Abstract: A set of mechanisms provides consistency, responsiveness, and integrity, to allow high-realism in a distributed network simulation environment. Consistency is achieved by executing the same computation with the same inputs on multiple machines. Responsiveness is achieved by executing the parts of the computation that affect the user's object earlier on the user's machine than on the server for the user's object. Integrity is achieved by executing all computations authoritatively on the server. The ability to run different parts of a shared computation at varying times on different machines is provided.

Abstract: A voice-enabled application, which may be a voice browser, is configured to provide active help to a user. The application maintains a usage history of each user with respect to dialog states. The usage history includes various user-specific variables, some of which are valid across multiple sessions. The application maintains a number of active help prompts capable of being played to a user as speech, each containing information on a different, specific help topic. The application further maintains a number of sets of conditions, each set corresponding to a different one of the active help prompts. The application monitors dialog states during a session of a user and generates an event based on the dialog states. The application applies certain ones of the conditions to certain ones of the user-specific variables in response to the event. The application then plays a active help prompt containing information on a specific help topic to the user if the applied conditions are satisfied.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for creating an avatar are described. A number of user-modifiable genes are maintained in a local processing system, each of which represents a different user-perceivable attribute of the avatar. An encoded representation of the genes is then transmitted to a remote processing system over a network. The genes represent non-geometry parameters, which are used in both the local processing system and the remote processing system to generate geometry for rendering the avatar. One or more of the genes may represent a biomechanical, behavioral, and/or biometric attribute of the avatar. One or more of the genes may be adjusted by a user to allow the user to customize the avatar, which may be performed using a graphical user interface designed for avatar customization. Adjusting one or more of the genes may generate a variation of a previously-generated avatar and may be used to control blending between two or more 3-D models or animation scripts.

Abstract: An endoscopic camera system includes apparent focusing capability to automatically and non-mechanically apparently focus images of internal features of a body during an endoscopic procedure. The system includes a scope for insertion into the body, a camera head coupled with the scope, and a camera control unit coupled with the camera head. Video image data of internal features of the body are acquired through the scope by the camera head and transmitted to the camera control unit, which generates video images for display on a monitor. The camera control unit includes an auto-focusing process for digitally focusing the video images in real-time.

Abstract: A trocar sleeve capable of holding an endoscopic camera system and an associated endoscopic camera system are provided. When integrated with the trocar sleeve, the endoscopic camera can be used to provide a panoramic overview of the surgical area to supplement the view provided by a main endoscopic camera. The trocar sleeve includes a tube and a base coupled to the tube. The tube includes a channel for accommodating a surgical tool, such as a trocar. The tube further includes a receptacle separate from the channel, for allowing removable attachment of an endoscope to the trocar sleeve. The base includes a fastener for allowing removable attachment of an endoscopic camera head to the trocar sleeve. The camera head has a corresponding fastener for mating with the fastener of the base.

Abstract: A graphical user interface (GUI) is described for providing access to performance data for T1 or E1 communication lines. Data, such as error statistics, usage statistics, and burst measurements can be displayed graphically in a manner that can be easily assimilated by a user. The GUI is generated by a Java applet, to enable remote viewing of the data over the Internet or other network. A user can zoom in on a portion of a displayed plot of data by clicking with a cursor control device and dragging the cursor over a selected portion of the plot. The plot is automatically redisplayed with the selected portion enlarged. Alternatively, the user may click on a point on the graph to zoom in on a portion of the graph centered at the selected point. A first and second plot of data are displayed as a line graph and a filled region, respectively, to provide visual contrast between the plots.

Abstract: Techniques for providing improved memory flip-flops and other logic circuits are described. A flip-flop uses only one p-channel transistor to drive the output node strongly to achieve fast results. To reduce diffusion area, parallel logic is substantially eliminated and only series branches are used, in critical areas. This allows all pull-up transistors and/or all pull-down transistors to be formed from contiguous active areas. The D-to-Q path is reduced, and the clock is used to control the output. The clock becomes the dominant controller of the output when it is located closest to the output. Placing the clock devices closest to the clocked nodes reduces clock skew. The rising D response time and falling D response time are caused to be as close as possible to reduce the overall cycle time. To reduce parasitics in the circuit, complex-gates are used which are asymmetric. Even multiples of series branches per gate are used to share contacts and eliminate breaks in the layout diffusion.

Abstract: An event detector method and apparatus are described. One embodiment includes a first detector that includes a plurality of zones. Each zone includes a plurality of detector devices, wherein each zone generates a zone trigger signal when an event is detected by a detector device in the zone. The embodiment further includes a first energy source coupled to the first detector, wherein when the first energy source is active, events occur that are detectable by the first detector. A calibration circuit is coupled to the first detector, to perform timing calibration of zone trigger signals of zones of the first detector with respect to timing of a reference zone trigger signal of the predetermined reference zone of the first detector, wherein the zone trigger signals and the reference zone trigger signal are generated when an event is detected.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for creating modifiable and combinable Speech Objects for use in an interactive voice response (IVR) environment. Each Speech Object is for acquiring a particular type of information from a speaker during an interaction between the speaker and a speech recognition mechanism. A Speech Object is an instantiation of a user-extensible class that includes properties, such as prompts and grammars, associated with the corresponding type of interaction. A Speech Object further includes logic for controlling the interaction with the user when executed in a processing system. A Speech Object can be subclassed to add additional properties and functionality to create customized Speech Objects, or such properties can be altered at runtime. Multiple Speech Objects, each for acquiring a particular type of information, can be combined to form a compound Speech Object.

Abstract: Techniques for providing improved memory flip-flops and other logic circuits are described. A flip-flop uses only one p-channel transistor to drive the output node strongly to achieve fast results. To reduce diffusion area, parallel logic is substantially eliminated and only series branches are used, in critical areas. This allows all pull-up transistors and/or all pull-down transistors to be formed from contiguous active areas. The D-to-Q path is reduced, and the clock is used to control the output. The clock becomes the dominant controller of the output when it is located closest to the output. Placing the clock devices closest to the clocked nodes reduces clock skew. The rising D response time and falling D response time are caused to be as close as possible to reduce the overall cycle time. To reduce parasitics in the circuit, complex-gates are used which are asymmetric. Even multiples of series branches per gate are used to share contacts and eliminate breaks in the layout diffusion.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for selectively integrating PMT channel signals in a gamma camera system are described. A trigger word is decoded to determine which of multiple PMT channels are affected by a given scintillation event. When two scintillation events overlap both spatially and temporally, only those channels which are affected by both events stop integrating in response to the second event. Pre-pulse pile-up is corrected by removing the tail of a preceding pulse from a current pulse using an approximation of the tail of the preceding pulse based upon the instantaneous energy of the current pulse and the current countrate. Extrapolation of the tail of the current pulse may also be performed in essentially the same manner.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a fleet managing system in which fleet data can be securely managed and disseminated to a selective group of mobile stations serviced by a carrier infrastructure. The fleet managing system relies on a series of consecutive transitive trusts between pairs of components in the system so that all communications from a provisioning entity to the mobile stations are secure. The access to the fleet managing system is guarded with a challenge response every time there is a request arriving at the system while the mobile stations are verified by an account manager in the system to ensure that the fleet data is eventually pushed to the correct group of mobile stations.

Abstract: The imaging system has two detectors which can be rotated in a circular path about an object with the angular displacement between the detectors and their radial position with respect to the axis being adjustable. Preferably, the distance of the detectors from the lateral axis is adjustable to increase resolution of the system. A gantry has supports for drive gear rings for the detectors with radial motion mechanisms connecting one detector to the interior surface of a drive gear ring and the other to the exterior of its drive gear ring via a support arm. A drive gear and idler gear move one detector along the circular path and a radial drive motor moves the detectors radially with respect to the axis.

Abstract: A transmission pre-scan of a patient is used in a nuclear medicine imaging system to determine the duration of a subsequent transmission scan of the patient. The transmission scan is for acquiring an attenuation map of the patient to correct emission data of the patient for non-uniform attenuation. As a result, the patient's exposure to radiation during the transmission scan is not excessive, yet transmission image quality is maintained. A radiation transmission source and a radiation detector are operated to perform the transmission pre-scan of the object, during which the transmission source remains in a fixed position. Downscatter correction is applied to correct the transmission pre-scan data for emission contamination. Count values from the pre-scan data are integrated axially.

Abstract: An improved image acquisition system allows the angular displacement between two detectors to be adjusted between 90° and 180° to reduce the imaging time for both 360° and 180° scans. A patient table is displaced vertically and horizontally from a lateral axis to allow the body of a patient to be positioned next to the detectors and to improve resolution.