Abstract: A method for interfacing scanned product information with a source for the product over a global network. A method is provided for obtaining information regarding the source of a product from a remote information source location on a global communication network utilizing a product code associated with the product and unique thereto. The product code associated with the product is scanned with a scanner at a user location on the global communication network to extract the information contained in the unique product code therefrom. A unique scan ID code is associated with the scanning operation and a packet of information assembled that is comprised of the extracted product code and the unique scan ID code to provide a routing packet.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing a general purpose computing platform at a router on a network are disclosed. A virtual machine is configured on a router to include a set of parameters. The virtual machine receives logic from a remote site and verifies that it may host the logic based on the parameters created during configuration.

Abstract: Provided are a method, apparatus, system, and article of manufacture, wherein in certain embodiments a network adapter having an offload protocol stack receives a query. The offload protocol stack of the network adapter is configured to provide a programmable identity for the offload protocol stack of the network adapter. A response is generated to the query by processing the query in the configured offload protocol stack, wherein the response is based on the programmable identity. The generated response is sent by the network adapter.

Abstract: The invention makes it possible for a broadcasting station to easily obtain a total package program with advertisement constituted by a broadcast program and advertisement. A contents holder 200 registers a broadcasting program 210 on a condition that a royalty is to be paid for it when selected by an advertiser 300. An advertiser 300 selects an arbitrary broadcasting program 210 and registers broadcasting area information, broadcasting period information, and information regarding an advertisement in correspondence with the broadcasting program on a charged basis, thereby producing a total package program with advertisement 110.

Abstract: The present invention provides an automated mechanism for technicians located remotely from a network operations center to query a communications system for the status of communications paths. An automated capability is also provided for the remote management and testing of network components along a communications path in order to more efficiently diagnose network anomalies.

Abstract: A user uses a lurker to check a colleague's location electronically. If the colleague is at the location and a device is available for communicating with the colleague, a communications channel is established between a device near the lurker and the colleague's device, and communication can begin.

Abstract: A nonlinear site flow system (referred to herein as an “NLSF System”) includes a nonlinear site flow context development module that works in conjunction with Web session information captured by the NLSF System to develop a context of a user's session. In one embodiment, the context of a user's session refers to interpreting the context of a user's Web session history. A nonlinear site flow context development module detects nonlinear flow events and determines whether the user, by initiating a nonlinear site flow action, such as a recall operation, has created a new session state or returned to a past session state. The nonlinear site flow context development module can then correctly determine the actual user flow during a Web session and develop an accurate context of the user's session.

Abstract: A file server program that performs proper load distribution among a plurality of file servers. One of the plurality of file servers judges whether to perform a process in compliance with a request to manipulate a file on the basis of judgment conditions predefined for judging which process of processes performed by a cluster it should take charge of when it receives the request to manipulate a file of requests to manipulate a file sent to the plurality of file servers included in the cluster. If it judges that it must perform a process in compliance with the request to manipulate a file, it performs a process on a storage device which it manages in compliance with the request to manipulate a file.

Abstract: This invention is useful in a networked system with densely packaged servers or server blades. The servers are connected to a system management network, a communication network and an image server. A management module attached to the system management network and a network switch monitors and controls network booting from an image server on the communication network to prevent over commitment of network and image server resources in order to avoid a boot storm. The management module collects system information and calculates the number of servers or clients the networked system can boot at any one instant of time without burdening the system. The management module logic controls booting via the system management network and service processor elements, which can block server booting and release servers to boot when other servers have completed their boot process.

Abstract: A method establishes a connection between a source network with a source network resource manager and a target network with a target network resource manager. According to the method, a connection control unit of the source network transmits a connection establishment signal to a connection control unit of the target network and—parallel to this—a reservation request to the target network resource manager. The target network resource reserves the requested resources and forwards the reservation request towards the target network resource manager, which also reserves the requested resources and transmits reservation information regarding the success of the resource reservations to the connection control unit of the target network.

Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture, wherein in certain embodiments a request is received to initiate a session. A determination is made whether the session should be initiated with addressing information provided by a client. The session is initiated with trusted addressing information corresponding to the client, in response to determining that the session should not be initiated with the addressing information provided by the client.

Abstract: Techniques allow a client to be switched from a session on a server to another session on another server in a way that is a transparent to the application for which the initial session was established. Thus, under transparent session migration, a client is switched between sessions without executing application instructions tailored to accomplish the migration. Instead, a client-side interface component, through which the application interacts with the server, handles details of migration, modifying the internal state of the client-side interface component to effect the same. Legacy applications do not have to be modified in order to institute techniques described herein.

Abstract: A method for communicating data in a network environment is provided that includes receiving a request from an end user for a communications link, the request being used to initiate a communication session. A response is then received that is communicated to the end user in order to establish the communication session, the response being generated by a network node that was selected as a result of a loadbalancing decision. Port-level filtering for the communication session may then be invoked after the response such that separate data and signal pathways are established for selected information associated with the communication session.

Abstract: One or more server-side control objects provide server-side processing of postback input received from client-side user interface elements in a request from a client. Such input may include without limitation postback data and postback events generated from a web page on a client and received by a server in an HTTP request. A hierarchy of server-side control objects can cooperate to process the postback input and to generate the resulting authoring language code, such as HTML. Server-side events can also result from the server-side processing of postback input. In addition to processing postback input, server-side processing may include, without limitation, state management of server-side control objects and binding data to and from server-side database. After the processing and generating operations, the server-side control object hierarchy is terminated until a subsequent request is received from the client.

Abstract: A Short Range Connectivity Server (SRCS) is provided to manage transport connections. The SRCS is a standalone server that runs multiple service controllers using OBEX over Bluetooth and USB. The SRCS manages all transports enabling a transport plug in strategy to be adopted. This architecture provides a generic management mechanism to create and manage the transport layer connections. Modular design components enable Bluetooth and USB application development to be undertaken without requiring knowledge of the details of the individual transport protocols. This results in a completely transparent mechanism for application development regardless of transport. The SRCS is in charge of the higher layer services controllers. Additionally, a Service Controller framework is provided for Object Exchange Protocol (OBEX) related services.

Abstract: A data-providing system comprising a transmission/reproduction control (control 2) section 100A and a program-organizing control (control 3) section 100B. The transmission/reproduction control (control 2) section 100A transmits a continuous stream of content data that is a combination of the multimedia contents (program data 1), auxiliary data items (data 2) and additional auxiliary data items (data 3). The section 100B automatically organizes a new program by processing the attributes (data 4) of program data items generated by dividing a program, the attributes (data 5), each paired with auxiliary data item, the attributes (data 6), each paired with one additional auxiliary data item, and the profile of an user apparatus 10C. The transmission/reproduction control (control 2) section 100A changes the order in which the auxiliary data items to be inserted in the program data will be transmitted, in accordance with the new program organized by the program-organizing control (control 3) section 100B.

Abstract: The main challenge in providing video on demand service is to meet the quality of service requirements under the conditions when both server and network are loaded. Disclosed is a system and method for meeting this challenge by using a streaming overlay network with edge and core nodes, by the determination of best possible path for bulk copying of a video data based on location information of the nodes thereby distributing load across the network, by the simultaneous frame streaming and bulk copying of a video data, by the caching of a video data in the overlay network, and by the streaming of the video data to a client from an edge node that is close to the client.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for transmitting multimedia transport stream hierarchically and recovering the multimedia transmission stream are disclosed. The apparatus includes: an input matching unit for dividing the multimedia data transport stream into packets; a sequence number inserting unit for inserting a sequence number to the packet; an error check code (ECC) inserting unit for inserting an ECC to the sequence number inputted packet, to thereby generate a user packet; a layer information storing unit for storing layer information for the user packet; a layer dividing unit for dividing the user packet; a layer storing unit for storing the divided user packet in each layer; and a hierarchical framing and transmitting unit for generating a hierarchical transport frame by combining a predetermined number of the user packets with the layer information, and transmitting the hierarchical frame in a different transmission method for a different layer.

Abstract: Methods for streaming web content data via a computer-readable medium. The web content data comprises one or more media samples. The media samples are encoded in a streaming media format as a web component stream. The web component stream is combined with other component streams comprising additional data other than web content data into a presentation stream. The presentation stream is transmitted via a media server to a client. Rendering commands, which are included in one or more rendering samples encoded in the web component stream along with the media samples, coordinate synchronization between the media samples and the additional data when the client renders the presentation stream.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing accelerated data storage and retrieval utilizing lossless data compression and decompression. A data storage accelerator includes one or a plurality of high speed data compression encoders that are configured to simultaneously or sequentially losslessly compress data at a rate equivalent to or faster than the transmission rate of an input data stream. The compressed data is subsequently stored in a target memory or other storage device whose input data storage bandwidth is lower than the original input data stream bandwidth. Similarly, a data retrieval accelerator includes one or a plurality of high speed data decompression decoders that are configured to simultaneously or sequentially losslessly decompress data at a rate equivalent to or faster than the input data stream from the target memory or storage device. The decompressed data is then output at rate data that is greater than the output rate from the target memory or data storage device.

Abstract: A system for processing data packets in a data packet network has at least one input port for receiving data packets, at least one output port for sending out data packets, a processor for processing packet data, and a packet predictor for predicting a future packet based on a received packet, such that at least some processing for the predicted packet may be accomplished before the predicted packet actually arrives at the system. The system is used in preferred embodiments in Internet routers.

Abstract: A data transfer method is used to transfer data via a physical transfer system among a plurality of independently provided transmitter/receiver apparatuses. In the data transfer method, when data is transferred, a database of a transfer-scheduled transmitter/receiver is added to the data, and then the database-added data is transferred.

Abstract: A switch fabric includes input links, output links, and at least one switching element. The input links are configured to receive data items that include destination addresses. At least some of the data items have different priority levels. The output links are configured to output the data items. Each of the output links is assigned multiple ones of the destination addresses. Each of the destination addresses corresponds to one of the priority levels. The switching element(s) is/are configured to receive the data items from the input links and send the data items to ones of the output links without regard to the priority levels of the data items.

Abstract: In methods and apparatus for acquiring VPN reachability information at a node of a data network, a VPN reachability information request is transmitted from a requesting node. The VPN reachabinty information request comprises a VPN identifier. Other nodes of the data network receive the VPN reachability information request and, if they have reachability information relevant to that VPN, they transmit such information to the requesting node where it is received and stored. The invention can be used in MPLS VPN architectures.

Abstract: A method for creating a virtual MAC address, the method includes receiving an Internet Protocol address that is to be associated with a virtual MAC address. The method creates a virtual MAC address by setting an OUI portion of the virtual MAC address to an OUI value and setting the non-OUI portion of the virtual MAC address to a subset of the Internet Protocol (IP) address. In one embodiment, the lower three bytes of the IP address are used. Additionally, a method of migrating a virtual MAC address includes detecting a migration event on a first system; creating a virtual MAC address on a second system; and issuing a gratuitous ARP packet containing the virtual MAC address.

Abstract: Upon reception of a query about the address of a server from a client, a DNS server sends a query about the address of that server to an external DNS server. The DNS server checks based on the address obtained from the external DNS server if connection to the server can be established. If connection to the server cannot be established, and the DNS server receives a query about the address of the server, the DNS server returns a response indicating that the address is not available. When the address is returned before the check process, the DNS sever sets an expiration time shorter than that of the address of the server obtained from the external DNS server as the expiration time of the address of the server.

Abstract: A system and method for providing conversational (multi-modal) access to information over a communications network from any location, at any time, utilizing any type of client/access, through a conversational (multi-modal) portal. In one aspect, a conversational portal comprises a conversational (multi-modal) browser that is capable of conducting multi-modal dialog with client/access devices having varying input/output (I/O) modalities. The conversational browser retrieves information (such as content pages, applications) from an information source (e.g., content server) in response to a request from a requesting client/access device and then serves the retrieved information to the requesting client/access device in a format that is compatible with the I/O modalities of the requesting client/access device. In another aspect, the conversational portal provides multimedia access on demand.

Abstract: In a network environment that includes a plurality of nodes and that uses a markup language to create documents, a method for filtering the documents is provided. The method includes the step of, upon receiving a request from a requesting node among the plurality of nodes, constructing an input Document Object Model (DOM) based on a document corresponding to the request. The input DOM is stored. Elements of the input DOM that have previously been stored are identified. The input DOM is filtered to obtain a filtered DOM, based on at least one pre-specified rule being applied to the input DOM.

Abstract: A handheld device performs a data update process to synchronize locally stored data with data from another device, which may be stored in different formats. The handheld device gets the size of the data from the other device. The handheld device applies a scaling factor to the size. The handheld device compares the scaled size to the amount of free memory in the handheld device available for the data update process. The handheld device receives the update data if there is sufficient memory available. Otherwise, the handheld device does not receive the update data in order to conserve power in the handheld device. The handheld device can also perform an error routine to notify the user of the insufficient memory condition and to allow the user to make more memory available.

Abstract: Scheduling the processing of threads by scheduling a datagram from an input queue among a plurality of input queues to a thread for processing. The scheduling includes computing an output position in an output queue, communicating with a plurality of threads for processing, and assigning the datagram to one of said plurality of threads for processing. After processing the datagram, the processing thread enqueus the datagram in the output queues at the output position specified by the scheduled output position.

Abstract: A powerline network switch apparatus is coupled to a first datasource connection. The apparatus has a second datasource connection, which is coupled to the first data source connection. The apparatus also has a powerline device coupled to the second datasource connection. Preferably, the powerline device is adapted to receive and transmit information in a first format from the second data source connection and adapted to receive and transmit information in a second format. The apparatus also has a virtual local area network device including a first input/output port and a plurality of second input/output ports. Each of a plurality of modem devices is coupled respectively to one of the plurality of second input/output ports and each of the plurality of modem devices also being coupled to one of a plurality of power lines, capable of communicating information to and from the second data source connection.

Abstract: A micro-programmable filter (MFE) engine includes multiple programmable filter elements and a microcode controller. The filter elements can be configured, controlled, and combined in different ways to implement different types of filters. The MFE preferably supports multiple-execution instructions that allow a single instruction to perform multiple moves into accumulators for efficient data movement inside MFE.

Abstract: A boot menu is provided for manual setting of serial port parameters. A serial console mode menu allows an operator to set serial port parameter values. After the user selects the serial port parameters, when the controller continues with the boot process, the serial port is initialized with the newly selected parameters. A mechanism is also provided for manual setting of serial port parameters through an administrative management window at the host. In addition, an adaptive baud rate negotiation mechanism using the Universal Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter (UART) registers in the serial port is provided. The adaptive baud rate negotiation is based on the return characters received from a break character from the serial console. The mechanism uses a look-up table for the baud rate versus the bit pattern that is received. The mechanism then sets the baud rate based on the look-up table values.

Abstract: Architecture and method for the centralised control of events occurring in correspondence with remote peripheral electronic devices, in particular wireless devices, provided with radio units which are periodically turned on and turned off in order to limit electric power consumption to a minimum, said architecture and said method allowing for the synchronised bi-directional transmission of information between said peripheral devices and a central device.

Abstract: A method and apparatus embodied in transaction layer software suitable for use with serial bus devices, such as IEEE standard 1394 serial bus devices for supporting multiple link device drivers. The invention acquires or otherwise ascertains the capabilities of link devices and provides link device driver configurations to such link devices based on the link device's capabilities and behaviors, among other factors.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for interfacing a peripheral device corresponding to the detection of interface, which comprises: a regulator, for regulating the working voltage of the circuit of the apparatus; an USB physical layer with switch controller, for detecting and determining whether the interface to which the peripheral device is connected is an USB interface and thus being capable of enabling an USB mode of the apparatus; at least four pull-high switch resistors; and an analog switch, capable issuing an analog signal while the apparatus is in the USB mode; wherein the PS2 mode of the apparatus is enabled while the USB physical layer with switch controller detects no USB interface being connected to the peripheral device, and the mode of the apparatus is controlled by the interaction of the on/off statuses of the four pull-high switch resistors.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer-readable media track a state of communication between a PS/2 device and a PS/2 device driver within an EFI environment. The method involves receiving from an application, a request for data and in response to receiving the request, reading a state machine table within the PS/2 device driver to determine a last known state of communication associated with the PS/2 device. The last known state of communication is stored within the state machine table. The method also involves, based on the last known state stored, utilizing the state machine table to select and execute a routine to send a command, receive a reply from the PS/2 device to a command, change the state of communication when a condition is met, store changes in the last known state of communication, and/or pass control back to the application thereby reducing delay associated with waiting on slow PS/2 device replies.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for routing data in a radio data communication system having one or more host computers, one or more intermediate base stations, and one or more RF terminals organizes the intermediate base stations into an optimal spanning-tree network to control the routing of data to and from the RF terminals and the host computer efficiently and dynamically. Communication between the host computer and the RF terminals is achieved by using the network of intermediate base stations to transmit the data.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a storage device is disclosed. The storage device includes a port having one or more lanes and a direct memory access (DMA) Descriptor Manager (DM). The DM generates and tracks completion of descriptors. The DM includes a first completion lookup table to track one or more fields of an input/output (I/O) context received at a first lane.

Abstract: A data transfer control system that can change the way of DMA transfers to meet the requirements of each application. The data transfer control system includes a DMA controller (DMAC) and a DMAC memory dedicated for DMA control purposes. The DMAC performs DMA transfers according to a DMA program stored in the DMAC memory. Each time a new DMA request is received, the DMAC saves its parameters in a DMA request parameter table, and each DMA request parameter table is registered with a DMA request management table. In this way, the received DMA requests are queued in the DMA request management table. They are executed in a first-in first-out fashion. The progress of ongoing DMA transfers are managed in a DMA channel status table disposed for each DMA channel.

Abstract: An information handling system having a plurality of modular servers and input-output (I/O) modules use virtual bridge switches to couple any of the plurality of modular servers to any of the I/O modules. This allows the modular servers to have the I/O connectivity dictated by the computing environment rather than having a fixed I/O assignment. The modular servers and I/O modules may be coupled together through serial I/O interfaces. Input and output buffers may be used to manage data flow traffic and multiplexers may be used to steer data to the appropriate input and output buffers. Control logic may be used to control the multiplexers and a programmable I/O mapping table may be used to describe which modular servers are coupled to which I/O modules.

Abstract: When the destinations of local electrical signals are local computers, the local electrical signals are transmitted to the corresponding destination local computers via the keyboard video mouse (KVM) switch directly. When the destinations of the local electrical signals are remote computers, at least one network packet having multiple data sections for correspondingly storing the local electrical signals is generated by the current KVM switch referring to the local electrical signals. A communication is established among a plurality of the KVM switches using a network protocol, for communicating the network packets thereof. At least one remote electrical signal is obtained from another network packet transmitted by another KVM switch, and then is transmitted to the corresponding destination local computer.

Abstract: A method for new nodes to join a cluster in a serial sequence includes (a) a new node transmitting a first type of request to join the cluster and (b) the new node determining if it has to back off the first type of request. The new node has to back off if (1) it has received a second type of request to join the cluster from another new node, (2) it has received the first type of request with a higher sequence number from another new node, (3) it has received the first type of request with a lower node number from another new node, or (4) a member node of the cluster is in a busy state. The new node transmits the first type of request, receives the first type of request, and receives the second type of request through primary links to the new nodes and member nodes of the cluster.

Abstract: A system for parallel data transmission including a master device and a slave device is provided. The master device includes a first and a second I/O ports for outputting a read signal and a write signal, respectively. The slave device includes a third and a fourth I/O ports electrically coupled to the first and the second I/O ports, respectively. When the master device outputs the read or the write signal, the slave device transmits status information of the slave device to the master device after the master device has transmitted an address latch enable signal and before the slave device receives the address latch enable signal which is active. The master device outputs an address signal after transmitting the address latch enable signal and latches the address signal for the addressing for reading or writing data after the slave device has received the address latch enable signal.

Abstract: A bus bridge device, which connects a first device executing a first process and a second device executing a second process in response to a request from the first device, includes a notifying unit that notifies, when a result of the second process is received from the second device, the result to the first device. The first device executes, after sending the request, a third process until the result is notified from the notifying unit.

Abstract: An exclusion controller which allows an information processing unit to acquire a contended resource to the exclusion of the other information processing units includes a plurality of non-prioritized information processing units mutually exclusively acquiring a non-prioritized exclusion right, which indicates a candidate for acquiring the contended resource, by a first process. The exclusion controller further includes a prioritized information processing unit acquiring the contended resource by a second process, which requires a shorter processing time than the first process, to the exclusion of the non-prioritized information processing unit having acquired the non-prioritized exclusion right.

Abstract: A method for processing an interrupt signal within a microprocessor based system is described. The method includes storing a received interrupt signal within an interrupt cause register of an interrupt controller, outputting an interrupt command from the interrupt controller to an interrupt collector, asserting an interrupt signal to the microprocessor from the interrupt collector, and shifting the cause value field into a cause array. The interrupt command include an identifier field, a cause register ID field, and a cause value field, and content of the cause value field is based on a content of the interrupt cause register. The interrupt signal is asserted based on receipt of the identifier field and cause register ID field by the interrupt collector, and the shifting of the cause value field into a cause array within the interrupt collector occurs while the microprocessor services the receipt of the identifier field and cause register ID field from the interrupt collector.

Abstract: New approaches for providing communication between multiple masters (12, 14) and one or more shared resources (24, 30, 100) are needed. One example of a resource that may need to be shared is circuitry complying with the Universal Serial Bus (USB) standard (100). The USB specification defines the use of USB endpoints as data and control channels that reside in a USB device. In some cases it is desirable to have a certain number of endpoints controlled by one processor, and other endpoints controlled by a different processor, thus providing a shared control of all the endpoints. Circuitry (402, 417, 480) may be used to provide steering for additional signals such as interrupts. Other shared resources (24, 30) may use more centralized circuitry (36) to perform a steering function for additional signals.

Abstract: Described is a method for processing work items in a data processing system. An interrupt is generated in response to receipt of a work item on a queue and the generated interrupt is serviced to schedule a task by placing the task on a task queue for later processing of the queued work item. The interrupt is not enabled at this point and therefore the receipt of further work items will not result in the generation of interrupts. When the scheduled task reaches the head of the queue, the task is executed to process the queued work item (and all other work items that have been added to the queue since the task was scheduled). When all the work items have been processed, a further task is speculatively scheduled for processing of any work items that are subsequently placed on the work item queue.

Abstract: A monitor method of computer system is provided, applying within an interrupt service routine. According to the application of interrupt service, when the interrupt controller sends an interrupt signal to the CPU, the CPU executes a corresponding interrupt service routine based on the interrupt signal, in the meantime, the daemon program generates an entrant code. Before the interrupt service routine stops, the daemon program generates an exit code and saves both the entrant code and the exit code in a storage device. It is benefit for solving the problems occurred in the debugging process according to the entrant code and the exit code of the storage device, and speeding up the process of testing and researching steps.