Abstract: An application providing a common interface allowing access and login to a electronic mail system and instant messaging system. The application allows responding to an email using an instant message, replying to an instant message using an email, sending and receiving both email and instant messages from one application, sending email attachments instantly, and displaying presence information for the user, user email contacts and user messenger contacts. Alerts are provided for both emails and instant messages received. The inbox views can automatically be refreshed when a user receives new email. An interface is provided to convert multiple email contacts into messenger contacts. The system can be used with both local messenger clients and browser based IM clients.

Abstract: User IDs in addresses to which an e-mail is addressed are logically ordered into a 2D matrix of rows each having one user ID. For each column in the 2D matrix, a column count is found by counting the highest number of matching characters in the column. A column quotient is calculated for each column by dividing the column count by the total number of rows in the 2D matrix. A weighted column quotient is calculated for each column by multiplying the column quotient by a weight that is based on the left-to-right order of the column in the 2D matrix. A numerical assessment is made of the similarity of the user IDs in the addresses to which the e-mail is addressed by adding up the weighted column quotients for the columns in the 2D matrix.

Abstract: Exemplary embodiments disclosed herein may include a method and system for providing information to a user and safely disclosing identity information over the Internet comprising receiving information from a server, analyzing the information, presenting the analyzed information to a user for validation in a finite number of configurations controlled by a client, and validating of the information by the user.

Abstract: A system and method of reducing the input and output pins used to interface a fast serial port Ethernet processing system using multiplexing. Using the system of the present invention, four pins can allow a plurality of Ethernet communication paths to be connected to a single processor on a substrate. These four connections include a clocking input as well as a strobe signal which coordinates the multiplexing and identifies the time period for a predetermined source. The physical layer and the processor are each provided with a multiplexor which is controlled by the strobe to select the network to be coupled at any given time. The multiplexor includes a counter which is incremented by the clocking input and reset by the strobe signal.

Abstract: A system and methods for service discovery and publication are disclosed. Application programs write requests for service discovery, publication, and subscription to a service discovery application programming interface. The service discovery application programming interface invokes one or more lower-level protocols to satisfy the discovery, publication and/or subscription request. Service information retrieved from lower-layer protocols is formatted into a consistent data model and returned to the client application. In addition, service information may be stored in a persistent data store managed by a discovery persistence service communicatively connected to the service discovery API.

Abstract: A system and method for use with a taxonomy-based search service that locates expanded information based on a query the client has proposed, by performing an automatically expanded branching of the query. The client specifies a starting point (corresponding to an origin node) in the taxonomy along with one or more genealogical directions to expand the search, such as to parent, children and/or sibling nodes. Variables may specify how many generations upward and/or downward should be included in the expanded search. A middle tier receives the request and converts it to the relevant queries needed to query a database that maintains the taxonomy, such that the client receives a result set that contains expanded results without needing any contextual knowledge of the taxonomy. The middle tier may be implemented, for example, in a UDDI-based environment that helps clients locate web services and other information.

Abstract: A system and method comprising a client-side manager component that manages access points (such as URLs) to distributed services for client applications. The client application hosts the client-side manager, and specifies criteria for a service. The manager component uses the criteria to query a service registry, such as a UDDI-based registry, and caches the returned list. To use a service, the client calls the manager component on a defined interface, and the manager component returns one of the cached access points. The cached access points may be returned based on an ordering, such as to distribute requests among services. If the service fails, the client calls a failure-related method of the manager component with failure details, and retrieves a new access point. The manager component reports the error to an error handling service, whereby the error information may be used in a quality of service statistic at the service registry.

Abstract: Components of an Ethernet communication system are placed in low power modes when such low power modes are feasible and permitted. The auto-negotiation next page feature of the Ethernet standard is utilized to exchange signals indicating that both ends of the system are capable of a low power mode. If capable and conditions for low system power usage permit, then the auto-negotiation feature is used to signal the eligibility of both ends of the system to enter a low power mode at which time the low power mode is activated. The system remains in the low power mode until data is to be transmitted.

Abstract: A system and method of reducing the input and output pins used to interface a fast serial port Ethernet processing system using multiplexing. Using the system of the present invention, four pins can allow a plurality of Ethernet communication paths to be connected to a single processor on a substrate. These four connections include a clocking input as well as a strobe signal which coordinates the multiplexing and identifies the time period for a predetermined source. The physical layer and the processor are each provided with a multiplexor which is controlled by the strobe to select the network to be coupled at any given time. The multiplexor includes a counter which is incremented by the clocking input and reset by the strobe signal.

Abstract: The invention covers an amplifier circuit in which the output is limited in either polarity. Normally, a part of the output voltage is fed back to the input to maintain linearity but when the output reaches a maximum or minimum value, any further departure is amplified and fed back to the input circuit to neutralize the part of input signals which is outside of the range to be amplified. The feedback amplifier can be designed to initiate limiting at any desired output voltages and the positive and negative output limit voltages can be asymmetric with respect to the quiescent output voltage.

Abstract: In the application of analog type circuits to semiconductor chips for large scale circuit integration, a substantial improvement in the size of an amplifier circuit on the chip can be obtained by use of only active components on the chip. The described circuit is designed for any desired amplification factor and this factor can be maintained substantially uniform from chip to chip despite wide variations in the characteristics of comparable components between different semiconductive chips. The analog amplifier includes a high gain operating amplifier and a feedback-input circuit having only active components and which can be designed to reduce the gain of the operating amplifier to any desired value.

Abstract: The disclosed circuit is to provide a current source for use on a semiconductor chip having field effect transistors (FET) deposited therein to compensate for variations in the substrate voltage source. Analog type circuits when alone on a semiconductor chip or combined with digital type logic circuits are normally susceptible to disturbances in the bias voltage applied to the substrate of the chip. The obtaining of a uniform output response from an analog type circuit due to an input voltage change has heretofore required the use of off-chip precision voltage sources. Such expensive precision sources can be eliminated and normally variable (.+-. 15%) supplies can be used by providing an on-chip compensating current source which combines with other circuits to provide stable reference voltage levels on the chip for use by the analog circuits.

Abstract: The subject of this invention is a differential amplifier circuit having a constant gain characteristic over a range of input voltage and suitable for use in integrated circuits in semi-conductor chips. The circuit is embodied in the enhanced-depleted field effect transistor technology and includes a pair of parallel circuits. Each circuit has a depletion type of field effect transistor (FET) connected to the drain voltage source, and its source connected to the drains of two enhanced FET's and to the gate of the one of these which has its source to a ground level. The other enhanced FET's have their sources connected together and to a constant current source. One gate of these other FET's is connected to the reference voltage and the other to an input voltage to be amplified. By a proper selection of FET design parameters, the amplifier gain can be constant over the full operating range of the input voltage.