Abstract: A Web page function that enables the interactive user to simply annotate a received Web document/page with text and graphics entries that may be stored separately from the stored Web page so that the annotations track the stored Web page, and may be subsequently accessed and displayed whenever the Web page is accessed and displayed. As a result, it is not necessary for the user to do any editing in the HTML format of the Web page that remains unchanged. Apparatus at a receiving display station for displaying the received hypertext document, and an implementation for superimposing a transparent displayed layer over the displayed received hypertext document, and user interactive apparatus enabling the entry of displayed data into said superimposed layer relative to said underlying displayed hypertext document. The received document is customarily a hypertext markup language document, and the displayed data entered into said superimposed layer is not defined in hypertext markup language.

Abstract: Extending the function of a conventional VCR to both do digital recording and to convert analog tape VCR cassette recordings to a digital format without any apparatus modification of the conventional VCR. A portable video recording device comprises a video cassette housing adapted to operatively engage a video cassette recorder, i.e. the VCR requires no modification; the VCR in effect thinks that it is receiving a conventional VCR cassette. The inserted cassette housing comprises a set of read-write heads for operatively engaging an opposing set of read-write heads in said video cassette recorder; disk-drive storage apparatus operatively connected to said cassette read-write heads; and apparatus for controlling said disk-drive storage apparatus to play and record video data through said video cassette recorder.

Abstract: A method and program wherein the whole received integrated data stream representative of the entire set of scheduled television programs for the time period on a corresponding set of designated frequency channels is provided by a service provider, received and stored within a user's personal video recorder in its integrated and compressed form. As a result, for at least a period of time until the storage capacity of the disk drive apparatus on which the integrated data stream is stored, and the data stream has to be dumped on a first-in/first-out basis, the viewer is enabled to extract any stored television program from the integrated data for viewing or for conventional rerecording for future viewing.

Abstract: The user at a receiving display station is enabled to make an overall scan of a sequence of Web documents developed in a search of the Web, and to select and save hyperlinks that appear to be of potential interest from any or all of the sequence of Web documents. A user is enabled to selectively move hyperlinks from any of a sequence of hypertext documents to a display window to thereby compile a list of hyperlinks having potential interest. The user is then enabled to subsequently select hyperlinks from said list to thereby access the linked hypertext documents; i.e. the user may subsequently, at his convenience, browse through the hyperlinks that he has selected and saved. A window is set aside on the display for the display of the saved hyperlinks. Conveniently, the means to selectively move hyperlinks include means for dragging selected hyperlinks from their hypertext documents and dropping the hyperlinks into the display window.

Abstract: A keyboard having keys in or on which are situated changeable display elements, e.g., LCD, LED, LEP or the like, so that an image displayed on the display element is viewable on the keycap surface by a user.

Abstract: An apparatus, system and method for booting a data processing system from a removable medium is provided. With the apparatus, system and method, a boot sequence is started to a point at which a file system is available. At that time, driver files and registry information is copied from the data processing system to the removable medium. The boot sequence is then restarted using the driver files and registry information copied. In this way, a removable medium, having application data and user defined setting information, may be used to customize a plurality of different data processing systems while still providing the user access to the particular data processing system configuration and peripheral devices of the data processing system. Thus, the user's customized settings provide a system interface that is familiar to the user while being able to make use of different hardware devices.

Abstract: A method, system and program for conducting user surveys and electronic interviews that has greater flexibility in determining sets of questions to be generated, and does not require the downloading of a whole Java object oriented program at a client display station. An implementation for accessing and displaying at a client display station a hypertext document including a plurality of survey questions having user selectable answers, and for triggering, by at least one of said answers, a hyperlink to a dynamically generated hypertext document including a different plurality of questions also having user selectable answers. There also in an implementation for generating such a dynamically generated hypertext document. The survey and, consequently, the hypertext documents may be readily available from the World Wide Web or other network sources.

Abstract: An advance over the above-discussed prior art that involves continuously monitoring automobile operations, performance and operating conditions from the remote diagnostic centers through continuous wireless transmissions so that faults may be immediately recognized and corrected or the operator warned or actions remotely initiated to limit or prevent damage or safety hazards.

Abstract: A data structure to aid in and a method, system, and computer program product for prefetching data from a data cache are provided. In one embodiment, the data structure includes a prediction history field, a next line address field, and a data field. The prediction history field provides information about the success of past data cache address predictions. The next line address field provides information about the predicted next data cache lines to be accessed. The data field provides data to be used by the processor. When a data line in the data cache is accessed by the processor, determines the value of a prediction history field and the value of a next line address field. If the prediction history field is true, then the next line address in the next line address field is prefetched. Based on whether the next line actually utilized by the processor matches the next line address in the next line address field, the contents of the prediction history field and the next line address filed are modified.

Abstract: Enabling the server systems managing E-mail distribution, as well as the server systems managing Web site document distribution to selectively reduce the quality of images in E-mail and Web pages in order to maintain effective transmission and storage of such electronic documents. An implementation in the document transmission path intermediate the document sources and the receiving display stations determines the number of colors in the color palettes of images in transmitted documents, and a device responsive to the determination selectively converts these color palettes to color palettes having a lower number of colors for said images. Then, an implementation transmits the documents having these converted color palettes. There is also a storage device in the document transmission path intermediate the sources and the receiving display stations for storing the documents having the converted color palettes with a lower number of colors for the images.

Abstract: A method and system for transmitting video data are disclosed. The method includes receiving a first video image and comparing the first video image to at least one stock image where each of the stock images is associated with a corresponding index value. If a match between at least a portion of the first video image and one of the at least one stock images is detected, the index value corresponding to the matching stock image is transmitted over a transmission medium. In one embodiment, the method further includes receiving the transmitted index value and generating the corresponding stock image from the index value. The method of may further includes comparing the first video image with a set of stock images. If it is determined that the first image does not match to any of the set of stock images, then a new index value is assigned to the first image and the first image is added to the set of stock images.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer instructions for compressing data. A segment of data within the data to be compressed is selected. A determination is made as to whether the data segment matches a previous segment within the data based on a transform performed on the data segment. The data segment of data is replaced with a code word in response to a determination that a match is present between the data segment and the previous data segment. These steps are repeated for subsequent data segments within the data until all of the data has been processed to form compressed data.

Abstract: An apparatus, method, and system for determining the shape of a three dimensional object. In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus includes an array of sensors and elastic connections between the sensors within the array. When placed over a three dimensional object, the array of sensors deforms to conform to the surface topology of the three dimensional object. The sensors are connected to a data processor in which the data from the sensors is taken to construct a three-dimensional representation of the actual physical three dimensional object.

Abstract: An apparatus, method, and system for determining the shape of a three dimensional object. In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus includes an array of sensors and elastic connections between the sensors within the array. When placed over a three dimensional object, the array of sensors deforms to conform to the surface topology of the three dimensional object. The sensors are connected to a data processor in which the data from the sensors is taken to construct a three-dimensional representation of the actual physical three dimensional object.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer instructions for compressing data. A segment of data within the data to be compressed is selected. A determination is made as to whether the data segment matches a previous segment within the data based on a transform performed on the data segment. The data segment of data is replaced with a code word in response to a determination that a match is present between the data segment and the previous data segment. These steps are repeated for subsequent data segments within the data until all of the data has been processed to form compressed data.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer instructions for managing streaming media data. A graphical user interface having a set of controls for use in managing a media data stream is presented. User input is received for use in managing the media data stream in which the user input includes an identification of a source of the media data stream, a start time, and a desired format. The media data stream is requested using the start time and the identification of the source. The media data stream is converted into the desired format to form a formatted media data stream. The formatted media data stream is then stored on a storage media.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer instructions for controlling presentation of an audio broadcast. Presentation of the audio broadcast is ceased in response to detecting a mobile phone call. The audio broadcast is recorded to form recorded audio presentation data in response to detecting the mobile phone call. The recorded audio presentation data is presented when the mobile phone call ends.

Abstract: A data processing system input pointing device is described. The input pointing device includes a control device on a side of the device. The control device may be used to control an audio output of the data processing system in response to a movement of the control device.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for converting an instruction and data trace to an executable program are provided. The apparatus and method are used to convert an instruction and data trace to an executable binary program that may then be used on a new computer system such that the simulations and the final computer both have similar run characteristics for a true comparison. The apparatus and method traverse a linear sequence of trace instructions to replace register names with unique labels and propagate these unique labels through the trace instructions. Thereafter, the trace instructions are traversed in a reverse direction to calculate register values based on the value of conditional branch registers. The resulting register values and corresponding memory addresses are then assembled into an executable program.

Abstract: Proximity of a mobile phone to a preferred phone is detected by radio frequency or Bluetooth equipped device, triggering automatic forwarding of calls for the mobile phone to the preferred telephone number. Automatic forwarding without user intervention can facilitate use of hands-free devices in vehicles and allow receipt of phone calls to mobile phone on regular lines in a home or office situation.