Abstract: The system comprises a terminal apparatus that views or plays the content acquired from a data provider which embeds an identifier to the content. The system comprises a database for storing information tickets for each of the identifiers. The terminal apparatus captures the identifier embedded in the content. The system further comprises a service portal that, in response to the identifier which has been captured by and transmitted from the terminal apparatus over the Internet, searches the database and provides a service for connecting the terminal apparatus to a web page associated with the identifier.

Abstract: A process for executing a downloadable service with specific access rights to at least one profile file in a user's computer. The web browser is used for accessing a web server through a first set of communication port and socket. Therefore is arranged a confined runtime environment such as for example an extended sandbox (11) and used in Java programming which Is assigned a second communication port and s ockets and which is used for executing downloadable service with restricted access on at least one profile file. The process can be used for executing services under the form of a signed archive file which signature is used for both validating the archive file and for selecting one particular secure class loader prior to the generation of the compiled code of the service.

Abstract: Embedded block entropy coding with optimized truncation is useful for image compression schemes in conjunction, for example, with a Wavelet transform, so as to form a bit-stream which can be stored or transmitted with increased efficiency. In the arithmetic coding phase, several opportunities exist for minimizing complexity and improving compression and computational performance as compared to existing systems. One method involves bypassing the arithmetic coding procedure for certain lower significance bit-planes of each code-block. Then, the raw binary digits from these bit-planes can be interleaved into the arithmetically coded bit-stream. As a result, both the average number of arithmetically coded symbols and the maximum number of coding passes per code-block can be significantly reduced.

Abstract: An audio signal is decomposed into lower and upper sub-band and at least the noise component of the upper sub-band is encoded. At the decoder the audio signal is synthesized by a decoding means which utilizes a synthesized noise excitation signal and a filter to reproduce the noise component in the upper sub-band.

Abstract: The present invention provides a pedestal docking station including an upwardly extending pedestal having an upper end, a base section, and a center of mass; an upper mounting member coupled to the upper end of the upwardly extending pedestal to receive the notebook computer in an elevated, supporting relationship at least four inches above a work surface with a center of mass of the notebook computer in substantial vertical alignment with the center of mass of the upwardly extending pedestal; and port replicator components coupled to the upper mounting member, the port replicator components corresponding to input/output ports of the notebook computer and including connections for attachment to supporting peripheral components.

Abstract: A circuit board assembly and a method for protecting and covering an interface opening of a connector. The circuit board assembly includes a bulkhead member having a bulkhead aperture, a circuit board having a connector with an interface opening and passing through the bulkhead aperture, and a cover member disposed over the interface opening. A coupling member is provided for coupling the cover member to the connector. The method comprises passing the connector including the interface opening through the bulkhead aperture, and releasably covering the interface opening with a cover member that is coupled to the connector.

Abstract: A desktop personal computer appliance is described for use with external user input and display devices, the appliance consisting of: a system unit having a sealed housing comprising main processing functionality for executing application programs and at least a DC-DC converter, the housing being provided with external connectors for connection to said external user input and display devices; a removable data storage device for storing user data associated with said application programs and a user-specific software image containing said application programs, the housing having a recessed portion for receiving the removable data storage device and a movable closure member for enclosing the recessed potion; and an external power supply having a flying lead connectable to an external socket provided in the housing for supplying DC power to the DC-DC converter.

Abstract: A method for producing a DIMM having a reduced memory capacity. The method includes determining an amount by which a memory capacity of a DIMM can be reduced, and reducing the memory capacity of the DIMM in accordance with the determined amount to produce a DIMM having a reduced memory capacity which is available for use and a dormant memory capacity which is not available for use. A DIMM produced in accordance with the method.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the efficient distribution of equipment for communication modules in a communication networking environment. Where a plurality communication devices serves a networking function, economy of cost and space are obtained by providing equipment and functionality for the individual computing devices from a centralized location such as a base station thereby enabling a simpler and less expensive design for the individual communication devices. The individual computing devices may thereby be made much smaller effecting savings in space at an Internet service provider location. Savings are also obtained by reducing the total number of components required and by reducing the total power consumption of the totality of the hardware in the network. Equipment most amenable to removal from the individual units and centralization in a base station include the main power supply, backup power supply, cooling fans.

Abstract: A cache coherent distributed shared memory multi-processor computer system is provided with a memory controller which includes a recall unit. The recall unit allows selective forced write-backs of dirty cache lines to the home memory. After a request is posted in the recall unit, a recall (“flush”) command is issued which forces the owner cache to write-back the dirty cache line to be flushed. The memory controller will inform the recall unit as each recall operation is completed. The recall unit operation will be interrupted when all flush requests are completed.

Abstract: A tuned circuit is used to detect wobble clock inversions. The tuned circuit reacts to a wobble inversion with a change in amplitude that may be detected by a threshold detector. A bandpass tuned circuit is used to detect wobble clock inversions. The output of the bandpass tuned circuit is input to a saturating high-gain amplifier such as a comparator. The output of the saturating high-gain amplifier reacts to wobble inversions with a half-cycle that has an increased duration as compared to half-cycles without wobble inversions.

Abstract: A low heat loss and small contact area electrode structure for a phase change media memory device is described. The memory device includes a composite electrode that includes a dielectric mandrel that is connected with a substrate and having a tapered shape that terminates at a vertex. An electrically conductive material conformally covers the dielectric mandrel and terminates at a tip. A first dielectric layer covers all of the composite electrode except an exposed portion of the composite electrode that is adjacent to the tip. A phase change media is in contact with the exposed portion. The exposed portion is only a small percentage of an overall surface area of the composite electrode so that a contact footprint between the exposed portion and the phase change media is small relative to a surface area of the phase change media and Joule heat transfer from the phase change media into the composite electrode is reduced.

Abstract: A system comprising a communications link between processors configured to transmit packets between transmitting and receiving processors. The communications link comprises a conduction path for each bit in the packet and the paths are grouped into separate bundles and routed along different paths. A forwarded clock signal is sent with each bundle. The processors operate with a clock frequency that is roughly three times as fast as the clock frequency of the forwarded clock signal. Data is transmitted on both rising and falling edges of the clock. The receiving processor comprises a recovery circuit to which it pulls the asynchronous data into the processor clock domain. The recovery circuit comprises a delay locked loop circuit configured to create a delayed copy of the clock signal with clock edges that are aligned with the center of the data window for the transmitted data.

Abstract: A method for selecting a basic block in a computer program comprising providing a computer program including an entry basic block and a plurality of basic blocks forming control flow paths, determining that immediate subsets of the control flow paths commencing with the entry basic block are essentially unbiased subsets, determining that the basic blocks in the immediate subsets of the flow control paths have essentially the same height, and selecting any one of the basic blocks in the immediate subsets of the flow control flow paths. The height may be a height selected from the group of heights consisting of resource height and dependence height. An article of manufacture including a computer-readable medium having instructions for selecting a basic block or for forming a new computer control flow path. A computer system comprising a computer program having instructions for selecting a basic block or for forming a new computer control flow path.

Abstract: A method for eliminating a branch instruction in a control flow path of a computer program. The method includes providing a computer program having a plurality of basic blocks forming control flow paths, determining a cost of executing a branch instruction terminating a basic block in one of the control flow paths, determining a cost of combining basic blocks when merging the control flow paths, and eliminating the branch instruction from the basic block whose cost of execution is greater than the cost of combining the basic blocks in merging the control flow paths.

Abstract: An image forming device having a rotatable drum, at least one printhead mounted adjacent to the rotatable drum, and a printhead service station. The printhead and rotatable drum together define a print zone in which fluid travels from the printhead towards the rotatable drum, and the printhead service station is within the print zone.

Abstract: A system and method for implementing mutual exclusion locks (mutexes) is provided. Mutexes of the present invention designate whether they are to be synchronized using fast nonatomic load/store sequences or, alternatively, expensive atomic hardware instructions. When a requesting thread requests a target mutex, the target mutex is synchronized using the method designated by the target mutex. In some embodiments, the designated synchronization method may be changed to the atomic method when the requesting thread is not the thread associated with the target mutex. In other embodiments, the designated synchronization method may be determined by a heuristic function. For example, the synchronization method may be changed to the atomic method when a mutex request counter, which penalizes thread changes, underflows.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for inserting prefetch instructions in an executable computer program. Profile data are generated for executed load instructions and store instructions. The profile data include instruction addresses, target addresses, data loaded and stored, and execution counts. From the profile data, recurring patterns of instructions resulting in cache-miss conditions are identified. Prefetch instructions are inserted prior to the instructions that result in cache-miss conditions for patterns of instructions recurring more than a selected frequency.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for preserving program context when causing execution of a probe routine from a target routine of an executable computer program code. Executable code for the probe routine is created such that the probe routine does not reference a first set of registers that are usable by the target routine. A modified version of the target routine is created to cause execution of the probe routine. The modified version of the target routine is performed instead of the original version when the target routine is called during program execution. A second set of registers on the processor register stack is allocated when the probe routine is invoked. The second set of registers is not manipulated by the probe routine so as to avoid changing contents of registers of the register stack that are used by the target routine.