Abstract: A broadband powerline communication system makes use of knowledge of the spectrum characteristics of a local radio environment in order to improve system performance. A determination is made of the spectrum characteristics of a radio environment in the vicinity of the broadband powerline communication system that is transmitting data on modulated carrier frequencies. In order to avoid interference, certain ones of the carrier frequencies otherwise used by the broadband powerline communication system may be selectively masked based on the determination. The spectrum characteristics may be determined 1) in advance and used to compile a configuration database comprising frequency masking parameters; 2) by monitoring the local radio environment using the transmitter/receiver nodes of the system; or 3) based upon receipt of an indication from a conflicting user that the user is experiencing interference. Various combinations of these spectrum characteristic determination techniques may also be used.

Abstract: A network is disclosed that includes a message originator computer and a message recipient computer, for secure electronic mail delivery. In accordance with the invention, the network includes a message delivery server that can distinguish between real and phantom messages. In operation, the message originator computer waits a random time and then transmits a first encrypted phantom message to the message delivery server. This message is to spoof an eavesdropper into believing that there is a steady stream of messages being sent from the originator computer. However, the message delivery server recognizes the message as a phantom message and discards it. When the message originator computer receives a user request to transmit a real message to the recipient computer, it waits a random time and then encrypts and transmits the real message to the message delivery server. The message delivery server recognizes the message as a real message and forwards the real message to the recipient computer.

Abstract: Network resources for a call are allocated. The network resources for the call are reserved based on a reservation. The network resources are reserved before any one network resource is committed. If the call is confirmed, then the network resources are committed.

Abstract: An improved technique for acoustic sensing involves, in one embodiment, launching into a medium, a plurality of groups of pulse-modulated electromagnetic-waves. The frequency of electromagnetic waves in a pulse within a group differs from the frequency of the electromagnetic waves in another pulse within the group. The energy scattered by the medium is detected and, in one embodiment, the beat signal may be used to determine a characteristic of the environment of the medium. For example, if the medium is a buried optical fiber into which light pulses have been launched in accordance with the invention, the presence of acoustic waves within the region of the buried fiber can be detected.

Abstract: A method, system, and machine-readable medium for classifying an image element as one of a plurality of categories, including assigning the image element based on a ratio between an unoccluded perimeter of the image element and an occluded perimeter of the image element and coding the image element according to a coding scheme associated with the category to which the image element is classified. Exemplary applications include image compression, where categories include image foreground and background layers.

Abstract: An IS-OFDM system for point-to-point wireless communications that suppresses narrow-band interference comprises an IS-OFDM transmitter and an IS-OFDM receiver, wherein a transmitted signal comprises a plurality of subcarriers, and further wherein each subcarrier contains more than one and potentially all symbols transmitted in a given frame. The IS-OFDM transmitted signal is at a data rate that is equal to the data rate of the input data stream via the use of P/S converters.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for content-based non-linear control of video data playback. A multimedia database having multimedia data including multimedia content data is searched based on a user query to determine a first set of multimedia data. The multimedia data includes indexes to and condensed representations of corresponding video data stored in a video database. A portion of the first set of multimedia data is displayed at a control device in response to the user query. A user of the control device selects an element of the first set of multimedia data for video playback and video data corresponding to the element delivered to a video device for playback. A user of the control device selects an element of the first set of multimedia data for additional information and a second set of multimedia data corresponding to the element delivered to the control device.

Abstract: A method and arrangement for providing location information of a called mobile communication device to a calling party are implemented through a mobile device locator platform disposed in the communication network. A mobile device subscriber to the location service initiates a process where the location of his mobile device is updated on a regular basis and the location information stored in a database on the platform. When a call is placed to his subscribed device, the location information is transmitted to the calling party prior to setting up the call to the called device, allowing the calling party to determine whether or not to proceed with the call, as well as eliminating the need to ask the common question “where are you?” when placing a call to a mobile device.

Abstract: An efficient method for providing both dedicated and simulcast services over a common wireless infrastructure is described. The services can be available to a single terminal as well as to a multiplicity of terminals simultaneously. The method uses time division multiplexing and orthogonal frequency division multiple access for simulcasting information and transmitting dedicated message information from a plurality of base stations forming a cellular pattern over the same wireless frequency channel. The method comprises the steps of constructing frames for transmission by the plurality of base stations comprising control information, simulcast information and dedicated message information within predetermined time slots of the frames and allocating the simulcast information and the dedicated message information to time slots of the same frame predetermined by the control information of the frame. The underlying modulation technology used is OFDM and thereby the channel delay-dispersion is minimized.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a method of providing an on demand translation service is provided. A subscriber may be charged a reduced fee or no fee for use of the on demand translation service in exchange for displaying commercial messages to the subscriber, the commercial messages being selected based on subscriber information. A multimedia signal including information in a source language may be received. The information may be obtained as text in the source language from the multimedia signal. The text may be translated from the source language to a target language. Translated information, based on the translated text, may be transmitted to a processing device for presentation to the subscriber. The received multimedia signal may be sent to a multimedia device for viewing.

Abstract: Disclosed is a web server that includes a headlines module for automatically generating headlines based on data retrieved from a network (e.g., World Wide Web). The web server also includes an interactive agent for generating responses to inquiries relating to the headlines based on the data.

Abstract: A system and method for reducing interference between wireless terminals communicating in a mobile ad-hoc network (MANET). Interference is reduced by dividing the MANET into a number of geographical areas having a specific size and shape. Each geographical area is assigned a time slot during which wireless terminals located in the respective geographical area may transmit to other wireless terminals. The time slots are assigned such that geographical areas having the same time slot are far enough away from each other that wireless terminals located in such same time slot geographical areas are outside the interference range of each other.

Abstract: A secure communication system utilizes multiple “decoy” data signals to hide one or more true data signals. The true data signal(s) are encrypted, and received at a scrambling unit according to an original set of channel assignments. The channel assignments are optically switched with multiple decoy data signals to form a multi-channel “scrambled” output signal that is thereafter transmitted across a communication system. The greater the number of decoy signals, the greater the security provided to the open-air system. Further security may be provided by encrypting the decoy signals prior to scrambling and/or by utilizing a spatially diverse set of transmitters and receivers. Without the knowledge of the channel assignment(s) for the true signal(s), an eavesdropper may be able to intercept (and, with time, perhaps descramble) the open-air transmitted signals, will not be able to distinguish the true data from the decoys without also knowing the channel assignment(s).

Abstract: An improved technique for acoustic sensing involves, in one embodiment, launching into a medium, a plurality of groups of pulse-modulated electromagnetic-waves. The frequency of electromagnetic waves in a pulse within a group differs from the frequency of the electromagnetic waves in another pulse within the group. The energy scattered by the medium is detected and, in one embodiment, the beat signal may be used to determine a characteristic of the environment of the medium. For example, if the medium is a buried optical fiber into which light pulses have been launched in accordance with the invention, the presence of acoustic waves within the region of the buried fiber can be detected.

Abstract: A broadband powerline communication system is disclosed which makes use of knowledge of the spectrum characteristics of a local radio environment in order to improve the performance of the system. A determination is made of the spectrum characteristics of a radio environment in the vicinity of the broadband powerline communication system that is transmitting data on modulated carrier frequencies. Certain ones of the carrier frequencies otherwise used by the broadband powerline communication system may be masked (i.e., not used) by all or part of the broadband powerline system in order to avoid interference based on the determination. In various embodiments, the spectrum characteristics are determined 1) in advance and used to compile a configuration database comprising frequency masking parameters; 2) by monitoring the local radio environment using the transmitter/receiver nodes of the system; or 3) based upon receipt of an indication from a conflicting user that the user is experiencing interference.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for increasing the data rate and providing antenna diversity using multiple transmit antennas utilize a set of bits of a digital signal to generate a codeword. Delay elements may be provided in antenna output channels, or, with suitable code construction, delay may be omitted. n signals represent n symbols of a codeword are transmitted with n different transmit antennas. At the receiver, the noisy received sequence is decoded. The parallel transmission and channel coding enables an increase the data rate over previous techniques, and recovery even under fading conditions. The channel coding may be concatenated with error correction codes under appropriate conditions.

Abstract: An exemplary embodiment of the invention relates to a method of using pattern vectors for image coding and decoding. The method comprises converting a block of image data into a set of transform coefficients, quantizing the transform coefficients such that a number of the coefficients become zero, constructing a single entity or bit vector indicating which coefficients are non-zero, coding the single entity or bit vector as an integer using an adaptive, semi-adaptive or non-adaptive arithmetic coder, coding the values of the coefficients in any fixed order, using an adaptive, semi-adaptive or non-adaptive arithmetic coder, or some other coder, and coding all coefficients except the zero coefficients. The system and method of decoding data relate to the corresponding hardware and process steps performed by the decoder when decoding a bitstream coded as described herein.

Abstract: An improved technique for acoustic sensing involves, in one embodiment, launching into a medium, a plurality of groups of pulse-modulated electromagnetic-waves. The frequency of electromagnetic waves in a pulse within a group differs from the frequency of the electromagnetic waves in another pulse within the group. The energy scattered by the medium is detected and, in one embodiment, may be used to determine a characteristic of the environment of the medium. For example, if the medium is a buried optical fiber into which light pulses have been launched in accordance with the invention, the presence of acoustic waves within the region of the buried fiber can be detected.

Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a controller to collect data indicative of temporal actions initiated by a group of users during presenting a media program. The data indicative of the temporal actions are collected in a collective metadata archive. Portions of the media program are identified based on metadata for which a number of occurrences of the temporal actions exceeds a threshold number of occurrences. A compacted presentation of the portions of the media program is prepared based on the metadata. The compacted presentation includes the portions of the media program arranged consecutively. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems, methods, and computer readable media for providing a collaborative communication environment. The method embodiment comprises receiving user profiles, establishing a collaborative communication environment where a plurality of users simultaneously interact over a network, converting data to be sent to each user in a collaborative environment based on the respective user's profile, and presenting a localized experience to each user using the converted data.