Abstract: A mobile, hand-held personal communicator includes a casing for housing a cellular phone, modem, and data processing system. Graphics image files are stored and can be selectively displayed on a touchscreen display. A zoom function magnifies areas of a graphics image, such as a fax image, that has been received and stored in the PC. When the zoom function is selected, the user touches the screen, and a magnification frame or window appears. When the user removes his/her finger, the area within the frame is magnified. The user can also drag the frame around the screen, while still touching the screen, to select a specific area to be magnified when the user releases the screen. A pan function allows the user to shift the image within a viewing area. The user can pan the image by touching the display at an initial touch point, and moving his/her finger keeping it in contact with the screen, to shift the touch point to a new touch point.

Abstract: An option attach connector has a first indicator bit combination that alerts the device that a public switched telephone network connection has been made to it. The presence of the first indicator bit combination is a signal to the device that telephone, FAX, and E-MAIL communications applications are to be conducted over a PSTN link. The presence of the first indicator bit combination invokes a stored computer program to provide appropriate connections between the PSTN link and the telephone, FAX, and modem hardware in the device. The connections are made by an audio multiplexer that receives control signals from the system CPU, while executing the stored computer program. The program determines the communications application selected by the user and selectively configures the PSTN link to be connected to the either the ear piece and microphone for voice communications, or to the FAX/modem for FAX communications, or to the modem alone for E-MAIL communications.

Abstract: A personal communication apparatus includes a digital processor, a memory coupled to the processor, an operating system, stored in the memory and executable by the processor, a touch-screen user interface coupled to the processor and the memory and responsive to file execution commands from the user, and a navigation utility file, executable by the processor, for initiating execution of files and for monitoring the sequence in which file executions occur. The Navigation utility maintains a stack in the memory into which the calling sequences of files are stored according to the order in which files were executed. In one embodiment, the apparatus further comprises a modem and RF transceiver coupled to the processor for receiving and transmitting data. In another embodiment, the communicator further includes a port for receiving an external memory medium containing a plurality of executable files.

Abstract: A personal communicator has a touch sensitive overlay coupled with a liquid crystal display (LCD). The communicator has two external (non-screen) up/down buttons for adjusting the volume of a cellular phone speaker. These volume buttons are also used to allow the user to adjust contrast. In accordance with one operation, contrast is adjusted in response to the user touching a predetermined area of the screen at the same time as one of the up or down buttons is actuated. In accordance with another operation, contrast is adjusted in response to the user first pressing both speaker volume buttons to enter a contrast adjustment mode, and thereafter pressing one or the other of such buttons, to increase or decrease contrast as desired.

Abstract: In a ring-structured data communication network, in which plural data processing systems exchange data and control information on a full duplex peer to peer basis, systems are presently architected to assign at least three I/O subchannels (i.e. at least three device addresses) to respective ring interface adapters. At least two of these subchannels are dedicated for providing separate input paths from the ring to at least two associated program-assignable areas in their system's main store, and a third of these subchannels is dedicated as an output path from the system's store to the ring. Collectively, these subchannels can sustain two input transfer processes and one output transfer process concurrently. One of these input processes is associatable with a locked mode of adapter operations which provides a non-blockable path for data transfer from a selected (remote) station on the ring to the respective system's main store.

Abstract: A method of initializing non-synchronous peer-to-peer data communication rings, and for effecting error recovery in such networks. On detection of error, each station operates in a purging configuration to clear the ring. In the purging configuration the station's receiving circuits are isolated and its transmitting circuits transmit "clear" signals containing this station's own address as destination. These signals serve to purge all potentially erroneous information in all upstream stations which then are operationally connected to that station. If a loss condition is persistent the station operates first in a "bypass" configuration for a third predetermined time interval, then in the purging configuration for the second time interval, and then resumes normal operation. In the bypass configuration the station's ring input is connected directly to its output and the (locally clocked) output of its transmitting circuits is connected to the input of its receiving circuits.

Abstract: In a loop-structured communication system interconnecting a plurality of data processors without central controller, stations comprise modems which can start loop operation and achieve synchronous frame transmission around the loop through all participating stations.In an initialization procedure after system start or after loss of frame synchronization on the loop, modems select a temporary master station.The temporary master will adapt total loop delay to be an integer multiple of the basic frame period, and will transmit available frames. All active modems adapt their timing to the circulating stream of frames until the whole loop and all participating stations are synchronized.Synchronization conditions are continuously monitored in all stations to start resynchronization or initialization procedures if necessary. In a specific arrangement, the location of a loop failure which prevents establishment of synchronization can be determined.