Abstract: The present invention has been made in consideration of linear reverse playback of MPEG video data and has particular applications to video special effect editing. According to one aspect of the present invention, the disclosed system uses a minimum number of frame storage to buffer decompressed I and P frames so as to decompress B frames in a reverse order and subsequently display the B frames. Every time, it comes to display the decompressed I and P frames buffered in the frame storage, an I frame or a P frame in a group of picture (GOP) prior to current GOP is decompressed and buffered into one of the frame storage that becomes available when the content therein has been retrieved for display. The cyclic use of the frame storage and the time that would be otherwise spent for decompressing B frames guarantees a linear reverse playback of MPEG video data without showing retardant visual effects that often result from non-even decoding processes in displaying compressed frames.

Abstract: A self-calibration system for image sensors is disclosed. The system compensates signals from the image sensors for any distortions caused by inherent deficiencies in the image sensors. Image sensing modules employing the present invention will produce self-calibrated image signals without requiring the commonly used follow-up signal processing schemes. To achieve the self-calibration, an analyzing circuit is used to determine gains and offset values for each of the photodetectors in the image sensor based on a set of test signals. The gains and offset values are then stored in a persistent memory for access by an amplifier to adjust scanning signals representing a scanning object.

Abstract: A method and system are disclosed for providing subscriber loyalty and retention techniques These techniques are suitable for mobile devices with small screens and limited keypad communication. This system and method allows mobile subscribers who have been identified as being likely candidates for churning, to efficiently, visually and interactively, review an offer for a mobile service plan better meeting the subscriber's needs. The subscriber can review and execute the offer using the display and interface of a mobile device.

Abstract: According to one aspect of the disclosed system, a user supplies character-based queries to retrieve and display a record from a structured database. For every character the user enters, a progressively reduced list of indexes that start with the entered characters is displayed. When a desired index identifying the record is among those indexes being displayed, the user may cease the character entry and scroll a zoom window upon the desired index to explore the record. According to another aspect of the disclosed system, the zoom window maintains a display of an index and at least one field of a record. Consequently, the user can access and display pertinent information of a certain record from a database quickly and efficiently with less keystrokes.

Abstract: It is disclosed that a mobile scanner includes only the minimum components to operate as a scanner. The disclosed scanner does not have a separate power supply to energize the components to work. Further, unlike many scanners in the market, there is not a single microcontroller in the disclosed mobile scanner while the performance thereof could outperform those scanners commanded traditionally by a microcontroller in the scanners. The disclosed scanner is coupled by an interface engine to a computing device that provides system control signals and power supply. The interface engine comprises a control circuit providing logic control signals to the scanner to operate in response to the system control signals. As such, the scanner is of high performance and low cost and so lightweight that it can be used in any conditions.

Abstract: An improved flatbed scanner comprises a frame transparent scanner and a cradle having a lid. The frame transparent scanner is a stand-alone portable scanner that can scan both transparent and opaque scanning objects. When the frame transparent scanner is rested in the cradle, a flatbed scanner, appearing as a regular flatbed scanner, is structured. The operations are no different from that of the regular flatbed scanner. One of the advantages and benefits of the disclosed flatbed scanner is that a user no longer has to have two scanners, typically one for mobile applications and one for stationary applications. With the current disclosed flatbed scanner, the user can take the frame transparent scanner off the cradle for the mobile applications and rest the frame transparent scanner in the cradle for office uses.

Abstract: A crypto-ignition process is needed to establish an encrypted communication protocol between two devices connected by an insecure communication link. The present invention introduces a method of creating an identical secret key to two communicating parties is conducted between a thin device and a server computer over an insecure data network. The thin device generally has limited computing power and working memory and the server computer may communicate with a plurality of such thin devices. To ensure the security of the secret key on both sides and reduce traffic in the network, only a pair of public values is exchanged between the thin device and the server computer over the data network. Each side generates its own secret key from a self-generated private value along with the received counterpart's public value according to a commonly used key agreement protocol, such as the Diffie-Hellman key agreement protocol.

Abstract: The disclosed architecture for an image sensor and the associated method employ an internal switching mechanism controlled by a much reduced number of shift registers to facilitate the readout of electronic signals generated by the photodetectors in the image sensor. The switching mechanism comprises resolution switches that can act sequentially or simultaneously so that image resolution can be controlled within the image sensor. Further, the overall performance of the image sensor is improved.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a system for transcoding character sets between Internet hosts and thin client devices over data networks. A proxy server is provided as an intermediary between the Internet hosts and the thin client devices, and is informed when a specific character set is preferred by the client device. The client character set preference is communicated to the proxy server prior to the client receiving information from an Internet host. When a communication session is established between one of the Internet hosts and one of the thin client devices, the proxy server performs the character set transcoding if the character sets of the Internet host and the client device are not the same. Apart from any existing techniques, the proxy server handles the task of character set transcoding so as to alleviate the mobile computing devices from performing the transcoding locally.

Abstract: A lensless optical system comprises identical tubes that can be made and molded out of a plastic material. Each of the tubes includes an opening at the end that faces a scanning object. When the scanning object is illuminated and passes through the image sensing module, openings of all the tubes capture incident light reflected from the scanning object and the captured light passes the tubes and subsequently impinges onto the image sensor. An image of the scanning object is produced when the image sensor is activated.

Abstract: A structured screen display process presents structured information that includes a plurality of selectable and non-selectable elements on any width screen display so that the user is able to see as many of the elements as possible at once, and is able to see the complete text of any element as needed. The process dynamically adapts the display of structured information to the screen display width of a device. The structured information is presented on a screen display by displaying at least a portion of each element of a plurality of elements on the screen display where at least one of the selectable elements has a width greater than a width of the screen display. The at least one selectable element is scrolled horizontally while continuing to display the other elements of the plurality of elements.

Abstract: The disclosed system has particular applications to image archives and reediting. Given an image of an article having graphic objects including texts and pictures, the disclosed system first distinguishes graphic objects from the background by segmenting the image so as to produce an object image comprising a foreground, wherein the foreground corresponds to the graphic objects in the image. With respect to the foreground, the disclosed system “repaints” those spaces previously occupied by the graphic objects, referred to as object spaces, with the background color in the image as such the background continuity is preserved when the graphic objects are rendered and subsequently superimposed onto the repainted background. To account for various backgrounds, the disclosed system uses a point-wise patching approach followed by a one-dimensional patching approach if the object spaces contain two different colors.

Abstract: The present invention has been made in consideration of accommodating a higher sensor clock signal to increase the pixel readout rate from a regular image sensor and has particular applications to generating high-resolution and high-speed images from scanning objects. The sensing module in the present invention uses a number of readout passages in parallel to produce several segmented outputs from the image sensor and subsequently combine the outputs to produce an interleaved scanning signal under a sequence of control signals derived from a sensor clock signal.

Abstract: A structured screen display process presents structured information that includes a plurality of elements on any width screen display so that the user is able to see as many of the elements as possible at once, and is able to see the complete text of any element as needed. The process dynamically adapts the display of structured information to the screen display width of the device. Further, in this dynamic adaptation, the user sees at a glance as many as possible of the elements of the structure, and the user can see any of the elements at the user's discretion in a way which is compatible with using structured information such as a menu of choices. The structured information is presented on a screen display by displaying at least a portion of each element in a plurality of elements on the screen display where at least one of the elements has a width greater than a width of the screen display.

Abstract: The present invention is a method and system for establishing an authenticated and secure communication session for transactions between a server and a client in a wireless data network that generally comprises an airnet, a landline network and a link server therebetween. The client having limited computing resources is remotely located with respect to the server and communicates to the server through the wireless data network. To authenticate each other, the client and the server conduct two rounds of authentication, the client authentication and the server authentication, independently and respectively, each of the authentication processes is based on a shared secret encrypt key and challenge/response mechanism. To reach for a mutually accepted cipher in the subsequent transactions, the server looks up for a commonly used cipher and forwards the cipher along with a session key to the client.

Abstract: It is disclosed herein that a system for reducing video data memory in VGA-to-TV converters that convert computer video signals to TV compliant signals for display on regular TV screens. By closely tracking two pointers, one being a write pointer responsible for writing incoming video data into the video data memory and the other being a read pointer responsible for reading out the stored video data in the video data memory, the memory is efficiently used for buffering the video data. To ensure that the read pointer always retrieves the valid video data at its own speed, an address monitoring process is provided to monitor the address difference between the write pointer and the read pointer. When the monitoring process detects that the read pointer may soon surpass the write pointer, a control process is placed on the write pointer to prevent the read pointer from passing over the write pointer.

Abstract: A network interface for home networking implemented upon an existing 4-wire (two-pair) phone line system is disclosed. The interface comprises two transmitters, two line isolators and a receiver. The two transmitters transmit data simultaneously to both of the pairs of wires in the phone line system so that all devices coupled to the phone line system, regardless which pair of wires being coupled onto, can receive the data. Because all the pairs carry the data, there is therefore needed one on receiver in the interface to receive the data transmitting over the phone line system. The disclosed interface provides a solution to the home networking which no longer requires the knowledge of the underlying wiring structure in the phone line system.

Abstract: A computer/scanner combination, in which a portable computer having a base and a lid, a sheet-fed scanner and a hook mounting the sheet-fed scanner to the lid of the portable computer; the hook further comprises a clip-holder removably mounted on the top of the lid and two ends removably mounted to the sheet-fed scanner.

Abstract: The present invention has particular applications to scanners such as desktop and sheet-fed scanners. To keep the scanner cost down while increasing the overall system performance, the present invention discloses an improved scanning mechanism that uses a single image sensor and a hybrid light source comprising at least one colored LED and at least one colored cold cathode fluorescent lamp. According to one embodiment, the hybrid light source uses a blue cold cathode fluorescent lamp and a red LED and a green LED. Three color signals are respectively generated under three different illuminations, namely the blue cold cathode fluorescent lamp alone, the red LED together with the blue cold cathode fluorescent lamp and the green LED together with the blue cold cathode fluorescent lamp. With the strong intensity provided by the blue cold cathode fluorescent lamp, the light integration process intervals are significantly reduced as such the overall system performance of scanning systems is greatly improved.

Abstract: The present invention has been made in consideration of thin devices efficiently communicating ideas and transactions into data networks by using other devices with full functional user interface in the networks. According to one aspect of the present invention, the thin device exclusively controls the authentication of a rendezvous that is associated with a user account in a server. The thin device running a micro-browser provisions the rendezvous with a set of credential information in an authenticated and secure communication session so that the provisioning process is truly proprietary. To access the user account, the other devices equipped with well known browsers must submit the correct credential information to the rendezvous for verification in the server.