Abstract: A system for manipulating, updating, creating, and displaying data from sources of Extensible Markup Language (XML) documents. The information from one or more XML document sources is structured and reorganized into management records. The management records interact with the dynamic documents to reformat the data into the form desired by the user. Both the management records and dynamic documents are also used to execute operations on the data such as sorts, filters, and logical and mathematical functions. The present invention also include a plurality of unique methods for defining a point of view for viewing the data, a method for assembling the data extracted from the XML documents, a method for reorganizing the data in management records into any form of dynamic documents, and methods for displaying and printing dynamic documents.

Abstract: Distributing information, including the steps of watermarking the digital content, distributing the digital content using a multi-source system, and partially fingerprinting digital content at each stage of moving information from a point of origin to the viewer. “Adaptation” of the digital content to the recipient includes maintaining the digital content in encrypted form at each such intermediate device, including decrypting the digital content with a key unique to both the device and the specific movie, selecting a portion of the watermark locations into which to embed information, embedding fingerprinting information into those locations sufficient to identify the recipient, and encrypting the fingerprinted digital content with a new such key.

Abstract: Point to multipoint wireless communication, including automatic retransmission and error recovery for packet oriented point to multipoint communication, which integrates adaptive and dynamic responsiveness for parameters for automatic retransmission using wireless communication. A wireless communication link is divided into a downstream portion and an upstream portion. Parameters are selected for automatic retransmission independently for the downstream portion and the upstream portion of the wireless communication link. A BSC controls the selection of parameters for automatic retransmission for all CPE within a cell. As part of a TDD frame, in which the BSC and the CPE share communication bandwidth using a TDMA technique, the BSC includes its selection of parameters for automatic retransmission to be used by CPE within a control section of the TDD frame.

Abstract: The invention provides a method and system for adaptive point-to-point communication between a wireless communication system and a non-wireless backhaul communication system. The wireless physical layer and the wireless media-access-control (MAC) layer collectively include a set of parameters, which are adaptively modified by base station controllers in multiple cells of the wireless communication system for intercommunication among those multiple cells. The IP layer and QoS (quality of service) parameters for communication between a selected base station controller and the non-wireless backhaul communication system collectively include a second set of parameters, which are adaptively modified by the selected base station controller for intercommunication between that selected base station controller and the non-wireless backhaul communication system.

Abstract: An improved method and apparatus for creating a snapshot of a file system. A record of which blocks are being used by a snapshot is included in the snapshot itself, allowing effectively instantaneous snapshot creation and deletion. The state of the active file system is described by a set of metafiles; in particular, a bitmap (henceforth the “active map”) describes which blocks are free and which are in use. The inode file describes which blocks are used by each file, including the metafiles. The inode file itself is described by a special root inode, also known as the “fsinfo block”. The system begins creating a new snapshot by making a copy of the root inode. This copy of the root inode becomes the root of the snapshot.

Abstract: A method of managing TDD across plural channels. In the method, frames are synchronized across the plural channels so that upstream frames and downstream frames coincide across the plural channels. Preferable, one channel is assigned to each of plural CPEs. Each CPE receives MAP messages on its assigned channel. A base station controller preferably generates the MAP messages. The MAP messages instruct the CPEs to switch channels so as to receive data bursts. The base station controller preferably includes a centralized scheduler that allocates channels and slots in those channels to the CPEs for receipt of the data bursts. Also, a method of receiving TDD messages. According to the method, CPEs switch channels based on received media access protocol messages so as to receive data bursts on plural channels. The channel to which a CPE switches need not be the same channel as the one on which the CPE receives its MAP messages.

Abstract: The invention provides a system and method for managing clusters of parallel processors for use by groups and individuals requiring supercomputer level computational power. A Beowulf cluster provides supercomputer level processing power. Unlike a traditional Beowulf cluster; however, cluster size in not singular or static. As jobs are received from users/customers, a Resource Management System (RMS) dynamically configures and reconfigures the available nodes in the system into clusters of the appropriate sizes to process the jobs. Depending on the overall size of the system, many users may have simultaneous access to supercomputer level computational processing. Users are preferably billed based on the time for completion with faster times demanding higher fees.

Abstract: A technique wherein the number and position of a quantization parameter node is determined in response to the quantization parameters and a preselected error. The size of scene graph and the corresponding amount of memory required to store the scene graph can be reduced by selective placement of quantization parameter nodes in a scene graph. The scene graph is traversed depth first to establish an order and then traversed in reverse. At each node, a calculation relating to (1) the relative cost of inserting a quantization parameter node and (2) the relative savings that result from insertion of a quantization node is performed. Quantization parameter nodes are selectively placed in response to a result of these calculations. The maximum degree of acceptable error value is chosen for each quantization type. This error value limits the number of quantization parameter nodes that can be placed in a scene graph.

Abstract: A system for communication on a chip. The system includes an on-chip communication bus including plural tracks, and a plurality of stations that couple a plurality of on-chip components to the on-chip communication bus, whereby the plurality of on-chip components use the tracks to communicate. Each station preferably includes an initiator that requests permission to transmit outgoing data over a track to another station and that transmits the outgoing data, an arbiter that evaluates requests from other stations and selects a track on which to receive incoming data, and a target that receives the incoming data. The initiator can be connected to a grant multiplexor for selecting a grant line, with the grant multiplexor further including plural smaller multiplexors distributed across the chip. Likewise, the arbiter can be connected to a track multiplexor for selecting a track, with the track multiplexor further including plural smaller multiplexors distributed across the chip.

Abstract: Embedding fingerprinting or watermarking information includes delivering information in-band within digital content representing a media stream, so unauthorized distributors must choose between degrading the media stream, or leaving sufficient information detectable that unauthorized distribution can be detected. For fingerprinting, the method provides a relatively high degree of confidence of both detecting at least one colluding unauthorized distributor, and not falsely accusing any innocent party of being an unauthorized distributor. Embedding fingerprinting or watermarking information includes selecting a sequence of locations within digital content, and embedding information in the form of a sequence of one or more bits at each of those locations, thus representing a set of marking symbols.

Abstract: The invention provides a user interface, such as used by an electronic trading hub. The interface includes a representation that describes instances in which a participant has won some units, but less than the number of items initially bid on. The representation of this partial win is displayed on web pages that present information to a user. Another representation shows start and end times for at least some of the markets in which the user is currently participating, and the start and end times for future markets. Color-coding of temporal events may also be included in the graphical representation. A representation of activities occurring in markets owned by a user is generated and displayed. Such representations useful to commercial entities which take positions as both buyers and sellers. Another representation identifies which type of market is referred to such as English auctions, RFBs (request for bids), Dutch auctions and others.

Abstract: On disk failure, the storage system migrates only those disk blocks that included allocated data, and treats unallocated disk blocks as being logically zero when possible. When there is no spare disk, the source data block is logically set to zero and parity is recalculated for the RAID stripe associated with the source data block. When there is a spare, unallocated blocks on the spare are logically or physically set to zero upon migration. Write operations for the failed disk are redirected to other non-failing disks, and a record of which in-use disk blocks have been thus “migrated” to those other non-failing disks in maintained. Unused disk blocks are proactively set to zero. A target mirror copy is created using information regarding allocated disk blocks, by copying those blocks including allocated data or parity, and by clearing at the mirror those blocks not including any allocated data or parity.

Abstract: A technique of generating a flow from a gas. The technique includes the steps of selecting molecules from the gas on a nanoscopic or microscopic scale, and generating the flow from the selected molecules. The gas can be air. In one embodiment, the molecules are selected based on the direction of movement of the molecules. In another embodiment, the molecules are selected based on the velocities (i.e., direction and speed) of the molecules. Also, devices that implement the technique.

Abstract: The invention provides a method and system capable of automatically selecting conditions and parameters (such as scheduled times) for wireless programming of selected mobile devices, and automatically performing wireless programming of those mobile devices using the selected conditions and parameters. A server device examines a history of a selected target mobile device, and in response to that history, predicts a “good” set of conditions and parameters for programming the mobile device. The server device confirms that the mobile device is ready for wireless programming using the selected conditions and parameters (such as the scheduled time), buffers the programming download at the mobile device, and directs the mobile device to inject the programming download into its program memory. The server device is capable of optionally informing a customer associated with the mobile device before or after performing automated wireless programming (or both).

Abstract: A method of embedding information in digital content representing media streams. The method includes (1) selecting a set of locations within that digital content reprensenting the media stream to embed information, (2) selecting a set of possible alterations to make at those locations, and (3) making a subset of the possible alterations. The set of locations and possible alterations is herein sometimes called a “watermark.” The subset of actual alterations that are made is herein sometimes called a “fingerprint.” The method determines a set of locations at which there are alternative versions of digital content representing the same media stream, such as one being the original and one being an alternative version of the same digital content, herein sometimes called the “original movie” and the “alt-movie,” or herein sometimes called the “original block” and the “alt-block” for a particular block in the digital content representing the media stream.

Abstract: A data storage system, such as RAID, upgraded dynamically including multiple stages, providing error checking data without taking the system off-line. Checksums are computed from the data and placed in block 63 of the same disk. The combination of parity bits across the parity disk, the remaining uncorrupted data in the data disks, and checksums within each disk includes sufficient information to enable restoration of corrupt data. The system is upgraded by reserving permanent checksum blocks, writing the checksums to a volume block number, and placing the checksums in permanently reserved checksum block locations after first moving data already there to unreserved blocks.

Abstract: The invention provides a method and system for adaptive point to multipoint wireless communication. The wireless physical layer and the wireless media-access-control (MAC) layer collectively include a set of parameters, which are adaptively modified by a base station controller for communication with a plurality of customer premises equipment. The base station controller adjusts communication with each customer premises equipment individually and adaptively in response to changes in characteristics of communication, including physical characteristics, amount of communication traffic, and nature of application for the communication traffic.

Abstract: The present invention is a method for providing error correction for an array of disks using non-volatile random access memory (NV-RAM). Non-volatile RAM is used to increase the speed of RAID recovery from a disk error(s). This is accomplished by keeping a list of all disk blocks for which the parity is possibly inconsistent. Such a list of disk blocks is much smaller than the total number of parity blocks in the RAID subsystem. The total number of parity blocks in the RAID subsystem is typically in the range of hundreds of thousands of parity blocks. Knowledge of the number of parity blocks that are possibly inconsistent makes it possible to fix only those few blocks, identified in the list, in a significantly smaller amount of time than is possible in the prior art. The technique for safely writing to a RAID array with a broken disk is complicated. In this technique, data that can become corrupted is copied into NV-RAM before the potentially corrupting operation is performed.

Abstract: The invention provides a method and system for persistent context-based behavior injection in a computing system, such as in a redundant storage system or another system having a layered or modular architecture. Behaviors that are injected can be specified to have triggering conditions, such that the behavior is not injected unless the conditions are true. Triggering conditions may include a selected ordering of conditions and a selected context for each behavior. In a system having a layered architecture, behavior injection might be used to evaluate correct responses in the face of cascaded errors in a specific context or thread, other errors that are related by context, concurrent errors, or multiple errors. Behavior injection uses non-volatile memory to preserve persistence of filter context information across possible system errors, for reporting of the results of behavior injection, and to preserve information across recovery from system errors. Multiple behavior injection threads are also provided.

Abstract: Various embodiments include a method of maintaining lists of network characteristics of messages. The messages can be detected. The messages can travel near at least the first network node. The messages can comprise network characteristics. The lists of network characteristics of the messages can be updated. The lists include instances of the network characteristics, based on a frequency of occurrences of the instances.