Abstract: An apparatus and method for providing control of a picture within a picture display device having at least two windows that receive input from two different computers. The present invention permits a user to use input devices from one of these computers to control cursor movements in all windows. Moreover, the present invention allows data and images to be cut and pasted between the windows. The apparatus of the present invention includes a PWP control module that resides on each of the computers connected to the PWP display device. The PWP control device provides cursor control on the PWP display device and communicates cursor movements to the appropriate computer, depending on the cursor location. Moreover, the PWP control module includes a buffer for storing cut and paste data such that a common buffer is used to store cut and paste data from each computer.

Abstract: A system and a method for prefetching portions of a web page based on preferences learned from previous visits to the web page. The present invention includes a smarter prefetching technique that determines whether a user prefers certain sub-pages of the web page and, if so, then prefetches these preferred sub-pages prior to the other sub-pages of the web page. The set of preferred sub-pages is generated by analyzing the user's actions during previous visits to the web page. The present invention can be customized to expand or contract its ability to “learn” user preferences. In general, the system of the present invention includes a client computer having a prefetch module that performs prefetching of the web page and a learned preferences prefetch module that instructs the prefetch module which portions of the web page to prefetch. The prefetch method of the present invention includes prefetching a set of preferred sub-pages of a web page based on learned user preferences.

Abstract: A method and system for creating and managing a plurality of storage devices in a computer network. The present invention creates a common root storage device, which stores files that are shared among several computers in the network, and a custom root storage device, which store files specific to a single computer. The method of the present invention includes creating common and custom root storage devices within the network, recognizing these devices during startup (boot) of a network computer and updating the common root storage devices as needed. In a preferred embodiment, multiple common root storage devices are used so that an alternate common root storage device may be updated while the primary common root storage device is in use. The present invention also includes a system for creating and managing storage devices on computers within the computer network using the aforementioned methods.

Abstract: The present invention is embodied in a system and method for automatically configuring dialing properties of a telephone, such as a landline or mobile telephone. In general, the present invention allows a user's most often called outgoing and received incoming numbers to be easily dialed, even as the user's calling patterns change. This is accomplished by automatically and dynamically tracking, sorting, organizing and displaying the most frequently called and received telephone numbers without requiring preprogramming of the telephone. Namely, as a number is dialed less or more often, it's place in the organized hierarchy is represented.