International Business Machines Corporation

Joaquin Picon

Gerard Marmigere

Frederic J Bauchot

Jean-Yves Clement

Pierre Secondo

Denis Aubert

Jean-Luc Collet

Bernard Y Pucci

Vincent Tassy

Francois-Xavier Drouet

Olivier Oudot

Gerard Marmigère

Oliver Oudot

Carole Truntschka

Marc Charles Fiammante

David Loupia

Jean-Christophe Mestres

Xavier Rey-Robert

Patrick Michel

Olivier Casile

Francois Commagnac

Jean-Francois Le Pennec

Alain Benayoun

Zsolt Szalai

Joel Viale

Clement Y Poiraud

Eric Menguy

Nicolas Schifano

Laurent Vincent

Daniel Sazbon-Natansohn

Xavier Bocquet

Frederic Bauchot

A method and system for managing overlapping windows. A hook filter intercepts an event directed to a target application before the event reaches the target application. The event is characterized by an overlapping condition in which a floating window partially or totally overlaps an active window on a computer screen of a computer system. Responsive to intercepting the event, the hook filter detects the overlapping condition. Responsive to detecting the overlapping condition, the hook filter eliminates the overlapping condition to make the active window totally visible. Parameters of the floating window are recorded in a table, the parameters prevailing upon the intercepting of the event, the parameters including an overlap condition parameter. After the overlapping condition is eliminated and responsive to the active window becoming inactive, the floating window is restored on the computer screen in accordance with the recorded parameters.

Managing a floating window

Method for performing a commercial transaction wherein a customer having a computer connected to a public network such as the Internet network and a SMS terminal is able to receive and send SMS messages over a telephone network and can order an article by using the computer to a commercial server connected to the public network.

Method and system for performing a commercial transaction by using a short message service terminal

A system, method and computer program product for estimating computer processing metrics for a target computer product or target computer process. A system is described including: a product name identifier for initiating execution of the method when a process requires a new memory page for a module and identifying a product associated with the module; a module page creator for creating a new memory page associated with the process and product; a module loader for loading the module into the new memory page as associated with the process and product; and wherein the total size of memory pages associated with a particular product can be determined.

Measurement of computer product usage

A method and system for managing overlapping windows. A hook filter intercepts an event directed to a target application before the event reaches the target application. An association of the hook filter with the event was established. The event is characterized by an overlapping condition in which a floating window partially or totally overlaps an active window on a computer screen of a computer system. A software application is executed in the active window. Responsive to intercepting the event, the hook filter detects the overlapping condition. Responsive to detecting the overlapping condition, the honk filter eliminates the overlapping condition to make the active window totally visible.

A method and system for dividing tagged items into subsets. A region is split into subregions. For each subregion, a central tagged item having more adjacent tagged items in each subregion than any other tagged item in each subregion is determined, utilizing information that includes, for each tagged item in the region, a spatial location of each tagged item and a list of all other tagged items which are adjacent to each tagged item by being within a specified constant distance (Rlimit) from each tagged item. A virtual boundary is outlined around the central tagged item to enclose the central tagged item and a portion of the tagged items in each subregion which are adjacent to the central tagged item. The portion of the tagged items in each subregion consists of all, or less than all, tagged items which are adjacent to the central tagged item in each subregion.

Dividing tagged items into subsets

Embodiments of the invention provide devices and systems for the transfer of information using multi-point contact on a capacitive surface. In one embodiment, the invention provides a device comprising: a first surface having a plurality of contact points arranged in a pattern and a second surface having a contact area electrically connected to the plurality of contact points, whereby the plurality of contact points on the first surface is activated by a user contacting the contact area on the second surface.

Multi-point capacitive information transfer

An approach is provided for collaboratively synchronizing devices in an ad hoc network. Responsive to a transmission of a map by a first device to other device(s) listening to the first device, a second device determines the map, which allocates time slots to devices, indicates a conflict by which a same time slot is allocated to the second device and another device. The transmission is responsive to a determination that a Boolean value is true with a probability p if the first device is in an alive mode or a probability q if the first device is in a dormant mode, where p&#x3e;q and q&#x3e;0, and where p and q indicate respective likelihoods of performing the transmission. The second device resolves the conflict by allocating another time slot to the second device.

Masterless slot allocation

A method and system for utilizing an instant messaging environment. An instant messaging client is created in association with each respective end user of at least two end users. Each instant messaging client in association with its respective end user includes at least two zones. Each zone corresponds exclusively to a unique end user. Each zone includes at least two textboxes contiguously distributed within each zone. The at least two zones of each instant messaging client is configured to include a write-only zone specific to the respective end user and a read-only zone specific to each end user of all other end users exclusive of the respective end user. Each instant messaging client is provided to each respective end user of the at least two end users.

Correlating questions and answers in an instant messaging environment

A method and system for dividing a set of tagged items into subsets. Each tagged item is tagged with a passive RFID tag. A RFID reader is instructed to poll the RFID tags of all tagged items in a specified region having fixed boundaries to generate information including, for each tagged item, a spatial location of each tagged item and a list of all other tagged items in the region which are adjacent to each tagged item. The region is split into non-overlapping subregions. For each subregion, a central tagged item having more adjacent tagged items in each subregion than any other tagged item in each subregion is determined, utilizing the generated information. A virtual boundary is outlined around the central tagged item to enclose the central tagged item and a portion of the tagged items in each subregion which are adjacent to the central tagged item.

An approach is provided for collaboratively synchronizing devices in an ad hoc network. No device is acting as a master device or base station dictating time slot allocation to devices. A first device communicates with the other devices by a Media Access Control scheme based on time frames having time slots. Responsive to a determination that a current time slot allocated to a second device is occurring, a determination that a Boolean value selected according to a predetermined probability is true, and a transmission of a map of allocations of time slots to the devices, the first device determines the map indicates a conflict in which the same time slot is allocated to the first device and another device. The first device resolves the conflict by allocating another time slot to the first device, so that each time slot is allocated to no more than one corresponding device.

Method and system are provided for providing access to string-based message headers in network protocol messages. The method includes: converting header names into canonical form, wherein a canonical key represents at least one equivalent header name, and wherein a canonical key has a string and an integer value; providing a mapping between the header names and the canonical keys; and searching for a header name using the canonical key by sequential search using integer comparison.

Providing access to message headers

A method and system for managing overlapping windows on a computer screen of a computer system. A hook filter intercepts an event that has occurred. An association of the hook filter with the event was established prior to the occurrence of the event. The event is characterized by an overlapping condition in which a floating window partially or totally overlaps an active window on the computer screen. A software application is associated with the active window. Response to intercepting the event, the hook filter detects the overlapping condition. Response to detecting the overlapping condition, the hook filter eliminates the overlapping condition to make the active window totally visible.

System and method for managing a floating window

Method and system are provided for providing access to string-based message headers in network protocol messages. The method includes: converting header names into canonical form, wherein a canonical key represents one or more equivalent header names including alias forms, and wherein a canonical key has a string and an integer value; providing a mapping between the header names and the canonical keys; and searching for a header name using the canonical key by sequential search using integer comparison.

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St. Laurent du Var, France

Joaquin Picon