A method and system for placing an order to purchase an item via the Internet. The order is placed by a purchaser at a client system and received by a server system. The server system receives purchaser information including identification of the purchaser, payment information, and shipment information from the client system. The server system then assigns a client identifier to the client system and associates the assigned client identifier with the received purchaser information. The server system sends to the client system the assigned client identifier and an HTML document identifying the item and including an order button. The client system receives and stores the assigned client identifier and receives and displays the HTML document. In response to the selection of the order button, the client system sends to the server system a request to purchase the identified item. The server system receives the request and combines the purchaser information associated with the client identifier of the client system to generate an order to purchase the item in accordance with the billing and shipment information whereby the purchaser effects the ordering of the product by selection of the order button.

Method and system for placing a purchase order via a communications network

An execution architecture, a development architecture and an operations architecture for a netcentric computing system. The execution architecture contains common, run-time services required when an application executes in the netcentric computing system. The development architecture is the production environment for one or several systems development projects as well as for maintenance efforts. The purpose of the development environment is to support the tasks involved in the analysis, design, construction, and maintenance of business systems, as well as the associated management processes. It is important to note that the environment should adequately support all the development tasks, not just the code/compile/test/debug cycle. The operations architecture is a combination of tools and support services required to keep a production system up and running efficiently.

Architectures for netcentric computing systems

Embodiments include a surgical device and a method. An embodiment of the surgical instrument includes at least one grasping jaw, the at least one grasping jaw being adapted to deliver surgical staples by a force generated from a force generator mechanism that is contained within the at least one grasping jaw or is in a proximity to the at least one grasping jaw. Another embodiment includes at least one grasping jaw, at least one delivery mechanism adapted to deliver surgical fasteners, the delivery mechanism being located in a proximity to or contained within the at least one grasping jaw, the surgical fasteners containing at least one shape-transforming material, at least one sensor, at least one chemical tissue sealant and at least one cutter. A method includes: grasping a body tissue with at least one grasping jaw, adjusting a configuration of the grasping in response to a signal or a datum or an image, and releasing a surgical staple/fastener in response to the signal, datum or image.

Maneuverable surgical stapler

A method is provided for playing back media from a network. The method includes receiving a search criteria from a network enabled device. The method further includes accessing a database comprising a plurality of network addresses, where the database associates each address with one or more classes of information. The addresses in the database each access a media network resource. The method further includes selecting at least one address in the database using the search criteria, and signaling the selected address to the network enabled device. The method also includes controlling the network enabled device so as to automatically access and play back the media resource of the selected address.

Streaming media search and playback system

Resource requests made by clients of origin servers in a network are intercepted by reflector mechanisms and selectively reflected to other servers called repeaters. The reflectors select a best repeater from a set of possible repeaters and redirect the client to the selected best repeater. The client then makes the request of the selected best repeater. The resource is possibly rewritten to replace at least some of the resource identifiers contained therein with modified resource identifiers designating the repeater instead of the origin server.

Optimized network resource location

The present invention provides the capability to easily access many different application programs over the WWW via a common user interface. By providing standard procedures, routines, tools, and software "hooks" for accessing software applications over the WWW, software developers can concentrate on the functionality of the application program and easily use HTML to provide a GUI interface for the application program. HTML is a well-known language which can be used by almost any computer system on the market today. In addition, since HTML is a fairly well controlled and standardized language, new software application features can be added as they are developed and supported by HTML. In addition, since HTML is a widely adopted, non-proprietary technology, the present invention can provide open access to a large market for even very small software developers. Further, the present invention also allows software developers to adopt a standard access protocol, which allows them to provide support for any computer system which is capable of utilizing a HTML cognizant browser. Finally, by providing easy-to-implement, standardized solutions to the issues of user interface, authentication/security, and web transaction support, the common user interface of the present invention overcomes the limitations existing in previous solutions.

Computer apparatus and method for providing a common user interface for software applications accessed via the world-wide web

An enhanced document browsing method and apparatus for creating a form from a template that includes replication blocks, that replicates at least one field in at least one replication block characterized by a block name to generate at least first and second replicated fields; modifies the block name to generate a first field name; modifies the block name to generate a second field name; associates the field names with respective ones of the first and second replicated fields; counts the number of replications; and transmits the number of replications to at least one client computer

Creating a form from a template that includes replication blocks using block name suffixes

The present invention provides a system and method of workstation configuration that includes a multi-level hierarchy management of preferences which are essentially managed and stored with a file server, rather than with each individual workstation. The invention comprises a computer network that includes workstations that have configurable hardware devices and software applications; a workstation server connected to the workstations that includes hierarchical preference files containing configuration information; and a preference manager for providing a coalesced, or merged, set of configuration parameters to the workstations based on the information in the hierarchical preference files.

Hierarchy of preferences and preference groups

An enhanced document browsing method and apparatus for requesting transactions of transient programs at a server, that sends a first transaction to a server that requests first data from a first transient program; receives the first data from the server; inserts the first data into an entry field; and requests a second transaction from a second transient program by sending the first data to the server.

Dynamic windowing system in a transaction base network for a client to request transactions of transient programs at a server

A computer system and method provides access to a software application from a web browser over the world-wide web (WWW). The system includes one or more computers executing a web browser, a web server application, an application gateway, and a software application. The system and method allows a user of the web browser to access the software application. The user inputs data via the web browser, which is communicated to the web server application. The web server application authenticates the web browser and passes appropriate input data to an application gateway, including data to uniquely identify and track the user's request. The application gateway then performs the function requested in the web server input data by formatting the appropriate commands with the software application. The software application responds by outputting data to the application gateway that includes an identifier that the application gateway uses to match the output data with the web browser that requested the output data. This system thus allows numerous web browsers access to the software application simultaneously.

Diane Elaine Olson

Papers

Computer apparatus and method for providing a common user interface for software applications accessed via the world-wide web

Creating a form from a template that includes replication blocks using block name suffixes

Hierarchy of preferences and preference groups

Dynamic windowing system in a transaction base network for a client to request transactions of transient programs at a server

Computer apparatus and method for communicating between software applications and computers on the world-wide web