (MAC) coupled through a physical interface (PHY) to the network physical link. A significant portion of the MAC functionality is implemented as software within the processor of the host client computer. The hardware portion of the preferred MAC implementation provides memory for buffering communications between the PHY and the client computer. The preferred hardware aspects of a MAC in accordance with the present invention also includes a register interface for register-driven communications between the hardware portion of the MAC and the software portions of the MAC implemented within the client computer. By implementing most of the MAC functionality in software within the host computer, the preferred MAC provides lower cost, lower power consumption, and generally greater flexibility.

Abstract: A floating point rasterization and frame buffer in a computer system graphics program. The rasterization, fog, lighting, texturing, blending, and antialiasing processes operate on floating point values. In one embodiment, a 16-bit floating point format consisting of one sign bit, ten mantissa bits, and five exponent bits (s10e5), is used to optimize the range and precision afforded by the 16 available bits of information. In other embodiments, the floating point format can be defined in the manner preferred in order to achieve a desired range and precision of the data stored in the frame buffer. The final floating point values corresponding to pixel attributes are stored in a frame buffer and eventually read and drawn for display. The graphics program can operate directly on the data in the frame buffer without losing any of the desired range and precision of the data.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for selectively synchronizing a subset of objects of an object set between first and second object stores. A subset of objects is defined as a plurality of selected objects of the object set. A selection identifier corresponding to an exclusive synchronization mode designation is received. Where the selection identifier corresponds to a first identification state, all of the objects of the object set are synchronized. Where the selection identifier corresponds to a second state, only the subset of objects is synchronized, whereby the plurality of objects comprising the subset of objects can be designated for synchronization without individual designation of the objects targeted for synchronization.

Abstract: The present invention suitably manages personal information of client users in a distributed environment in which clients to request resource service and servers to provide the resource service are connected via a network, and provides resources customized based on user's personal information. The personal information management apparatus has a personal information storage unit that stores personal information, and a personal information management unit that performs registration, modification, and deletion of personal information entries for the personal information storage unit. On receiving a personal information fetching request containing character strings of a predetermined format, the personal information management apparatus fetches a relevant personal information entry from the personal information storage unit, analyzes a received character string to replace a partial character string with the relevant personal information, and thus replies to the request.

Abstract: A search system (10) employing a scheme of meta-folders (14) in which conventional objects (18) and search objects (20) may be stored in an intermingling manner. Upon opening a meta-folder (14) the search objects (20) are resolved into conventional static pointers, and thus into conventional objects (18). Optionally, an unresolved meta-folder (14a) may very fleetingly appear while this occurs. A resolved meta-folder (14a) then results, presenting only conventional objects (18). In particular, the search objects (20) may be search criteria which the process of resolving causes to produce only such searched out conventional objects (18) which are currently available. Users (80) of the search system (10) my employ it in large network environments (82), including the Internet (96).

Abstract: A remote access device is disclosed for capturing, digitizing and communicating video signals from a host computer to a remote computer. The remote computer returns keyboard and mouse signals through the remote access device to the host computer to control the host computer as though the remote keyboard and mouse were directly connected to the host computer. The remote access device includes a circuit module interface for the host computer that allows the remote access device to operate independently of any operating system characteristics associated with the host computer.

Abstract: A method, system, and program product for communicating with machines connected to a network. Information sent to or from the machines is transmitted using electronic mail or a direct connection. The electronic mail may be transmitted over the Internet to a service center or from a service center to a resource administrator, but also may remain within a local or wide area network for transmission between a machine and a resource administrator. E-mail messages may be transmitted from a computer which is attached to a device which is being monitored or controlled and include information regarding the status, usage or capabilities of the attached device. The device may send status messages and usage information of the device to either a resource administrator or to a service center on the Internet through a firewall. The message may be sent directly to the resource administrator station if urgent service is needed by the device.

Abstract: An interactive doll is disclosed having one or more sensors contained therein. The one or more sensors are operable to trigger output of a signal from the doll in response to the one or more sensors being activated by physical stimuli of a user. A processor located with the user and the doll at a first node of a global communication network processes the signal. The processor is operable to link the signal with one or more remote nodes also located on the global communication network. The one or more remote nodes return information to the processor for presentation to the user via the user's computer, in response to the one or more sensors being activated.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an e-commerce outsourcing system and method that provides hosts with transparent, context sensitive e-commerce supported pages. The look and feel of a target host is captured for future use. The look and feel is captured by receiving the identification of an example page on the target host, retrieving the page, identifying the look and feel elements of the identified page and storing the identified elements. The host is provided with links correlating the host with a link for inclusion within a page on the host website for serving to a visitor computer, wherein the provided link correlates the host website with a selected commerce object contextually related to material in the page. The commerce object can be a product, a product category or a dynamic selection indicator.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention is an apparatus for preparing media for playback which comprises: (a) a buffer which stores data corresponding to the media; (b) a time-scale modification system that time-scale modifies data output from the buffer at a playback rate; and (c) a rate determiner that determines the playback rate over an interval to control the amount of data in the buffer.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for supporting a pure client. In an embodiment of the invention, a client process is executing on a local host machine, whereas server software for supporting the client is physically stored on a remote host machine. The remote host machine also includes an active server process. The remote server software that supports the client is identified in the local host machine using an automatic, system generated reference, such as an NFS mount table entry. The mount table entry associated with the remote server software identifies the hostname of the remote host machine in which the remote server software is physically mounted. When the client process has a server request, the client process locates the remote server software entry in the mount table. A hostname specified in the mount table entry is used by the client process to contact the active server process at the remote host machine having that hostname.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention is an apparatus for preparing streaming media such as an audio or audio-visual work for playback which comprises: (a) a buffer which stores data corresponding to the streaming media; (b) a buffer monitor which determines an amount of data stored in the buffer; (c) a rate determiner, in response to output from the buffer monitor, that determines a playback rate; and (d) a time-scale modification system, responsive to the playback rate, that time-scale modifies at least a portion of the data in the buffer. In a further embodiments, a playback system plays back the time-scale modified data as a portion of the streaming media.

Abstract: Computer processes for carrying out almost any process may be defined as a series of steps using a plurality of standardized user-interface screens. These standardized interface screens may be linked together in predetermined orders to implement on a client computer activities for which the standardized screens are appropriate to accomplish a pre-defined process. Any number of computer processes may be developed and deployed using the standard interfaces. The computer process automatically takes a user from screen to screen, prompting the user to review or provide information or take appropriate action. Processes may be represented using metadata. Metadata may provide data to a screen rendering process running on a user's workstation with details on how to render one of a plurality of standard screens in a manner which is specific to a particular process. Metadata may be provided to define the steps of the process for enabling navigational capabilities.

Abstract: Multimedia content is streamed over a network system from a server computer to a client computer. The client allows a user to enter a variable playback speed and varies the speed at which the multimedia content is rendered at the client. Time-scale modification technology is used to maintain the original pitch of any audio content, thereby maintaining its intelligibility.

Abstract: A network storage device having a network controller card and a data storage device is described herein the card and storage device are either enclosed in a small from factor unit or assembled together to fit within a standard hard disk drive bay in a computer. The combination of a controller card and storage device is designed to transfer files from and to a network using standard network file protocols. As the network storage device does not process the files, much of the computational overhead of a network server can be eliminated, resulting in a simpler device capable of faster file exchange.

Abstract: The failure mail identification section and delivery status notification mail identification section identify whether or not the received E-mail data is failure mail and delivery status notification mail, respectively. Based on the identification result, the specific information extraction section extracts information necessary for output from the E-mail data. The format conversion section converts the extracted data to facsimile data. The data edit section edits the converted data. The edited data is transmitted by the facsimile communication unit to the G3 facsimile via PSTN. This allows failure mail and delivery status notification mail to be distinguished from normal E-mail, saving recording paper.

Abstract: An apparatus for transmitting a set of documents from a server computer to a client computer utilizes a document list of document identifiers for automatically and repetitively transmitting selected documents from the server computer to the client computer. To that end, the apparatus first receives a first download request from the client computer. Once the request is received, then the document list is accessed to identify the identifier of a first document in the document list. Once identified, the first document and a controller are transmitted to the client computer. The controller controls the client computer to transmit a second download request to the server computer after a predetermined condition is satisfied. The predetermined condition may be the passing of a predetermined amount of time and the controller is a tag with in the first document.

Abstract: System and method for delivery of information over narrow-band communications links. The system has at least a browser (12), a mobile client (10), a fixed server (30) and an origin host (50). The browser (12) requests a resource. The mobile client (10) transmits the request to the fixed server (30). The fixed server (30) retrieves a primary resource from the origin host (50) and any dependent resources. The fixed server (30) transmits the primary resource to the mobile client (10). The mobile client (10) transmits an acknowledgment list to the fixed server (30) requesting certain dependent resources and sends the primary resource to the browser (12). The fixed server (30) transmits the requested dependent resources to the mobile client (10) in one transmission. The mobile client (10) sends the dependent resources to the browser (12) upon request.

Abstract: An Internet computer system with methods for dynamic filtering of hypertext tags and content is described. The system includes one or more Web clients, each operating a Web browser (e.g., Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer) with an Internet connection to one or more Web servers. Each client includes, interposed between its browser and communication layer, a Filter module of the present invention which traps and processes all communications between the browser and the communication layer. The Filter module, which implements client-side methodology at each individual Web client for dynamic filtering of hypertext tags and content, includes an output stream, a processing loop, a Filter method, and an input stream. During system operation, the Web browser generates multiple requests for retrieving content. More particularly, particular content is retrieved by a fetch or GET command (e.g., using HTTP protocol) transmitted to a target server from the client-side communication layer (e.g.

Abstract: Prior to sending to a requesting client device a requested multimedia application which comprises a plurality of kinds of materials and a scenario which defines a role of each material, the server converts an input (or original) format of a certain kind of materials of the requested application into a format with which the requesting client device can deal and converts format-dependent data of the scenario accordingly. This enables every consuming device to consume any of the multimedia applications stored in the server regardless of the material format with which the consuming device can deal with respective to a certain kind of materials. Four schemes different in conversion timing of the materials and the scenario are disclosed. The original format of the materials may be limited to a master data format, eg., the DV format if the certain kind of materials are moving picture materials.