Abstract: A system and method for generating sample points that can generate the sample points in parallel. The sample points can be used in processing in parallel, with the results subsequently collected and used as necessary in subsequent rendering operations. Sample points are generated using a coarse Halton sequence, which makes use of coarse radical inverse values ?bi,M(j) as follows: ?bi,M(j)=?b(jM+i) where base “b” is preferably a prime number, but not a divisor of “M,” and “i” is an integer. Using this definition, the s-dimensional coarse Halton sequence USCHal,i,M, which may be used to define sample points for use in evaluating integrals, is defined as UsCHal,i,M=(?b1i,M(j), . . . , ?bsi,M(j)) where b1, . . . , bs are the first “s” prime numbers that are not divisors of “M.” Each value of “i” defines a subsequence that is a low-discrepancy sequence, and so can be used in connection with processing.

Abstract: A computer graphics system generate a pixel value for a pixel in an image to simulate global illumination represented by an evaluation of an unknown function ƒ of the form f ? ( x ) = g ? ( x ) + ? 0 1 ? K ? ( x , y ) ? f ? ( y ) ? ? ? ? y , g(x) and K(x,y) known functions, with K(x,y) a “kernel” including a function associated with at least two colors.

Abstract: A busy disk evaluation system includes a busy disk evaluation module and a control module. The busy disk evaluation module is configured to perform a busy disk evaluation operation in which it processes access request statistics relating to access requests directed to a server, the server including a plurality of disk storage units, respective access requests requesting access to respective ones of the disk storage units, to identify which, if any of the disk storage units is busy. The busy disk evaluation module is configured to determine whether a disk storage unit is busy in relation to a ratio between the number of access requests requesting access to the disk storage unit per unit time exceeds a selected access request per unit time threshold in relation to a total number of access requests and a selected ratio threshold. The control module is configured to control the busy disk evaluation module.

Abstract: A computer graphics system generates a three-dimensional model of an object in an interactive manner under control of an operator. An initial model for the object to be modeled is displayed to the operator as illuminated from a particular illumination direction and projected onto an image plane. The operator can update shading of a pixel on the image plane, and, based on the updated shading, the computer graphics system generates an updated normal vector for the updated pixel, which identifies the normal of the surface of the object projected onto the updated pixel. Using the updated normal vector field and a height field, which represents the height of the respective portion of the object as projected onto the respective pixels of the image plane, the computer graphics system generates an updated height value for the updated pixel, thereby to update the height field.

Abstract: An ego-motion determination system is disclosed for generating an estimate as to the ego-motion of a vehicle moving along a roadway. The ego-motion determination system includes an image information receiver and a processor. The image information receiver is configured to receive image information relating to a series of at least two images recorded as the vehicle moves along a roadway. The processor is configured to process the image information received by the image receiver to generate an ego-motion estimate of the vehicle, including the translation of the vehicle in the forward direction and the rotation of the vehicle around a vertical axis as between, for example, successive images.

Abstract: A computer graphics system is described in which a new type of entity, referred to as a “phenomenon,” can be created, instantiated and used in rendering an image of a scene. A phenomenon is an encapsulated shader DAG comprising one or more nodes each comprising a shader, or an encapsulated set of such DAGs which are interconnected so as to cooperate, which are instantiated and attached to entities in the scene which are created during the scene definition process to define diverse types of features of a scene, including color and textural features of surfaces of objects in the scene, characteristics of volumes and geometries in the scene, features of light sources illuminating the scene, features of simulated cameras will be simulated during rendering, and numerous other features which are useful in rendering. Phenomena selected for use by an operator in connection with a scene may be predefined, or they may be constructed from base shader nodes by an operator using a phenomenon creator.

Abstract: A digital data storage system comprises a storage device, a descriptor memory and a control device. The storage device stores a series of records, the records being organized in a plurality of tracks, each track being associated with one of a plurality of cylinders. The descriptor memory stores a descriptor associated with storage device. The descriptor contains selected information relating to the records stored by the at least one storage device. Each descriptor includes a plurality of cylinder portions each configured to store selected information relating to a respective one of the cylinders in the storage device. Each cylinder portion, in turn, includes a plurality of track descriptors each configured to store selected information relating to a respective one of the tracks in the respective cylinder. The storage device also stores the descriptor associated therewith, the cylinder portions of the descriptor being augmented with additional information relating to the respective ones of the cylinders.

Abstract: A system and method are described for aligning a locally-reconstructed three-dimensional object, whose local reconstruction is relative to a local coordinate system, to a global coordinate system by using pre-mapped control points which are projected onto one or more of the images that may be used to generate the local reconstruction. A system includes a control point information generator and an alignment generator. The control point information generator is configured to identify in at least image associated with a local reconstruction of the object a projection of at least one control point in the scene onto the at least one image, and generate local projected coordinate information indicating coordinates of the projection in the at least one image.

Abstract: A computer graphics system is described in which a new type of entity, referred to as a “phenomenon,” can be created, instantiated and used in rendering an image of a scene. A phenomenon is an encapsulated shader DAG comprising one or more nodes each comprising a shader, or an encapsulated set of such DAGs which are interconnected so as to cooperate, which are instantiated and attached to entities in the scene which are created during the scene definition process to define diverse types of features of a scene, including features which are useful in rendering. Prior to being attached to a scene, a phenomenon is instantiated by providing values, or functions which are used to define the values, for each of the phenomenon's parameters. During scene image generation, a scene image generator operates in a series of phases. During a pre-processing phase, the scene image generator can perform pre-processing operations, such as shadow and photon mapping, multiple inheritance resolution, and the like.

Abstract: A telephone scan-dialing arrangement includes a listener module, at least one dialing control module and at least one dialing module, each dialing module being associated with a respective modem. The listener module receives a command to initiate a scan-dialing operation in connection with a profile that identifies, inter alia, telephone numbers to be dialed and operations to be performed during each call and telephone number selection criteria, and provides the identification of the profile to the dialing control module The dialing control module obtains from the profile a set of telephone numbers to be used during the scan-dialing operation and provides the obtained telephone numbers to respective ones of the dialer modules to be dialed for a call, along with information identifying operations to be performed during the call, as each dialer module finishes its previous call.

Abstract: A super-resolution-enhanced mosaic image generating system is provided for generating a super-resolution-enhanced mosaic image from a plurality of image frames, each image frame being associated with image data representative of an image of a portion of a scene. The mosaic image generating system comprises a mosaic image generator and a super-resolution generator. The mosaic image generator uses the image data from the image frames to generate mosaic image data representing a mosaic image. The super-resolution generator uses the mosaic image data and the image data from the image frames to generate the super-resolution-enhanced mosaic image. In that process, the super-resolution generator divides the mosaic image into a plurality of patches, each patch associated with at least one image frame, and performs a super-resolution operation in connection with the patch and image frames associated therewith to generate the super-resolution-enhanced mosaic image.

Abstract: A system comprising a mass storage subsystem, as a master device and backup subsystem, as a slave device, the slave device transferring data items to the master device during a restore operation. Each data item to be restored is identified by a data item identifier. The master device initially provides the slave device with a list of data item identifiers and the slave device receives the data item identifier list from the master device and order the data item identifiers thereon in an optimal order for transfer to the master device, the ordering based on the ordering of the data items on storage media on which they are stored. The master device, in each of a plurality of iterations, receives from the slave device data item identifiers identifying a data item transferred during a previous iteration and a data item to be transferred during the current iteration and requests the slave device to transfer the data item to be transferred.

Abstract: A computer program product is used with a programmable device to provide a data item reconstruction element for reconstructing information stored on a back-up information storage subsystem associated with at least one protected volume. The back-up information storage subsystem includes a plurality of storage media, each associated with one of a plurality of sets, the information associated with the protected volume being stored on storage media associated with one of the sets. The data item reconstruction element during the reconstruction operation retrieves in parallel information from a plurality of the storage media associated with the one of the sets on which information associated with the at least one protected volume is stored, to obtain the information which is associated with the protected volume.

Abstract: An information supply and update system includes abase subsystem and one or more remote user devices. The remote user devices are conveniently handheld devices such as personal digital assitants, cellular telephones, smart phones, paging devices and the like that can receive, store and process information that they receive from the base subsystem. The base subsystem is configured to receive structured information directed to one or more topics, each topic including one or more sections, compress the information topic by typic, and provide the compressed topic information to the remote user devices. The remote user devices are configured receive and store the compressed topic information from the base subsystem. A user's remote user device is further configured to, in response to a request from a user identifying a particular section, enable the information from the section to be displayed on a display.

Abstract: An improved system for database query processing by means of “query decomposition” intercepts database queries prior to processing by a database management system (“DBMS”). The system decomposes at least selected queries to generate multiple subqueries for application, in parallel, to the DBMS, in lieu of the intercepted query. Responses by the DBMS to the subqueries are assembled by the system to generate a final response. The system also provides improved methods and apparatus for storage and retrieval of records from a database utilizing the DBMS's cluster storage and index retrieval facilitates, in combination with a smaller-than-usual hash bucket size.

Abstract: A digital computer system includes a master mass storage subsystem and a slave mass storage subsystem which provides mirrored storage for the master mass storage subsystem. One or more host computer systems can access information in the master mass storage subsystem to retrieve information from, and update information stored in, the master mass storage subsystem. When a host computer accesses information in the master mass storage subsystem, the information is cached in the master mass storage subsystem's cache memory, and when the information is updated, the update information will be updated in both mass storage subsystem's cache memories prior to being stored in their respective storage devices.

Abstract: Method and apparatus are provided for generating two dimensional images representing scenes of three dimensional spaces as viewed for arbitrary observing point. In a specific embodiment of the method and apparatus, consecutive virtual images, computed from four dimensional reference images are consecutively displayed on a multimedia screen in order to convey motion of a body.

Abstract: A system for facilitating collaboration among a plurality of users in connection with generation of a document includes a document information store and one or more user modules. The document information store stores document information relating to documents being generated, the document information including both document structure information and document content information, the document structure information describing document structural elements for each one document and document content information comprising document content elements associated with respective document structural elements. Each user module includes a whiteboard display module, a document update module and an interface module. The whiteboard display module is configured to display a whiteboard to a user, the whiteboard selectively displaying document structure defined by the document structural elements for a document and document content information therefor.

Abstract: A system is disclosed for stitching a plurality of reconstructions of three-dimensional surface features of at least one object in a scene to relate the reconstructions to a common coordinate system. Each reconstruction is generated from a plurality of two-dimensional images of the scene, and each reconstruction is defined relative to a respective one of a plurality of reconstruction coordinate systems defined relative to one of the images in the scene. The system generates, from at least some of the images, values for translational and rotational components relating a respective reconstruction coordinate system to the common coordinate system. Thereafter, the system uses the values of the translational and rotational components to convert coordinates of the surface features in the respective reconstruction coordinate systems to the common coordinate system.

Abstract: A digital data processing system comprises a host information generating device, a mass storage subsystem, and a back-up information storage subsystem. The host information generating device generates information and provides it to the mass storage subsystem for storage. The mass storage subsystem receives the generated information from the host information generating device and transfers the generated information to the storage element for storage, and further transfers the generated information to the back-up information storage subsystem. The back-up information storage subsystem receives and stores the generated information from the mass storage subsystem's control element. The back-up information storage subsystem includes a filter/buffer module, a tape log module and a reconstruction module. The filter/buffer module filters and buffers the information received from the mass storage subsystem and provides the buffered information to the tape log module for storage.