Abstract: The present invention is a wireless device and method capable of being wirelessly connected to one or more network node devices that in turn is connected to one or more of a plurality of wirelines, preferably telephone wirelines. The wireless device has one or more wireless signal generators supporting one or more wireless connections, one or more memories that store an identifier, and a negotiator that negotiates with the network node device in order to establish a connection to one or more of the wirelines connected to the network node.

Abstract: Sharing wirelines using a network node device includes receiving a second telephone call, while a first telephone call is in progress, and allowing one of the handsets to pick up the second telephone call while the first call proceeds in parallel. Further a call can be placed across a wireline shared by at least two billing entities.

Abstract: A method, system and computer program for obtaining a digital model of an object. The method includes steps of (a) generating a low spatial resolution numerical representation of an object, such as a triangular mesh representation; (b) generating higher spatial resolution images of the object using a photometric subsystem, having a camera and a lighting source; and (c) computing normals maps using the low resolution numerical representation to estimate a distance from the camera to points on the object and to adjust relative light source intensities so as to correct for uncertainties in distances and light source intensities. A feature of this method is that the computed normals maps are made consistent over the object.

Abstract: A method, a computer system, and a program product for retrieving and/or ranking documents in a database.

Abstract: This invention is a scaleable system to perform exact matching or similarity matching between a large store of reference temporal media sequences and a query target temporal media sequence. The system is not limited to finding exact matching media segments but also can find media segments that are similar. One kind of similarity between media segments is the similarity between a long commercial and a short commercial, where the short commercial is formed by sub-segments of the longer commercial. Another kind of similarity of two media segment is when they depict three-dimensional actions that are similar and imaged from similar viewpoints. Given a reference media segment, a multitude of features are computed in a consistent way from either predetermined or media content-dependent key intervals. These features are stored in segment index tables along with identifiers of the corresponding reference media segments.

Abstract: A method for fabricating DRAM and flash memory cells on a single chip includes providing a silicon substrate, forming a trench capacitor for each of the DRAM cells in the silicon substrate, forming isolation regions in the silicon substrate which are electrically isolated from each other, forming first type wells for DRAM and flash memory cells at first predetermined regions of the silicon substrate by implanting a first type impurity in the first predetermined regions, forming second type wells for DRAM and flash memory cells at second predetermined regions in the first type wells by implanting a second type impurity in the second predetermined regions, forming oxide layers for DRAM and flash memory cells on the second type wells, forming gate electrodes for DRAM and flash memory cells on the oxide layers for DRAM and flash memory cells, and forming source and drain regions for DRAM and flash memory cells in the respective second type wells for DRAM and flash memory cells, in which the source and drain regio

Abstract: An image processing system segments an object from the background of a scene where the scene is illuminated by unknown ambient light sources. An image of the scene with the object and an image of the background scene are captured by an image input device. These images are color corrected, using the image of a gray patch that is visible. A further transform converts the image from a red, green, blue format into a hue, saturation and intensity representation. The two images are then novelly compared on a pixel-by-pixel basis in the hue, saturation and intensity domain.

Abstract: A still image from a digital video sequence by a computer system executing a strobe process. After an initialization step, the strobe process interatively selects two of the still frames in a sampled order. An attribute differencing step is performed that determines the difference of the attribute of the selected frames using a frame to frame comparison (attribute difference) and determines if the attribute difference from one frame to the other frame exceeds an attribute sensitivity. The attribute difference is stored along with the motion statistics of the attribute difference and if the attribute difference meets certain conditions, a relevant motion is determined. If a relevant motion is determined, a segmentation mask at one or more mask locations corresponding to the frame locations is updated. A strobe photo is also updated with the relevant motion at one or more photo locations corresponding to the mask and frame locations so that a history of relevant motions is recorded on the strobe photo.

Abstract: A system for identifying distinguishing features between an input new blank form and another blank form. The system includes a processor and memory capable of identifying a property in the input form which is sufficiently from a corresponding property in the other form. The identified property complies with a criterion that relates to the likelihood that the property is retained substantially invariable under use of the form. The specified property constitutes a verification property. In the case that no property is identified as a verification property, identifying a property in the other form which is sufficiently distinguishable from a corresponding property in the input form. This identified property complies with a criterion that relates to the likelihood that the property is retained invariable under use of the input form. The latter property constitutes a rejection property.

Abstract: A static random access memory (SRAM) with cells in one portion having a higher beta ratio than the remaining cells of the array. In a first portion, cells have a low &bgr; ratio for high performance. A second portion of the array contains SRAM cells with a higher &bgr; ratio that are more stable than the cells in the first portion, but are somewhat slower.

Abstract: A synchronization method including running a system (725) having multiple agents (730 and 780) in parallel operation, the multiple agents each having at least one path (732) to a common bus (734). A bus arbitration mechanism (728) is used to synchronize between said multiple agents in accordance with a predetermined scheme, including blocking (310) at least one individual agent's path to the common bus (734) if said scheme indicates (315) that said individual agent is not to be activated, and restoring (320) said at least one individual agent's path (730) to the common bus (734) once said scheme indicates that said individual agent (730) can be activated.

Abstract: Silicon on insulator (SOI) field effect transistors (FET) with a shared body contact, a SRAM cell and array including the SOI FETs and the method of forming the SOI FETs. The SRAM cell has a hybrid SOI/bulk structure wherein the source/drain diffusions do not penetrate to the underlying insulator layer, resulting in a FET in the surface of an SOI layer with a body or substrate contact formed at a shared contact. FETs are formed on SOI silicon islands located on a BOX layer and isolated by shallow trench isolation (STI). NFET islands in the SRAM cells include a body contact to a P-type diffusion in the NFET island. Each NFET in the SRAM cells include at least one shallow source/drain diffusion that is shallower than the island thickness. A path remains under the shallow diffusions between NFET channels and the body contact. The P-type body contact diffusion is a deep diffusion, the full thickness of the island. Bit line diffusions shared by SRAM cells on adjacent wordlines may be deep diffusions.

Abstract: The present invention describes the use of two semiconductor layers, a thin film (TF) layer and a bulk Si wafer layer, to make high density and high speed merged logic and memory IC chips. The memory cells use three-dimensional (3D) SRAM structures. Two kinds of 3D logic cells are disclosed. 3D form of the differential cascode voltage switch (DCVS) architecture, and a 3D form of the DCVS with pass gate (DCVSPG) logic architecture. A high density “system on chip” architecture is described. The high density is achieved by locating large PMOS transistors in the TF Si layer, and the fast NMOS transistors in a bulk Si wafer layer. A single process sequence to simultaneously make the logic and memory circuits on the IC chip is also described.

Abstract: A method is provided to conceal the operating state of a predetermined application and to automatically perform a predetermined operation for the application. The method reduces the operating procedure control functions required of an operator and renders an operating environment that is intuitively understood.

Abstract: The invention is a system and method for constructing a rolled surface image from a set of partial surface images. A sequence of individual partial surface images is acquired as an object is progressively rolled across the surface of an imaging device. The imaging device is configured so that only that part of the object's surface which is in close proximity is imaged. To produce a complete rolled surface image, i.e. a composite image, the value of each pixel of the composite image is derived by performing a suitable pixel operation on the set of corresponding pixels in the input partial surface images. This is possible because each partial image is represented as a fixed size and each pixel in each of the partial images has a unique position in the partial image. The system can also directly produce a list of salient surface features. Localized features are extracted from each individual partial image whereas other specific attributes of each image are ignored.

Abstract: When a regularly and periodically occurring schedule is inputted along with a period and condition of occurrence for a plurality of arbitrary users, a schedule of a corresponding date is automatically generated for the plurality of users. A common routine schedule number is correlated to the generated schedules and a common sum schedule number is associated to each date. The schedules thus registered can be corrected/deleted individually and in a group.

Abstract: A method of language recognition wherein decoding ambiguities are identified and at least partially resolved intermediate to the language decoding procedures to reduce the subsequent number of final decoding alternatives. The user is questioned about identified decoding ambiguities as they are being decoded. There are two language decoding levels: fast match and detailed match. During the fast match decoding level a large potential candidate list is generated, very quickly. Then, during the more comprehensive (and slower) detailed match decoding level, the fast match candidate list is applied to the ambiguity to reduce the potential selections for final recognition. During the detailed match decoding level a unique candidate is selected for decoding. Decoding may be interactive and, as each ambiguity is encountered, recognition suspended to present questions to the user that will discriminate between potential response classes.

Abstract: An occlusion culling method for image processing and system therefor. The culling method first determines which polygons are hidden, or occluded, by other objects. These hidden or occluded polygons will not contribute to the final scene and, therefore, need not be rendered. In the first major step, the input models are preprocessed to build a hierarchical data structure which is as an approximation to the input models. Simple polygonal occluders are determined for substitution in place of the complex image geometry in successive visibility queries. Once the first preprocessing step is complete, the second step may be executed at run-time, while a user is inspecting, or visualizing, the input. In the second step, the occluders, determined in the first step, are used to selectively forego rendering shapes or shape portions that are unseen from the current viewpoint.

Abstract: This invention provides methods and apparatus for a special object such as a handicapped individual and/or special equipment with access to and from telecommunications and computer controlled equipment. The equipment being such as to let it be known of the special object being in a particular moving or still environ, and requiring special attention from and/or by others entering or located in that environs The special object, handicapped person or special equipment is made known to those in the environ so as to protect/preserve/serve that object, individual, special equipment, and/or to others entering or located in that environ. The equipment transmits an alarm type signal that a handicapped individual or special equipment is in the environ. The computerized apparatus/method being adapted to be responsive to particular sensations, seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling, etc., which are operational in the particular handicapped individual.

Abstract: A stock control computer system includes a memory for storing a current stock list based on product codes. An electronic version of a store purchase receipt, including product codes for the items purchased, is sent from the store to the customer's home computer where it is used to update the current stock list by addition of products purchased. Items are deleted from the current stock list as they are disposed of by the customer, in response to an electronic indication of the corresponding product codes produced, for example, by scanning product packaging with a bar code scanner. When the customer initiates a home stock check, the current stock list is compared with a predetermined stock level and an indication of which items need replacement is produced. This indication may be displayed, printed or transmitted electronically to the store.