Abstract: Detecting and protecting against denial of service flooding attacks that are initiated against an end system on a computer network. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a filter is established at a network location. The filter prevents data packets received at a first network location and deemed responsible for the denial of service flooding condition from being forwarded to a subsequent network location. Data packets received at the first network location are then monitored to determine whether the flow of any data packets from a network source exhibit a legitimate behavior, such as where the flow of data packets exhibits a backoff behavior. The filter is then modified to permit data packets that exhibit legitimate behavior to pass through the filter.

Abstract: Providing dynamic learning for software agents in a simulation. Software agents with learners are capable of learning from examples. When a non-player character queries the learner, it can provide a next action similar to the player character. The game designer provides program code, from which compile-time steps determine a set of raw features. The code might identify a function (like computing distances). At compile-time steps, determining these raw features in response to a scripting language, so the designer can specify which code should be referenced. A set of derived features, responsive to the raw features, might be relatively simple, more complex, or determined in response to a learner. The set of such raw and derived features form a context for a learner. Learners might be responsive to (more basic) learners, to results of state machines, to calculated derived features, or to raw features. The learner includes a machine learning technique.

Abstract: A technique wherein the number and position of a quantization parameter node is determined in response to the quantization parameters and a preselected error. The size of scene graph and the corresponding amount of memory required to store the scene graph can be reduced by selective placement of quantization parameter nodes in a scene graph. The scene graph is traversed depth first to establish an order and then traversed in reverse. At each node, a calculation relating to (1) the relative cost of inserting a quantization parameter node and (2) the relative savings that result from insertion of a quantization node is performed. Quantization parameter nodes are selectively placed in response to a result of these calculations. The maximum degree of acceptable error value is chosen for each quantization type. This error value limits the number of quantization parameter nodes that can be placed in a scene graph.

Abstract: A system including at least (1) specialized elements that are restricted to a particular domain of data analysis or processing and (2) configurable data that permits the specialized elements to be tailored to a particular application. The configurable data expands applicability of the specialized elements to plural applications within the particular domain. The specialized elements can be provided by a supplier to a developer without the supplier having detailed knowledge of structures and internal operations used by the particular application. The particular application can be generated by the developer without the developer having detailed knowledge of internal operations used by the specialized elements.

Abstract: Integrating content into a storage system with substantially immediate access to that content. Providing high reliability and relatively easy operation with a storage system using redundant information for error correction. Having the storage system perform a “virtual write,” including substantially all steps associated with writing to the media to be integrated, except for the step of actually writing data to that media, including rewriting information relating to used disk blocks, and including rewriting any redundant information maintained by the storage system. Integrating the new physical media into the storage system, including accessing content already present on that media, free space already present on that media, and reading and writing that media. Recovering from errors during integration.

Abstract: Adaptable multi-hub connectivity in a system for collaborative planning. Collaborative planning partners communicate using a set of local hubs. Each local hub is disposed for receiving and sending collaborative planning messages, caching and modifying collaborative planning data, and coordinating with one or more regional authorities regarding access to data. The local hubs communicate with client devices, other local hubs, and regional authorities. Regional authorities control access to collaborative planning data, thus controlling who owns that data, who is allowed to modify that data, and who is allowed to read or cache that data. Regional authorities partition the collaborative planning data, each one thus having a distinct subset of that data for which that particular regional authority has the final say. Regional authorities coordinate so that each one can obtain instructions for data not belonging to that particular regional authority.

Abstract: A UI including a “Guide,” presenting a list of videos, having data fields relating to each entry, possibly including multiple data values for a single data field. When focusing on a single entry, the focused-upon entry is expanded and emphasized. The focused-upon entry is highlighted and centered, while other entries have lesser highlighting and centering. When a data field is selected, the focused-upon data field is emphasized (by highlighting, repositioning, or resizing), while other entries have lesser emphasis. Display changes might appear after a brief delay, or in response to further user command. When entries are sorted on selected data fields, entries with multiple data values for those fields are replicated, and the sorting letter is highlighted. The user can move individually down the list of entries, or skip to the next section with a different data value for a selected field.

Abstract: A UI involving selection and display from a library of videos, including a “Mosaic” mode of operation, in which a primarily visual display is made of information about possible videos, with the effect that a user might select one such video in response to such visual display. The Mosaic includes an two-dimensional array of entries, each of which has visual information for that entry. The Mosaic collects relatively similar entries near to each other in the visual field seen by a user. The focus is centralized and emphasized, and has auxiliary information displayed for further understanding. The array is dynamically rearranged in response to change in focus and metadata about the entries. Relative weighting of that metadata is responsive to user choice. The array includes rows and columns each of which includes all possible entries, but offset by relatively prime values.

Abstract: The invention provides a method and system for dynamically controlling link parameters during communication between one or more receiver/transmitters. Transmissions are sent as frames from a Base Station Controller to one or more Customer Premises Equipment. Together with a payload, each frame contains a special control message that pre-announces to both the transmitter and receiver the link parameters to be used until changed. The receiving Customer Premises Equipment processes the link parameters and returns a payload of its own within the same frame. With this dynamic approach, link parameters may be changed as often as every frame.

Abstract: The invention provides a method and system for adaptive point to multipoint wireless communication. The wireless physical layer and the wireless media-access-control (MAC) layer collectively include a set of parameters, which are adaptively modified by a base station controller for communication with a plurality of customer premises equipment. The base station controller adjusts communication with each customer premises equipment individually and adaptively in response to changes in characteristics of communication, including physical characteristics, amount of communication traffic, and nature of application for the communication traffic.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of recovering from de-synchronization attacks includes registering original and altered digital content using nonlinear transformations to iteratively attempt to provide better-approximated registration. Approximation occurs at more than one level of granularity, by selecting among a greater number of possible transformation functions at each step. Transformations and comparisons might be conducted directly on pixel values, on coefficients for a set of basis wavelets, or on some transformation of the original and altered digital content. A human operator might assist this process, such as by suggesting transformations or providing evaluation of the degree of registration. Upon resynchronization, embedded identifying information in the original digital content is recovered.

Abstract: A method of embedding information in digital content representing media streams. The method includes (1) selecting a set of locations within that digital content reprensenting the media stream to embed information, (2) selecting a set of possible alterations to make at those locations, and (3) making a subset of the possible alterations. The set of locations and possible alterations is herein sometimes called a “watermark.” The subset of actual alterations that are made is herein sometimes called a “fingerprint.” The method determines a set of locations at which there are alternative versions of digital content representing the same media stream, such as one being the original and one being an alternative version of the same digital content, herein sometimes called the “original movie” and the “alt-movie,” or herein sometimes called the “original block” and the “alt-block” for a particular block in the digital content representing the media stream.

Abstract: A system for controlling a contention state for a communication link between a base station controller and customer premises equipment in point-to-multipoint communication. The contention state is controlled using a state machine. The state machine includes a grant pending absent state in which a unicast request slot is maintained open for use by the customer premises equipment. During the grant pending absent state, the customer premises equipment sends no upstream data to the base station controller but can use the unicast request slot to request a data slot for sending upstream data to the base station controller. Preferably, the state machine further includes an idle state in which the customer premises equipment awaits arrival of data packets to send as upstream data to the base station controller. The state machine preferably further includes a deferring state in which the customer premises equipment defers contending for the data slot so as to avoid collisions with other customer premises equipment.

Abstract: The invention provides a method and system for robust topology wireless communication using access points. A wireless communication system includes a communication cell having a base station controller and at least one set of customer premises equipment. The customer premises equipment is disposed within a sector of the cell, and communication between the base station controller and the customer premises equipment is controlled by the base station controller is so as to prevent interference between multiple sets of customer premises equipment. When customer premises equipment is subject to relatively larger amounts of multipath effect, or interference or noise, one or more access points are disposed within the sector, so as to propagate or route communication between the base station controller and one or more sets of customer premises equipment. The access points may range in complexity from simple reflectors, to repeaters, to routing devices operative within the cell.

Abstract: An Internet business transaction processor of the present invention has a distributed processing architecture which allows the processing load to be distributed among multiple parallel servers. The transaction processor of the present invention provides a virtual store front utilizing “others people's warehouse” approach by using a dynamic distributor selection processing system to select among a plurality of distributors based on flexible rule-based algorithm. Furthermore, a multi-level fraud check processing system allows orders to be processes that would otherwise be discarded to generate a higher yield in sales.

Abstract: The invention provides a method and system for scheduling for links having changing parameters. The method and system for scheduling for links having changing parameters is responsive to variations in communication capacity of communication links, such as wireless communication links in a wireless communication system. A BSC communicates with a plurality of CPE, including dynamically varying communication parameters for each CPE and substantially simultaneously scheduling traffic for each such CPE in response to those varying communication parameters. The BSC can schedule communication with each individual CPE in response to both (1) requested communication bandwidth and (2) varying communication capacity of the communication link between the BSC and that individual CPE. In a preferred embodiment, the BSC communicates with each CPE during a TDD frame. Sequences of such frames can each have differing communication parameters and can each be separately processed by the scheduling technique.

Abstract: A system for manipulating, updating, creating, and displaying data from sources of Extensible Markup Language (XML) documents. The information from one or more XML document sources is structured and reorganized into management records. The management records interact with the dynamic documents to reformat the data into the form desired by the user. Both the management records and dynamic documents are also used to execute operations on the data such as sorts, filters, and logical and mathematical functions. The present invention also include a plurality of unique methods for defining a point of view for viewing the data, a method for assembling the data extracted from the XML documents, a method for reorganizing the data in management records into any form of dynamic documents, and methods for displaying and printing dynamic documents.