Sun Microsystems, Inc.

Other

Macrovision Corporation

Rovi Solutions Corporation

Alan Michael Snyder

Mark W Hapner

Maurice Balick

Arthur A Van Hoff

Swee Boon Lim

Dwight F Hare

David M Brownell

Michael L Powell

Rafael Bracho

Peter Vanderbilt

April S Chang

Andrew R Large

Rod J McChesney

Peter B Kessler

Ken M Cavanaugh

Andrew Everett Davidson

Robert B Hagmann

Christian J Callsen

Li-Wen Chen

Raphael Bracho

Roderick J Mc Chesney

Methods, computer readable storage medium, and systems for mobile devices to locate persons or places are described. In a feature, the invention is a method implemented in a server for providing beaconing sequences to the mobile devices for location sharing. In a feature, the invention is a server executing a method of locating a user using a beaconing mobile device. In a feature, the invention is a non-transitory computer readable medium on a server that encodes a program to execute a method on a first mobile device that determine directions and/or distance between the first mobile device and a second mobile device. In a feature, the invention is a server executing a method to remember a place on a mobile device.

Methods on mobile devices to locate persons

Methods for location of persons using beaconing sequences

Methods for location of persons with electronic wearables

Methods and systems for locating persons and places with mobile devices

Techniques for watermarking and distributing are provided. Content is broken into frames, each frame includes a watermark. Resources request the content and each frame of each resource's acquired version of the content includes a watermark. The frames of each resource's acquired version of the content form unique watermark sequences or unique keys. Each watermark sequence or key is uniquely associated with a particular resource. Each resource is also provided one or more delivery plans for acquiring that resource's uniquely watermark and sequenced version of the content over the network.

Techniques for watermarking and distributing content

A system and method provides dynamic and static type support for multiple definitions of individual types in a distributed object environment. Fully scoped object names incorporating prefixes are used to distinguish objects. The fully scoped names are used for both dynamic type determination through an interface repository and for statically compiled types in client and server stub routines. In the interface repository, a prefix naming context is provided for each root interface definition language context, allowing multiple definitions for objects with the same interface definition language object name, where each such definition resides in a separate prefix naming context. In one embodiment, the prefix naming contexts are defined by prefix interface definition objects. In another embodiment, the fully scoped object names are embedded by an interface definition language compiler in stub and skeleton code routines. RRS.

Method and system for type identification for multiple object interfaces in a distributed object environment

A method and apparatus for installing distributed objects on a distributed object system is described. In one aspect the distributed objects include wrapper classes that inherit object attributes through an inheritance relationship with a developer-written servant class of objects, the developer-written servant classes inheriting attributes through an optional inheritance relationship with an interface class of objects. In a preferred embodiment, the wrapper classes provide an interface mechanism between the methods of the servant class of objects and the object request broker mechanism of the distributed object system. Also included is an apparatus for creating and installing the distributed object in the memory of a computer on a distributed object system. The invention further includes a mechanism for distinguishing deployed distributed objects from development distributed objects.

Method and apparatus for generation and installation of distributed objects on a distributed object system

A variety of methods and apparatus for managing deactivation and deletion of objects and server processes are taught. According to some embodiments of the present invention, a thread of execution termed the reaper thread systematically cycles through a computer process deactivating and/or deleting objects based upon a variety of criteria. One suitable criterion for object deactivation is based upon the amount of time lapsed since a client has requested services of the object. According to the timeout criterion, the reaper thread determines the period of time since the last client requested services from the object, compares this to a timeout value which may be defined by any suitable entity, and proceeds with deactivation and/or deletion accordingly. Object deletion may have a separate criterion or be specifically requested by a client. A deletion flag may be set to indicate that object deletion is requested. When an object has deactivated, the reaper thread further determines if the deletion flag for this object is set, and, if so, further proceeds to perform an object deletion operation. In some embodiments, the reaper thread is further responsible to shutdown the server process under which the reaper thread is executing. As is well known to those skilled in the art of object oriented programming, a thread of execution is essentially a sequential flow of the point of execution through a computer process. One suitable criterion for server process shutdown would be related to the server process activity.

Methods and apparatus for managing objects and processes in a distributed object operating environment

A variety of methods, apparatus and data structures for managing collections of objects are described. In one aspect of the invention, an object that is intended for use in a distributed object operating environment has a structure including a group designation, a co-activation designation and a co-process designation. The group designation is arranged to identify a group to which the object belongs. The group is defined as a collection of objects which share a common persistent state. The co-activation designation is arranged to identify a co-activation set to which the object belongs. The co-activation set is a collection of objects which are to be activated at the same time. The co-process designation is arranged to identify a co-process set to which the object belongs. The co-process set is a collection of objects which are to be activated within a single process. A various embodiments, a variety of methods of utilizing one or more of these designations to facilitate efficient operation of a distributed computing system are also described. In some applications, a particular object may be conceptually divided into a plurality of sub-objects, with each sub-object having its own portion of persistent memory. In this embodiment, the particular object may only be invoked as a whole, but the object is provided with a mechanism for accessing the selected sub-object in response to a call from a client object that invokes the object and identifies the sub-object in a sub-object field of an object reference that refers to the object. When sub-objects are use, the object references may be arranged to include a host identifier, an object identifier and a sub-object field.

Methods and apparatus for managing collections of objects

A method and apparatus for managing computer network services from a central management console program residing on an administration server is disclosed. A service, such as an e-mail program, is installed, typically by a system administrator, on a host server computer. During installation, data relating to the service's management module is stored in a well-known location on the host server computer. A central management console program residing on an administration server causes the retrieval of the data relating to the management module from the well-known location. The central management console program stores the data relating to the management module in a storage area accessible by the console program and the host server computer and thereby facilitates the management and modification of the service from the central management console program. The central management console program can be accessed using a single uniform locator, such as a URL, instead of having to access each individual host service computer to manage services on a computer network.

Method and apparatus for managing services in a computer network from a central console

Methods and apparatus for managing objects and processes in a

A method and apparatus of securing access to a service manager for the administration of services residing on multiple service host computers from an administration server computer is described. A user identifier, such as a user name, and a corresponding password are provided to the service manager. The user identifier is associated with a system administrator having administrative access to the services. The service manager authenticates the user by comparing the user identifier and password against a list of user identifiers and corresponding passwords stored in a persistent memory. A list of services to which the system administrator has administrative access is derived from the data in persistent memory. When the system administrator makes a request to administer one or more services from the list of services, the administrator's access control is verified at the service host computers on which the requested services reside by examining access control data in the persistent memory. Management files are transferred from the service host computers to the administration server computer thereby facilitating manipulation of the management files utilizing the service manager.

Authentication and access control in a management console program for

Data structures and various methods for invoking and creating objects are used in a distributed object system in order to implement subcontracts. A subcontract is a selected grouping of basic features or object mechanisms that a system provides for use in managing objects and has associated functions. A subcontract registry is used for creating object references for server objects. The subcontract registry has any number of subcontract objects within it, and each subcontract object may include: a subcontract identifier that identifies the subcontract object, a quality of service list that contains feature name-value pairs, and a create function unique to the subcontract object. An implementation registry is used for registering any number of implementation definitions. Each implementation definition defines an implementation for an interface within the system, and each implementation definition may include: an implementation identifier that identifies the implementation, a pointer to a subcontract object contained in the subcontract registry, an interface identifier that identifies the interface being implemented, and a set of functions used for creating and invoking a server object that are unique to that implementation. One method creates an object reference for a distributed server object by using the subcontract registry in order to identify the unique create function to be used that corresponds to the subcontract functionality desired. Another technique invokes a method defined on a server object by using an object reference to find the appropriate implementation definition in the implementation registry. Lookup and dispatch functions unique to this definition are used to invoke the method.

Low overhead object adaptor

Growing community of inventors

Palo Alto, CA, United States of America

Alan Michael Snyder