Patents Examined by William Vaughn
  • Patent number: 7340536
    Abstract: A network management apparatus and method for determining the topology of a network 1 is described. The present invention uses data relating to discovered devices on the network 1, typically network management address table data, to build a network tree. Due to the presence of unsupported or unmanaged connecting network devices, some branches of the resulting tree may not be resolved. In order to address this, for each unresolved branch of the network tree, the present invention attempts to determine the type of each of the discovered network devices on the branch, and if the type of every discovered network device on the branch is determined to be an endstation type, the present invention determines that an undiscovered connecting device is present on the branch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2008
    Assignee: 3Com Corporation
    Inventors: Simon Peter Valentine, Christopher Robert Linzell, Peter Wai Lam, Andrew Peter White
  • Patent number: 7337227
    Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for performing the installation of cabling in a computing system. In one embodiment, one or more configuration utilities are employed which guide an installer through the appropriate sequence of cable connections for a given computing system. By illuminating various LEDs present on the assorted computing components, an installer is provided with an indication of which component and which port should be connected first, second and so on such that an installation results in a robust computing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2008
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Jenwei Hsieh, Victor V. Mashayekhi
  • Patent number: 7337217
    Abstract: A method for providing user interfaces in a first network to a remote access device, the first network including first devices and at least one interface device for communication with the remote access device, the user interfaces for controlling the devices currently connected to the first network. The remote access device establishes communication with the first network via the interface device; the remote access device sends a request to the interface device for accessing the first network; at least one of the first devices in the first network obtains information from one or more of the first devices, the information including device information, and generating a user interface description including at least one reference associated with the device information of each of the one or more first devices; the interface device sends the user interface description to the remote access device; and the remote access device displays a user interface based on the user interface description.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2008
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Dongyan Wang
  • Patent number: 7337228
    Abstract: An information processing method and apparatus for enabling more prompt sign-up. A network management server at step S62 received am equipment serial number from an information processing apparatus and, at step s63, references a database to retrieve a received equipment serial number. If the equipment serial number has not been found, the program moves to step S16 where a command for initiating manual setting is sent to an information processing apparatus. If the equipment serial number has been found, the program moves to step S81 to verify whether or not the admittance made or admittance not as yet made, recorded in the database in association with the equipment serial number received is admittance made. If the verified result indicates admittance not as yet made, the program moves to step S82 where the network management server sends an automatic setting initiating command to the information processing apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2008
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Justsystem Corporation
    Inventors: Satoru Maeda, Munehiro Yoshikawa, Nobutaka Tani, Shinji Okazaki, Natsuko Yotsumoto, Masahiro Asai, Mami Uchida, Takaaki Miura, Katsuhisa Takata
  • Patent number: 7334023
    Abstract: In a client server system, the network load is reduced by using the fingerprint compression and the differential compression, by providing the proxy server at the server side and using the general purpose browser at the client side, without requiring a separate proxy server at the client side. The client downloads and installs a fingerprint cache processing engine as a plug-in.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2008
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Yuichi Koba, Yasuhiro Kimura, Kenichiro Yoshii, Atsushi Shono, Hideaki Sato, Toshibumi Seki
  • Patent number: 7330877
    Abstract: Devices, softwares and methods reschedule multi-party sessions upon premature termination of a wireless communication session. Upon sensing a premature termination, an access point transmits a rescheduling frame. All sessions are advanced in time, which saves time in the end, without leaving quiet times. In addition, the invention avoids a hidden node problem.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2008
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America
    Inventor: Srinivas Kandala
  • Patent number: 7330871
    Abstract: An online machine data collection and archiving process generates a machine data profile of a customer computer accessing a transaction form of a merchant web site and links the machine data profile and a transaction record with customer identifying information using a unique transaction identification string. The process preferably captures parameters typically communicated as a part of web accesses, such as an IP address, an HTTP header, and cookie information. The process additionally causes the customer computer to process self-identification routines by processing coding within the merchant transaction form, the self-identification routines yielding further profile parameters. The process further includes a routine for bypassing an intervening proxy to the merchant web site to reveal the true IP address of the customer computer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2008
    Assignee: TeleCheck Services, Inc.
    Inventor: Timothy P. Barber
  • Patent number: 7330881
    Abstract: A data card 101 with music data accumulated therein is inserted into a portable telephone 110 to fetch the music data into the portable telephone, and application software suitable for a music data format prescribed in association with the music data is selected from among a plurality of pieces of application software (131, 133) stored in a server 130 located remotely, and is downloaded. Through this configuration, the application software associated with the music data can be downloaded from the server to the portable telephone by the user's selection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2008
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryukou Arisawa, Hiroyuki Sasaki, Yuichi Fujii
  • Patent number: 7330880
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for handling object requests to an origin server. According to one embodiment, the method comprises storing a selection of objects from an origin server in a memory storage of a caching server associated with said origin server; receiving a request for an object stored in said origin server; determining if said request is serviceable from said selection; serving said request from said selection if it is so serviceable; and if said request is not so serviceable, then determining whether a predetermined number of in-progress object retrievals associated with requests previously forwarded from said cache server to said origin server has been exceeded; forwarding said request to said origin server if said predetermined number has not been exceeded; and retrieving the object associated with said request from said origin server in response to said forwarded request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2008
    Assignee: Network Appliance, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert English
  • Patent number: 7330894
    Abstract: A system for preventing timeout of a client interface accessing a main Java Servlet executing in a first thread which monitors an application executing in a second thread. A task status object is accessed by the application to post its completion state and by the client interface responsive to a state refresh request to post a state refresh response including the completion state to the client. The state refresh response selectively includes a refresh attribute instructing the client to periodically post the state refresh request. Upon the application going to completion or error state, subsequent state refresh responses do not include the refresh attribute.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2008
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Mark C. Vallone
  • Patent number: 7328272
    Abstract: A server receives an acquisition request for visual content, such as desired text or image content, from a client terminal via a communication network, and retrieves, from a database, data of the visual content requested by the client terminal. Then, by analyzing the visual content, by referring to an appropriate table or otherwise, the server determines music content or effect tone content to be imparted to the requested visual content in associated relation to specific substance of the requested visual content. Then, the server retrieves data of the determined music content or effect tone content from a database, and transmits the data of the visual content, along with the data of the music content or effect tone content, to the client terminal. On the basis of the data transmitted by the server, the client terminal can not only visually display the requested visual content but also audibly reproduce the music content or effect tone content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2008
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Kuramochi, Shigeki Akahori
  • Patent number: 7328256
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for distributing files across a network. During operation, the system receives a request at a server to download a file to a client. If the server is not currently downloading the file, the system commences a download stream for the file on a multicast port. If the server is currently downloading the file, the system remembers a marked location on the file, wherein the marked location relates to a current packet number of the download stream on the multicast port. The system then continues downloading the file until the end of the file, thereby allowing the client to receive the remainder of the file. Next, the system downloads the file from the beginning of the file to the marked location, thereby allowing the client to receive previously transmitted portions of the file.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2008
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Minoru Taoyama, Arthur Truome de la Cueva
  • Patent number: 7328246
    Abstract: A graphical user interface that presents document destinations in terms of recipient objects readily familiar to the user is provided by the present invention. According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method for specifying delivery information for electronic documents can include the step of displaying a plurality of potential recipients to a user. Responsive to input from the user, the method can select at least one potential recipient from the plurality of potential recipients to form a plurality of selected recipients. The method then performs a scanning operation of a document to form an electronic copy of the document. The electronic copy of the document can be transmitted to the plurality of selected recipients. A step of incorporating the electronic copy of the document into a database belonging to each of the plurality of selected recipients is also included in the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2008
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd
    Inventors: Jonathan J. Hull, Kiyoshi Suzuki, Kurt Piersol
  • Patent number: 7325059
    Abstract: The present invention provides a technique for efficiently looking up address-routing information in an intermediate network node, such as a router. To that end, the node locates routing information stored in its memory using one or more “lookup” tables (LUT) which can be searched using a small, bounded number of dependent lookups, thereby reducing the number of dependent lookups conventionally performed. The LUTs are arranged so each table provides routing information for network addresses whose subnet mask lengths are within a different range (“stride”) of mask lengths. According to the technique, the node locates a network address's routing information by searching the LUTs, in order of decreasing prefix lengths, until the routing information is found. Preferably, several tables are searched in parallel. A match in a LUT may further point to a small MTRIE that enables the final bits of a prefix to be matched. That final MTRIE is searched using a relatively small, bounded number of dependent lookups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2008
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: David Richard Barach, Bobby Batacharia
  • Patent number: 7325064
    Abstract: Asynchronous messages are used to prefetch and/or relinquish tokens used in providing locking of shared resources. A message is sent to prefetch one or more tokens, and prior to receiving a reply for the message, another message (e.g., an acquire) is sent for at least one of those tokens. Similarly, a message is sent indicating a voluntary relinquish of one or more tokens and without having acknowledgment that the relinquish request was processed, a further message (e.g., an acquire) is sent for at least one of the tokens. Multiple tokens may be acquired and/or relinquished in a single message to the token server. This reduces message delays and overall message traffic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2008
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Marc M Eshel, Frank B Schmuck
  • Patent number: 7318111
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for selecting a wireless communication network based on quality of service criteria associated with an application are disclosed. In one illustrative example, one of several different software applications of a mobile communication device is executed. The software application may be, for example, an e-mail application, an Internet data application, a voice-over-IP application, a video player application, an audio player application, or a video game application. Each software application is associated with different quality of service (QoS) criteria for data communications through a wireless network. The quality of service criteria may include, for example, a bandwidth criterion, a delay criterion, a delay variation criterion, and a data loss criterion. A scanning operation is performed to identify a plurality of a wireless networks available in a coverage area of the mobile device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2008
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventor: Wen Zhao
  • Patent number: 7315903
    Abstract: A self-configuring server system is disclosed. In this system, a plurality of nodes are linked together in a primary loop. Each node includes an external communication interface coupled to the loop, a command module for controlling the node and an internal interface. The internal interface, for each node, is in turn coupled to an internal loop associated with that node, the internal loop defining operation of that node. Messages and data circulate around the primary loop until reaching an appropriate node, where the message or data is acted upon. In some instances the messages or data is client-related, and in other instances the messages or data provide for dynamic reconfiguration of the system. In yet other instances, the messages or data is transmitted from one or more nodes in order to provide operational data about the node/nodes to a plurality of system controllers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2008
    Assignee: Palladia Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Tommy H. Bowden
  • Patent number: 7315900
    Abstract: The invention is directed to techniques for supporting multi-link protocols within a computer network. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a set of data blocks from a plurality of links in one or more interface cards according to a multi-link protocol and sending the data blocks to a multi-link service card for sequencing. The data blocks may then be sent to the one or more interface cards for communication to a destination device over a computer network. Implementing a multi-link service card may allow a network device, such as a router, to support multi-link protocols.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2008
    Assignee: Juniper Networks, Inc.
    Inventors: David Ofelt, Steven Wilson Turner, Dennis Ferguson
  • Patent number: 7313599
    Abstract: Process migration method includes copying first process context indicative of first processing, transmitting process context to second computer, causing first computer to start generation of first execution record, causing second computer to receive process context, determining, from first execution record, whether first processing should be migrated, if it is determined that first processing should postpone being migrated, finishing generation of first execution record, starting generation of second execution record, transmitting first execution record to second computer, reproducing process context, and determining, from second execution record, whether first processing should be migrated, after reproducing of process context is finished in the second computer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2007
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Seiji Maeda, Kiyoko Sato, Nobuo Sakiyama, Hirokuni Yano, Takuya Hayashi
  • Patent number: 7313589
    Abstract: A network projector interface system is provided. In one embodiment, the system includes client software stored on a recordable medium and at least partially executable on a client computer on a network, where the client software provides a client interface configured to aid a user in directing a presentation file to a selected network projector. The system also includes presentation manager software stored on a recordable medium executable on the network, where the presentation manager software produces a presentation manager configured to manage storage and access to the presentation file, and a network projector coupled to a projector computer, where the projector computer is coupled to the network and communicates with the presentation manager to display the presentation file on the selected network projector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2007
    Assignee: InFocus Corporation
    Inventors: De Tran, Kevin D. Thompson, Steve Murtha