Abstract: An assembly, composed of long foamed tubing, with a soft inner surface and a smooth outer surface, so configured that it covers and minimizes the problem of snare points on equipment in contact with a protective covering tarpaulin. Protective tarpaulin are generally made of fabric or synthetic sheets. They can be made waterproof by impregnating them with various water proofing agents as well as being coated with a variety of natural or synthetic coatings such as acrylic or synthetic rubberized latices. Synthetic tarpaulins can be reinforced with a fiber matrics, if needed and used for example to cover pleasure boats, construction equipment, flatbed trucks, construction sites, airplanes, cars and trucks, where one wishes to protect from environmental exposure. Yet in spite of these intentions, these sheets exhibit significant defects in that they can be readily ripped and torn on the sharp and protruding edges of the equipment that they are intended to protect.

Abstract: A compare sequence is executed at least once, and the results of that execution are used to modify the compare sequence for a subsequent execution of the compare sequence. In a preferred embodiment, the compare sequence is modified by placing the TRUE compare statement of the previous execution at the beginning of the compare sequence. In another preferred embodiment, the compare sequence is reordered in descending order of the number of TRUE compares associated with each compare statement. The compare sequence may be immediately modified after each successful compare, or the customer may define external sampling periods for modification of the compare sequences. The modification may be a single program modification of compare structures for delayed modification or a global modification of programs for delayed modification.

Abstract: An apparatus an method are disclosed for dividing a two-dimensional matrix of pixels into at least first and second areas. For each pixel, it is determined in which the area the pixel is located. Then, the pixels in the first area are processed according to a first processing/compression scheme, and the pixels in the second area are processed according to a second processing/compression scheme. A data bit stream is generated which represents the processed/compressed pixels and their associated areas, and the data bit stream can be stored or transmitted in lieu of the entire matrix of pixels. If desired, the pixels in the first area can be processed less frequently than the pixels in the second area, and the areas themselves can be established in response to the frequency of variations in the pixel values.

Abstract: A method and implementing computer system are provided in which screensavers are used to lock a workstation and present an eye-pleasing display while the user is away from the workstation. Users are enabled to select from a plurality of screensaver types which are applied in a screensaver mode. The screensaver displays include application indicia representative of work-in-progress when a screensaver mode was activated. The application indicia can be selectively obscured to hide work which may be of a sensitive or proprietary nature.

Abstract: A graphical pointing device and method for controlling a graphical pointer displayed within a display device of a data processing system are disclosed. The graphical pointing device includes a transducer, which converts manipulation of the graphical pointing device into electrical signals utilized by a data processing system to move a graphical pointer displayed within a display device. In addition, the graphical pointing device includes a graphical pointer speed control for varying a relationship between the electrical signals and manipulation of the graphical pointing device, thereby enabling the graphical pointer to be moved within the display device at various speeds by differing adjustments of the graphical pointer speed control without modifying programming within the data processing system.

Abstract: A data processor controlled user interactive display system for displaying hypertext documents, each including a sequence of display screen pages including text and image information received over a communications network such as the World Wide Web by first determining the more significant page edge based upon the horizontal direction in which the natural language of the text is read. Visual information density at a sequence of horizontal positions in a medial direction with respect to said significant page edge is then sampled, and each sequential sample of said visual information is compared to a selected density level. As a result of this comparison, the visual information in the window is positioned with respect to a reference margin determined by a sample of said visual information attaining said selected density level.

Abstract: In a computer controlled user interactive display, a system is provided for controlling cursor movement on the display screen involving a user activated cursor control device connected to said computer movable in the four orthogonal directions. The system has conventional means for converting the user activated orthogonal movements into cursor movements in said orthogonal directions on said display screen and user interactive means for scaling said cursor movements in each of said four orthogonal directions relative to the corresponding movements in said cursor control device. The invention is particularly directed to such cursor movement rate scaling in respective windows.

Abstract: A window hatch is created in a displayed window. Once the hatch is created, a portion of the displayed window delimited by the hatch disappears, revealing the window underneath. Multiple invocations of the hatch operation bore through lower, underlying windows until the desired window is reached. Thus, portions of the desired underlying window show through the window hatch, while the top window remains in view. The window hatch can be adjusted in size and shape. The underlying window can be repositioned so that the desired information shows through the hatch. Various navigation and information cues are available to assist the user in understanding the relationship of the various windows and correctly positioning the window hatch.

Abstract: An improved pointer device, such as a mouse, for a computer system having a video display that uses a moving graphical pointer. The pointer device has switches or dials that allow independent adjustment of mouse speed and acceleration. Separate adjustments can be made for X and Y axes of motion of the mouse. Since the adjustment functionality is built into the hardware of the mouse, the mouse user is able to easily configure mouse behavior without navigating various menus and panels in software drivers, providing functionality which may not otherwise be available on the user's system.

Abstract: A widget, a predefined region of a graphical display, and a graphical pointer or cursor are displayed on the display device. A user may define a gravitational widget where traversal rates are not constant on the display. In addition, relationships may be defined which correlates manipulation of the graphical pointing device, the movement of the graphical pointer and a widget. Certain users may be denied access to one or more widgets. When the graphical pointer contacts the border of the widget, the graphical pointer may be denied access to the widget by controlling the graphical pointer. Control of the graphical pointer is accomplished through a defined relationship or action rule.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed that allow rapid positioning of a cursor within a data processing system graphical user interface. The method involves establishing a preferred order of the cursor movement between at least a subset of windows with all windows active on the data processing system and then repositioning the cursor based upon the preferred order of the cursor movement between the windows when an input stimulus is activated. Next, the window is then activated based on the cursor being repositioned and then giving the activated window the focus within the graphical user interface, which then leads to the activated window being prepared for date manipulation. The apparatus comprises a keyboard coupled to the data processing system, a pointer device, also coupled to the data processing system, and means for establishing a user definable window application order preference queue.

Abstract: A method for rapid positioning of a display pointer on a display screen may be accomplished by establishing a preferred order of display pointer movement between widgets when the particular screen location of the widgets is known. Having established the preferred order, the display pointer is automatically repositioned based on the preferred order when an input stimulus is activated. The input stimulus may be activated by a function of the keyboard, mouse, or any other input devices that may be used in association with a computer.

Abstract: A method and system are disclosed for controlling the movement of a graphical pointer displayed within a display device of a data processing system having a graphical pointing device. According to the present invention, a widget, a predefined region within a graphical display, and a graphical pointer are displayed within the display device of the data processing system. When the graphical pointer is displayed at positions within the widget, a first relationship correlates manipulation of the graphical pointing device and movement of the graphical pointer within the display device. Conversely, when the graphical pointer is displayed at positions without the widget, a second relationship correlates manipulation of the graphical pointing device and movement of the graphical pointer within the display device.

Abstract: A method and system are disclosed for positioning a graphical pointer displayed within a widget displayed within the display device of a data processing system having a graphical pointing device. According to the present invention, a widget, a predefined region of a graphical display, and a graphical pointer are displayed within the display device. A first relationship is defined which correlates manipulation of the graphical pointing device and movement of the graphical pointer when the graphical pointer is within a first region within the widget. A second relationship is also defined which correlates manipulation of the graphical pointing device and movement of the graphical pointer when the graphical pointer is within a second region within the widget.

Abstract: Three separate methods are used to provide the user with sounds that help the user understand where a particular current position is relative to a "location of interest" (LOI) within the viewable object. First, the user is able to use sound marks to mark specific LOIs within viewable objects so that the user may return to those LOIs at a later time. Second, the user is provided with view regions which aurally indicate the LOS of frequeuntly used portions of the viewable object. Lastly, the user is given an aural indication of the current position of the position identifier relative to the viewable object as a whole. This is called relational positioning. Each type of aural LOI indication can be presented to the user regardless of how the user is moving through the viewable object.

Abstract: A computer system and method for efficiently managing Write Once Read Mostly (WORM) volumes on mass optical storage devices are disclosed. A configuration menu asks the user to enter a threshold percentage from 1-100%. The threshold percentage is multiplied by the volume size to determine a threshold block address. New files are written sequentially to the WORM volume up to but not exceeding the threshold block address, unless a threshold override indicator is enabled. Space on the WORM volume between the threshold block address and the end of the WORM volume is reserved for updated files. Updated files can be stored anywhere on the WORM volume, including above the threshold block address. Reserving space for updated files on a WORM volume allows more updated files to be stored on the same WORM volume as original files, and reduces the number of optical disks required to be read.

Abstract: An optical storage arrangement is provided where a unified optical disk, or other optical media, has separate Read/Write (R/W) and Write Once Read Many (WORM) areas. A Read/Write head or transducer selectively records data only once in the WORM area but records and re-records data in the R/W area. Both areas can be selectively read repetitively. The WORM area is used to store data records and the R/W area contains directories for the data records recorded in the WORM area.

Abstract: A dynamic progress marker icon is disclosed that dynamically changes to mark the progress of a task. In this manner, the user is kept informed of the status of a task being performed without resorting to language sensitive messages such as "Now processing object number 12 of 100" . The icon does not require a graphics display to be used and therefore can be used on both graphics and non-graphics displays. The icon of the prepared embodiment has five rows consisting of four percent (%) symbols surrounded by a border. At the beginning of a task, a task monitor quantifies the task into substantially equivalent task work units. All twenty "%" symbols are present and displayed to the user. When the task monitor determines that one task work unit has completed, one "%" symbol is replaced in the icon by a replacement character, such as a blank or null character.