Abstract: A system and method for real-time network communications provides a session identifier as a public key for group communication between clients, and provides a channel identifier representing a private key for each of a plurality of clients. The channel identifier includes client-specific attributes, which function to indicate grouping criteria for the group communication. A dynamic communication link is created over a network between a client and a service based upon the public and private key combination such that group communication is enabled based upon the attributes of the private key and the public key. Communications are translated using a translation service which employs the attributes associated with the private key and the public key combination to provide response information in a designated language to enable multi-lingual real-time communications.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of watermarking a binary stream resulting from the encoding of a set of coefficients comprising at least one coefficient encoded by predictive coding, called predictively coded coefficient. The method comprises the steps of: a) identifying, in the binary stream, a first binary word representing the predictively coded coefficient; b) computing a modified coefficient from the predictively coded coefficient on the basis of at least one watermarking bit; c) encoding the modified coefficient into a second binary word; and d) replacing in the binary stream the first binary word with the second binary word.

Abstract: A digitally controlled circuit and method includes an error input coupled to a proportional path. The proportional path includes a selector which directly receives the error input as a select signal. The selector receives a proportional control weight from a location other than the proportional path wherein the proportional control weight is input to a digitally controlled oscillator (DCO).

Abstract: The method of improving the carrier-to-noise ratio for a receiver with diversity, and the associated device, consists, after extracting, by phase shifting, the noise component of the signals to be demodulated, in optimizing the cancellation of the useful component via a feedback loop acting on the phase shifter and in summing the noise component in phase and in phase opposition with these signals to improve the carrier-to-noise ratio.

Abstract: There are provided methods for single-owner multi-consumer work queues for repeatable tasks. A method includes permitting a single owner thread of a single owner, multi-consumer, work queue to access the work queue using atomic instructions limited to only a single access and using non-atomic operations. The method further includes restricting the single owner thread from accessing the work queue using atomic instructions involving more than one access. The method also includes synchronizing amongst other threads with respect to their respective accesses to the work queue.

Abstract: The image is broken down into a breakdown color space. For each broken down source pixel, if a source point PS0j is used to represent the end of the color source vector OPS0j associated with said source pixel, component points P1j, P2j, . . . , Pkj, . . . , Pnj are used to represent the ends of the color component vectors OP1j, OP2j, . . . , OPkj, . . . , OPnj associated with the component pixels, if a limit sphere of radius LS0j is defined, centered on the point PS0j, then said breakdown is such that the following applies: PS0Pj1, PS0Pj2, PS0Pjk, . . . , PS0Pjn?KS0j×LS0j, with KS0j?0.5. The effectiveness of the scrambling is then significantly enhanced.

Abstract: Watermarking of audio signals intends to manipulate the audio signal in a way that the changes in the audio content cannot be recognized by the human auditory system. The watermark data are decoded from the received watermarked audio signal by correlation with corresponding candidate reference sequences. One or more of the sync symbols are embedded twice in the watermark data frame in the encoder. Thereafter a circular correlation is calculated instead of a standard correlation.

Abstract: Motion compensated temporal prediction is well-known for redundancy reduction in video signal compression. A prediction error signal and a motion vector for a current block are transmitted, describing the location of the predictor block in the reference picture. A problem solved by the invention is to encode and decode video signals using less or no mo- tion vector data side information. This is achieved through a temporal prediction which exploits common knowledge available in both encoder and decoder, requiring that the decoder performs a motion estimation, too. A common baseline motion estimation process is used at both encoder and decoder on the same set of video data that have already been compressed before and, hence, are available at both encoder and decoder, leading to identical motion parameters being generated in the decoder. These common motion parameters are used for generating a default temporal prediction without the need to transmit related motion vectors from the encoder to the decoder.

Abstract: For reducing the false contour effect the gravity center coding is utilized. However, a GCC with a few number of levels introduces noise in a picture. Therefore, each picture is divided into segments and such GCC is performed only in regions, where the false contour effect is critical. This is the case for skin areas of a picture. Such areas are detected by the color analysis and texture analysis. If this analysis leads to a skin area, a specific false contour mode for data processing is used. Otherwise, a standard mode is employed.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product are disclosed for automatically determining a valid ordering of provisioning operations, and their needed parameters, so that a provisioning system can configure a desired resource state. This is accomplished by formally describing the pre-conditions and effects of provisioning operations, the current state of managed resources and the desired final state. A planning algorithm is then used to determine the provisioning operations, a valid ordering and appropriate parameters to bring the system from the current state to the desired state.

Abstract: The present invention provides an unconventional and proprietary radio control (RC) or infrared remote control (IR) toy model/airplane which can intentionally shift or change its center of gravity (COG) to different positions along the longitudinal centerline of the aircraft or fuselage. The incremental shifting or moving of the COG from front to rear or vice versa incrementally changes the “angle of attack” of the wing, thereby producing a variable range of viable flight attitudes and resultant terminal velocities (top speeds). Therefore, users can easily select an appropriate speed for the airplane to fly in limited indoor spaces or in larger outdoor areas. Additionally, the COG shifting of the present invention can be applied not only to RC and IR controlled toy models/aircrafts but may also be implemented into real aircrafts including manned and unmanned aircraft for civilian and/or military applications.

Abstract: A biometric representation of a fingerprint from which the original biometric cannot be recovered (privacy) and which can be canceled and reissued. For example, based on an individual's token, the representation can be scrambled uniquely to the individual. From the scrambled biometric representation it is not feasible to reconstruct the biometric and if the representation is compromised, a new one is easily issued. In another aspect, if a biometric can be represented by some other one-dimensional structure, a distance or similarity measure is defined to compare biometrics. Verification decisions can be made based on the distance between or similarity of biometrics.

Abstract: A method and devices for restoring at least one setting are provided, the client device receives a code generated by a management device based on a time value and a parameter value that uniquely identifies the client device; the client device determines whether the code is valid; and if the code is valid the client device restores the at least one setting of the client device. It provides a convenient way to restore at least one setting of a client device.

Abstract: A tuner housing according to the invention comprises a support for carrying electronic equipment and at least one cover part which is attached to the support. The support comprises at least one ground lug which extends through a hole of the cover part. The cover part is provided with a projection which projects into the hole and contacts the ground lug.

Abstract: The gravity centered coding shall be improved with respect to false contour effect disturbances on plasma display panels for example. Therefore, there is provided a GCC code (gravity center coding) and a motion amplitude of a picture or a part of a picture. Furthermore, there is provided at least one sub-set code of the GCC code. The video data are coded with the GCC code or the at least one sub-set code depending on the motion amplitude. Thus, it is possible to reduce the number of coding levels if the motion increases. A further improvement can be obtained by using texture information for selecting the GCC code.

Abstract: Movies are produced in 24 Hz frame frequency and progressive scanning format (denoted 24p) for projection in film theatres, adhering to a worldwide standard for 35 mm film. However, the major TV systems in the world use interlaced scanning and either 50 Hz field frequency (denoted 50i) or 60 Hz field frequency (denoted 60i). Content providers would prefer providing single-picture-frequency single-audio-speed AV discs that can be replayed in most parts of the world. According to the invention, For a 50 HZ output mode, in the media player either audio signal frames are dropped adaptively or video fields or frames are repeated adaptively, depending on the current video and audio content. Thereby the less perceptible stream controls the synchronization.

Abstract: This invention relates in general to air exchange systems and, in particular, to an improved energy recovery ventilator, a cross flow plate core associated therewith and a method of conditioning air for a building. In one aspect, the invention provides a cross flow plate core comprising: a left hand wafer comprising a left hand spacer with a first of a plurality of membranes bonded thereto, the left hand spacer comprising a plurality of parallel curvilinear rails which form channels for receiving a first stream of air; and a right hand wafer comprising a right hand spacer with a second of the plurality of membranes bonded thereto, the right hand spacer comprising a plurality of parallel curvilinear rails which form channels for receiving a second stream of air, wherein the left hand spacer of the left hand wafer is bonded to the top of the membrane of the right hand wafer.

Abstract: An electrical device including a heat sensing interrupter to enable a load to be selectively coupled to or disconnected from a power source in accordance with a level of a sensed temperature includes a relay assembly operable between a closed state when the sensed temperature is below a predetermined limit temperature, thereby enabling the coupling of the load to the power source, and an open state when the sensed temperature is above the predetermined limit temperature, thereby electrically disconnecting the load from the power source. The device further includes a sensor assembly including a light source operatively associated with a light sensor. The light sensor is configured to be sensitive to specific levels of the sensed temperature and the light source is configured to emit light along a plurality of optical paths at any one of a plurality of wavelengths sensitive to temperature.

Abstract: A method for illuminating the surface of an object by using a source beam is provided. The source beam is partitioned into as many illumination sub-beams as there are surface elements to be illuminated, and their aperture is modulated as a function of the predetermined luminous intensity to be assigned to the surface element. Each surface element is illuminated with the aid of one of said illumination sub-beams. Used for illuminating the imagers of projection devices, this method makes it possible to add a second modulation stage allowing the display contrast of the images to be improved.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a redundancy protected mass storage system with increased performance, and more specifically to a mass storage system with multiple storage units. According to the invention, the resources that are essentially provided for compensating the damage of one or more storage units are also used to enhance the system performance. For this purpose during reading or writing the storage system just waits for the responses of a minimum number of required storage units to start reading or writing, respectively.