Abstract: Storing audio data encoded in any of a plurality of different audio encoding formats is enabled by parametrically defining the underlying format in which the audio data is encoded, in audio format and packet table chunks. A flag can be used to manage storage of the size of the audio data portion of the file, such that premature termination of an audio recording session does not result in an unreadable corrupted file. This capability can be enabled by initially setting the flag to a value that does not correspond to a valid audio data size and that indicates that the last chunk in the file contains the audio data. State information for the audio data, to effectively denote a version of the file, and a dependency indicator for dependent metadata, may be maintained, where the dependency indicator indicates the state of the audio data on which the metadata is dependent.

Abstract: An approach is provided for implementing locked printing on a printing device with unlock via a keypad attached to the printing device via an interface. A user may specify for printing print jobs stored at a printing device using a keypad device to enter a job ID associated with a particular print job or a general ID associated with users to release all print jobs associated with a particular user, all print jobs not yet printed, or all print jobs. Print jobs may alternatively be identified by date. The approach may also include a user viewing a list of available locked print jobs on a user interface of the printing device, along with the associated job IDs. The approach may further include the use of a Web server on the printing device to generate and provide a Web page that lists stored print jobs and their associated job IDs.

Abstract: A multimedia visual progress indication system that provides a cache bar that is overlaid onto the program material or displayed on a dedicated display. A cache bar indicates the length of a recording session or the length of stored program material and expands to the right when material is being recorded. Index and/or bookmark indicators are displayed next to the cache bar. A position indicator moves within the cache bar and tells the user visually where his current position is within the program material. Numeric time or counter mark of the current position is displayed in the vicinity of the cache bar. The trick play bar and its associated components are displayed for a predetermined time period.

Abstract: A search results page contains images that are organized based on the visual features of those images; images that have common visual features are grouped together using either a folding or a reciprocal election technique. Images that pertain to a particular meaning of a query term are less likely to be scattered across the page. A group of images that have common visual features is represented on the page by a single representative image from that group. Consequently, space for more representative images becomes available on the image search results page. Thus, search results page contains visually diverse representative images; space on the results page is not wasted by repeatedly showing the same image. The initial image search results page also therefore is more likely to contain representative images that otherwise would have occurred too far down a relevance-ranked list to be included within the initial search results page.

Abstract: A technique is provided for providing an aggregate tag view of a website that comprises a plurality of webpages that each has a corresponding URL. A tag is a set of one or more words that have been associated with a URL and is typically created by a user to describe content of the webpage corresponding to the URL. Initially, a request is received to display information pertaining to a website. In response to the request, a plurality of tags associated with the website is displayed. A first subset of the plurality of tags is associated with a particular URL. A second subset of the plurality of tags is associated with one or more URLs that are not the particular URL. Alternatively, or in addition to an aggregate tag view tag-related information for each URL of the website is provided, in response to the initial request.

Abstract: An approach is provided for securely printing policy-enabled electronic documents. According to the approach, a determination is made at a client device whether policy-enabled printing has been specified for a particular electronic document. If policy-enabled printing has been specified for the particular electronic document, then a determination is made whether a print driver, installed on the client device for supporting printing for a particular printing device, is configured to support policy-enabled printing. Also, a determination is made whether the particular printing device is currently configured to support policy-enabled printing. The particular electronic document is allowed to be processed at the client device for printing only if both the print driver is configured to support policy-enabled printing and the particular printing device is currently configured to support policy-enabled printing.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are described for discovering a configured tunnel between nodes on a path in a data communications network. In an embodiment, an apparatus is arranged to remotely access at least one node on the path, identify whether a tunnel is configured on the access node and, if so, identify whether the identified tunnel has a fault.

Abstract: Example systems and methods associated with router synchronization are described. One example method includes reducing a likelihood that a first network device will be favored over a peer device as a router. This likelihood may be increased after the first network device has received a threshold amount of routing information from the peer device. This may allow the first network device to begin performing non-routing related tasks after it starts up without causing interruption of data streams for which the first network device does not have current routing information.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for implementing the WS-DeviceProfile standard as a multi-threaded process (“DFM”) executing on a multi-function peripheral (“MFP”). The DFM takes care of the discovery of devices and services on a network. The DFM also acts as a facility manager. The DFM implements various web services in a single component that applications can re-use. The DFM insulates these applications from some of the more complex details of the web services that the DFM implements. The MFP may comprise several different applications, each with a different specialized function. Each of these applications uses the web services provided by the DFM. The multi-threaded nature of the DFM permits new services to be added to the MFP dynamically. The threads can handle separate tasks concurrently. For example, one thread can handle communications with processes outside the MFP, while another thread can simultaneously handle communications with processes and applications inside the MFP.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for desktop streaming over wide area networks. In one embodiment, a computing device comprises logic that is configured to intercept file open requests for files stored in a file system, where at least some of the files in the file system may have not yet been fully downloaded. In response to a request to open a file, the logic is configured to modify a first sharing mode specified therein and to open the file in a read-write sharing mode that allows other processes to open the file. While one or more blocks of the file are being downloaded or written into the file, the logic is configured to check whether a second sharing mode received in a subsequent request to open the file is compatible with the first sharing mode. If the second sharing mode is not compatible with the first sharing mode, the logic is configured to deny the subsequent request even though in the file system the file is opened in the read-write sharing mode.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for intelligently routing and managing audio signals within an electronic device is disclosed. The routing is responsive to a set of logical and physical policies which are stored in data tables which can be updated as needed.

Abstract: An apparatus and method as described for constructing a repair path for use in the event of failure of an inter-routing domain connection between respective components in first and second routing domains of a data communications network. The apparatus is arranged to assign a propagatable repair address for use in the event of failure of the inter-routing domain connection and to propagate the repair address via data communications network components other than the inter-routing domain connection.

Abstract: A statement is provided having a clause that can specify an aggregate function that is performed on a set of data. The statement may alter the data in the data set by deleting or updating the data. The clause may be a returning clause that accepts one or more aggregate functions for its arguments, operates on the set of data, and returns the result of the aggregate function without returning the entire set of data. Alternatively, a statement is provided for changing multiple sets of data without the need to place the multiple sets in a single array.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for computing efficiency score of a page is provided and using the efficiency score to optimize page design. Eye tracking study is performed on a group of subjects where eye fixation data, gaze plot data, and qualitative information data are collected. Fixation information data for page is aggregated over the subjects in the study. The fixation information data is divided into a grid. Number of fixations is computed for every grid element. Seen and noticed thresholds are established for every grid element. Seen and noticed area of a page is computed by counting number of grid elements falling into either threshold. Ratio of area noticed over area seen is computed to yield efficiency score. Page fixation data are compared for alternate page designs. Areas of large difference are correlated with gaze plots and qualitative data to identify distinguishing features.

Abstract: An approach is provided for printing policy-enabled electronic documents using locked printing. A client device includes a user interface, an application program and a print driver. The application program allows a user to generate an electronic document. The print driver corresponds to a particular printing device and is configured to cause a graphical user interface to be displayed on the user interface. The graphical user interface allows a user to specify one or more access policies to be applied to the electronic document. The print driver is configured to generate print data that includes a plurality of print commands which, when processed by the particular printing device, cause a printed version of the electronic document to be generated at the printing device. The print data includes data that indicates the one or more attributes of the one or more access policies that are to be applied to the electronic document.

Abstract: A multimedia visual progress indication system that provides a cache bar that is overlaid onto the program material or displayed on a dedicated display. A cache bar indicates the length of a recording session or the length of stored program material and expands to the right when material is being recorded. Index and/or bookmark indicators are displayed next to the cache bar. A position indicator moves within the cache bar and tells the user visually where his current position is within the program material. Numeric time or counter mark of the current position is displayed in the vicinity of the cache bar. The trick play bar and its associated components are displayed for a predetermined time period.

Abstract: Keyword based audio data comparison. A method comprises extracting at least one feature from audio content of an audio data set to form feature arrays. The feature arrays may comprise a pitch array and a rhythm array. A set of keywords is formed for each feature array by performing the following for each feature array. Keywords are formed from overlapping sequences of values in the feature array, wherein each successive keyword comprises at least one value of a previous keyword and further comprises at least one value from the feature array that is not in the previous keyword. Another aspect audio is keyword-based audio data searching. Search keywords are formed from audio content. An index comprising sets of keywords formed from audio content of respective ones of audio data sets is searched using the search keywords formed from audio content of the specified audio data to identify audio data having similar audio content.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for synchronizing a database related to a first node in a network with multiple nodes. Each node includes a database different from a database on a different node. An inquiry control message is sent to each node in a candidate set of one or more nodes on the network, which are different from the first node. In response to the inquiry control message, the first node receives a first set of one or more messages from a particular node different from the first node. The first set indicates a portion from the database of the particular node. The portion is relevant for the first node. A particular portion of a first database for the first node is derived from the first set of messages. The particular portion is less than all of the first database. These techniques allow the first node to derive its full database from multiple adjacent nodes.

Abstract: A method for achieving uninterrupted interactivity for user watching a video yet clicking on an advertisement is provided. A method for delayed interactivity is provided herein. Delayed interactivity is implemented in the form of delayed insertions. When a user clicks on an object in hypervideo, presentation of or any action on the related information is deferred rather than played immediately. Delayed interactivity also is implemented in the form of video bookmarks. When a user clicks on an actual advertisement, related information is stored, i.e., bookmarked, along with video content. In this way, the user can pursue the related information at a later time and at the user's convenience.