Abstract: Efficient reconciliation of different versions of a target file or dataset can be facilitated using a hash hierarchy of a master version of the dataset. Each level of the hash hierarchy has hashes of blocks of the master version that may be sub-blocks of the hashes in the level above. The top level of the hash hierarchy, having the hashes of the largest blocks of the master, may be transmitted on a first communication channel, possibly a one-way or broadcast communication channel. Streams of encodings of each lower level of the hash hierarchy may be transmitted on respective communication channels. The encodings for a level of the hierarchy may be combinations, such as random linear combinations, of the hashes of that level. A receiver with a target dataset can receive the top level hashes from the first channel and use them to determine which lower hashes are needed to identify parts of the master missing from the target.

Abstract: A method and system for increasing server cluster availability by requiring at a minimum only one node and a quorum replica set of replica members to form and operate a cluster. Replica members maintain cluster operational data. A cluster operates when one node possesses a majority of replica members, which ensures that any new or surviving cluster includes consistent cluster operational data via at least one replica member from the immediately prior cluster. Arbitration provides exclusive ownership by one node of the replica members, including at cluster formation, and when the owning node fails. Arbitration uses a fast mutual exclusion algorithm and a reservation mechanism to challenge for and defend the exclusive reservation of each member. A quorum replica set algorithm brings members online and offline with data consistency, including updating unreconciled replica members, and ensures consistent read and update operations.

Abstract: Various technologies for generating a synthesized singing voice waveform. In one implementation, the computer program may receive a request from a user to create a synthesized singing voice using the lyrics of a song and a digital file containing its melody as inputs. The computer program may then dissect the lyrics' text and its melody file into its corresponding sub-phonemic units and musical score respectively. The musical score may be further dissected into a sequence of musical notes and duration times for each musical note. The computer program may then determine a fundamental frequency (F0), or pitch, of each musical note.

Abstract: A super-resolution algorithm that explicitly and exactly models the detector pixel shape, size, location, and gaps for periodic and aperiodic tilings. The algorithm projects the low-resolution input image into high-resolution space to model the actual shapes and/or gaps of the detector pixels. By using an aperiodic pixel layout such as a Penrose tiling significant improvements in super-resolution results can be obtained. An error back-projection super-resolution algorithm makes use of the exact detector model in its back projection operator for better accuracy. Theoretically, the aperiodic detector can be based on CCD (charge-coupled device) technology, and/or more practically, CMOS (complimentary metal oxide semiconductor) technology, for example.

Abstract: Various application-centric user interface techniques are described. A user can easily launch, add, or update applications. An application-centric activity center can be presented as part of a user interface for an operating system shell. A file defining metadata for an application can be defined. The techniques can be applied to game-related software.

Abstract: Described are software stacks for accepting and implementing portable packages containing encodings of processes. The packages are portable and distinct from the technology stacks. The packages may be in the form of declarative code for configuring the technology stacks and can be plugged into the technology stacks to allow the technology stack to play the packages, thereby automating the processes encoded by the packages. The technology stacks have components that are declaratively configurable such that they can provide their functionality autonomously and yet can also, as a unit, in performing their respective functions, cooperatively perform the processes encoded by the packages.

Abstract: Aspects of the present invention are directed at providing safe and efficient ways for a program to perform a one-time initialization of a data item in a multi-threaded environment. In accordance with one embodiment, a method is provided that allows a program to perform a synchronized initialization of a data item that may be accessed by multiple threads. More specifically, the method includes receiving a request to initialize the data item from a current thread. In response to receiving the request, the method determines whether the current thread is the first thread to attempt to initialize the data item. If the current thread is the first thread to attempt to initialize the data item, the method enforces mutual exclusion and blocks other attempts to initialize the data item made by concurrent threads. Then, the current thread is allowed to execute program code provided by the program to initialize the data item.

Abstract: A serverless name resolution protocol ensures convergence despite the size of the network, without requiring an ever-increasing cache and with a reasonable numbers of hops. This convergence is ensured through a multi-level cache and a proactive cache initialization strategy. The multi-level cache is built based on a circular number space. Each level contains information from different levels of slivers of the circular space. A mechanism is included to add a level to the multi-level cache when the node determines that the last level is full. A peer-to-peer name resolution protocol (PNRP) includes a mechanism to allow resolution of names which are mapped onto the circular number space through a hash function. Further, the PNRP may also operate with the domain name system by providing each node with an identification consisting of a domain name service (DNS) component and a unique number.

Abstract: Described herein is technology for, among other things, mining pair-based data on the web. The technology involves an online pair-based data mining system as well as an offline SVM training system. By subjecting a pair-based input data to the systems, one may grow a pool of pair-based data which share characteristics of the pair-based input data in more efficient manner.

Abstract: A system and method for a media processor separates the functions of topology creation and maintenance from the functions of processing data through a topology. The system includes a control layer including a topology generating element to generate a topology describing a set of input multimedia streams, one or more sources for the input multimedia streams, a sequence of operations to perform on the multimedia data, and a set of output multimedia streams, and a media processor to govern the passing of the multimedia data as described in the topology and govern the performance of the sequence of multimedia operations on the multimedia data to create the set of output multimedia streams. The core layer includes the input media streams, the sources for the input multimedia streams, one or more transforms to operate on the multimedia data, stream sinks, and media sinks to provide the set of output multimedia streams.

Abstract: A method for merging really simple syndication (RSS) feeds. Stories containing one or more terms may be merged into one or more clusters based on one or more links between the stories. A cluster frequency with which the terms occur in each cluster may be determined. A diameter for each cluster may be determined. A cluster that is most similar to one of the clusters may be determined based on the cluster frequency. The most similar cluster with the one of the clusters may be determined based on each diameter, and each cluster frequency.

Abstract: Described is a technology by which online recognition of handwritten input data is combined with offline recognition and processing to obtain a combined recognition result. In general, the combination improves overall recognition accuracy. In one aspect, online and offline recognition is separately performed to obtain online and offline character-level recognition scores for candidates (hypotheses). A statistical analysis-based combination algorithm, an AdaBoost algorithm, and/or a neural network-based combination may determine a combination function to combine the scores to produce a result set of one or more results. Online and offline radical-level recognition may be performed. For example, a HMM recognizer may generate online radical scores used to build a radical graph, which is then rescored using the offline radical recognition scores. Paths in the rescored graph are then searched to provide the combined recognition result, e.g., corresponding to the path with the highest score.

Abstract: Technologies for measuring a data throughput rate of a link typically use for transferring media catalogs and media between a media provider and an UPnP Control Point.

Abstract: An illuminator for a flat-panel display comprises a tapered slab waveguide 1 co-extensive with the display, a light source 2-4 arranged to inject light into an edge of the waveguide so that it emerges over the face of the waveguide, and means for scanning the light injected into the wedge so that different areas of the panel are illuminated in turn. Preferably the light source is a set of rows of LEDs, each row injecting light at a different range of angles so that it emerges over different areas of the waveguide 1.

Abstract: Various technologies and techniques are described for providing a transaction grouping feature for use in programs operating under a transactional memory system. The transaction grouping feature is operable to allow transaction groups to be created that contain related transactions. The transaction groups are used to enhance performance and/or operation of the programs. Different locking and versioning mechanisms can be used with different transaction groups. When running transactions, a hardware transactional memory execution mechanism can be used for one transaction group while a software transactional memory execution mechanism used for another transaction group.

Abstract: A system and method for a media processor separates the functions of topology creation and maintenance from the functions of processing data through a topology. The system includes a control layer including a topology generating element to generate a topology describing a set of input multimedia streams, one or more sources for the input multimedia streams, a sequence of operations to perform on the multimedia data, and a set of output multimedia streams, and a media processor to govern the passing of the multimedia data as described in the topology and govern the performance of the sequence of multimedia operations on the multimedia data to create the set of output multimedia streams. The core layer includes the input media streams, the sources for the input multimedia streams, one or more transforms to operate on the multimedia data, stream sinks, and media sinks to provide the set of output multimedia streams.

Abstract: A practical, real-time calibration of digital omnidirectional cameras in the areas of de-vignetting, brightness, contrast, and white balance control. Novel solutions for the color calibration of an omnidirectional camera rig, and an efficient method for devignetting images are presented. Additionally, a context-specific method of stitching images together into a panorama or a mosaic is provided.

Abstract: A system, apparatus, method, and computer-readable media are provided for efficient database lookup operations. According to method, procedural checks for generating a response to a database query are converted into a set of database operations. The database operations are performed the first time a query of the database is received to generate a set of possible results for the query. The set of possible results for the query are then stored. A specific answer to the query is generated from the set of possible results. Future database queries are responded to by generating an answer to the query from the stored set of possible results.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and technologies for configuring a conventional smart card and a client machine, and for performing a smart card authorization using the configured smart card and client. Further, the combination of methods provides for mutual authentication—authentication of the client to the user, and authentication of the user to the client. The authentication methods include presenting a specified token to the user sufficient to authenticate the client to the user and thus protect the user-provided PIN. Security is strengthened by using an integrity key based on approved client system configurations. Security is further strengthened by calculating a PIN? value based on a user-specified PIN and a modifier and using the PIN? value for unlocking the smart card.

Abstract: The present examples provide technologies for estimating code failure proneness probabilities for a code set and/or the files that make up the set. The code set being evaluated is typically comprised of binary and/or source files that embody the software for which the estimates are desired. The estimates are typically based on a set of selected code metrics, the code metrics typically selected based on corresponding failures of a previous version of the software. A historically variant metric feedback factor may also be calculated and code metric values classified relative to a baseline code set embodying the previous version of the software.