Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for providing real time approval of credit over a network. The method includes obtaining applicant data from an applicant. The applicant data is analyzed into a form suitable for directly obtaining a credit report from a credit bureau for the applicant. A credit report having credit report data is obtained from a credit bureau for the applicant. It is then determined whether to accept the applicant using the credit report data and it is communicated to the applicant that the applicant has been approved.

Abstract: The identification of hidden data, such as feature-based control points in an image, from a set of observable data, such as the image, is achieved through a two-stage approach. The first stage involves a learning process, in which a number of sample data sets, e.g. images, are analyzed to identify the correspondence between observable data, such as visual aspects of the image, and the desired hidden data, such as the control points. Two models are created. A feature appearance-only model is created from aligned examples of the feature in the observed data. In addition, each labeled data set is processed to generate a coupled model of the aligned observed data and the associated hidden data. In the second stage of the process, the modeled feature is located in an unmarked, unaligned data set, using the feature appearance-only model. This location is used as an alignment point and the coupled model is then applied to the aligned data, giving an estimate of the hidden data values for that data set.

Abstract: An optical assembly suitable for use with an optical medium for the storage and retrieval of data, the optical assembly comprising: a source of illumination for providing a beam of optical radiation, an objective lens disposed in the optical path of the beam for redirecting the beam to the optical medium, and a diffractive optical element disposed between the redirected beam of radiation and the optical medium such that at least a portion of the redirected beam of radiation passes through a surface of the diffractive optical element and is reflected to the objective lens.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for monitoring the quality of a broadcast. A broadcast signal is received at a receiver and the power of the received signal in a carrier band is measured. The power of the received signal in a sideband is also measured. A time is determined at which the ratio of the power of the received signal in the carrier band to the power of the received signal in the sideband is indicative of a carrier to noise ratio of the received signal at the receiver and the carrier to noise ratio of the received signal is stored at the receiver.

Abstract: A network appliance is configured to store and retrieve instructions for handling a packet corresponding to a connection. The network appliance includes a connection storing processor configured to hash an incoming flow identifier for incoming packets to obtain an incoming hash; to hash an outgoing flow identifier for outgoing packets to obtain an outgoing hash; to insert an incoming entry corresponding to the incoming hash in a bidirectional hash table; and to insert an outgoing entry corresponding to the outgoing hash in a bidirectional hash table. A connection finding processor is configured to hash a packet identifier to obtain a packet hash; and to determine a matching entry in the bidirectional hash table that corresponds to the packet hash. A memory is configured to store the bidirectional hash table.

Abstract: A holographic display system comprising left and right optical systems is disclosed, The optical systems each comprise an image display operable to display an input image and first and second holographic devices. The first holographic device is operable to project the input image to overlap with the input image projected from the other of the left and right optical systems to form a resultant image with a first aspect ratio. The second holographic device is operable to project the input image to overlap with the input image projected from the other of the left and right optical systems to form a resultant image with a second aspect ratio, different from the first aspect ratio. A method of changing the aspect ratio of an image is also disclosed.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for compensating for intersymbol interference on an optical disc. The method includes measuring an intersymbol linear transfer function. The intersymbol linear transfer function substantially describes a linear portion of the effect of intersymbol interference on an optically detected read signal from an optical disc. A partial response target frequency response is divided by the intersymbol linear transfer function to obtain a linear equalization filter response. A read signal from the optical disc is convolved with the linear equalization filter response. This results in the read signal being equalized and containing a controlled partial-response target intersymbol interference. There is also disclosed a method of compensating utilizing a decision feedback equalizer where the target frequency response is either a partial-response or a zero-forcing response.

Abstract: A system and method for generating a system are disclosed. The system includes a display device comprising a plurality of display regions, each region configured for displaying a color component of the image. A display controller is coupled to the display device and is operable to activate the regions of the display device to display portions of the image. A plurality of light directing devices are positioned to receive light from regions of the display device and direct light towards an image plane. The system further includes a light directing controller coupled to the light directing devices to direct light received thereby to different areas of the image plane. The areas of the image plane generally correspond to the different portions of the image displayed by the regions of the display device.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for maintaining the state of a virtual connection supported by an active connection manager on a standby connection manager. The method includes configuring the standby connection manager to include a physical machine object that stores a physical IP address of a physical machine that is available to the active connection manager and a virtual machine object that stores a virtual IP address of a virtual machine that is implemented on the connection manager. A replication packet is received at the standby connection manager from the active connection manager wherein the replication packet includes a foreign IP address, the virtual IP address and the physical IP address. A standby connection object is stored in the connection manager. The standby connection object includes the foreign IP address, the virtual IP address and the physical IP address from the replication packet on the standby connection manager.

Abstract: A holographic light focusing device is disclosed. The device generally comprises an elongate member having an input end and an output end, a light source disposed at the input end, and a light guide extending along the elongate member and operable to guide a light beam emitted from the light source to the output end of the elongate member. The device further comprises a focusing system disposed at the output end of the elongate member. The focusing system includes a plurality of holographic optical elements switchable between an active state wherein light from the light source is diffracted by the element to focus the light and a passive state wherein the light is not substantially diffracted by the device. Each of the holographic elements is configured to focus the light at a different distance relative the output end when in its active state.

Abstract: A broadband partial fan cone direction finding antenna and array disclosed. The antenna includes a radiator having a partial cone shape. The radiator substantially occupies a spatial area defined by a portion of a cone and the cone is defined by a cone axis, a cone height, and a cone angle. The cone has a base and an apex, and the portion of the cone is defined by a cone sweep angle. The cone sweep angle is determined as the angle subtended by a projection of the portion of the cone projected onto a plane that is perpendicular to the cone axis. The cone sweep angle is less than 360° so that the portion of the cone is bounded on its sides by edges which extend radially from the apex of the cone outward to the base of the cone.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for assigning an incoming connection to a server. The method includes defining a client specific virtual machine object instance that is associated with a designated client IP address. An incoming packet is received that is associated with a new connection. The incoming packet has a packet source IP address, a packet source port number, a packet destination IP address, and a packet destination port number. A client specific virtual machine object instance is selected that is associated with the designated client IP address when the packet source IP address matches the designated client IP address.

Abstract: A method of producing a switchable hologram generally comprises providing a substrate comprised of a liquid crystal material and having two generally opposed surfaces and recording a plurality of holographic fringes composed of liquid crystal droplets in the substrate with one or more of the plurality of holographic fringes positioned such that a surface of the fringes is angled relative to one of the substrate surfaces. The substrate is subjected to an electrical field during recording of the holographic fringes. The electrical field varies across the surface of the substrate so that the liquid crystal droplets are all oriented generally in a common direction.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for presenting multiple custom offers to an applicant for credit over a network. The method includes obtaining a credit report containing applicant data. A plurality of offers are presented to the applicant. The plurality of offers are derived from the applicant data. The plurality of offers include different required balance transfers. A selected offer is obtained from the applicant.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system and method for distributing connections among a plurality of servers at an Internet site. All connections are made to a single IP address and a local director selects the server from among the plurality of servers which is to receive the connection. Thus, the DNS server is not relied upon to distribute connections, and the connection distribution scheme is not avoided when DNS is bypassed. In one embodiment, a session distribution scheme is implemented such that connections are distributed to the server in the group of servers which has the fewest connections of the group. In other embodiments, other session distribution schemes which route connections based on the predicted response times of the servers or according to a round robin scheme are used.

Abstract: A system and method for locally determining a fair allocated bandwidth for a network node configured to send and receive packets in an upstream direction and a downstream direction is disclosed. A local allocated bandwidth is allocated for locally generated network packets sent in the downstream direction. A minimum downstream available network bandwidth is determined from information received in the upstream direction. The local allocated bandwidth is adjusted based on the minimum downstream available network bandwidth and the local allocated bandwidth is used to govern whether a class of locally generated network packets are sent in the downstream direction.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for redirecting a connection from a first server having a first server IP address. Incoming SYN packets sent from a client are intercepted. The SYN packets have a destination IP address corresponding to the connection and the SYN packets are sent from the client for the purpose of establishing the connection, which is supported by the first server. The number of incoming SYN packets sent from the client to the first server is monitored and it is determined whether the number of unanswered SYN packets sent by the client to the first server exceeds a ditched connection threshold number of unanswered SYN packets. The destination IP address of intercepted incoming SYN packets is changed for the connection received after determining that the number of unanswered SYN requests sent by the client to the first server exceeds a ditched connection threshold number of unanswered SYN requests to the destination IP address of a second server.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system and method for information retrieval related to a service. According to an embodiment of the present invention, two separate types of packets may be received to indicate information which is required. One type of packet is intended for information which may be directly looked up in a table, such as a routing table, while the other type of packet is intended for information which requires calculating or measuring metrics. Accordingly, if information which may be directly looked up in a routing table is requested along with information regarding metrics which need to be measured or calculated, then the routing table information is sent as soon as the requested information is looked up and the measured metric information is sent later when the requested metric is measured.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for bypassing a participating application that receives data from a client connection between a proxy and a client and receives data from a server connection between a proxy and a server is disclosed. The method includes deriving a client originated packet sequence synchronization factor. The client originated packet sequence synchronization factor is derived from the difference between a last data sequence number sent by the participating application to the server and a last data acknowledgment number sent by the participating application to the client. A server originated packet sequence synchronization factor is derived from the difference between a last data sequence number sent by the participating application to the client and a last data acknowledgment number sent by the participating application to the server.

Abstract: A stack position determination circuit in a stackable repeater is disclosed that includes an input connector, an output connector, an initial pin driving circuit, and a pin rotating circuit. The input connector includes a plurality of input connector repeater stack position pins arranged in an hierarchical order so that each input connector repeater stack position pin corresponds to a possible physical position of the repeater in a stack of repeaters. An output connector includes a plurality of output connector repeater stack position pins arranged in an hierarchical order so that each output connector repeater stack position pin corresponds to a possible position of the repeater in a stack of repeaters. An initial pin driving circuit is connected to an initial pin in the input connector repeater stack position pin hierarchical order. The initial pin corresponds to a first position in the stack of repeaters and the initial pin driving circuit is responsive to an initial repeater signal.