Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for routing incoming customer service requests directly to the most appropriate destination within a call center without requiring customer knowledge of a specific telephone number or extension to call and without requiring the customer to select from a series of menus. The receiving location or inbound call center accepts a voice call from a customer. The incoming voice call includes an associated data stream. This data stream is processed by the inbound call center and is used to route the call to the appropriate destination or customer service representative, for example a specific person, a department, a subsidiary, an individual either working within a facility or working outside the facility, a subcontractor and combinations thereof. Additional functionality is provided by including additional data, e.g. data in addition to routing data, along with voice data.

Abstract: An object and attributes that describe that object are identified. The attributes are grouped into attribute patterns, and classification classes are identified. For each identified class a sketch table containing a plurality of parallel hash tables is created. For the object to be classified, each attribute pattern is processed using the all of the hash functions for each sketch table, resulting in a plurality of values under each sketch table for a single attribute pattern. The lowest value is selected for each sketch table. The distribution of values across all sketch tables is evaluated for each attribute pattern, producing a discriminatory power for each attribute pattern. Attribute patterns having a discriminatory power above a given threshold are selected and added to the associated sketch table values. The sketch table with the largest overall sum is identified, and the associated class is assigned to the object belonging to the attribute patterns.

Abstract: A system for automatically acquiring high-resolution images by steering a pan-tilt-zoom camera at targets detected in a fixed camera view is provided. The system uses automatic or manual calibration between multiple cameras. Using automatic calibration, the homography between the cameras in a home position is estimated together with the effects of pan and tilt controls and the expected height of a person in the image. These calibrations are chained together to steer a slave camera. The manual calibration scheme steers a camera to the desired region of interest and calculates the pan, tile and zoom parameters accordingly.

Abstract: A ligature is provided for use in a mouthpiece system for attaching a reed to a mouthpiece of a woodwind musical instrument. The ligature is constructed from overlapping layers of flexible strap to define pockets holding rigid bars. The ligature ends and rigid bars are brought together to form a loop that is placed over the mouthpiece and reed. A threaded closure mechanism is used to tighten the ligature around the mouthpiece. Within the interior of the loop, a rigid, weighted cradle is attached to the flexible strap by rivets. The cradle contains a plurality of identical cradle members stacked together in a laminated manner.

Abstract: Plug-in configurable middleware is provided for managing distributed applications. The middleware includes at least one core runtime engine configured as a plurality of concurrent instantiations on one or more hosts within a distributed architecture. These hosts can represent separate nodes or a single node within the architecture. Each core runtime engine instance provides the minimum amount of functionality required to support the instantiation of one or more plug-ins within that core runtime engine instance. Each core runtime engine instance is in communication with other concurrent core runtime engine instances and can share the functionality of plug-in instances with the other core runtime engine instances, for example through the use of proxies. A plurality of personalities representing pre-defined functions is defined and one of more of these personalities is associated with each core runtime engine instance. A plurality of pre-defined plug-ins are defined and associated with the personalities.

Abstract: A distributable and serializable finite state machine and methods for using the distributable and serializable finite state machine are provided wherein finite state machine instance can be location-shifted, time-shifted or location-shift and time-shifted, for example by serializing and deserializing each instance. Each instance can be located-shifted between agents, and a persistent memory storage location is provided to facilitate both location-shifting and time-shifting. Finite state machine instances and the actions that make up each instance can be run in a distributed fashion among a plurality of agents.

Abstract: A network system includes an application service provider (ASP) which is connected to the Internet and executes an application, and a CPU resource provider which is connected to the Internet and provides a processing service to a particular computational part (e.g., computation intensive part) of the application, wherein: when requesting a job from the CPU resource provider, the application service provider (ASP) sends information about estimated computation time of the job to the CPU resource provider via the Internet; and the CPU resource provider assigns the job by correcting this estimated computation time based on the estimated computation time sent from the application service provider (ASP).

Abstract: Systems and methods for embedding metadata such as personal patient information within actual medical data signals obtained from a patient are provided wherein two watermarks, a robust watermark and a fragile watermark are embedded in a given medical data signal. The robust watermark includes a binary coded representation of the metadata that is incorporated into the frequency domain of the medical data signal using discrete Fourier transformations and additive embedding. Error correcting code can also be added to the binary representation of the metadata using Hamming coding. A given robust watermark can be incorporated multiple times in the medical data signal. The fragile watermark is added on top of the modified medical signal containing the robust watermark in the spatial domain of the modified medical signal. The fragile watermark utilizes hash function to generate random sequences that are incorporated through the medical data signal.

Abstract: A failure recovery framework to be used in cooperative data stream processing is provided that can be used in a large-scale stream data analysis environment. Failure recovery supports a plurality of independent distributed sites, each having its own local administration and goals. The distributed sites cooperate in an inter-site back-up mechanism to provide for system recovery from a variety of failures within the system. Failure recovery is both automatic and timely through cooperation among sites. Back-up sites associated with a given primary site are identified. These sites are used to identify failures within the primary site including failures of applications running on the nodes of the primary site. The failed applications are reinstated on one or more nodes within the back-up sites using job management instances local to the back-up sites in combination with previously stored state information and data values for the failed applications.

Abstract: A failure recovery framework to be used in cooperative data stream processing is provided that can be used in a large-scale stream data analysis environment. Failure recovery supports a plurality of independent distributed sites, each having its own local administration and goals. The distributed sites cooperate in an inter-site back-up mechanism to provide for system recovery from a variety of failures within the system. Failure recovery is both automatic and timely through cooperation among sites. Back-up sites associated with a given primary site are identified. These sites are used to identify failures within the primary site including failures of applications running on the nodes of the primary site. The failed applications are reinstated on one or more nodes within the back-up sites using job management instances local to the back-up sites in combination with previously stored state information and data values for the failed applications.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for autonomic control and optimization of computing systems. A plurality of component models for one or more components in an autonomic computing system are maintained in a system level database. These component models are obtained from a source external to the management server including the components associated with the models. Component models are added or removed from the database or updated as need. A system level management server in communication with the database utilizes the component models maintained in the system level database and generic component models as needed to compute an optimum state of the autonomic computing system. The autonomic computing system is managed in accordance with the computed optimum state.

Abstract: Pointer analysis is used for different applications, e.g., compilers, debugging tools and programs understanding tools, each having different requirements. A framework for pointer analysis is provided that defines a multidimensional space, for example a three-dimensional space, containing an order sensitivity dimension, a predicate sensitivity dimension and a value persistence dimension. A point in the three-dimensional space is identified. This point yields values for order sensitivity, predicate sensitivity and value persistence. Pointer analysis is then conducted on a computer program in accordance with the identified values for order sensitivity, predicate sensitivity and value persistence.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a publish/subscribe system containing a plurality of brokers, a plurality of subscribers and plurality of brokers including publisher connecting brokers, intermediate brokers and subscriber connecting brokers. Subscriptions are introduced into the system by the subscribers through associated subscription brokers. New subscriptions are aggregated, assigned a virtual start time and propagated through the system toward the publishers. Each broker maintains subscription information in the form of a directed acyclic graph and a broker vector. Messages are published through the system by the publishers through their associated publisher connecting brokers. Each message is assigned a message vector associating subscriptions to that message. The published messages are routed through the brokers toward the subscribers in accordance with comparisons of message brokers and vector brokers conducted at each broker.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided that schedule task requests within a computing system based upon the history of task requests. The history of task requests can be represented by a historical log that monitors the receipt of high priority task request submissions over time. This historical log in combination with other user defined scheduling rules is used to schedule the task requests. Task requests in the computer system are maintained in a list that can be divided into a hierarchy of queues differentiated by the level of priority associated with the task requests contained within that queue. The user-defined scheduling rules give scheduling priority to the higher priority task requests, and the historical log is used to predict subsequent submissions of high priority task requests so that lower priority task requests that would interfere with the higher priority task requests will be delayed or will not be scheduled for processing.

Abstract: A system and method are provided that allows a speaker to provide real-time annotations to one or more displayed images during a presentation. The speaker inputs the annotations my manually identify a portion of the displayed image using an input mechanism such as a touch screen that is in communication with a presentation monitor and a control system that is controlling the presentation. The identified portions are annotated onto the displayed images using a adaptive color that is selected to provide optimum contrast with the existing colors in the displayed image. In addition to providing adaptive, contrasting colors for the annotations, imperfection such as waviness are removed from the identified portions to created corrected portions that are then annotated onto the presentation image. Annotation is accomplished through computer generated graphics or through the use of a motorized, controllable laser pointer.

Abstract: An object and attributes that describe that object are identified. The attributes are grouped into attribute patterns, and classification classes are identified. For each identified class a sketch table containing a plurality of parallel hash tables is created. For the object to be classified, each attribute pattern is processed using the all of the hash functions for each sketch table, resulting in a plurality of values under each sketch table for a single attribute pattern. The lowest value is selected for each sketch table. The distribution of values across all sketch tables is evaluated for each attribute pattern, producing a discriminatory power for each attribute pattern. Attribute patterns having a discriminatory power above a given threshold are selected and added to associated sketch table values. The sketch table with the largest overall sum is identified, and the associated class is assigned to the object belonging to the attribute patterns.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for the management of assets within an enterprise. Management of assets includes the creation of assets, the derivation and lineage of assets and asset composition. In addition, the creation of artifacts by the assets is provided. Assets and artifacts are maintained within a repository that is accessible throughout the enterprise. In addition, rules are provided for the composition and usage of all assets within the enterprise.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for detecting malicious behavior in mobile ad-hoc wireless networks. The mobile ad-hoc network contains a plurality of actual nodes and a plurality of decoys that are derived from the actual nodes using duplicate instances of the operational software of the actual nodes in combination with a virtual interconnection topology created to make the decoys appear as actual nodes within the mobile ad-hoc network. The interconnection topology includes routing characteristics indicating that the most efficient path of communication to any given decoy is through at least one actual node in the network. The decoys are used to identify malicious behavior in the network and in particular to identify attempt to communicate directly with decoys in contradiction to the created interconnection topology. When the malicious behavior is associated with an identifiable node, corrective action is taken that includes quarantining that node from the other nodes in the network.

Abstract: A method for cross-triggering transitions in independent finite state machines is provided. For a given plurality of finite state machine definitions having a plurality of states and a plurality of transitions among the states, two or more independent instances of the plurality of finite state machine definitions are created. In addition, associations between two or more of the independent finite state machine instances are identified. The method uses cross-triggering rules that identify a condition in a first one of the associated independent finite state machine instances that triggers a transition action in a second one of the associated independent finite state machine instances. Each cross-triggering rule is triggered upon an occurrence of the cross-triggering rule condition, and the transition action in the second associated independent finite state machine instance is performed in response to the triggering of the cross-triggering rule.

Abstract: This invention is directed to a system and method for the close coupling of Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) based Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) with multiplayer network games. Game state dependent voice communications are used as another method of player interaction in the game environment. The system uses SIP enhanced game servers and conference servers with audio mixing capabilities, and the game server controls the creation, maintenance and changing of the voice conferences. Participation in a voice conference is determined by the game state features associated with each player including distance and direction to determine how the voices are mixed in a voice conference.