Sun Microsystems, Inc.

Wildfire Communications, Inc.

Hewlett-packard Company

Kenneth C Arnold

James H Waldo

Ann M Wollrath

Richard A Miner

William J Warner

Nicholas C d'Arbeloff

Kee Hinckley

Eric R Shienbrood

Anthony M Lovell

Keith Gabryelski

Robert W Scheifler

Andrew Franklin Seaborne

Peter C Jones

Roger S Riggs

Brian W McBride

Peter S Showman

Brian D Harrison

Douglas B Robinson

Michael J Cannon

Lamar D Smith

D Jeffrey Hoffman

Marlena E Erdos

The protocol for controlling a network is encapsulated within the token circulated through the token ring network. Each computer in the network that receives the token examines the token and implements the network protocol specified in the token. In this manner, the protocol of the network can be easily changed, and automatically promulgated throughout the network.

Polymorphic token based control

A method implemented by a computer-based electronic assistant to receive and manage incoming calls to a subscriber including the steps of receiving an incoming call to the subscriber from a caller; establishing a first connection between the electronic assistant and the caller; establishing a second connection between the electronic assistant and the subscriber; over the second connection, electronically notifying the subscriber of the incoming call; in response to receiving a call accept command from the subscriber over the second connection, linking the caller and the subscriber so that they may communicate with each other; upon linking the subscriber to the caller, switching the electronic assistant to a background mode in which said electronic assistant continues to monitor the subscriber over the second connection while the subscriber is linked with the caller; and in response to receiving a summoning command, switching the electronic assistant into a foreground mode, wherein the electronic assistant when in its background mode responds to a first set of commands including at least the summoning command and when in its foreground mode responds to a second set of commands where the second set of commands is larger than the first set of commands.

Network based knowledgeable assistant

A database system wherein one or more entry databases store a plurality of entries. Each entry is of a given type that defines the fields of the entry. Each of the fields contains or identifies an object with associated attributes or data. The type of each entry may further define behavior in the form of methods the entry is configured to implement. An entry type which is a subtype of another inherits all of the fields and behavior of its supertype, and contains additional fields and/or defines new/modified behavior. Entries may be expressed in a Java.TM. class of the Java.TM. programming language. The database system may further employ a search engine which allows queries to be made upon entries in the database. In one implementation, the queries include a read operation, a take operation, and a notify operation. Each query request includes a command indicating the type of operation, and a template which is an entry object having some or all of its fields set to specified values that must be matched exactly. Other fields of the template entry may be specified as wildcards, whose values do not matter. The search engine may further be configured to create an index for entries having characteristics which are commonly specified by queries. Thus, the search engine may detect a pattern of usage and create an index which points to entries having attributes which are commonly specified by received templates. In this manner, expedient entry searching may be accommodated.

Database system employing polymorphic entry and entry matching

A system for using a lease to detect a failure and to perform failure recovery is provided. In using this system, a client requests a lease from a server to utilize a resource managed by the server for a period of time. Responsive to the request, the server grants the lease, and the client continually requests renewal of the lease. If the client fails to renew the lease, the server detects that an error has occurred to the client. Similarly, if the server fails to respond to a renew request, the client detects that an error has occurred to the server. As part of the lease establishment, the client and server exchange failure-recovery routines that each invokes if the other experiences a failure.

Leasing for failure detection

An object oriented distributed computing system is provided. Processing means call a location service within automatically generated stubs in response to a request for a service provided by a particular object. The location service is automatically called on behalf of the requester to locate the target object when the request is issued. Multiple Object Managers reflecting multiple Object Models are permitted in the system. Programmers and users do not need to know the Object Model adhered to by an Object Manager. A request to any object in the system is independent of the Object Model of the sought object's Object Manager. A generic interface enables new Object Managers reflecting new Object Models to be easily added to the system. Availability of the target object is independent of association of the target object with a process at the time the request was issued. Deactivation of processes is automatically accomplished in response to the system needing resources.

Object oriented distributed computing system processing request to other

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Lexington, MA, United States of America

Kenneth C Arnold