Abstract: A system, method, apparatus, and storage medium for establishing a data conference with an end point of a communications network. According to one embodiment, a node requests from the end point a reserved bandwidth for a data conference having a specified start time. The originating end point receives confirmation of the reserved bandwidth from the end point. The originating end point establishes the data conference with the end point within a predetermined time window around the start time.

Abstract: An audio processing system applies a filter to convert the audio signals generated by the microphone of a combined microphone/speaker earpiece into filtered audio signals, where the filter is designed to correct for distortions in the audio signals that result from the microphone being part of the combined earpiece.

Abstract: A plurality of parity bits is generated for serial transmission of a word of data bits, and the plurality of parity bits is modified before transmission to encode a sideband signal. The word of data bits and the plurality of modified parity bits are serially transmitted. In another embodiment, a serially-transmitted code word comprising a word of data bits and a plurality of parity bits is received, wherein the parity bits have been generated by an encoder and transmitted with the data bits. It is determined whether the parity bits were modified by the encoder to encode a sideband signal, and at least one of error detection and error correction is performed using the parity bits.

Abstract: In block based video compression, a frame is divided into blocks which define a tiling pattern. The tiling pattern is varied from frame-to-frame to prevent an accumulation of errors which tend to appear at tile edges and can increase over time when using block-based compression. In a preferred embodiment, a normal frame is padded by a border all around the normal frame size. The padding is operable to extend any blocks around the periphery of the image frame which might be smaller in dimension than the standard blocks, such as those within the interior of the frame, such that they can be treated by the block-based compression systems as full size blocks.

Abstract: Transmitting data chunks in a computer system having different computing ring levels. A data chunk is accepted by a relatively low priority ring module from a relatively high priority ring source. The address of the data chunk is translated into the address space of the low priority ring module. The low priority ring module is notified of the availability of the data chunk.

Abstract: For each image, an initial set of quantization (Q) levels is selected based on the pixel data. The pixel data are transformed to blocks of transform coefficients. The initial set of Q levels is incremented and decremented. The incremented Q levels are used to generate a low estimate of bitrate for the transform coefficients and the decremented Q levels are used to generate a high estimate of bitrate for the transform coefficients. The low and high bitrate estimates are compared to a specified target bitrate to generate Q-level adjustments. The Q-level adjustments are used to select the Q levels to encode fully the quantized coefficients of the current image in the sequence of images.

Abstract: Single-instruction multiple-data is a new class of integrated video signal processors especially suited for real-time processing of two-dimensional images. The single-instruction, multiple-data architecture is adopted to exploit the high degree of parallelism inherent in many video signal processing algorithms. Features have been added to the architecture which support conditional execution and sequencing--an inherent limitation of traditional single-instruction multiple-data machines. A separate transfer engine offloads transaction processing from the execution core, allowing balancing of input/output and compute resources--a critical factor in optimizing performance for video processing. These features, coupled with a scalable architecture allow a united programming model and application driven performance.

Abstract: For the fixated cryopreservation of single living biological objects or s objects compiled in a given number (for example cells) a cryogenically cooled substrate (13) is jetted therewith in a enveloping solution in microdroplet form (12) from a storage vessel, for example by means of a microdroplet jetting device (11). The substrate is temperature-controlled via a coolant (15), the surface to be jetted being located in a gas atmosphere or in vacuum (14). The substrate surface is maintained at a temperature T1 resulting in freezing of the impinging microdroplet, the substrate surface being possibly supportingly microstructured and comprising sensing elements. By controlled movement of either the substrate or the microdroplet jetting device the microdroplets can be applied singly and in patterns in arrays freely selectable or predetermined by the structuring of the substrate.

Abstract: A presentation is divided into different components. For example, a multimedia presentation may have an audio component and a video component. Each component is assigned a different network address for transmission of the presentation over the network by a server. Each receiver selects those components it wishes to play by selecting the appropriate network addresses. The presentation data is routed through the network based on the selections made by the various receivers. If, for example, one or more receivers are part of a local area network (LAN) separated from the server by a wide area network (WAN) link, and if none of those remote receivers has selected one or more of the presentation components, then the routers will not transmit data for those unselected components to the remote LAN. As a result, WAN link transmission bandwidth is preserved for desired data. In addition, the remote receivers do not have to expend processor time to examine and discard unwanted data.

Abstract: Visual data in a first color format stored in first memory locations are merged with visual data in a second color format, which different from the first color format, stored in second memory locations to form a merged pixel stream. An analog signal is generated representative of the merged pixel stream. In a preferred embodiment, one set of visual data is graphics data in an 8-bit CLUT format and the other set is video data in an 8-bit packed YUV9 format (also known as the 4:1:1 format). In this embodiment, the video data is unpacked and chromakeying is applied to generate the merged pixel stream.

Abstract: Blocks of video images are characterized as being part of either scene foreground or background for encoding. The foreground/background segmentation analysis involves a pixel level and a block level. During the pixel level, interframe differences corresponding to each original image are thresholded to generate an initial pixel-level mask. A first morphological filter is applied to the initial pixel-level mask to generate a filtered pixel-level mask. During the block level, the filtered pixel-level mask is thresholded to generate an initial block-level mask. A second morphological filter is preferably applied to the initial block-level mask to generate a filtered block-level mask. Each element of the filtered block-level mask indicates whether the corresponding block of the original image is part of the foreground or background. In a preferred embodiment, both morphological filters filter out isolated mask elements.

Abstract: A request is received from a caller to perform a read of data from a storage area of a computer system, the data having master header data in a header portion. The master header data is replaced with alternate header data before returning the data to the caller. The data, including the alternate header data, is returned to the caller. A request is received from the caller to perform a write of caller data to the storage area, the caller data having caller header data in a header portion of the caller data. The write of caller data is allowed only if the caller header data is identical to the master header data.

Abstract: The audio manager provides an interface between one or more upper-level conferencing drivers of the conferencing system and one or more lower-level audio drivers of the conferencing system to isolate the conferencing drivers from the audio drivers. The audio manager is adapted to perform a plurality of functions called by the conferencing drivers. The audio manager comprises a local audio stream state machine and a remote audio stream state machine.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and storage medium for registering a first application with one or more task applications. According to one embodiment, a set of first application characterization data is provided. Map data for the one or more task applications is stored in a database. The set of first application characterization data is mapped, in accordance with the map data, into a mapped set of first application data for each of the one or more task applications.

Abstract: A network interface for coupling a computer node to a network has a physical interface which is coupleable to the network for coupling the network interface to the network. The network interface is coupleable to the computer node through a high-speed serial bus which has a latency and a signal transmission rate sufficient to enable transmission of signals between the network and the computer node without interim storage of the signals in a buffer on the network interface. In a preferred embodiment, the computer node has a processor capable of processing network protocols and the signals may be transmitted between the network and the computer node without processing of the network protocols by a processor on the network interface.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and storage medium for transmitting e-mail attachments from a sender of a network to at least one recipient of the network. According to a preferred embodiment, an attachment is stored in a storage device visible to the network and relatively local to the sender, the attachment having a unique network address. An attachment reference is generated, comprising the network address of the attachment. The attachment reference is transmitted from the sender to the at least one recipient.

Abstract: A status parameter is set for a storage area of a computer system to a read-only status. An access key is received from an access key call by a caller. The status parameter is changed to a write-permissible status if the access key matches a master access key. A request to perform a write to the storage area is received, and the write is allowed only if the status parameter has been set to the write-permissible status. The status parameter is reset to the read-only status after the write is performed.

Abstract: A request to erase a storage area of a computer system is received via an erase call by a caller, the erase call containing an erasure key. The storage area is erased only if the erasure key matches a master erasure key corresponding to the storage area. A request is received to perform a write to the storage area, and the write is allowed only if the storage area has been erased.

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: A printer for printing an image onto a physical medium. The printer includes a print engine for physically printing the image onto the physical medium. The print engine receives signals representing the image to be printed directly from an external computer. The printer is coupleable to the external computer by a high-speed serial bus that enables the printer to print the images without prior interim storage of the signals in an on-board buffer in the printer. The signals may be processed by a processor in the external computer before being transmitted to the print engine, thereby eliminating a need for an on-board processor in the printer.