International Business Machines Corporation

David William Killian

Bradley Dale Noe

William W Lawton

Michael J Koval

Steven M Hancock

John Eugene Parsons, Jr

A logical device that is coupled to a computer can be controlled using string commands. The logical device requires flags and a data structure to operate properly. A string command with tokens for operating a specific logical device is provided. A linked list of the tokens is created. A command table for the specified logical device is found. The command table contains possible commands for the logical device, which commands are able to provide the required flags and data structure for the logical device. Each command in the command table contains key words or tokens or multiword tokens. The command table tokens are parsed, one at a time, against the command string tokens. If no match between the command table token and a command string token occurs, then the next command table token is parsed against the command string tokens. If a match between a command table token and a command string token occurs, then the flag that is associated with the command string token is provided and data from either the command string token or the command table token is inserted into the data structure in its proper place.

String command parser for message based systems

Disclosed are apparatus and methods for synchronized presentation of analog and digital data by applying a common synchronization scheme to both types of data. Digital data is 'streamed' by transferring the data in blocks from a source to a series of memory buffers, where it accumulates for subsequent transfer to an output device driver. The control module responsible for data streaming periodically reports a temporal location within the presentation represented by the data. A supervisory module designates one of the control modules a 'master', and periodically compares the values reported by the various other control modules against that reported by the master. If a comparison exceeds a threshold tolerance value associated with each control module, a sync pulse is delivered to that control module, causing it to correct the synchronization mismatch. This approach is applied to analog sources through the use of control modules that behave in a manner consistent with the digital control modules, but which are capable of directing the operation of analog devices and re-establishing their synchronization with other data sources despite limited modes of device control. Specifically, the control modules that handle analog information also periodically report a presentation location based solely on temporal information, react to sync pulses by altering the playback rate of the analog devices they control within user-tolerable limits, and can act as master control modules.

System for synchronization with nonstreaming device controller and a

Method and apparatus for synchronizing streaming and non-streaming

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Delray Beach, FL, United States of America

David William Killian