International Business Machines Corporation

Lenovo (singapore) Pte. Ltd.

Frank P Novak

Krishnamurthi Kannan

David Carroll Challener

Kyriakos L Leontiades

Vikram Sharma

Christopher Dane Jones

Nathan J Lee

Barry Douglas Atkins

Joseph P McGovern

David P Lybrand

John Peter Karidis

Richard Wayne Cheston

Mahmoud Naghshineh

Parviz Kermani

Joseph Gary Rusnak

Hernando Ovies

William Walter Vetter

Danny N McKay

Kenneth Dean Timmons

Babak Rezvani

Krishnamurthl Kannan

A system, method, and program for managing a user key used to sign a message for a data processing system having an encryption chip are disclosed. A user is assigned a user key. In order to encrypt and send messages to a recipient(s), the messages are encrypted with the user key. The user key, in turn, is encrypted with an associated key. The associated key is further encrypted using an encryption chip key stored on the encryption chip. The encrypted messages are communicated to a recipient to validate an association of the user with the encrypted messages. The associated key is decrypted with the encryption chip key. The user key is decrypted with the associated key, and the messages are decrypted with the user key. Thereafter, validation of the association of messages with the user is removed by revoking the associated key. In a preferred embodiment, encryption resources are centralized in a server system having the encryption chip. The server system is coupled to and provides encryption services to a plurality of client systems. Messages to be encrypted are sent from a user's client system to the server system, which encrypts the messages using the encryption chip. The encrypted messages are sent from the server system to the client system, which then transmits the encrypted messages to their intended recipient(s). All data relating to the encrypted messages are erased from the server system after the encrypted messages are sent from the server system to the client system.

System, method, and program for managing a user key used to sign a message for a data processing system

A data processing system and method are described for providing a networked printer's physical location. The printer, a server computer system, and client computer systems are coupled together utilizing a network. The server computer system first transmits a command to the printer to disable the print function of the printer. Entry of a physical location of the printer is then permitted. The print function of the printer is reenabled by the server computer system only in response to an entry of the physical location of the printer into the printer.

Data processing system and method for providing a networked printer's physical location

A system for mapping a location of an electronic equipment in a defined area. The system comprises of a server which is typically a data processing system. An activation signal is sent to the electronic equipment. In response to the activation signal, the electronic equipment emits a pre-defined signal containing a unique signature of the electronic equipment. The signal is captured by a device connected to the server with a known location in the defined area. The server utilizes the known location of the device along with the unique signature of the electronic equipment to identify/determine the location of the electronic equipment.

Method and system for locating devices during system administration

A method of delievering data in a wireless communications network using a combination of collision sensing and collision avoiidance protocols. More precisely, if there are no hidden nodes detected in the network, a collision sensing protocol is used; however, if there are hidden nodes, then a collision avoidance protocol is used. This invention also deals with methods of determining the presence or absence of hidden nodes.

Schemes to determine presence of hidden terminals in wireless networks

This invention describes a set of methods and techniques that together address the deficiencies of the basic input/output system (BIOS) and the advanced basic input/output system (ABIOS) in the context of a pen-based portable computer while retaining much of its strengths in terms of providing an insulating layer between the hardware and the operating system such that the same operating system code body will execute in a variety of hardware platforms. In particular, the following deficiencies have been addressed. (a) A dual boot capability allowing the user to select, through a set-up procedure, either a conventional (DOS-style) booting procedure or a Penpoint-style booting procedure. (b) The capability to mast certain device characteristics from the operating system, defined as a callback mechanism. (c) A method for collecting and maintaining device state information of a device that could be disconnected or reconnected during the operating of the computer.

System and method for performing a continuous multi-stage function

A system and method for managing power in a portable, pen-based notebook computer. The system and method provides for minimizing power consumption by collecting and interpreting power related data of various processing elements while hiding many of the details from the end-user. The system monitors, collects, and acts upon power-related data in a portable computer to maximize the amount of time the portable computer can be used between battery re-charging with minimal user intervention. The system has a plurality of independently controllable power planes which are selectively powered so that the portable computer consumes the minimum power necessary to perform a particular function and a plurality of central processing units (CPUs) operating asynchronously with respect to each other. The present invention is further comprised of an on/off glue logic for monitoring battery condition, user invoked functions, and system state and power management for controlling the operation of each of the CPUs as a function of the conditions sensed.

System for distributed power management in portable computers

Techniques for supporting operating systems for portable computers

A provides a system and method for managing power in a portable, pen-based notebook computer. The system and method provides a means for minimizing power consumption by collecting and interpreting power related data of various processing elements while hiding many of the details from the end-user. The system monitors, collects, and acts, upon power-related data in a portable computer to maximize the amount of time the portable computer can be used between battery re-charging with minimal user intervention. The system has a plurality of independently controllable power planes and a plurality of central processing units (CPUs) operating asynchronously with respect to each other. The present invention is further comprised of an on/off glue logic means for monitoring battery condition, user invoked functions, and system state and a power management means for controlling the operation of each of the CPUs as a function of the conditions sensed by a sensing means.

A digitizer tablet computer has a host processor connected to a service processor which, in turn, is connected to a digitizer controller and to a power subsystem microcontroller whereby primary control of a keyboard, a digitizer, and a power subsystem is off loaded from the host processor to the service processor. The host processor communicates with the service processor through an interface comprising a status register, an input buffer and an output buffer through which host commands and data are transferred. The digitizer produces coordinate data that is initially processed in the service processor before being passed on to the host processor. The host processor is interrupted to receive the processed data and executes in a tight loop until a predetermined amount of processed data is received.

Growing community of inventors

Park Ridge, NJ, United States of America

Frank P Novak