Abstract: Still image capture under computer control. The computer is instructed to capture the still image capture at an occurrence of a trigger and, subsequently in time, captures the still image. In embodiments, the instructions can be made through a graphical user interface (GUI) displayed on a monitor or a keyboard coupled to the computer. The instruction can start a timed count until the still image is captured. In embodiments the trigger can be an external event, such as sound or motion sensed by appropriate transducers. In yet other embodiments, the computer issues a notification of an occurrence of a capture or a warning of an impending capture.

Abstract: A method and conferencing system for communicating data between a plurality of nodes of the conferencing system. According to a preferred embodiment, data is formatted into a conferencing object. The formatted data is transmitted from a source node via a communications means of the conferencing system to at least one receiving node. The conferencing object comprises a content portion having at least one data element, and a descriptor portion having effectiveness information, wherein the effectiveness information describes the value of the at least one data element of the content portion.

Abstract: Conferencing nodes transmit messages back and forth to negotiate characteristics for their conferencing session. The messages identify different sets of conferencing capabilities supported by the conferencing nodes. A first node transmits a request to a second node, wherein the request identifies a first set of conferencing capabilities of the first node. The second node transmits a response to the first node, wherein the response identifies a second set of conferencing capabilities of the second node and the second set is a subset of the first set. The first node and second node conduct conferencing based on the second set.

Abstract: A visual indicator is employed on screen at each station of a video teleconference to inform respective participants of their place in a talk request queue. The indicators are controlled automatically in accordance with designer-chosen conference parameters. Optional system failsafe mechanisms protect against system lock-up.

Abstract: There is provided herein a method, apparatus, and storage medium for processing data. According to one embodiment, encoded data is received by a playback engine of a computer system. A decoder of the playback engine decodes the encoded data. A capture engine of the computer system is notified to encode the decoded data. The decoded data is encoded with an encoder of the capture engine.

Abstract: In the system of the present invention an individual displayed pixel is a weighted combination of a video pixel and a graphics pixel. For example, a pixel displayed on a monitor may be three-quarters graphics and one-quarter video. In this system a color lookup table providing a red, a green and a blue lookup table output value is extended to provide a further lookup table output value. The further lookup table output value is a weight value representative of the relative weights of a video pixel and a corresponding graphics pixel. The weight value is applied to a matrix multiplier which also receives video pixel information and graphics pixel information. The matrix multiplier determines a weighted combination of the video and graphics pixel information according to the weight value to provide a blended pixel. A YUV standard to RGB standard conversion matrix is provided within in order to receive video signals in a YUV format and apply the video signals to the matrix multiplier in an RGB format.

Abstract: Selecting a Huffman table to encode a set of signals, such as video signals, from a set of predefined Huffman tables. A histogram is generated for the set of signals and used to determine the number of bits to encode the set of signals for each of the predefined Huffman tables. The Huffman table that provides the smallest number of bits to encode is selected for encoding the set of signals into the encoded bitstream. In a preferred embodiment, a dynamic Huffman table is also generated for the set of signals and used to estimate the number of bits to encode the set of signals including the number of bits to encode the dynamic Huffman table. If using the dynamic Huffman table results in fewer bits in the encoded bitstream, then the dynamic Huffman table is used (and explicitly encoded in the bitstream) instead of the selected predefined Huffman table.

Abstract: A graphical user interface control element. A computer system for interfacing with a user has a display device and a user input peripheral device for controlling a positioning element on the display device. The positioning element has a location and an active status corresponding to whether the positioning element is activated or not activated by the user. A control button is displayed on the display means, the control button having a three-dimensional appearance and at least first and second regions. The active status and location of the positioning element are monitored to determine whether a region of the control button is being pushed by the positioning device. The appearance of the control button on the display means is altered in accordance with the region being pushed by the positioning device so that the control button appears to be fitted toward the pushed region by the positioning device to provide graphical feedback to the user.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method and apparatus for encoding video pictures of a sequence of video pictures, wherein each picture is defined by one picture type of a plurality of picture types and each picture has a complexity. According to a preferred embodiment, the complexity of each picture type is estimated to provide a complexity estimate for each picture type. Encoding a picture at an average quantization level produces an encoded bit stream having a codesize related to the complexity of the picture, and each picture type is associated with a target codesize. An average quantization level is determined for the first picture of each picture type in accordance with the target codesize and complexity estimate of each of the first pictures, respectively. The first picture of each picture type is then encoded at its respective average quantization level.

Abstract: Two or more run-val mapping tables are selected to encode different subsets of video signals of a sequence of video signals. Each run-val mapping table is selected to map a particular set of run-val pairs to a corresponding set of run-val codes. Each run-val pair comprises a run and a val, the run corresponding to a length of a run of video signals having value zero and the val corresponding to a video signal having a non-zero value. Each run-val mapping table is used to generate a different part of an encoded bitstream for the sequence of video signals. The encoded bitstream is then decoded using the two or more selected run-val mapping tables. In a preferred embodiment, the selected run-val mapping tables are explicitly identified in the bitstream.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for generating an image for display without creating a scaled bitmap. One or more bytes of digital data corresponding to portions of the image are received, scaled horizontally and vertically for display, and transmitted for display. In a preferred embodiment, encoded data corresponding to the image are decoded before being scaled for display. In an alternative preferred embodiment, analog signals corresponding to the image are generated, decoded, digitized, captured, compressed, and decompressed. The data displayed may be either the captured data or the decompressed data.

Abstract: Providing a directory of servers on a computer network with a directory server. According to a preferred embodiment, the directory server stores records of servers registered with the directory server and provides information about the registered servers to a browsing user of the network. The directory server allows an unregistered network server to register with the directory server.

Abstract: Host multiple-byte character generator processing of guest keyboard events is blocked during applications sharing. A guest keyboard driver generates guest keyboard events which may be processed by any guest multiple-byte character generator. The guest events are transmitted to a host for use in shared applications. A patch instruction is written over a host storage queue which causes a jump to a patch subroutine when an attempt is made to deposit host keyboard events in the storage queue. Host keyboard events are marked by the patch subroutine and the marked host events are deposited in a shadow queue which is disposed in parallel with the host storage queue. Guest events also are deposited in the shadow queue. Untranslated host and single-byte character guest events, are stored in the host storage queue. When a shared application requires data from the host storage queue, the outgoing event is examined for origin, such as by examining the shadow queue.

Abstract: An intelligent start for a block-matching search is employed. Motion vectors which have been calculated for immediately adjacent blocks in the same image and for corresponding blocks in previous images are used. If the region upon which motion estimation is being performed is uniform and there is no disturbance motion estimation may be very fast. If there are many discontinuities, for example edges, then a more extensive search is required. To do this, possible candidate vectors are searched and a comparison measure is obtained for each. From these the best match is determined . A local fine search is then performed. The best motion vector can usually be found by examining only a few well-chosen candidate vectors. This greatly improves the efficiency of the search.

Abstract: A current level of a virtual transmission buffer is maintained and used to select video frames for compression. The current level is compared to a threshold to determine whether to compress the current frame. The threshold is dynamically maintained between an upper "full" level and a lower "clear" level. If the current level exceeds the full level, the video compression processing is changed to a decline mode in which the threshold is gradually decremented towards the clear level. In addition, if the current level exceeds a "watch" level for too long, then the video compression processing is also switched to the decline mode. The present invention allows the virtual buffer to absorb variability in compressed frame size from frame to frame without resulting in undesired latency.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method and apparatus for encoding pictures of a sequence of pictures. According to a preferred embodiment, an encoding system determines a relatively fixed background of the sequence of pictures, and transmits the background to a decoding system. Foreground objects of a current picture are separated from the background, and motion compensation encoding of the foreground objects is performed with respect to at least one previous picture. The encoded foreground objects are then transmitted to the decoding system.

Abstract: Video signals are encoded and decoded using a set of quantization tables that is generated from a base matrix and a scale matrix, which are both explicitly encoded into the encoded video bitstream. The sets of quantization tables may be changed as often as needed as long as the new base and scale matrices are explicitly encoding into the bitstream.

Abstract: Video signals are encoded by dividing a current video frame into regions and generating a local complexity measure and a local quantization level for each region, where the local quantization level is selected using the local complexity measure, a previous complexity measure corresponding to a previous video frame, and a previous quantization level corresponding to the previous video frame. The complexity measures are generated using the DCT coefficients for each region. The region is encoded using the local quantization level to generate an encoded bit stream corresponding to the current video frame.

Abstract: Information for forming a predicted image having at least two blocks sharing a common border is evaluated to determine whether a discontinuity exists at the common border. If it is determined that a discontinuity exists at the border, the predicted image is filtered in the vicinity of the border.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and storage medium for receiving, with a callee of a data conferencing system, a data conferencing call from a caller of the data conferencing system. An answering machine answers the call if the callee does not answer the call. A pre-recorded callee greeting is displayed to the caller to notify the caller that the callee is not answering the call, and the caller is prompted to leave a message.