Abstract: Improved reliability and reduced delays and packet losses of Internet media transmissions over packet switching networks such as Internet and Intranet is achieved by replicating a sent message/information packet(s) from one or more source computers connected to the network into two or more replicas of one or more of the packets of the sent message. Each of the replicas is then directed through a different route through the network to one or more destination computers. In one embodiment, each of the routes is determined so that the routes have the least number of routers and access points in common. Since the replicas are redundant, losses and delays of some of the replicas is not fatal to assemble the packet sequence at the destination(s). Thus, the destination computer can assemble the sent message/information packet from received replicas in a more complete and faster manner. Redundant replicas that are received can be ignored and/or discarded at the destination computer.

Abstract: A server system on a network such as the World Wide Web aggregates and stores information about the content of one or more Web pages served by a server on a network. A server process receives one or more requests for one or more Web pages from one or more requesters connected to the network. Upon receiving the request, the server produces a requested Web page and serves the Web page to the requester. The Web pages have with one or more content elements in addition to one or more metadata entries. One or more of the metadata entries are associated with the content elements of the respective Web page produced. The system also creates and maintains a log having a plurality of records. Each record has one or more requester fields and one or more metadata fields.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and apparatus for obtaining the shape of an object by observing silhouettes of the object. At least one point light source is placed in front of the object, thereby casting a shadow of the object on a translucent panel that is placed behind the object. A camera, or other imaging device, captures an image of the shadow from behind the translucent panel. The object's full silhouette is obtained from the image of the shadow as the region of the shadow is substantially darker than the region outside of the shadow. The full silhouette thus obtained may be processed by any suitable shape from silhouette algorithm, and thus objects are not limited in topological type. A color image of the object can optionally be obtained simultaneously with the shadow image using a camera placed on the same side of the object as the light source.

Abstract: A method for encoding a non-manifold polygonal mesh operates by converting an original (non-manifold) model to a manifold model, encoding the manifold model using a mesh compression technique, and clustering, or stitching together during a decompression process, vertices that were duplicated earlier to faithfully recover the original connectivity. By separating the connectivity from model geometry and properties, the method avoids encoding vertices (and properties bound to vertices) multiple times. This provides a reduction in the size of the bit-stream compared with encoding the model as a manifold.

Abstract: A method for coreferencing a plurality of documents includes the steps of providing a name list for names extracted from documents to be coreferenced upon entry of a query by a user, sorting the names of the list of names into mergable names and exclusive sets, comparing contexts of the mergable names against the exclusive sets to merge the mergable names to the exclusive sets exceeding a predetermined threshold to form an aggregated cross-document name list and referencing the aggregated cross-document name list to provide the user with coreferenced names across the plurality of documents which refer to a same entity in accordance with the query.

Abstract: A value selector component for a graphical user interface control comprising: means for reading successive pointer movements when said user interface control is in focus; and means responsive to pointer movement in one direction to control a value and responsive to pointer movement in another direction to control a rate of change of the value in response to the movement in the one direction.

Abstract: The present invention projects an image onto any surface in a room and distorts the image before projection so that a projected version of the image will not be distorted. The surface could be planar or non-planar. The present invention also allows for a projected image to be displayed at multiple locations along a surface or multiple surfaces. This allows a projected image to move from one location on a surface to another location on this or another surface, while the projected image remains undistorted through the move. Moreover, the present invention allows interaction between people and a projector. Interactive input, such as from mice, may be used with the versions of the present invention. Importantly, versions of the present invention can determine if an object is near an interactive item (such as a hyperlink) on the projected image. If so, the present invention can activate the interactive item. This allows a person to interact with a projected image.

Abstract: A system and method for intra-operatively providing a surgeon with visual evaluations of possible surgical outcomes ahead of time, and generating simulated data, includes a medical imaging camera, a registration device for registering data to a physical space, and to the medical imaging camera, and a fusion mechanism for fusing the data and the images to generate simulated data, without correcting for distortion. The simulated data (e.g., such as augmented X-ray images) is natural and easy for a surgeon to interpret. In an exemplary implementation, the system preferably includes a data processor which receives a three-dimensional surgical plan or three-dimensional plan of therapy delivery, one or a plurality of two-dimensional intra-operative images, a three-dimensional model of pre-operative data, registration data, and image calibration data.

Abstract: Control of a robotic mechanism comprising both active and passive joints is accomplished, where the motion of one or more of the passive joints is constrained by one or more constraints imposed on the mechanism by the environment, the mechanical construction of the mechanism, or the nature of the task such as a surgical robot holding a surgical instrument inserted into a patient through a natural or man-made orifice. The control incrementally moves the mechanism in a series of successive movements from its actual position to its desired or target position. The effect of moving each individual joint of the mechanism is characterized by Cartesian displacement of the target and a Jacobian is constructed mapping between infinitesimal joint displacements of the target to be extended to include both passive and active joints. Thus, hybrid robots containing both active and passive joints can be effectively controlled.

Abstract: An intelligent screen saver utility that is less obtrusive than conventional screen savers is based on the absence of an operator rather than a predetermined time period for activation and detects the presence of the operator for deactivation. The screen saver is totally transparent in use to the operator and requires no touching of the keyboard or mouse movement to either prevent activation or deactivation of the screen saver. The screen saver requires a camera that can grab images. The images are grabbed and temporarily stored in the computer memory. When the difference between successively grabbed images is big enough, a person's presence is detected. When there is no big difference between successive images during a given time period, a person's absence is detected. The presence status is used to control the status of the screen saver.

Abstract: A computerized base station system communicates with radio frequency tags attached to one or more objects. Included in the system is a separate position detector that determines the position of one or more of the tags within a time increment and within a field of the base station. A communication process reads information from one or more of the tags within the time increment and associates the position determined with the information of the respective tag.

Abstract: The invention is a system and method for determining alignment parameters (rotation angle and translation vector) between two images of scene based on the attributes of segments associated with a pair of corresponding points, each point extracted from each of the images.

Abstract: A system and method for intra-operatively providing a surgeon with visual evaluations of possible surgical outcomes ahead of time, and generating simulated data, includes a medical imaging camera, a registration device for registering data to a physical space, and to the medical imaging camera, and a fusion mechanism for fusing the data and the images to generate simulated data. The simulated data (e.g., such as augmented X-ray images) is natural and easy for a surgeon to interpret. In an exemplary implementation, the system preferably includes a data processor which receives a three-dimensional surgical plan or three-dimensional plan of therapy delivery, one or a plurality of two-dimensional intra-operative images, a three-dimensional model of pre-operative data, registration data, and image calibration data.

Abstract: A communication system that transmits and receives combinations of paper mail and electronic mail. The communication system permits a user of the system to send an internet message via post mail including the mailing address for delivery. The post mail office forwards the internet message via e-mail to the internet post office that is the closest to the addressee. This post office that is local to the addressee downloads this message, prints a hard copy on a paper, encloses it in an envelop and sends the hard copy to the addressee via usual local mail. The communication system also permits a user of the system to send paper mail to the post office. The post office scans the paper mail and forwards the scanned information data either to the addressee directly via internet or via a post office that is local to the addressee.

Abstract: A method for automatically generating a mesh (e.g., a quadrilateral mesh, a hexahedral mesh, and the like) includes inputting a geometric model to be meshed, generating a plurality of bubbles within a region of the geometric model, determining a stable allocation of the bubbles by moving the bubbles using a force defined by a potential field provided for the bubbles and controlling a number of the bubbles, and generating the mesh by connecting centers of adjacent bubbles.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for automatic segregation of signals of different origin, using models that statistically characterize a wave signal, more particularly including feature vectors consisting of a plurality of parameters extracted from a data stream of a known type for use in identifying data types by comparison, which can be Hidden Markov Model based methods, thereby enabling automatic data type identification and routing of received data streams to the appropriate destination device, thereby further enabling a user to transmit different data types over the same communication channel without changing communication settings.

Abstract: The web sharing manager of a receiving sharing client receives duplicated events (e.g. browser requests) and messages from the web sharing manager of a source sharing client that causes the browser of the receiving sharing client to execute the duplicate event/message so that the browsers of the source and receiving sharing client computer system(s) process the same events/messages. Because events/messages, that include control and information locations (addresses), are shared between the source and receiving and sharing client(s), the same web page is simultaneously displayed and controlled, i.e. shared, on all of the sharing client(s).

Abstract: The present invention is a method of controlling a robotic mechanism comprising both active and passive joints, where the motion of one or more of the passive joints is constrained by one or more constraints imposed on the mechanism by the environment, the mechanical construction of the mechanism or the nature of the task. The method is capable of controlling mechanisms with multiple sets of passive joints with multiple environmental constraints restricting the motion of the mechanism. In a preferred embodiment the novel method is used to control a surgical robot holding a surgical instrument inserted into a patient through a natural or man-made orifice.

Abstract: According to the invention, channel surfers are aided by summary frames appearing on the screen along with the regular program. These summary frames are embedded in the broadcast and appear in a small window on the screen at some point in the future as the video is broadcast. The summary frames depict key scenes from the past which aid the viewer in quickly ascertaining the current plot or theme of the video program. In an interactive television environment, a short video segment may be associated with each shot such that when the shot is selected, the past video segment is played in a larger window on the screen complete with sound. Once the segment is viewed, the video program is rejoined in progress with the viewer having a better sense of what is going on in the video. Hence, a when a channel surfer arrives at a new channel, rather than only having what is currently playing to catch the eye, summary frames are also available to catch the surfer's attention and aid in understanding the programming.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for use in a multiprocessor system (10) having a plurality of processing nodes (P0-P3) each of which includes a local data processor (22a, 28a). The apparatus includes an interface (42) to a controller (14), the interface including a register (48) for storing a function received from the controller, such as a diagnostic function. The interface further includes circuitry (50) for providing the diagnostic function as a packet to an input terminal of a bit serial communication bus (40). The communication bus is threaded through each of the plurality of processing nodes and has an output terminal that terminates at the interface.