Abstract: Wrinkles are produced by computing directional stress, whether compression or stretching, for each pixel within each face of the mesh representing the skin, and then perturbing a surface normal based on the computed stress at each pixel in that face of the mesh. Directional stress at a given frame in an animation is determined, in general, by comparing the current state of the mesh at that frame (called a “current pose”) to the original state of the mesh (called a “rest pose”). An artist specifies a wrinkle pattern by defining a texture that is mapped to the surface, using conventional techniques. A gradient texture is created from this wrinkle texture by computing the gradient at each pixel in the wrinkle texture. For each location in a face of the surface, the vector from the gradient texture is mapped to the corresponding face of the rest pose skin model and the current pose skin model, to produce two surface vectors.

Abstract: Multiple applications request data from multiple storage units over a computer network. The data is divided into segments and each segment is distributed randomly on one of several storage units, independent of the storage units on which other segments of the media data are stored. At least one additional copy of each segment also is distributed randomly over the storage units, such that each segment is stored on at least two storage units. This random distribution of multiple copies of segments of data improves both scalability and reliability. When an application requests a selected segment of data, the request is processed by the storage unit with the shortest queue of requests. Random fluctuations in the load applied by multiple applications on multiple storage units are balanced nearly equally over all of the storage units.

Abstract: Functional components are often cooked with hydrocolloid bases to create a more palatable and nutritional product. Mixing the functional components and hydrocolloid base together and cooking the mixture often results in damage to the functional components. The damage caused to the functional components result in a reduction in the potency of the functional components or may otherwise adversely affect the functional components. Conversely, adding the functional components to the hydrocolloid base after the base has been cooked and cooled minimizes the damage caused to the functional components.

Abstract: A digital media recorder including a video camera digitizing circuitry and a digital computer readable and writable random access medium, such as magnetic or optical disk, in which sequences of digital still images are stored directly on the recording medium. Audio recording capabilities may also be provided. This system eliminates the need for video tape for recording video information, thereby providing the capability for a purely digital video system for capture, editing and playback.

Abstract: Methods for simultaneously detecting dementia or cognitive impairment, such as Alzheimer's Disease (AD), Parkinson's Disease (PD), Lewy Body Dementia (LBD) and Vascular Dementia (VaD) in a patient using dual or multiple radiopharmaceutical probes are provided herein.

Abstract: A multimedia device that generates media files and a method of playing the media files. Since the multimedia device has a globe positioning system (GPS) receiving unit, the corresponding geographic information is obtained and then the media data and the corresponding geographic information are processed to one media file. Therefore, the playing method uses the geographic information of the media files from the multimedia device to manage and play the media files having same geographic information.

Abstract: A structured watermark may be embedded in data by applying an irregular mapping of variations defined by the structured watermark to frequency domain values representing the data. In particular, the frequency domain representation of the data comprises an ordered set of frequency domain values. The structured watermark is used to define an ordered set of variations to be applied to the frequency domain values. Each variation is a value defined by the structured watermark. An irregular mapping from positions in the ordered set of variations to positions in the ordered set of frequency domain values is defined. This irregular mapping is one-to-one and invertible. Application of the irregular mapping to the set of variations results in a set of values that may appear to be noise both in the frequency domain and in the signal domain of the data. The signal domain of the data may be n-dimensional, and may be a spatial, temporal or other domain from which data may be converted to the frequency domain.

Abstract: A media management system communicates to a user the availability of media data at different qualities (such as compression quality or resolution), or from different channels, that originated from one or more sources. Given a selection of media objects, whether a set of media files, a sequence of clips or other collection of objects, the corresponding sources are identified. Media objects originating from or related to each of these sources are identified. A display is generated indicating, for each channel from the source, at each quality of data originating from that source, the media objects related to the source. Each media data file originating from that source is represented according to its channel and quality, as a time span corresponding to the time span of the source from which the data originated. Logged, but not captured, media data, and other media objects, also may be represented in the display.

Abstract: The review and Approval system of the present invention advantageously provides computer implemented access for a reviewer to digital content for the purpose of reviewing and approving the digital content. The system is capable of communication with an editing system, and automatically informing an editor of the reviewer's comments.

Abstract: In calculating motion between two images, a single channel image may be generated for each image based on measurement of a desired characteristic of those images. Given a desired characteristic (such as edge strength or edge magnitude) in an image, a function measures the strength of the desired characteristic in a region around a pixel in an image. A range of values can represent the likelihood, or measure of confidence, of the occurrence of the desired characteristic in the region around the pixel. Thus, each pixel in the single channel image has a value from the range of values that is determined according to a function. This function operates on a neighborhood in the input image that corresponds to the pixel in the single channel image, and measures the likelihood of occurrence of, or strength of, the desired characteristic in that neighborhood.

Abstract: A moving picture recording device includes a random-access, computer-readable and writable storage medium to provide non-linear access to recorded clips. The device provides digital capture of both video and audio information. Multiple data paths are provided to allow recording to and playback from the storage medium. Lists are maintained to manage recorded clips and edited events. An outtake list of deleted clips is also maintained. An event list includes a list of video events including clips from the storage medium as well as other video sources including a camera or external video. With switching circuitry, recorded clips can be viewed during editing while live images are output to a program output. An editing interface includes dedicated keys for performing standard recording functions as well as a display with associated input keys having adaptive functions. The textual display indicates the function currently associated with the input key.

Abstract: An editing system has a graphical user interface that shows media/metadata and metadata/metadata relationships and allows a user to navigate a graph defined by these relationships. Using this graphical user interface, a user may determine, for example, which masterclips are used in a sequence, or which sequences are using those masterclips. Such information can be useful for many purposes. For example, by identifying all masterclips used in a sequence, the media files associated with these masterclips can be readily recaptured in a different format. The graphical user interface provides simple navigation of such relationships by using two panes. Each pane may receive and display indications of any media data or metadata object type defined in the problem domain. In an editing system, such object types may include objects such as projects, sequences, clips and media files.

Abstract: A brightness adjusting device for a light-emitting diode (LED) display panel has at least one photo sensor, a control circuit, a timing controller and a driving circuit. The LED display panel is composed of multiple LEDs being divided into groups according to color. The photo sensor sequentially senses brightness of the groups of LEDs and generates brightness values. The control circuit compares the brightness values to standard brightness values. Based on the compared results, the driving circuit adjusts the brightness of corresponding LEDs.

Abstract: Multiple applications request data from multiple storage units over a computer network. The data is divided into segments and each segment is distributed randomly on one of several storage units, independent of the storage units on which other segments of the media data are stored. At least one additional copy of each segment also is distributed randomly over the storage units, such that each segment is stored on at least two storage units. This random distribution of multiple copies of segments of data improves both scalability and reliability. When an application requests a selected segment of data, the request is processed by the storage unit with the shortest queue of requests. Random fluctuations in the load applied by multiple applications on multiple storage units are balanced nearly equally over all of the storage units.

Abstract: A device and method for electronic data conversion is provided. Data according to IEEE 1394 format and protocol is received and converted to USB format and protocol and supplied to a system configured to receive data according to USB format and protocol.

Abstract: Computer-implemented methods of pre-filtering texture data and methods of generating a filter control for pre-filtering texture data for generating a graphics image are disclosed. The disclosed methods include determining encoded pre-filter characteristics representing a measure of the maximum change in a texture due to moving a least one pixel any direction in a graphics image. The encoded pre-filter characteristics can be used to control filtering of texture data for texture mapping a graphics image.

Abstract: It is desirable to provide a bitstream format for compressed data that would allow multiple processors to access and decompress different parts of the data in parallel. Compressed images are usually defined in terms of macroblocks that have a width less than the image width and a height less than the image height. Thus, an image is divided several bands of multiple lines, and each band of multiple lines is divided into a macroblock. The set of macroblocks that define a band is called herein a macroblock rasterscan. The bit stream format includes, for each image, a picture header followed by image scan data. The image scan data includes data corresponding to a plurality of macroblock rasterscans. The data for each macroblock rasterscan includes data for a plurality of macroblocks for a band of lines in the image followed by padding. The padding ensures that data for each macroblock rasterscan terminates on a data boundary.

Abstract: High quality intraframe-only compression of video can be achieved using rate distortion optimization and without resizing or bit depth modification. The compression process involves transforming portions of the image to generate frequency domain coefficients for each portion. A bit rate for each transformed portion using a plurality of scale factors is determined. Distortion for each portion is estimated according to the plurality of scale factors. A scale factor is selected for each portion to minimize the total distortion in the image to achieve a desired bit rate. A quantization matrix is selected according to the desired bit rate. The frequency domain coefficients for each portion are quantized using the selected plurality of quantizers as scaled by the selected scale factor for the portion. The quantized frequency domain coefficients are encoded using a variable length encoding to provide compressed data for each of the defined portions.

Abstract: Smoothing operations on a three-dimensional geometrical primitive, such as a mesh, are restricted by filtering the set of smoothing vectors to apply a user-selected restriction to the set of vectors. The user-selected restriction limits the set of smoothing vectors according to a normal of a surface corresponding to the primitive. The filtered set of vectors are applied to the primitive to smooth the primitive. Thus, smoothing may be applied proportionally to the convexity or concavity of the surface. Smoothing also may be applied to move a control point of the primitive, such as a vertex in a mesh, only in a direction parallel to the normal of the surface at that control point or perpendicular to the normal of the surface at that control point. Each control point also may be reprojected after smoothing onto the original surface along the normal of the smoothed surface, or the normal of the original surface.

Abstract: The power-on reset circuit of the present invention includes a buffer, a delay circuit connected to the buffer and a constant current source circuit connected to the delay circuit. The delay circuit is made up by two capacitors, two resistors, an NMOS transistor and a PMOS transistor. The two capacitors are respectively made up by an NMOS transistor and a PMOS transistor. A current of the constant current source circuit changes along with a voltage variation of a DC power supply to respectively provide two constant voltage reference sources to the corresponding gates of the NMOS transistor and the PMOS transistor of the delay circuit. The NMOS transistor and the PMOS transistor of the constant current source circuit and the NMOS transistor and the PMOS transistor of the delay circuit form a mirroring circuit.