Abstract: A system that allows a user to describe a tree or a set of trees in a table, and the system automatically generates a data structure corresponding to the tree or the set of trees in memory in accordance with the description. The system interprets a table with one or more columns wherein each of the node attributes given to a node are entered, allocates a memory area to each of the nodes, sets data on the attributes given to the node, and generates pointer data indicating the connections of the memory areas. The hierarchy of the nodes and the sequence of nodes linked immediately below the same node are determined on the basis of the sequence of rows corresponding to the nodes and levels assigned to the nodes in the table.

Abstract: A method of compressing data, including representations of objects, for future transmission or storage. More specifically, this invention compresses a representation of differences between a base sequence of data and the actual data to be transmitted or stored. Sparse bit masks representing the positions of insertions and deletions from a base sequence are iteratively compressed by representing consecutive sequences of zero-valued bits with single zero-valued bits.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing customized notification in response to a search query. Moreover, with this invention, a query is received from a user via a user interface. The user also selected a time and means of notification, such as for example, by fax at a specified time. The system will also receive several notification choices from both the user and a supplier of information and match the choices so that a supplier can notify a user in accordance with a mutually selected time and means of notification.

Abstract: The invention is a radiofrequency identification tag comprising a semiconductor chip having radio frequency, logic, and memory circuits, and an antenna that are mounted on a substrate. The antenna may be used by the chip to modulate an incident RF signal to transfer information to a base station. The antenna comprises one or more lengths of thin wire that are connected directly to the chip by means of wire bonding. The chip and antenna combination are sealed with an organic film covering.

Abstract: A system architecture enables the distribution, to users connected to a digital broadcast medium, of supplementary information, which is presented and accessed in the context of the viewing of a video program. This ancillary, or "follow-up" information (FUI) is embedded in the same transport stream (digital multimedia broadcast stream) as the digital video and audio content. The FUI may take the form of video, audio or text. Alternatively, the transport stream may carry pointers to follow-up information (PFUI) instead of the information itself. In the latter case, the pointers are saved and used subsequently in the selection of FUI from a channel which carries data exclusively. In the former case, the user selects the FUI (supplementary information) which is to be extracted from the broadcast stream as it is transmitted.

Abstract: Edge information sensitive to a visual characteristic is efficiently stored, block artifacts are reduced, and highly efficient compression is accomplished by an image compressing method.

Abstract: Abnormal states in a high-voltage cable connected to a backlight of a liquid crystal display are detected. This invention includes: a secondary winding of a transformer; a discharge tube connected to the secondary winding of the transformer; means connected to the discharge tube for detecting a tube current; means connected to the secondary winding of the transformer for detecting a transformer current; and abnormal-state detection means for comparing a value of the tube current detected by the tube current detection means with a value of the transformer current detected by the transformer current detection means and interrupting a power supply if a difference greater than a predetermined value is detected. Thus, a case of lighting delayed due to the darkness effect can also be dealt with.

Abstract: The invention concerns multimedia kiosk (newsstand) systems where single system units are interconnected via a telecommunication network. The objective is to enable updating of all information and/or the network interconnection structure between the system units during run-time.The invention solves this problem, by common dynamic management of both the configuration data and the information contents in an object-oriented database. The provision of all system functionalities as an object-oriented database enables the kiosk contents in an individual kiosk to be updated, or configuration data, e.g. network addresses to be notified-during run-time. For updating it is only necessary to transfer a so-called "version file" at a particular point in time to one or more terminals via the network. The database operations indicated in the version file are then executed at the terminal in the background, step by step.

Abstract: A Write Broadcast system and method uses a base station to write sent data associated with no particular destination tag or tags, by radio frequency signal, to all or some selected number (sub group) of tags in a base station field simultaneously. By unselecting the tags that have been successfully written to, and requesting a response from the remaining tags in the field (or sub group), the system determines, by receiving a response to the request, that there are tags in the field (sub group) that were unsuccessfully written to. Another Write Broadcast signal is sent to these tags. The system is useful for quickly (simultaneously) "stamping" information on the tag memory of a large number of tags in the field of the base station.

Abstract: According to the present invention, illegal invasion (i.e., access to secret data) from an installed PC card of an information processing apparatus can be appropriately prevented. When an operating mode enters a security mode, a personal computer performs a pseudo operation as though a device were not installed therein, regardless of whether the device is actually installed. During the security mode, therefore, power is not supplied to the installed device so that it does not become active. During this mode, the information processing apparatus can not exchange data with the installed device.

Abstract: In order to render a three-dimensional space which has a spotlight source with a cone angle .theta. at high speed and with better quality, an object's surface in the three-dimensional space is first meshed into a plurality of elements. Then, a radiosity from the spotlight source is calculated for each element which is included inside of the cone angle .theta. when viewed from the spotlight source. Thereafter, an intensity-value at each vertex of each element is calculated from the radiosity calculated for each element. Next, Gouraud shading is performed by using the intensity-value at each vertex of each element, and the result is displayed on a display.

Abstract: The present invention addresses the issue of controlling delay variations (jitter) in packet-switched networks by enhancing the capabilities of existing scheduling policies. The idea is to use a few bits in the header of packets to send jitter control information to the downstream network elements, so that the delay variation caused by the upstream network element, is compensated for by the downstream network element. The key point to observe is that packets (or cells in ATM) may be small, and therefore, not contain many bits in the header that can be used for jitter control. We describe a unique scheme, that utilizes the bits that are available for jitter control in an efficient manner, allowing for the desired jitter to be obtained with as few bits as possible.

Abstract: The efficiency of utilizing light for obtaining polarization is enhanced by making at least part of the polarized component available that has formerly been unused. Due to a mutual difference in reflection/transmission characteristic between the s-wave component and p-wave component, the reflected light 205 (s-wave (x.sub.1 %), p-wave (y.sub.1 %)) and the transmitted light 206 (s-wave (x.sub.2 %), p-wave (y.sub.2 %)) have the respective s-wave polarized and p-wave polarized components at a different ratio (x.sub.1 .noteq.x.sub.2, y.sub.1 .noteq.y.sub.2).

Abstract: The present invention describes a process and a device for perception-optimized transmission of video and audio data. The picture coming from a video source is compared with a reference picture. The picture differences are investigated for perception-relevant picture data and transmitted to a receiver in accordance with their priority. If the amount of data required for refreshing exceeds the capacity of the data channel, the less relevant data (lower priorities) is held back. A particular embodiment of the present invention comprises storing the individual pictures as structured difference pictures. The present invention can be applied analogously to the transmission of audio data.

Abstract: An encoding method is provided with which users can select picture quality and a quantity of data in multiple stages and with which an image of higher picture quality can be regenerated by scalable selection, i.e., by further adding data to compressed data that can be decoded. Image data is compressed using: means (62) for segmenting an original image into a plurality of object regions where each region pixels all correlate with one another and for determining a hierarchical structure of the object regions; means (63) for approximating each of the object regions with at least one polygonal surface so that errors of a intensity of luminance and chrominances in each the pixel are less than a predetermined threshold value; means (64) for obtaining residual images by subtracting the approximated image from the original image or by subtracting a decompressed image of a compressed nth-order residual image from the original nth-order residual image; means (65) for compressing the nth-order residual image (n.gtoreq.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for delivering multimedia video data from a server (host processor) to a plurality of clients connected to a communications network. More specifically, with this invention, preprocessed video and multimedia data packets are striped across disks in units of fixed playback time, even if such units result in variable length stripes. To deliver multiple video or continuous media streams, the disks in the array are accessed simultaneously so that at any given instance, different disks are accessing the video or multimedia data for different streams. Access to the disks for reading the continuous media files is scheduled periodically, with the period equal to the back time of the stripes. Because each disk read command retrieves data for a fixed play back time, if the first read command for a continuous media stream request can be scheduled to complete on a disk within a playback time, all subsequent read commands are also guaranteed to not interfere with read commands of other streams.

Abstract: A conductor line material is provided which has an extremely low electric resistance such as 10 .mu..OMEGA..multidot.cm or less, and in preferred embodiments, about 5 .mu..OMEGA..multidot.cm, which causes no defect such as hillocks and pinholes even at high temperatures, and which easily forms strong insulation films by anodic oxidation. An Al-based conductor line material comprising an alloy whose composition formula is substantially expressed by Al.sub.x (M.sub.y N.sub.1-y).sub.1-x, where M represents at least one element selected from a group consisting of rare-earth elements, N represents at least one element selected from a group consisting of Nb, Zr and Ta, x is between 98 and 99.5 atomic percent, and y is a number between 0.1 and 0.9, wherein an intermetallic compound of Al with said element represented by M or N is deposited in the matrix by subsequent heat treatment. The same object may be achieved by an alloy of Al to which 0.5-2.0 atomic percent Nb is added.

Abstract: The quality of an image is improved even if the duration of data voltage is short for application. A gate line driver 34 sequentially applies the gate voltage to a number of gate lines G1-Gm by predetermined duration. Data lines are grouped into four groups each consisting of n lines (d1A-dnA: group A, d1B-dnB: group B, d1C-dnC: group C, and d1D-dnD: group D). A data line driver 40 and a multiplexer 38 sequentially perform for the data line groups A-D in the above predetermined duration application of data voltage to each data line in a predetermined data line group. A precharge controller 44 and a voltage switching circuit 46 apply to each of the data line groups A-D, through a transistor 42, a precharge voltage (+V.sub.1 or -V.sub.1) with the same polarity with that of data voltage being applied next time during the time from previous application of the data voltage to next application of it.

Abstract: The present invention is an apparatus and method for mixing a plurality of materials in-situ to form an admixture and heating a localized portion of admixture upon dispense. The heat thereby primarily effects the speed of chemical reaction and curing of only the exiting reactants with little effect upon the admixture not dispensed. The apparatus and process are especially useful for encapsulating a plurality of workpieces at a high throughput. Advantageous configurations are described such as wherein the workpieces and/or the dispensing mechanism may be mounted on a carrier and fed by an assembly line. Alternative admixture chemistries are described.

Abstract: A user may input a motion as a query condition to a motion picture database to retrieve one or more motion picture segments (i.e., motion picture scenes) in which an object moves with a matching motion. A motion information database is built of motion vector sequences extracted from stored motion pictures. A motion is inputted as a query by moving a pointing device, such as a mouse, in a desired motion sequence, rather than as a query expressed in words or as a formula. The inputted motion sequence of the pointing device is converted to a motion vector sequence and compared with stored motion vector sequences to retrieve one or more scenes in which an object moves with a matching motion.