Abstract: This invention introduces class identification information for identifying the class of an object and makes it easy to retain, reproduce and transfer the object. An object tree as a tree-like structure for storing objects is also devised. A pointer can be retained and transferred by giving the object identification information to the object and converting the pointer to the combination of the object identification information. This invention is convenient for handling logic models representing various logical relationships. When elements of information distributed to a plurality of computers connected to a communication network such as an internet are linked together and a large scale logic model is reproduced, only the portion necessary for processing can be reproduced. When the invention is applied to three-dimensional space display, a continuous broad space can be reproduced as a space in which only necessary portions are conyinued.

Abstract: A personal digital assistant module with a local CPU, memory, and I/O interface has a host interface comprising a bus connected to the local CPU and a connector at a surface of the personal digital assistant for interfacing to a bus connector of a host general-purpose computer, providing direct bus communication between the personal digital assistant and the host general-purpose computer. In an embodiment, the personal digital assistant also has a means for storing a security code. The personal digital assistant according to the invention forms a host/satellite combination with a host computer having a docking bay, wherein upon docking a docking protocol controls access by the host to memory of the personal digital assistant based on one or more passwords provided by a user to the host.

Abstract: A technique for converting a resource file into object oriented source code and/or an object oriented class. A standard resource file is first converted into source code for an object oriented language. The converter includes a subprocess relative to each keyword included in the resource file for converting the information associated with each keyword into a format includable in an object oriented class. Other elements of the resource file, such as the filename, are also converted as needed into the target language, and formal code required by classes in the target language is also created. The preferred target language is Java.

Abstract: A method of designing an interface for a messaging system for networks. The method includes the steps of providing a system interface to communicate with an operating system and driver level communication drivers, and using an application interface for transferring payload data between application objects and the system interface. The method could be applied in networks that include both application-level applications and driver-level device drivers.

Abstract: In a computer network (100), a first agent (102) has a directive to meet with a second agent (140) in order to exchange high speed messages. The first agent (102) moves to the host address and port number where the second agent (140) is located. The first agent (102) issues a request to the second agent (140) for an encounter. If available, the second agent (140) creates an encounter object (142) that binds the first agent (102) to the second agent (140) for the duration of the encounter. The first agent (102), through an invoker (144), invokes a meet callback function in order to establish message exchanges between the first agent (102) and the second agent (140) through the encounter object (142). The first agent (102) then instructs the second agent (140) to terminate the encounter. Termination of the encounter frees up the encounter object (142) for subsequent use within the computer network (100).

Abstract: According to the present invention, a media manager is provided which incorporates an application program interface (API) for converting high-level generic commands into device-level commands for output to a media device. The inventive media manager includes a high-level command processor which decodes the high-level generic commands and device-specific code mapping modules which convert the high-level generic commands decoded by the high-level command processor into device-level commands. Each of the device-level commands is output from one of the device-specific code-mapping modules to a corresponding one of the media devices. The present invention also encompasses a method of implementing an application program interface (API) for media devices. The method includes receiving high-level generic commands from a computer application, converting the high-level generic commands into device-level commands, and outputting each of the device-level commands to one of the media devices.

Abstract: In a CORBA distributed object system, potential object name ambiguities in the Portable Object Adapter are resolved without using variable-length object identifiers by translating the variable length identifiers into a fixed length compact identifier, such as a integer. The mapping for persistent objects is maintained on an ID server with persistent state and the mappings are ultimately written to a file. A server IDL interface is defined to the ID server which interface includes a method that accepts a variable length fully qualified name and returns the compact identifier. The method assigns an identifier if one does not exist. Another method accepts the identifier and returns the name.

Abstract: A “generic” switch messaging protocol is disclosed for message handling and switch supervision in conjunction with a number of switching engines, each of which is conversant with the generic messaging protocol, each switching engine also being conversant with a specific switch messaging protocol. An object oriented development system is also disclosed utilizing a “generic” switch messaging protocol and a plurality of switching engines, each of which is conversant with the generic messaging protocol and each of which is conversant with a specific switch messaging protocol. Certain switch messages are not “genericized” because their functionality is different from the functionality of other switches. These messages generally include initialization and maintenance messages which are hardware specific and have no counterpart in another switch from a different vendor.

Abstract: A system and method for effectively synchronizing data in an object oriented distributed transaction processing system employing a multilevel data store. Each object that maintains first-level volatile data registers as a synchronization object if unsynchronized changes to that data exist. A register object at each node tracks synchronized objects registered for that node. Each registered synchronization object, in turn, registers with its superior node when registered synchronization objects are present. A hierarchy of registered synchronization objects and synchronization objects is thereby created. The transaction termination process transmits a pre-prepare message to the registered synchronization hierarchy providing each synchronization object an opportunity to flush its data to the second-level persistent data store. The hierarchical structure of registered objects ensures that the minimum number of messages are transmitted over the network.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a method for allowing a data controlling object to interface with any number of user interface objects without requiring separate interface code for each user interface object and without restricting the user interface to certain predetermined designs. The present method provides objects called association objects that are interposed between a data controlling object and each user interface object. Each kind of user interface object has a corresponding association object. The association object for a particular kind of user interface object contains code that allows the association object to interact with the specific kind of user interface object with which it is associated. Each association object also presents a standard interface to a data controlling object, regardless of the kind of user interface object with which the association object is associated.

Abstract: In a heterogenous symmetric multi-processing system, processors from distinct families of processors are integrated on a single platform. The processors are coupled to an implementation specific communication mechanism through family specific bus interface converters. Shared memory and I/O subsystems may be coupled to the implementation specific communication mechanism as well. An operating system maintains separate ready queues for each family of processors. Each ready queue is responsible for scheduling execution of process threads on its associated family of processors. The operating systems facilitates execution of both single mode binary code files and mixed mode binary code files. When a thread is created, the operating system determines the initial processor family to associate with the thread based on the binary code stream that the thread will begin executing. The thread is placed in the ready queue of that family.

Abstract: A method to intercept operating system messages in an informational processing device, the method comprising the steps of: waiting for an operating system message; determining if the message corresponds to a previously selected operating system message; and performing an operating system call that has been previously mapped to the selected operating system message.

Abstract: Systems and methods for increasing the execution speed of virtual machine instructions for a function are provided. A portion of the virtual machine instructions of the function are compiled into native machine instructions so that the function includes both virtual and native machine instructions. Execution of the native machine instructions may be accomplished by overwriting a virtual machine instruction of the function with a virtual machine instruction that specifies execution of the native machine instructions. Additionally, the original virtual machine instruction may be stored so that the original virtual machine instructions can be regenerated.

Abstract: A display or other device present in a communications environment in which communication partners are represented by objects and clustered according to a desired characteristic. When a message is received from one of the communication partners, the presentation of the object corresponding to that communication partner changes. Also, the environments can be used to send messages and mail documents.

Abstract: In general, in one aspect, the invention provides a modular application collaborator for providing inter-operability between applications including a plurality of connectors for communicating with a like plurality of applications and an interchange server. The interchange server includes an application collaboration module and service module. The service module transfers messages between connectors and the application collaboration module. The application collaboration defines the inter-operability between two or more applications. The interchange server service module includes a transaction service and an error service. Transactions are executed in the application collaboration module and the transaction service records each action and a compensating action for undoing an associated action.

Abstract: A system and method for avoiding deadlock in a non-preemptive multi-tasking application program, wherein the application program operates in an operating system that provides a non-preemptive multi-tasking environment. All components of the application program that require resources from other components within the application program, and that will not yield to internal timeslicing within the application program, are placed in separate executables (i.e., application programs). Thus allowing maximum background processing and the avoidance of deadlock.

Abstract: In a computer system having a memory, a processor, and a network interface, a method for listening on multiple conferencing interfaces having the steps of loading a set of transport components into the memory; initializing each transport components of the set of transport components to listen on a particular conferencing interface using the network interface, each transport component of the set of transport components listening to a different conferencing interface; receiving an incoming call signal on the network interface having an incoming conferencing interface; processing the incoming call signal to detect the incoming conferencing interface; and launching an application based on the incoming conferencing interface.

Abstract: An object-oriented DVC application runtime interface (RI) having a number of runtime management and channel objects is provided for assisting running of customized DVC applications incorporated with prepackaged conference control objects that facilitate accesses to conferencing services of GPPC applications. An identical copy of the DVC application RS is to be provided on each system, interposed between the DVC and the GPPC applications, to synchronize A/V rendering as well as data and file channels of the local DVC application to its remote counterpart.

Abstract: A method of developing a software system using Object Oriented Technology. The present invention addresses the problem of providing a technical foundation for the development of software applications using Object Oriented Technology and frameworks. The present invention solves this problem with a framework supporting flexible interchange of domain algorithms. The present invention is applicable in the technical field of application development of software systems, e.g. for a business application as Financial or Logistic and Distribution, wherein it is the purpose of frameworks to provide significant portions of the application that are common across multiple implementations of the application in a general manner, easy to extend for specific implementation.

Abstract: A mechanism for minimizing interrupt context execution in a computer system by providing means for a driver to select the context for its execution. The operating system determines the system processing load and stores this information for use by the driver software. Based on the system processing load information, each driver then selects an execution context which meets its particular service requirements. When the system processing load is low and a lower-priority context will provide adequate service to the application, the lower-priority context is selected in order to reduce the amount of interrupt context execution. When the system processing load is high and a lower-priority context may not provide adequate service to the application, a higher-priority context is selected in order to ensure that execution of the application is within the driver's latency requirements.