Abstract: The present invention provides a method for handling reordered data packets. A method comprises receiving a data packet and determining if the data packet is received out of order. The method further comprises delaying transmission of an acknowledgement indicating that a data packet is missing in response to determining that the data packet is received out of order.

Abstract: A method, system, and program for monitoring thread usage to dynamically control a thread pool are provided. An application running on the server system invokes a listener thread on a listener socket for receiving client requests at the server system and passing the client requests to one of multiple threads waiting in a thread pool. Additionally, the application sends an ioctl call in blocking mode on the listener thread. A TCP layer within the server system detects the listener thread in blocking mode and monitors a thread count of at least one of a number of incoming requests waiting to be processed and a number of said plurality of threads remaining idle in the thread pool over a sample period. Once the TCP layer detects a thread usage event, the ioctl call is returned indicating the thread usage event with the thread count, such that a number of threads in the thread pool may be dynamically adjusted to handle the thread count.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer implemented instructions for processing a bill in an automatic teller machine. The bill is scanned to form a bill image in which the bill includes a markup language providing payment information. Optical character recognition is performed on the bill image to identify the payment information. The bill is processed using the payment information. Bills, such as water bills, mortgages, credit card statements, and tax bills may be made in this manner.

Abstract: A method, system, and program for monitoring thread usage to dynamically control a thread pool are provided. An application running on the server system invokes a listener thread on a listener socket for receiving client requests at the server system and passing the client requests to one of multiple threads waiting in a thread pool. Additionally, the application sends an ioctl call in blocking mode on the listener thread. A TCP layer within the server system detects the listener thread in blocking mode and monitors a thread count of at least one of a number of incoming requests waiting to be processed and a number of said plurality of threads remaining idle in the thread pool over a sample period. Once the TCP layer detects a thread usage event, the ioctl call is returned indicating the thread usage event with the thread count, such that a number of threads in the thread pool may be dynamically adjusted to handle the thread count.

Abstract: A method and computer program for resetting the value of a coupon based on market information is provided. The program receives a request for valuation of a coupon from a retailer, accesses market demand information for a product corresponding to the coupon, determines a market demand value based on the market demand information, determines a coupon value based on the market demand value, and provides the coupon value to the retailer.

Abstract: A method, system, and program for time controlled network use are provided. A time controller counts an amount of time utilized by a particular user in accessing at least one web page via a network. Then, in response to the counted amount of time reaching at least one time limit for the particular user, the time controller initiates an action to control further accesses via the network by the particular user, such that an amount of time the particular user spends making network accesses is limited.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer instructions for handling requests in a data processing system. A plurality of processes is provided to handle the requests. Each of the plurality of processes is assigned to handle requests from a subset of foreign ports within a plurality of foreign ports such that a set of foreign ports assigned to a process is unique with respect to other subsets of foreign ports within the plurality of foreign ports. A foreign port is identified in a request in response to receiving the request. The request is sent to a process assigned the subset of foreign ports having a match to the foreign port in the request, wherein the process handles the request.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for dynamic sharing of server network interface resources are provided. With the apparatus and method, when a master application server detects a heavy load condition on one or more network interfaces associated with the server computing device, the master application server spawns additional slave application subservers. The network interfaces are distributed across the slave application subservers and are bound to the network interfaces to which they are associated. The master application server continues to listen for traffic on a standard port of all network interfaces. When a new communication connection request is received via a port associated with a network interface, the slave application subserver associated with the network interface will first process the new communication connection request without having to have the master application server route the data packet to the slave application subserver.

Abstract: A method for enabling multi-tuple TCP sockets within a computer network is disclosed. All possible connection paths between a first computer and a second computer are initially determined. Then, tuple information of all the possible connection paths are stored in a respective socket of the first and second computers as multi-tuple information. Next, one of the possible connection paths is designated as a preferred path and the remaining possible connection paths are designated as alternate paths. Finally, data packets are transmitted via the preferred path after a TCP connection has been established between the first and second computers on the preferred path.

Abstract: A system and method for gathering data regarding receivers of multicast content is provided. A spanning tree is used to connect a content producer, such as a pay-per-view broadcaster, to one or more receivers over a computer network, such as the Internet. Clients that wish to join a multicast group to which content is sent join the multicast group at the client's designated multicast router. The router sends information regarding the request, such as a tally of the number of clients that have joined the group, through intermediate routers to an endpoint router as identified by the spanning tree. The content producer is able to use the information, such as the tally and demographic information, to analyze the group of receivers. In a pay-per-view setting, the tally can further be compared to the number of subscribers to determine whether illicit receivers have joined the group, whereupon appropriate action is taken.

Abstract: Responsive to detecting a need for a mobile device to transfer out of a first network, requests are sent from the mobile device to a communication endpoint in mSCTP. The first request is to stop transmissions to a first address of said mobile device. The second request is to add an intermediary address of a mobility support service designated for receiving any communications already in transmission when the first request is sent. The communication link for the mobile device is then transitioned from the current address at the first network to a second address at a second network. The first network and the second network are non-intersecting networks. The mobile device then indicates to the mobility support service that the handover from the first network to the second network is complete. The mobility support service responds to the completion by sending a third request in mSCTP to the communication endpoint to continue communication with the mobile client at the second address.

Abstract: This invention is a method and system for reserving a facility or service after the cancellation of an initial reservation for the facility of service. The system for this invention comprises a reservation center that contains reservation information about multiple facilities and services that available for use. This information includes times, quantity and quality of the facilities and services that are available. Also included in this reservation center is information about the users that are interested in reserving and using the currently reserved facility or service. The system of the present invention also includes remote devices that the potential users possess. The reservation center will use a particular remote device for a corresponding use to alert the user there has been a cancellation and that the facility or services is available for use by the alerted user. The primary user and all backup users can use the Internet capabilities to communicate with the reservation center.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for providing a fine granularity alerting mechanism for alerting customers of the status of an order are provided. With the apparatus and methods, a customer selects a supplier of a good or service and places an order with the supplier. Upon submitting the order to the supplier, a session between the supplier and the customer is initiated such that the customer may be provided with one or more alerts of the current status of the customer's order. The one or more alerts may be periodic or may be based on the occurrence of one or more certain events. The alerts may include an estimated time of travel from a customer's current location to a location at which the order is to be completed along with an estimated time of completion of the order.

Abstract: A method, program, and system for augmenting digital rights management are provided. The invention comprises associating two fields with an electronic document. The first field identifies the current owner of the electronic document, and the second field contains information about previous ownership of the electronic document. If ownership of the electronic document is transferred from the current owner to a subsequent owner, the current owner's name in the first field is replaced with the subsequent owner's name. In addition, information about the subsequent owner is added to the ownership history field.

Abstract: A method, system and apparatus for generating an XML document to represent network protocol packet exchanges are provided. Each data packet consists of different internal fields. The fields are identified are used to generate the XML document. Specifically, the different fields are used as tagged element of the XML document.

Abstract: A system and method for forwarding URL's to one or more recipients using a Wireless Access Protocol (WAP) network is provided. A mobile user views web pages on his WAP enabled wireless device, such as a mobile telephone or PDA. When the mobile user locates a web page that he prefers to view later or wants to send to another user, the mobile user invokes redirect software which composes a redirect request that includes one or more redirect entries. Each redirect entry corresponds to a redirect address and a URL. When the user finishes with selecting one or more redirect addresses, the mobile device sends the redirect request to a WAP gateway. The WAP gateway receives the redirect requests and forwards the redirect entries to the corresponding redirect addresses over a computer network, such as the Internet.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer instructions for processing a user input. A user input selecting an image on a page is detected. The image selected by the user input is sent to a server to perform a search in response to detecting the user input. The server performs object recognition analysis on the image to generate a text description of the image. Alternatively, the server may perform an image search for resources with similar images or properties. This text description, which may include one or more words, is used as the basis of the search. A result of the search is received in response to sending the image to the server to form a received result. The received result is displayed. Further, other contextual information associated with the image may be used in addition to or in place of the image in generating the search.

Abstract: A system and method for preventing at least in part a server overload. A server may send a request to one or more routers located on the server side of a network system to block, i.e., filter, packets of data that may exceed the capacity of the server to service. The one or more routers located on the server side may block, i.e., filter, those packets of data as well as propagate the request to block those packets of data to one or more neighboring routers which may be located on the client side of the network system. The one or more neighboring routers may then block those packets of data that may exceed the capacity of the server to service and/or propagate the request to block those packets of data to their one or more neighboring routers.

Abstract: An addressing method and a system for assigning network addresses such that access to a network resource remains local. This is accomplished by allocating a local network address in favor of a remote network address. A process executing on a processor makes a request for a network address. A local network address is located in memory of the processor executing the process. The local network address is assigned, if available. Otherwise, a remote network address located in the memory of another processor is assigned. Preferably, the network address request contains information about on which processor the requesting process is running. Using this information, the present invention is able to select a network address that resides in the local memory of that processor. The network address allocation system of the present invention includes a network address allocator that uses the method of the present invention as outlined above.

Abstract: A method, computer program, and data processing system for promoting an interactive discussion of lecture notes prior to an actual lecture using those notes is disclosed. An first client uploads lecture notes for perusal by students. If a student has a question regarding a particular section of the lecture notes, the student can post a question directed to that particular section of the notes. The first client is alerted that a question has been posted and may respond by modifying or augmenting the lecture notes as appropriate.