Abstract: A method and apparatus is described for encoding a video sequence of frames. Each frame in the video sequence is organized in blocks of pixels. A scene change is detected when a current frame in the video sequence is substantially different from a previous frame. When it is determined that the current frame is the change in scene, the current frame is coded to be an intra frame with each block of pixels of the intra frame is being an intra-coded block. Coding the sequence of frames produces a compressed bit stream having a coded intra frame at each scene change. Each coded intra frame provides an access point in the bit stream from which a storyboard of the scenes in the video sequence can be generated.

Abstract: A system for time synchronization in a computer cluster is provided. For the system of the present invention a master node sends a SYNC message including a first time stamp to a slave node. The slave node adds a second time stamp and returns the SYNC message to the master node. The master node then adds a third time stamp to the SYNC message. Using the three time stamps, the master node determines if the time clock within the slave node leads or follows the time clock in the master node. The calculation does not depend on the assumption that transmission delays to the slave node are the same as the transmission delays from the node. If the time clocks do not match, the master node sends an INFO message to the slave node informing the slave node of the correct time for clocks within the computer cluster.

Abstract: In a database management system, when the table to be accessed by a statement is partitioned, a respective partition scan operator is used to access rows of each respective database table partition. A fan out operator receives requests from a calling application to access rows from table, and responds by sending requests for rows to the partition scan operators. It receives rows of the table from the partition scan operators and sends the received rows of the database table to another node in the execution tree. Each of the partition scan operators responds to the requests for rows by returning to the fan out operator qualifying rows, if any, from the corresponding table partition. If the statement being executed includes an embedded delete or update operation, the qualifying rows are deleted or updated at the same time that the qualifying rows are returned to the fan out operator.

Abstract: This disclosure involves the combination of data compression and decompression with a virtual memory system. A number of computer systems are discussed, including so-called embedded systems, in which data is stored in a storage device in a compressed format. In response to a request for data by a central processing unit (CPU), the virtual memory system will first determine if the requested data is present in the portion of main memory that is accessible to the CPU, which also happens to be where decompressed data is stored. If the requested data is not present in the decompressed portion of main memory, but rather is present in a compressed format in the storage device, the data will be transferred into the decompressed portion of main memory through a demand paging operation. During the demand paging operation, the compressed data will be decompressed.

Abstract: A method and system for controlling the power supply fan in a computer system. The speed of a power supply fan can be made directly proportional to the temperature of the power supply. The fan speed can also be controlled by a processor with software commands according to the temperature of the processor. The speed of the fan will be dictated by the higher of the two commands driving it. Therefore, the power supply fan can never be commanded by the processor to run at a lower speed than that required by its own thermal environment. A Fan Speed Control Circuit enables the computer system to command the power supply fan to run at a higher speed. The processor temperature can be monitored with a temperature transducer and analog signal conditioning circuitry.

Abstract: A computer method and apparatus provide automatic generation of grapheme-to-phoneme rules, used in text-to-speech synthesis systems. The invention method and apparatus are based on a statistical analysis of a subject dictionary. The dictionary preferably contains words and their corresponding phonemic data representations, and is analyzed for subgraph patterns. The phoneme strings for words containing the subgraph patterns are then analyzed for common phoneme substrings (subphones) associated with each subgraph. The subphones associated with each subgraph are then checked for conditions such as the highest occurrence count, the proper length, and for compatibility with both ends of the subgraph to which they are associated. A subphone matching these conditions becomes paired with the subgraph to create a rule for text-to-speech processing. Separate prefix, infix, and suffix rule sets may be generated from the invention dictionary analysis.

Abstract: An image is displayed using anamorphic video. A first portion of an image is displayed on a display at a first scale. At least one second portion of the image is displayed on the display. The at least one second portion is adjacent the first portion of the image. The second portion is displayed at a second scale higher than the first scale.

Abstract: A computerized apparatus for reducing the size of a dictionary used in a text-to-speech synthesis system are provided. In an initial phase, the method and apparatus determine if entries in the dictionary, each containing a grapheme string and a corresponding phoneme string, can be fully matched by using at least one rule set used to synthesize words to phonemic data. If the entry can be fully matched using rule processing alone, the entry is indicated to be deleted from the dictionary. In a second phase, the method and apparatus determine if the entry, considered as a root word entry, is required in the dictionary in order to support phoneme synthesis of other entries containing the root word entry, and if so, the root word entry is indicated to be saved in the dictionary.

Abstract: A monitor having multiple video input ports and connectors is provided with automatic video input detection/selection circuitry. The circuitry may automatically detect when an external source such as a computer system is driving a video input port. The circuitry, for example, may detect whether a video input port is being driven by monitoring a sync signal (vertical or horizontal) for the video input port. A video input detect signal for a video input port may be generated from the sync signal for the video input port. In response to assertion of the video input detect signal indicating a source is driving a video input port, the circuitry may select the particular video input port. A microcontroller of the circuitry may provide a video input selector signal configured to select the video input port. When a single video input port is driven, user interaction is no longer necessary to select the particular video input port.

Abstract: A digital modem for operating in a splitterless environment that supports fast retrain based on communication profiles. The modem includes a memory that stores a plurality of communication profiles, ADSL communication logic that sends and receives information via a phone line and that operates according to any one of the plurality of communication profiles, and signal quality monitor logic that continuously monitors communication on the phone line. The monitor logic provides a signal change indication if the signal quality changes by at least a predetermined amount. The modem further includes fast retrain logic that selects another one of the profiles stored in the memory in response to the signal change indication, that retrains the communication logic to operate according to the selected profile and that cooperates with the communication logic to transmit a fast retrain indication via the phone line to the central office ADSL modem.

Abstract: A race condition detection system and method statically detects potential race conditions in a multi-threaded computer program. The race condition detector builds a synchronization graph representing at least a subset of a computer program's method declarations, field declarations, and synchronization statements. Edges are constructed between the nodes representing execution paths in the computer program. Each node is associated with a set of lock designations that correspond to all locks that are consistently held along all executions paths in the computer program to the respective node. The race condition detector analyzes this information to determine whether accesses to object data fields are consistently protected by an appropriate lock. An object data field access that is not protected by an appropriate lock indicates a potential race condition. At least a subset of indicated potential race conditions are reported.

Abstract: The disclosed method and apparatus controls the rate of playback of audio data corresponding to a stream of speech. Using speech recognition, the rate of speech of the audio data is determined. The determined rate of speech is compared to a target rate. Based on the comparison, the playback rate is adjusted, i.e. increased or decreased, to match the target rate.

Abstract: The present invention discloses an apparatus and method for maintaining the coherence of data within a shared memory network including a plurality of nodes. The system utilizes processors monitoring the occurrence of particular processing events within a local memory storage area. Upon the detection of events indicating the change of status of a particular group of data, a comparison is made between a modified copy of the group of data and a clean copy of the group of data to detect any modifications made to the group of data. These modifications are entered into the clean copy of the group of data and processing continues.

Abstract: A parallel data bus tester is particularly applicable to SCSI type buses, and uses a plurality of comparator circuits to simultaneously examine the voltages present on the conductors of a bus cable. For twisted pair type conductors, the tester uses a high reference voltage, which is compared to the high voltage conductor of each pair, and a low reference voltage, which is compared to the low voltage conductor of each pair. The reference voltages are adjustable, and allow each reference voltage to be swept through the expected voltage range for its respective conductors. As the level of a reference voltage crosses that of a conductor voltage being examined, a comparator that receives the reference voltage and conductor voltage changes output state. This output is used to drive a corresponding LED assigned to the conductor in question. Thus, as the reference voltage, which is compared to each of its corresponding conductor voltages (i.e.

Abstract: The SQL compiler and SQL executor in a database management system are extended to process queries requiring streaming mode processing of data stored in a table. A scan operator performs table access functions during execution of the streaming mode query. The scan operator first performs an initial scan to access rows in a specified database table, and then performs a delta scan to access new rows added to the table, as well as rows modified by other queries. The scan operator continues to process new data added to the table until the initiating user or application closes the associated cursor. A set of data structures are provided to keep track of active scan operators, including a session control block that includes fields for keeping track of whether the scan operator is performing an initial scan or a delta scan. The session control block also includes, for streaming mode scan operators, a delta scan list of new and modified rows to be processed in the delta scan.

Abstract: A hard disk drive is damped in order to reduce tracking errors by isolating the drive from the enclosure it is mounted in using one or more pieces of adhesive viscoelastic material. The hard disk drive is mounted by means of a secondary mounting plate having ventilation holes. Vibrations introduced into the drive from the enclosure, as well as rotational vibrations introduced by the rotation of the drive itself, are substantially damped by the viscoelastic material. As a result, tracking errors are substantially reduced.

Abstract: A personal computer system includes a touchpad having an infrared source and an infrared detector such that said touchpad may implement an infrared fingerprint security system and/or an infrared touchpad for cursor control. The infrared fingerprint security system may provide information necessary to gain access to peripheral storage media. For example, a peripheral storage medium may have a database which contains information about the fingerprints of authorized users such that the storage medium may only be accessed by authorized users in ways permitted for each particular user as indicated in the storage medium itself. A user may input information through a touch sensitive light pen which generates an infrared beam. The implementation of both a fingerprint security system and a touchpad cursor control with common elements is advantageous since both enhanced capabilities may thereby be provided at a reasonable cost.

Abstract: An apparatus, method and medium for implementing fault-tolerant three-phase flushing for database transaction commits in a cluster including multiple nodes of shared-memory processors. The apparatus, method and medium include executing the primary of a commit coordinator process pair on a first of the nodes and executing its backup on a second node, executing the primary of a resource manager process pair on a third node and executing its backup on a fourth, and executing the primary of a Log process pair on a fifth node and executing its backup on a sixth. The first and second nodes as distinct from each other, as are the third and fourth nodes, as are the fifth and sixth nodes.

Abstract: The real-time test controller maintains a failure database containing a history of past failures for devices under test and selectively sorts the history for the device to be tested. The diagnostic testing sequence is then rearranged with tests having higher failure rates being conducted first. If faults are detected, a message is provided to the operator and the failure database is either manually or automatically updated with the latest fault information. In this manner, a continuously updated history of faults is maintained and the most efficient testing sequence is followed, resulting in significant time and cost savings.

Abstract: A method of scheduling a plurality of data flows in a shared resource in a computer system, each of the data flows containing a plurality of data cells including the steps of providing a scheduler in the shared resource, initializing the scheduler to receive the plurality of data flows, receiving a first data flow in the scheduler, said first data flow having a first flow rate, receiving a second data flow in the scheduler, said second data flow having a second flow rate, scheduling, by the scheduler, the first data flow and the second data flow such that the first flow rate and the second flow rate are less than an available bandwidth in the shared resource and a relative error is minimized between an actual scheduling time and an ideal scheduling time on a per cell basis, and repeating the steps of receiving and scheduling.