Abstract: A light unit is provided that includes a thin flexible substrate layer. A number of flexible electrical tracks are formed on the flexible substrate layer. A number of Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) are arranged on the flexible substrate layer along the electrical tracks and are electrically connected to the electrical tracks such that the light unit is both thin and flexible.

Abstract: A configuration system for an application having a plurality of application components is described. The configuration system includes a configuration oracle/initiator that repeatedly asserts a desired state to the application components to operate in that desired state. The desired state is a predetermined state. The configuration oracle only asserts the desired state to the application components and does not control the manner in which each of the application components moves to the desired state. The configuration system also includes a configuration engine in each of the application components that causes the corresponding application components to move to the desired state upon receiving the state assertion of the desired state unless the configuration engine determines that the corresponding application component is already in the desired state. A method of configuring an application having a large number of application components is also described.

Abstract: A system for monitoring system behavior of a managed/instrumented system is described. The system includes a measurement module coupled to the managed system to generate measurement data of the managed system. The measurement data include past measurement data and current measurement data. A store is also provided that stores the past measurement data. A genetic programming module is coupled to the store to evolve the evolved predictor based on the past measurement data and predetermined effectiveness criteria such that the evolved predictor predicts the system behavior of the managed system when supplied with the current measurement data. The genetic programming module genetically manipulates a set of candidate predictors to produce the evolved predictor. A system for generating the evolved predictor is also described.

Abstract: A three-tiered transaction processing system is provided in which state information maintained in the database tier is used to facilitate recovery of transaction coordinators without the transaction coordinators having to maintain their own recovery information and a method of accessing such state information while controlling the lifetime of this recovery information; i.e., keeping it around long enough so that client tier will have a consistent view of the world before the information is forgotten. This solves the problem of outcome determination.

Abstract: An image scanning apparatus is described that includes a sensor having an array of imaging elements that generates a plurality of scan lines of image pixels from an original image. The image scanning apparatus also includes a control module that controls the sensor to generate the scan lines, some of the scan lines are tilted with respect to other scan lines such that some image pixels of any two adjacent lines are not overlapped. An imaging module is also provided in the image scanning apparatus that generates a scan image from the scan lines such that image resolution of the scan image is increased without increasing scan resolution of the sensor. A method of increasing the image resolution of a scan image without increasing the scan resolution of the scanner is also described.

Abstract: A service management system in a federated system having a first and a second independently administered data service systems is described. The service management system includes a service manager that provides selective management data of the second data service system to the first data service system in accordance with a predetermined service level agreement between the first and second data service systems without giving the first data service system complete access to the second data service system. A method of selectively providing management data from one independently administered data service system to another independently administered data service system is also described.

Abstract: A data service system is accessible through a plurality of access requests. The data service system includes a user access request classification system for classifying the access requests. The user access request classification system includes a request classifier that classifies each of the access requests into one of a plurality of classes based on a predetermined classification policy. The user access request classification system also includes a plurality of buffers coupled to the request classifier. Each buffer corresponds to one of the classes to receive the access requests classified by the request classifier as belonging to that class such that the data service system processes the access requests in accordance with their classes. A method of classifying user access requests for the data service system is also described.

Abstract: An image processing system for automatically extracting image frames suitable for printing and/or visual presentation from a compressed image data is described. The image processing system includes a face detector that detects if an image frame contains at least a face. The image processing system also includes a blur detector that determines the blur indicator value of the image frame directly using the information contained in the compressed image data if the image frame is determined to contain a face. The blur detector indicates that the image frame is suitable for printing and/or visual presentation if the blur indicator value of the image frame is less than a predetermined threshold. The image processing system may also include a motion analyzer that determines if the image frame is a super-resolution image frame suitable for printing and/or visual presentation if the image frame does not contain any face.

Abstract: An arrangement for configuring a reconfigurable system having a plurality of resources includes a compiler that configures the resources to implement a functional system in accordance with a user design. A defect database is also provided that (1) stores information indicating which of the resources is defective when the resources contain at least one defective resource, and (2) supplies the information to the compiler such that the compiler does not use the defective resource when the compiler configures the resources to implement the user design. The arrangement also includes a detection subsystem that repeatedly and redundantly tests operational condition of the resources grouped in different groups to detect the defective resources.

Abstract: An image processing system for processing digitized color images is described. The image processing system includes a color matching processor that automatically produces an optimized color image from a negative image and its developed print image. The optimized color image processed by the color matching processor has the image resolution and the color appearance of the better one of the negative and the developed print. A method of automatically producing an optimized color image from a negative image and its corresponding print image is also described.

Abstract: An automatic red-eye detection and reduction system is described. The automatic red-eye detection and reduction system includes a red-eye detector that detects if an image contains a red pupil without user intervention. The red-eye detector detects location and size of the red pupil if the image is detected to contain the red pupil. The automatic red-eye detection and reduction system also includes a red-eye reduction system that is coupled to the red-eye detector to change each red color pixel within the red pupil into a predetermined color such that color of the red pupil can be detected and changed without user intervention. A method of automatically detecting and reducing red-eye effect in a digital image is also described.

Abstract: A cache system is described that includes a storage that is partitioned into a plurality of storage areas, each for storing one kind of objects received from remote sites and to be directed to target devices. The cache system further includes a cache manager coupled to the storage to cause objects to be stored in the corresponding storage areas of the storage. The cache manager causes cached objects in each of the storage areas to be replaced in accordance with one of a plurality of replacement policies, each being optimized for one kind of objects.

Abstract: A data service system is described that includes a plurality of data content sites and is coupled to a number of user terminals via a network. The data service system also includes a system for providing performance guarantees for the content sites. The system for providing performance guarantees includes a plurality of class processors, each for controlling access throughput of one of the content sites in accordance with a predetermined admission control policy. When one of the class processors receives an access request for one of the content sites, that class processor determines if the access request should be accepted based on the corresponding admission control policy and sends the access request to the corresponding content site when accepting the access request. The system also includes a classifier that determines to which one of the class processors the access request should be sent. A method of controlling access throughput of the content sites is also described.

Abstract: A web access functionality embedded in a device includes modules for generating a device web page wherein the device web page enables selection of at least one control function for the device. The web access functionality also includes modules for accessing the device web page via a communication path such that a user of a web browser accesses the control function for the device through the device web page. The control function includes control functions for loading new information into the device via the communication path and control functions for providing notification messages via the communication path upon the occurrence of events in the device.

Abstract: A non-intrusive cursor synchronization system is described that does not change or modify the existing system or application. The cursor synchronization system is used for synchronously displaying a cursor on a plurality of display systems connected together via a network without requiring database or shared memory. The cursor synchronization system includes a plurality of agents, each being coupled to one of the display systems to cause the respective display system to display a consistent cursor movement, and to trigger concurrent execution among a number of existing applications. The cursor synchronization system also includes a cursor synchronizer that captures and compresses the cursor movement generated from one of the display systems within a time interval that is adjustable based on the speed at which the user moves the cursor.

Abstract: An anti-color aliasing filter for a digital imaging system is includes a first filtering region that allows any color to pass through. The filter also includes a second filtering region adjacent to the first filtering region to allow a particular color or colors to pass through in order to adjust the color frequency response of the digital imaging system to the remaining colors without affecting the frequency response of the digital imaging system to the colors passing through the second filtering region, such that color aliasing is minimized in the digital imaging system.

Abstract: A scheme of evaluating performance of a network connecting a remote terminal to a data service system is described. The scheme emulates a communication protocol to transfer data reliably and in sequence with congestion control. The communication protocol includes mechanisms for acknowledgment and retransmission and a dynamic window size. The scheme restricts the dynamic window size not to be greater than a predetermined maximum window size, and the amount of data transferred to a predetermined data transfer size, thereby accurately measuring user-perceived network throughput without significantly impacting network performance.

Abstract: A system for allowing consistent execution of a workflow process in a computer-enabled workflow management system is described. The workflow process includes at least one sequence of workflow actions, having at least one set of parallel workflow actions and being configured as a number of nodes interconnected by arcs. Each node defines and executes at least one of the workflow actions. The system includes a workflow process database accessible by the nodes of the workflow process to read and write data items when executing the workflow actions. The system also includes a module for maintaining execution consistency among the workflow actions when the nodes access the workflow process database to read and write the data items in carrying out the workflow actions. A computer-implemented method for consistently executing a workflow process in a workflow management system is also described.

Abstract: A scheme is described for a data service system having a number of modules. Some of the modules are interdependent. To measure the status of an individual module, the scheme first collects measurements from a number of measurement routes that involve the module. Then the scheme analyzes the interdependencies of the measurements to determine the status of the individual module. The scheme may also determine status of the data service system with a minimal number of measurement routes. This is done by determining (1) all possible measurement routes, (2) determining the dependency between the modules and the measurement routes, and (3) analyzing the dependency to select minimal number of the measurement routes. The scheme can diagnose whether a module is a problematic module or not by analyzing a number of measurements that involve the module. If one of the measurements is good, the module is identified as non-problematic.

Abstract: A system and method for performing flexible workflow process execution in a distributed workflow management system is described. The distributed workflow management system is formed by a computer network comprising a plurality of computers. Each computer has a processor, memory and input/output facilities. A workflow process management system operates on one or more of the computers to control the computer network in executing the workflow process. The workflow process includes at least one sequence of multiple actions. A plurality of resources is coupled to respective ones of the computers to carry out the multiple actions. A plurality of state machines are stored as computer-operable code in at least one memory and include a plurality of states interconnected by arcs logically forming a directed graph. The workflow management system further includes logic for instantiating each action with one state and logic for executing the logical sequence of the action as state transitions in each state machine.