Abstract: A system for allowing company representatives or web site operators to monitor and track activity of visitors to their web site and proactively establish live contact with the visitor using text messaging. A customer service representative of a website operator can instantly send a message to a visitor in order to help them obtain the most relevant information desired, and to directly answer any questions the visitor may have. A radar screen provides information to the website operator of how people are accessing their website by providing on one screen a visual comparison of the different locations or pages within the website where the visitors are browsing. The radar screen can be divided into sectors representative of each of these locations, and the number of visitors to each one is indicated.

Abstract: A system and method for data distribution and recovery, including a server that broadcasts data to a plurality of clients and a means for a client to identify and recover broadcast data that the client missed while it was off line. In a representative embodiment, the system includes a transfer server, a plurality of clients in communication with the transfer server, and an archive in communication with the transfer server and the plurality of clients. The transfer server receives data packets from a data source, uniquely identifies each data packet, and broadcasts the data packets to the plurality of clients and the archive. Each client receives the data broadcast from the transfer server, identifies missing data, and communicates with the archive to recover the missing data.

Abstract: The current invention proposes a method, system, and data processing system program product to perform a hardware setup operation without installing a hardware setup program on the target data processing system. Stored in a server 12 are a hardware setup program 15 for performing the hardware setup of a data processing system 14 to be set up for hardware, dynamic link modules 16 for hardware setup used by the program 15 at the time of executing the hardware setup program, and a small program 17. The data processing system 14 accesses the server 12 through a network 11 to execute the small program 17 on the server 12. The program 17 transfers the dynamic link modules 16 for hardware setup to the data processing system 14, and thereafter it executes the hardware setup program 15 on the memory of the data processing system 14 while maintaining the program itself on the server 12.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to quickly change and deliver Internet radio sources. The apparatus can receive multiple Internet radio sources simultaneously, and route each of the multiple Internet radio sources to a stream receiver. The stream receiver is operable to maintain connection with one of a multitude of Internet radio sources. Each of the sources can be buffered by a stream buffer that can receive data from one of each of the stream receivers. A stream selector can select one of the multiple Internet radio sources and deliver the selected one of the multiple Internet radio sources as output to a user. The apparatus can be implemented as part of a multiple function system such as a personal computer or as an Internet radio receiver apparatus.

Abstract: An object-based locking mechanism is disclosed in which the requesting and granting of access to data is decoupled by the use of methods to regulate the data access. In one embodiment, a client object calls a request lock method of a server object when it desires access to data regulated by the server object. When the server object decides to grant access, it calls a lock granted method of the client object. Within the scope of the lock granted method, the client object has access to the data; when the client object returns the lock granted method, access is released. An object queue to manage data access with respect to a number of client objects for a server object is also disclosed.

Abstract: An independent storage node is disclosed that includes a processor and transport hardware in communication with the processor that is capable of communicating data via a transport connection. Executing on the processor is modular storage software that comprises a plurality of software modules and a module interface. The module interface allows dynamic binding of the software modules and is capable of executing on a plurality of processor types by using particular software modules related to a specific processor type.

Abstract: A relay system, comprises interface units for accessing networks, a domain definition module, an connection definition module, a routing module, an address translation module for translating, when forwarding a communication data from one domain to another domain, a source address belonging to the source domain contained in the packet into a proxy host address belonging to the routing destination domain, and an address reverse translation module for translating, when receiving a communication data which has the proxy host address in destination address field, the destination address belonging to the source domain contained in the packet into the address belonging to the routing destination, and a control unit for controlling a connectability for routing between the two or more domains in accordance with definitions of the connection definition module.

Abstract: A method of allocating a protection path in a communication network according to a maximum risk level allowed for affecting both main and protection paths by a single damaging event, is disclosed. The method is directed to ensure that for a required level of protection, derived from a maximum risk level allowed, no segments in the protection path, when taken together with any segment of the main path, presents a risk higher than the maximum risk level allowed.

Abstract: A method for temporarily deleting a stream object, a method for restoring stream objects divided by temporary deletion to the original stream object, and an information structure for the methods, and a recording medium storing information for fast permanent deletion of temporarily deleted parts is disclosed. The methods can solved the problem that full restoration cannot be guaranteed in managing and editing (temporarily deleting) a content, which includes a film, music, or other data, using a plurality of units, and fast response is enabled even when a temporarily deleted part is permanently deleted. Also, a method for generating search information when dividing stream objects through temporary deletion/permanent deletion, which has not been disclosed. Using the information structure and restoration method, stream objects divided by temporary deletion are fully restored to their original state before temporary deletion, and temporarily deleted parts can be permanently deleted quickly.

Abstract: A method of selecting a server in a mobile communication system includes registering kinds of resources quantitatively measurable of each server, receiving changed amounts of the kinds of sources at predetermined intervals from each of the servers, receiving a service request with a QoS (quality of service) level from a service user, mapping the QoS level into amounts of the kinds of resources, and selecting at least one server among the servers for the service request based on the changed amounts and the amounts mapped from the QoS level.

Abstract: In an Internet home page data acquisition method, an access list held by a client is transferred to a cache URL address storage server. Home page data is acquired by a cache server on the basis of the transferred access list. The acquired home page data is transferred from the cache server to the client upon completion of acquisition of the home page data.

Abstract: A networked computer system has a plurality of servers and a plurality of distributed clients, which may be devices or computers. Each client has a boot operating system (OS). Upon startup, the boot OS in each client automatically initiates a connection to one of the servers via the Internet. The boot OS can detect the type of medium (e.g., cable modem, DSL) to which the client is connected. The server automatically downloads a base OS and dynamically configures a suite of applications on the client without running the standard installation programs. One included application is an Internet telephony application, allowing a user to plug a standard telephone into the client appliance or computer, pick up the telephone, and automatically dial out using long distance Internet telephony. Optionally, the server may download a plurality of operating systems that are automatically initiated to run concurrently on the client. The clients use a random access memory (RAM) caching technique.

Abstract: An architecture for accessing a network server using one or more characters. A user computer (302) disposed on a global communication packet-switched network (306) is operable to communicate with an ARS (308) and a destination server (312) also disclosed on the GCN (306). The user computer (302) runs a software interface which displays a window (2500) to the user via a display (1612). The window (2500) contains a data entry field (2502) into which the user enters the character string, the character string disassociated from an address of the destination server (312). The character string is then transmitted from the software interface either directly to the ARS (308) or indirectly to the ARS (308) through a communication package resident on the user computer (302). The ARS (308) then performs a matching operation using the character string to obtain matching information from an ARS database (310).

Abstract: A server interacts with a sender to form a package which can include one or more attached data files to be sent to one or more recipients, and the server applies a policy established by a policy authority of the sender to the package. Since the server both forms the package through interaction with the sender and applies the policy, any violations of the policy by the package can be brought to the sender's attention during an interactive session with the sender and before encryption of all or part of the package. As a result, the sender is educated regarding the policy of the sender's policy authority, and the sender can modify the package immediately to comport with the policy. The server delivers the package to the one or more intended recipients by sending notification to each recipient and including in such notification package identification data, e.g., a URL by which the package can be retrieved.

Abstract: A system and method for filtering of web-based content in a proxy cache server environment provides a local network having a client, a directory server and a proxy cache server that caches predetermined Internet-derived web content within the network. When content is requested, it is vended to the client only if it meets predefined user policies for acceptability. These policies are implemented based upon one or more ratings lists provided by content rating vendors. The lists are downloaded to the network in whole or part, and cached for use in determining acceptability of content by a filter application. Ratings can be particularly based upon predetermined content categories. Caching occurs in a host or object cache for rapid access. Only if current ratings are not found in the host or object caches are ratings caches or vendors accessed for ratings. Ratings on requested content are then placed in the host or object cache for subsequent use.

Abstract: In a hierarchically organized distributed file system, resources belong to the containers in which they are located. These resources do not have to be co-located with the, containers in which they are stored, but can be distributed over the file system. To locate a desired resource, the unique name of the resource is determined. Moving upward through the containers in the hierarchically organized distributed file system, the lowest container with a location service is determined. The location service is queried for known instances of the resource. Any instance of the resource returned from the location service can then be utilized. Semantic contexts can also be applied to the network to control access or usage of both the location services and resource instances. The use of semantic contexts allows for improvements in network usage, security, resource allocation, and the like.

Abstract: A method of controlling data transfer between a first and a second computer network comprises parsing content description language received from the first computer network to determine tag information with the content description language. A completion decision is made based on the tag information. For one embodiment, the completion decision may include any of the following: full data transfer between the two network, partial data transfer between the two network, a deferred data transfer at a later time, or a cached data transfer. Restrictions based upon a user's age, a user's access right, cost, system resources, and time of day may also be employed to limit the transfer of data based upon the tag information.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for improving dynamic simple network management protocol GetNext processing is disclosed. The method and apparatus supports dynamic information in SNMP by building the “GetNext” list once, then caching that list for a given amount of time.

Abstract: A server appliance for use in a network of client users is disclosed. The server appliance includes a hub for coupling to one or more client computer workstations. Each client computer workstation is configured to communicate with the server appliance based upon the operating system hosted on the server appliance. The server appliance includes a control panel with a display which enables a system operator to retrieve forgotten password information and initiate an automated procedure for backing up data stored on a non-volatile memory at the appliance server. Additionally, the server appliance includes a parallel port for coupling to a shared parallel port printer which receives print jobs originating at the client computer workstations.

Abstract: A customer premises network includes a plurality of terminal adapters, which are interconnected by a double daisy chained bus, preferably an optical fiber bus. One bus is used in each data transmission, i.e., one bus for downstream transmission of data and the other bus for upstream transmission of data. Interconnecting the terminal adapters to form a daisy chain means that the transmitted data is regenerated at each terminal adapter. The customer premises network is preferably a home network or a small company network. It may also interface an access network via a network interface.