Abstract: Energy-aware software control in a computer system requires a display capable of supporting control of individual portions thereof so at to reduce its energy consumption. The energy-aware software control involves profiling screen usage patterns and their impact on the energy consumption by the display. The profiling results in an energy model. A determination is made when to prompt the energy-aware software control of the display. As well, a determination is made as to which screen portions of the display and what display parameters to control based on the energy model. Then, for each portion of the display to be controlled, controlling its display parameters, wherein the screen portions are controlled to attain energy conservation.

Abstract: The length of the phase lock feedback path of the phase lock loop chip (PLL chip) is adjusted so that the timing of clock pulses at computer chips is measured relative to the arrival time of a clock pulse at the computer board clock pin. This adjustment of the length of the phase lock loop accounts for the length of the trace from the computer board clock pin to the PLL clock input pin. This adjustment of the length of the phase lock loop removes uncertainty between vendors in the arrival time of clock pulses at the computer chips, relative to arrival time of clock pulses at the computer board clock pin. A system designer then has control of the arrival time of a pulse at a computer chip clock pin by adjustment of the arrival time of the clock pulse at the computer board clock pin, and no variation is introduced between vendors who adopt the invention in their design of computer boards.

Abstract: A computer interface extension configuration that includes a host having a motherboard, an extension transmitter card, and an extension receiver. The motherboard includes a first connector that allows motherboard signals to be shared internal to the host, and a second connector separate from the first connector that supports communications with the host. The extension transmitter card is positioned within the host and is electrically connected to the motherboard of the host via at least the first connector and the second connector. The extension transmitter card has a graphics controller that interfaces with the second connector independent from communications that occur on the first connector. The extension receiver is connected to a plurality of user interface devices and extensibly connected to the extension transmitter card.

Abstract: A computer interface extension configuration that includes a host, an extension transmitter, an extension receiver, and user interface devices such as a keyboard, mouse, and video devices. The host has a motherboard with a first connector that allows motherboard signals to be shared internal to the host. The motherboard also has a second connector separate from the first connector that supports communications with the host. An extension transmitter card is inserted within the host and is connected to the motherboard of the host via at least the first connector. The extension transmitter card has an extension controller or transmitter core that adapts to the functionality distribution of the extension transmitter. An extension receiver is included in the computer interface extension configuration as an interface to a plurality of user interface devices.

Abstract: An EMI clip retaining system comprising a flexible EMI clip with a center contact portion that bows upwards and inwards from acute bends situated at the outer ends of the EMI clip and also comprising enlarged end portions that extend flatly inwards from the acute bends. The EMI clip is captively installable in a planar mounting surface with tapered mounting holes through which the enlarged end portions of the EMI clip are inserted, such that once the EMI clip is installed, the enlarged ends of the EMI clip reside on a bottom side of the mounting surface while the center contact portion bows upward from the opposite, top side of the mounting surface. When the center portion is compressed flat against the top side of the mounting surface, the EMI clip lies flat against both the top and bottom sides of the mounting surface.

Abstract: A system and method for monitoring service performance are disclosed. In a preferred embodiment, the method comprises: (a) collecting service information from one or more sources in a telecommunications network; (b) converting the service information into values of primary parameters of a service model; and (c) calculating values of secondary parameters of the service model from the primary parameter values, wherein the calculating is performed using relational database tables based on calculation clusters. The calculation clusters are preferably determined from a hierarchical model of the service by dividing the hierarchy in a manner that separates shared service components from the service components that share them, and that separates service components related by 1-to-n and n-to-1 relationships.

Abstract: A telecommunications network management system is disclosed that continuously monitors compliance with a service level agreement. In a preferred embodiment, the system includes a data collector, a performance data manager, and a service level objective monitor. The data collector receives service information from one or more sources in a telecommunications network, and converts the service information into values of primary parameters in a service model. The performance data manager receives the primary parameter values from the data collector, and calculates values of secondary parameters in the service model from the primary parameter values. The parameter values are stored in a performance database. The service level objective (SLO) monitor verifies that parameter values satisfy parameter objectives, and initiates a specified action for that parameter objective if a violation is detected.

Abstract: A telecommunications network management system that continuously monitors aggregated service performance is disclosed. The system preferably employs a service model having a hierarchy of user-defined service components, each having one or more parameters. A given service may have multiple instances, each instance corresponding to a different locality. Alternatively, or in addition, the service parameters may have customer-dependent values. The system o includes a data collector component and a performance data manager component. The data collector component receives service information from one or more sources in a telecommunications network, and converts the service information into values of primary parameters of a service model. The performance data manager component calculates values of secondary parameters of the service model, and stores the parameter values in a database.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for sending notifications to a user of a network management system concerning the status of a particular network device such as an SNMP manageable device. The. notification rules are preconfigured and assigned to a corresponding notification action such as an e-mail notification. The user may specify a variety of information to be included in the e-mail notification including the URL address of the network device. Once the notification actions are configured, the communications network is monitored by a management console and the state of each device is compared to the notification rules. When a notification rule is satisfied, the pre-configured e-mail notification is sent to the user. The URL for the device which sent the e-mail notification is placed in the body of the e-mail message so that the user, while reading the e-mail with an HTTP compliant URL-aware mail tool, may click on the URL to access the web-based management system for the device.

Abstract: A system for pivotably coupling components. The system comprises a pivot structure having a head, a body, a deformable retention feature and a stop. The stop is positioned to limit movement of a cooperating deformation tool to ensure predictable pivot spacing.

Abstract: A secure environment for entering and storing information necessary to conduct encryption processes. In a computer system according to the invention, session keys, passwords, and encryption algorithms are maintained in a secure memory space such as System Management Mode (SMM) memory. In one disclosed embodiment of the invention, a user password is entered via a secure keyboard channel. The password is maintained in a secure memory space that is not accessible during normal computer operation. In addition to the user password, optional node identification information is stored in secure memory. The node identification information is appended to the user password, and both are subsequently encrypted by an encryption algorithm and encryption keys that are also stored in secure memory. Following the encryption process, the encrypted password and node identification information are communicated directly from secure memory to network interface circuitry for communication over a network.

Abstract: A computer-based detection (e.g. speech recognition) system combines a word decoder and subword decoder to detect words (or phrases) in a spoken input provided by a user into a speaker connected to the detection system. The word decoder detects words by comparing an input pattern (e.g., of hypothetical word matches) to reference patterns (e.g., words). The subword decoder compares an input pattern (e.g. hypothetical word matches based on subword or phoneme recognition) to reference patterns (e.g., words) based on a word pronunciation distance measure that indicates how close each input pattern is to matching each reference pattern. The word decoder and subword decoder each provide an N-best list of hypothetical matches to the spoken input. A list fusion module of the detection system selectively combines the two N-best lists to produce a final or combined N-best list.

Abstract: Massive amounts of multimedia data are stored in databases supporting web pages and servers, including text, graphics, video and audio. Searching and finding matching multimedia images can be time and computationally intensive. A method for storing and retrieving image data includes computing a descriptor, such an a Fourier-Mellin Transform (FMT), corresponding to a multidimensional space indicative of each of the stored images and organizing each of the descriptors according to a set similarity metric. The set similarity metric is based on Locality-Sensitive Hashing (LSH), and orders descriptors near to other descriptors in the database. The set similarity metric employs set theory which allows distance between descriptors to be computed consistent with LSH. A target image for which a match is sought is then received, and a descriptor indicative of the target image is computed. The database is referenced, or mapped, to determine close matches in the database.

Abstract: An audiovisual help documentation system for applications running on a multimedia computer workstation or personal computer includes a graphical documentation interface which allows a user to easily access audiovisual or textual documentation related to the application. A pop-up menu model is used to eliminate complexity. Textual and audiovisual “filmclip” documentation are stored in separate subject-specific files. The documentation menu includes a topic field for indicating a topic for which documentation is available, and a user selectable function associated with the topic field. The topic field is associated with a multimedia data file storing audio and video data streams representing the audio and video documentation for that topic. The documentation menu also includes a user selectable function associated with the topic field for retrieving text related to the associated topic.

Abstract: A computer system is implemented according to the invention when an computer process allows a user to determine a desired computer configuration by in part determining performance relative to price candidate configurations.

Abstract: Large amounts of multimedia data are transmitted over information networks in the form of a digital stream, analog video, or text captioning. Often, repetitions such as paid advertisements, theme music at the commencement of a TV broadcast, and common jingles and slogans occur in these streams. Detection of repetitions in a transmitted signal such as streaming audio or video is described, and includes extracting a plurality of samples from the information stream and accumulating the samples into segments comprising an interval of the transmitted signal. A vector indicative of the samples in each of the segments is generated, and each of the vectors in the segments is correlated to generate a covariance matrix, or signature, corresponding to the segment. Each of the covariance matrices are aggregated into a sequence of covariance matrices and compared to other covariance matrices to generate a distance matrix.

Abstract: Media slides are often employed in conference sessions, meetings, lectures, and other interactive forums. The proliferation of laptops and handheld computers allows a speaker to present directly from the laptop by connecting to the projector at the conference site. Physically connecting and disconnecting each presenter's laptop to the projection apparatus, however, can be a clumsy and disruptive process, particularly since the presenters may be seated at various locations around the room. A wireless interface between a presentation server and a laptop in a multi-user multi-projector presentation system allows a media sequence from each media source to be displayed on a common display via the presentation server and the wireless interface. Presenters need not run or swap cables or other physical connections to switch media sources to the common display. The interface requires no software modification to the media source laptops and maintains independence between media sources and the server for security.

Abstract: In a compunctions network of low power devices, power consumption of the devices is reduced by periodically receiving a timing signal in each device from a transmitter external to the network. A real-time clock in each of the devices is synchronized to the periodically received timing signal to determine a synchronized timing interval. Transmitting and receiving of data between the devices is initiated during an awake period of the synchronized timing interval. Power consumption is reduced in each of the devices during a sleep period of the synchronized timing interval, the sleep period being significantly longer than the awake period.

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 system and method for facilitating configuration of client stations in a computer network. A virtual disk representing configuration information is formed and selectively exported via the network to the client stations. The stations are configured with the configuration information identified by the virtual disk. Snapshot disks representing modifications to the configuration information required at the client stations can also be created, transported across the computer network, and used to upgrade client station.