International Business Machines Corporation

Lenovo (singapore) Pte. Ltd.

Takashi Inui

Mizuho Tadokoro

Seiichi Kawano

Noritoshi Yoshiyama

Shinji Matsushima

Masayoshi Nakano

Masahiko Nomura

Tetsuji Nakamura

Takashi Yomo

Yuhko Ohmori

Kazuya Tsukizawa

Naoki Takahashi

Kazumi Itoh

Ken Inoue

A display device which displays a plurality of objects on a screen has a group configuration storage section for storing association information indicating the association between each of the plurality of objects and one of a plurality of groups, a group priority level storage section for storing group display priority levels which are priority levels for displaying each of the objects associated with one of the groups at the front of the objects associated with the other groups, an object priority level storage section for storing object display priority levels which are priority levels for displaying one of the objects associated with one of the groups at the front of the others, an object priority level changing section for changing the object display priority level while the association information is maintained, and a display section for displaying the plurality of objects according to the group display priority levels and the object display priority levels.

Displaying objects using group and object priority levels

A system and method for translating character strings into another national language and displaying the translated character strings without updating any source code. The character strings are displayed on GUI environment upon the execution of the object computer program. The method for displaying character strings on GUI environment provided by a computer program comprises the steps of; (a) providing an executable program; (b) providing a text file including the character strings and being openable with the executable program; (c) executing the executable program (); (d) retrieving the text file from the executable program (); and (e) displaying the character strings included in the opened text file ().

Method for displaying character strings

A computer system apparatus and method therefor are described which are appropriately power-controllable corresponding to each usage-situation. The computer system includes a PC main body and a digitizer wherein the usage-situation of the system is detected. If one of the predetermined usage-situations, such that the digitizer is mainly employed, is adopted, a target power saving mode is determined corresponding to installation or non-installation of an AC adapter, remaining amount of a DC battery, data upload frequency from the digitizer, and other conditions. In addition, in the case that the PC main body is in a power saving mode, the PC main body returns to the normal mode if data upload from the digitizer is requested. After completing the upload, the main body returns to an appropriate power saving mode.

Computer system and unit, and power supply control method therefor

An information processing apparatus that is driven by a rechargeable battery, wherein the battery is depleted from a fully charged state and repeatedly charged and discharged, comprises a full charge capacity acquisition unit for acquiring a present full charge capacity of the battery which the battery has at the present time, a total charge acquiring unit for acquiring information indicating a total amount of charge provided to the battery in a time period from a start time of using the battery until the present full charge capacity is acquired, and a restoring unit for performing a battery restoration in which the battery is fully discharged or fully charged in order to recover the full charge capacity if it is determined that the present full charge capacity is smaller than an expected full charge capacity that the battery should have depending on the information.

Autonomic battery reconditioning

A data processing system capable of specifying impeding factors that impede power savings is disclosed. The data processing system includes a central processing unit, an operation mode detection unit, and an impeding factors specifying unit. The central processing unit has multiple operation modes, and each of the operation modes has a different rate of power consumption. The operation mode detection unit detects an operation mode of the central processing unit. Based on a history of operation modes of the central processing unit that was detected by the operation mode detection unit, the impeding factors specifying unit specifies a device that is considered as an impeding factor to power savings for the data processing system.

Method and apparatus for specifying factors that impede power savings of a processor

A computer apparatus provides control for automatically switching the apparatus between various operating modes requiring varying levels of power consumption. An embedded controller determines whether or not the computer apparatus is in motion (vibration, acceleration, rotation, etc.) on the basis of acceleration information obtained through an accelerometer provided in the computer apparatus. If the computer apparatus is in motion, the embedded controller provides control so as to prevent switching between system operating modes in order to protect certain components of the apparatus from damage which might be caused by switching operating modes while in motion.

Method and apparatus for preventing the transitioning of computer system power modes while the system is in motion

An information processing apparatus driven by an AC power supply or a rechargeable battery has a charge directing unit which initiates charging of the battery from the AC power supply, provided that the remaining amount of power of the battery is lower than a predetermined charge-start-criteria level and that the information processing apparatus is driven by the AC power supply. Also included is a drive history storage which stores a drive history including information indicating which of the AC power supply and the battery was driving the information processing apparatus in each time period in the past. A recharge-start-criteria-level-setting unit sets the charge-start-criteria level on the basis of the drive history.

Information processing apparatus for setting charge-start criteria level based on power supply drive history

A device, method, and computer program product for a self-calibrating input device are provided. The input device includes a designated value change unit operable to change a designated value using a variation amount associated with the designated value, the designated value being changed using a predetermined first variation amount when a first designated value change directive is received from an operator, and a variation amount change unit operable to alter the variation amount associated with the designated value from the predetermined first variation amount to a smaller second variation amount when a second designated value change directive that is opposite the first designated value change directive is received from the operator within a predetermined variation amount change period.

System and method for a self-calibrating input device

A user specifies, in advance, the expansion devices which he/she does not want to remove among the expansion devices which are attachable/detachable with respect to the PC, and the specified expansion devices are excluded from a list displayed later for the user to select an expansion device to remove. Besides, whether to display expansion devices in the list is specified to an BIOS and the information referenced by the BIOS is stored in an NVRAM.

Computer device, expansion device management method, and computer program

A computer program or the like is provided for reducing changes to the setting information by the computer. A management apparatus is provided for managing devices connected to a computer using a layered structure including a managing section for setting information associated with each of the devices by recording it in a setting information database using a layered structure; an adding section, if an existing device has been replaced by a new device for adding the setting information for the new device into the setting information database; a condition deciding section to determine whether the existing device and the new device have a predetermined relationship; and a changing section, if the existing device and the new device have the predetermined relationship, for managing the setting information for a low level device, which is a device managed as a lower layer of the existing device, as the lower layer of setting information for the new device and recording it in the setting information database.

System method for replacing old device with new device in a layered structure and determining configuration information for lower level devices associated with new device

A computer system has a plurality of input pointing devices, such as a mouse, a track ball, a pointing stick, a tablet or a touch screen. Each of the plurality of input devices connected to the computer system has different parameters associated with a double-click operation, which different parameters are stored in separate registers under control of the operating system. Separate device drivers are associated with each input device, each device driver using the associated double-click parameters as stored by the operating system.

Computer system having a plurality of input devices and associated double-click parameters

The method for controlling a computer that notifies an operating system of a request event corresponding to a device event from hardware. A device event may be generated, for example by a user operating a keyboard or mouse connected to the computer. That is, the device event occurs when a certain event is provided to the hardware of the computer. A request event causes a process corresponding to the device event to be performed under the control of an operating system. Then a response event from the operating system caused by the notification of the request event is accepted and a process event corresponding to the accepted response event is output to the hardware.

System for notifying operating system of additional event for restoring suspend mode after a hardware device event switches computer to normal mode

An information processing system that can reduce the operating frequency of a CPU, or halt the operation of the CPU, at an adequate timing, even when the system is engaged in exchanging data with another independent apparatus (e.g., another PC) via a communication port (a serial port or a parallel port), or when a communication application is being executed. The system has (a) a CPU that operates in a normal mode, in a power saving mode in which less power is consumed than is required in a normal mode, or in a stop mode in which operation is completely halted; (b) at least one peripheral device; (c) a bus employed for communication between the CPU and the peripheral device; (d) a communication port, physically connected to another independent apparatus, for performing data transfer; (e) a bus cycle detector monitoring a bus cycle on the bus; (f) a state detector determining an operational mode of the CPU in response to a detection by the bus cycle of access of the communication port; (g) a signal generator providing, when the state detector ascertains that the operational mode is to be the power saving mode, a control signal to the CPU to set the CPU to the power saving mode; and (h) a CPU operation halting signal completely halting an operation of the CPU when the state determination means ascertains that the operational mode is to be the stop mode.

Method and system for improved power management in information

An information processing system which has (a) a CPU that is operated in a normal mode during which the CPU is driven at a relatively fast operating clock rate, and a power saving mode during which the operating clock has a lower rate or is halted; (b) at least one peripheral device; (c) a bus for performing communication between the CPU and the peripheral device; (d) a termination detector detecting a completion of a predetermined transaction between the CPU and the peripheral device; (e) a time counter measuring a predetermined period of time after the completion of the predetermined transaction; and (f) a power saving control causing the CPU enter the power saving mode until the time counted by the time counting means reaches the predetermined period of time.

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Yokohama, Japan

Takashi Inui