Abstract: An apparatus and method for determining a program neighborhood of a client node in a client-server network is described. The program neighborhood of the client node includes application programs hosted by application servers on the network. The present invention enables a user of a client node to learn of these application programs. The user is not required to know where to find such applications or to manually establish links to such applications. To make the client node aware of its program neighborhood, a host server collects application-related information corresponding to application programs hosted by the servers in the network. The application-related information can include the application name, the server location of the application, minimum capabilities required of client nodes for executing the application, and those users who are authorized to use that application. User credentials are received from the client system. The user credentials are used to filter the application-related information.

Abstract: A headset is constructed to generate an acoustically distinct speech signal in a noisy acoustic environment. The headset positions a pair of spaced-apart microphones near a user's mouth. The microphones each receive the user's speech, and also receive acoustic environmental noise. The microphone signals, which have both a noise and information component, are received into a separation process. The separation process generates a speech signal that has a substantial reduced noise component. The speech signal is then processed for transmission. In one example, the transmission process includes sending the speech signal to a local control module using a Bluetooth radio.

Abstract: In a real-time auction user interface display, the user may select to participate in multiple auctions simultaneously in which case the user interface divides the display screen into different areas and displays information about an ongoing auction in each of the different display areas. The user may select which auction to display in which display area. Each of the auction display areas are updated independently based on information provided by multiple disparately-located auctions.

Abstract: A gas supply system is disclosed. The gas supply system includes a housing, a spool, a gas tube, at least one opening, a retract mechanism and a holding member. The spool is configured within the housing. The gas tube is retractably wound on the spool and includes a first end portion and a second end portion capable of being connected to a gas supply and a nasal cannula respectively. The at least one opening is configured on the housing for enabling at least one of the first end portion and the second end portion of the gas tube to extend out of the housing. The retract mechanism is configured in the housing and is capable of retracting a portion of the gas tube extended out of the housing. The holding member extends from the housing and enables the gas supply system to be removably mounted on a supporting member.

Abstract: The utilization of thermoplastic materials for fragrance tagging of products and fragrance enhanced packaging.

Abstract: A headset is constructed to generate an acoustically distinct speech signal in a noisy acoustic environment. The headset positions a pair of spaced-apart microphones near a user's mouth. The microphones each receive the user s speech, and also receive acoustic environmental noise. The microphone signals, which have both a noise and information component, are received into a separation process. The separation process generates a speech signal that has a substantial reduced noise component. The speech signal is then processed for transmission. In one example, the transmission process includes sending the speech signal to a local control module using a Bluetooth radio.

Abstract: Techniques for bandwidth management and flow control on a resilient packet ring (RPR) network is described. The RPR requires allocation and guarantee of a bandwidth for each channel between two nodes on the ring. The bandwidth is managed by shaping traffic on a channel at the source by using a bandwidth allocation factor calculated at each node. The bandwidth allocation factor, which is communicated to other nodes, is calculated by using a recursive nonlinear function of the transit buffer size.

Abstract: A packet processing device has an on-board match engine memory. Actions to be taken on a packet can be looked up in the match engine memory using a key comprising a match engine index and a protocol field from the packet. The match engine index is obtained from either a relatively small on-board parser memory or a larger context memory. The parser memory contains match engine indices for sparse protocols. Performance approaching that of hard-wired packet processors can be obtained. New protocols or changes in protocols can be accommodated by writing new values into the match engine, parser and context memories. The packet processing device can be provided in a pipelined architecture.

Abstract: A policing technique for a telecommunications traffic of variable length packets is described. The technique uses a plurality of police engines, grouped in pairs. A selection module selects a police engine pair to process a packet. Each police engine contains a conformance unit, credit unit and a debit unit, in which the credit update of one police engine influences the credit update of the other police engine in the pair. The technique also uses a combinatorial function to decide on a category of a processed packet and which police engines to update their debit units.

Abstract: In a real-time auction user interface display, the user may select to participate in multiple auctions simultaneously in which case the user interface divides the display screen into different areas and displays information about an ongoing auction in each of the different display areas. The user may select which auction to display in which display area. Each of the auction display areas are updated independently based on information provided by multiple disparately-located auctions.

Abstract: A system and method for adaptively assigning queue service weights to an ATM traffic management controller in order to reduce service weight update calculations. The implementation of a fair weighted queuing scheme on a network is divided into two functions: queue arbitration; and queue weight configuration. Queue arbitration is performed via a virtual time-stamped fair queuing algorithm. The queue weight configuration is performed via a reconfigurable weighted fair queuing controller wherein bandwidth requirements are calculated in response to connection setup and release values.

Abstract: A live auction or other sales transaction permits sellers to dynamically participate from remote locations. The remotely-located seller receives a simulcast of the auction in progress and is able to at any time indicate to the auctioneer an approval to sell an item on the block at the current high bid price. The remote seller may also send a counteroffer to the current high bidder, “if” the sale or reject the high bid to result in a no sale. The computer system detects when the remote seller is temporarily inactive to allow the auctioneer to proceed as if the seller were not present. The remote seller feature can be used on sales with remote buyers, sales with all buyers located at the same location as the goods being offered, or a combination.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for determining a program neighborhood of a client node in a client-server network is described. The program neighborhood of the client node includes application programs hosted by application servers on the network. The present invention enables a user of a client node to learn of these application programs. The user is not required to know where to find such applications or to manually establish links to such applications. To make the client node aware of its program neighborhood, a host server collects application-related information corresponding to application programs hosted by the servers in the network. The application-related information can include the application name, the server location of the application, minimum capabilities required of client nodes for executing the application, and those users who are authorized to use that application. User credentials are received from the client system. The user credentials are used to filter the application-related information.

Abstract: In accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention, a method and system for providing combined processing of cell traffic and packet traffic is described. For a communication device, the improved system provides a series of inputs on a single line card for processing both ATM traffic (e.g., native ATM or encapsulated packets) and packet traffic. The system receives the cell traffic and packet traffic, then converts them into a common form. The converted traffic traverses the fabric, then the system reconstitutes the converted traffic into its original form. The system provides output as ATM traffic or packet traffic, as originally received.

Abstract: The present invention provides improved methods for conducting living/controlled polymerization on polymeric solid supports. The improved methods allow polymerization to occur directly from the non-functionalized surface of a bulk support. In addition, polymerization may be re-initiated to provide co-polymers. The disclosed methods may employ the non-nitroxide-based RAFT and ATRP control agents that allow controlled polymerization to proceed at relatively low temperatures (<80° C.). Furthermore, these improved methods may provide graft polymers with decreased levels of “in-growth” of the bulk solid support. The invention also provides substrate polymers, with improved properties for solid phase synthesis and diagnostic applications, which may be made by the disclosed methods.

Abstract: A system and method for managing high speed traffic though switching elements in a digital network such as an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) network. The system applies in particular to available bit rate (ABR) and unspecified bit rate (UBR) categories of service in an ATM network. ABR traffic incorporates resource management cells (RM) in a feed back loop from destination to source for the purpose of carrying explicit rate (ER) congestion control information. Lookup tables are provided in order to quickly provide ER information to the RM cells. UBR traffic is subject to cell discard in the event of congestion. Lookup tables are provided in order to fairly apply an early packet discard (EPD) algorithm.

Abstract: Techniques for bandwidth management and flow control on a resilient packet ring (RPR) network is described. The RPR requires allocation and guarantee of a bandwidth for each channel between two nodes on the ring. The bandwidth is managed by shaping traffic on a channel at the source by using a bandwidth allocation factor calculated at each node. The bandwidth allocation factor, which is communicated to other nodes, is calculated by using a recursive nonlinear function of the transit buffer size.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for shaping ATM cell traffic emitted onto a virtual path connection in an ATM network are described. Component virtual channel connections are arbitrated at an aggregation point utilizing an arbitration technique. The technique provides both virtual path shaping and controllability of underlying virtual channel connections with an improved fairness performance amongst all the aggregating virtual channel connections.

Abstract: The method and system for buffering packets such as ATM cells at a queueing point of a device which employs a connection-orientated communications protocol includes the steps of logically partitioning a memory into plural reserved buffer spaces allocated to traffic classes and a shared buffer space available to any connection; determining whether to store or discard a given packet based on predetermined discard criteria; and filling the reserved buffer space to a predetermined state of congestion before storing the given packet in the shared buffer space. Reserved buffer space congestion states are defined with respect to individual connections, groups of connections, and the total capacity of the reserved buffer space itself. Packets are discarded when any, or alternatively a specific combination, of corresponding congestion states occur, and the shared space is congested as well.