International Business Machines Corporation

Jimmy Ming-Der Hsu

Bryce Allen Curtis

Peter Y Hsu

Craig Henry Becker

Michael D Whitley

Vijay Dheap

Marc-Arthur Pierre-Louis

John Kenyon Gerken, Iii

Gregory Alan Flurry

Michael Haden Conner

Wayne Elmo Vicknair

William W Lawton

Systems, methods and articles of manufacture allow adjusting the relative weighting associated with evaluation criteria associated with a unified view of dissimilar data. The operation generally includes collecting data regarding attributes of a user interacting with an application, where the collected data has associated evaluation criteria. The data is collectively represented according to the evaluation criteria. The systems, methods and articles of manufacture then allow dynamically modifying the evaluation criteria before evaluating and collectively representing the data according to the adjusted criteria.

Applying relative weighting schemas to online usage data

Widget creation, editing, augmentation, tracking and deployment is provided. Embodiments may include a Widget Assembly Application ('WAA'). The WAA may employ generalized widget templates selected by a user for customizing or assembling widgets. A generator may render previously assembled widgets when requested. The generator may use a skeleton specific to the target server type and widget, and code supporting the generator and the WAA may employ recursive eye-catcher syntax. Widgets may be deployed from any discovered instance to additional remote widget containers of the same or different type.

Multi-environment widget assembly, generation, and operation

A deformable cap for a computer pointing device is provided that may be particularly useful for miniature joystick-type pointing devices such as the TrackPoin&#x2122; and ScrollPoint&#x2122; devices manufactured by the IBM corporation of Armonk, N.Y. When an operator places a fingertip on the cap, the cap deforms thereby advantageously increasing the surface area of contact between the cap and the fingertip. All embodiments of the cap are placed on an upper portion of a control stick of the pointing device. A first embodiment of the cap includes a bottom support, a disc, a plurality of wire supports, and an elastic cover that overlays the disc and wire supports. An inner surface of the cover may be scored to ensure repeatable deformation of the cap. A spring may be attached to a lower surface of the disc to assist the cap in regaining its original shape once the operator's fingertip is removed. A second embodiment of the cap includes a bottom support, a plurality of wire supports, and an elastic cover overlaying the wire supports. An inner surface of the cover may be scored. The cap may be hollow or may be filled with a deformable material. A third embodiment of the cap includes a bottom support and an elastic cover in which an inner surface of the cover may be scored. The cap may be hollow or may be filled with a deformable material.

Deformable cap for a computer pointing device

A method, apparatus, and computer instructions for leasing a unique digital item in a network data processing system. A listing request is received for a payment and a deposit in the account of a first party. A listing request is received for a unique digital item in the account of a second party. Responsive to receiving the listing requests, the respective digital properties are transferred to a temporary storage account in association with retrieval tags. Listings for the digital properties appear on a trusted third-party leasing service. A lease contract is drawn up between the parties. After all parties have signed the lease agreement, the payment is transferred to the second party and the unique digital item is transferred to the first party. The deposit is held by the trusted third-party leasing service until the unique digital item is returned.

Method and apparatus for temporary ownership of digital items in a network data processing system

A mechanism is provided for detecting when a wireless device is entering a quiet zone. An out-of-range condition is created in an entryway to a quiet zone. When a wireless device is in a transition zone, the device transmits a re-scan message with a unit identification in an attempt to reestablish communication with the communication tower. A re-scan receiver is provided in the entryway to receive re-scan messages and notify a mobile telephone switching office that the device is entering a quiet zone. The switching office then sends a ring type modifier property to the device when the device leaves the transition zone and reestablishes communications with the communication tower.

Method, apparatus, and program for automated property adjustment in a cellular network

A method, apparatus, and computer instructions for transferring a unique digital item between a first party and a destination party in a network data processing system. A request to transfer a unique digital item in an account of the first party is received. Responsive to receiving the request, a retrieval tag is associated with the unique digital item. The retrieval tag is generated by a server process, such as one on which the unique digital item is located. The unique digital item is transferred from the source account to a temporary storage account in association with the retrieval tag. The unique digital item is listed on a trusted third-party server. A second party may inspect the unique digital item and agree to exchange something in return for the first party's listed unique digital item. The transfer occurs after all parties have committed to the transaction. Responsive to a redemption request initiated by the trusted third-party, the unique digital item is transferred from the temporary storage account to an account of the second party.

Method and apparatus for trading digital items in a network data processing system

Rendering GUI widgets with generic look and feel by receiving in a display device a master definition of a graphics display, the master definition including at least one graphics definition element, the graphics definition element including a reference to a protowidget and one or more instance parameter values characterizing an instance of the protowidget, the protowidget includes a definition of a generic GUI object, including generic display values affecting overall look and feel of the graphics display, and rendering at least one instance of the protowidget to a graphics display in dependence upon the generic display values and the instance parameter values.

Rendering GUI widgets with generic look and feel

A method, apparatus, and computer instructions for conducting an inventory of a data processing system. When a basic input output system (BIOS) is launched during a boot process for the data processing system, the basic input output system creates a hardware report of the data processing system. This report is sent to a remote data processing system on the network.

Method and apparatus for automatically conducting hardware inventories of computers in a network

A methodology for generating a drop shadow effect for objects in a graphical user interface is presented. A first object in a presentation space occludes the illumination from a simulated light source, and a dynamically determined drop shadow from the first object may partially occlude a second object. A portion of a drop shadow from the first object is shown on the second object; the portion of the drop shadow from the first object is displaced from the first object in direct proportion to a z-depth difference between the first object and the second object. Hence, a drop shadow can be generated in a computationally inexpensive manner, and the dynamically determined drop shadow enhances the perception of depth within the presentation space by a user.

Method and system for producing dynamically determined drop shadows in a three-dimensional graphical user interface

An alarm system and method by which a user can be alerted to a detected condition regarding their vehicle, can view what is happening in and around the vehicle, and can remotely turn off or reset the alarm if it is determined that an alarm is false. This is provided using one or more cameras and a cellular telephone to which the pictures can be sent.

Method and system for accessing and viewing images of a vehicle interior

Disclosed is a system, method, and program for accessing variables, such as environment variables, from an operating system. An application program executes a command to store at least one variable maintained by the operating system in a data object accessible to the application program. The application program is executing on the operating system. An operating system command is executed in response to the command from the application program to retrieve the requested at least one variable andn store the retrieved at least one variable in the data object.

Method, system, and program for accessing variables from an operating system for use by an application program

A method, system, and apparatus for updating code in a software program is provided. In a preferred embodiment, a patch is provided to a plurality of versions of a program, wherein the program is updated by an installation program and a plurality of versions of the installer program exist. Next, it is determined whether the version of the installer program is incorrect. If it is, the installer program is updated from files in the patch. The patch is then installed into the program using the updated installer program.

Method of applying an update to a contained collection of program and data files based upon versions

A method, system and apparatus for loading the correct version of a file in a system in which multiple versions of the same file and multiple versions of a requesting application reside. In a preferred embodiment, a class loader receives a request, from a requesting application, to load a file. The request includes an indication of the current version of the requesting application. The class loader retrieves from a plurality of files, the one version of the requested file that is compatible with the requesting application and then loads that file. Each of the plurality of files includes an indication of plurality of versions for which the particular file is compatible and the version of the requesting application is within the plurality of versions for which the selected file is compatible.

Growing community of inventors

Austin, TX, United States of America

Jimmy Ming-Der Hsu