Abstract: In one embodiment, a longitudinal camera array is rotated through a capture cylinder, with each camera in the array capturing multiple images as the array rotates. These images can be looking outward along the radials of the cylinder, or alternatively looking tangential to the cylinder. The longitudinal camera array allows the surrounding scene to be captured from multiple different planes that are substantially parallel to the ends of the capture cylinder, allowing for more accurate subsequent rendering of the scene. A view of the scene can be subsequently rendered by determining a location and direction of view of an observer, and then selecting one or more of the multiple lateral and longitudinally adjacent capture images, as well as one or more pixels within that capture image(s), to use to determine a display value for the pixel.

Abstract: A system and method for improved vertical handoff between different types of wireless network. Network allocation vector occupation and packet collision probability are used as quality of service measures, enabling vertical handoffs to be delayed until actually beneficial to quality of service. Improved wireless network cell boundary detection in vertical handoff scenarios is achieved with a Fourier-based technique in conjunction with an adaptively determined minimum operating signal strength threshold. Improved wireless network cell boundary detection enables vertical handoffs from high quality of service networks to be delayed as long as possible. Together, practical wireless network quality of service measures and improved detection of wireless network cell boundaries in vertical handoff scenarios reduce the rate of unnecessary vertical handoff resulting in higher overall quality of service experienced by a mobile computing device roaming between wireless network types.

Abstract: A method and system for controlling the algorithmic elements in 3D graphics systems via an improved 3D graphics API is provided. In one aspect, in a 3D graphics system having privatized formats with privatized drivers used to increase the efficiency of display, existing problems are eliminated that are associated with multiple redundant copies of the publicly formatted graphics data made in host system memory pursuant to various graphics operations e.g., lock and unlock operations. The ability to make a system copy of publicly formatted data is exposed to the developer, eliminating the creation of unnecessary, and redundant copies. Efficient switching between the privatized and public format remains hidden from the developers so that applications execute efficiently while removing consideration thereof from the developers. Thus, developers are free to consider other tasks.

Abstract: Viewing management methods and systems for managing viewing of multiple live electronic presentations are described. In one described embodiment, viewers are given an opportunity to register their preferences for viewing certain events that can occur within a plurality of different electronic presentations. The selected electronic presentations are simultaneously monitored, during their broadcast, while a viewer might be watching only one of the electronic presentations. When one or more of the viewer-defined events is detected, the viewer is notified that the event is taking place.

Abstract: A decoder processes a first bitstream element (e.g., a pull-down flag) in a first syntax layer (e.g., sequence layer or entry point layer) above frame layer in a bitstream for a video sequence, the bitstream comprising encoded source video having a source type (e.g., progressive or interlace). The decoder processes frame data in a second syntax layer (e.g., frame layer) of the bitstream for a frame (such as an interlaced frame or progressive frame, depending on source type, or a skipped frame) in the video sequence. The first bitstream element indicates whether a repeat-picture element (e.g., a repeat-frame element or a repeat field-element) is present or absent in the frame data in the second syntax layer.

Abstract: A system and method for automatically allocating resources is provided. The system includes one or more components for automatically allocating one or more resources, based at least in part on data associated with the one or more resources, the data including at least one of, type data, instance data, characteristic data, and dynamically modifiable metadata. An alternative aspect of the system provides one or more components for automatically allocating one or more resources distributed on a plurality of resource allocation servers. The one or more components for automatically allocating the one or more resources can improve utilization of the capacity of the one or more resources. In an alternative embodiment the system includes an Application Programming Interface (API) operable to configure and/or control the one or more components for automatically allocating one or more resources.

Abstract: Methods and systems for finding a low rank approximation for an m×n matrix A are described. The described embodiments can independently sample and/or quantize the entries of an input matrix A, and can thus speed up computation by reducing the number of non-zero entries and/or their representation length. The embodiments can be used in connection with Singular Value Decomposition techniques to greatly benefit the processing of high-dimensional data sets in terms of storage, transmission and computation.

Abstract: In a method and system for debugging a program, a debugging module is loaded into a normal thread of execution of the program. A user may then send commands to the debugger module from a command console module operating in a safe separate process. The debugger module receives the commands and converts them into function calls to objects that are accessible by the program. This allows the user to interact manually with the objects and achieve substantially the same responses from the object as the program itself would have obtained during its normal execution. Thus the user can effectively debug the program without having to know the internal structure of any of its constituent objects.

Abstract: An object oriented programming environment is extended to allow a client object oriented application running under a client/server operating system to communicate with a plurality of server object oriented applications located on one or more remote computers in a distributed computer environment. The extended object oriented programming environment provides the capability for a client object oriented application to connect to, and communicate with remote server object oriented applications as well as make object references to remote objects and remote object data. The extended object oriented programming environment is used for designing N-tiered logical models for distributed computing applications, while providing a flexible and adaptable M-tiered physical model underneath the N-tiered logical model. This environment is also used to provide the ability to reference remote objects from Internet and other client network applications.

Abstract: A system and method for transforming XML items is provided. The system includes a transformer that can selectively input XML items in a first format and selectively transform the input XML items to one or more transformed XML items in one or more second formats. The system also include an output manager that can be employed to facilitate selectively pulling and/or pushing a subset of the transformed XML items from the transformer to a variety of output destinations. The system provides an input abstractor that exposes data stored in data stores that implement the input abstractor as a data model and infoset, which facilitates navigating such exposed data.

Abstract: An improved image retrieval process based on relevance feedback uses a hierarchical (per-feature) approach in comparing images. Multiple query vectors are generated for an initial image by extracting multiple low-level features from the initial image. When determining how closely a particular image in an image collection matches the initial image, a distance is calculated between the query vectors and corresponding low-level feature vectors extracted from the particular image. Once these individual distances are calculated, they are combined to generate an overall distance that represents how closely the two images match. According to other aspects, relevancy feedback received regarding previously retrieved images is used during the query vector generation and the distance determination to influence which images are subsequently retrieved.

Abstract: To encrypt a digital object, a key ID is selected for the digital object, and a function ƒ( ) having an input and an output is selected. The selected key ID is then employed as the input to the function ƒ( ), and the output of such function ƒ( ) is employed as the key (KD) for the digital object: ƒ(key ID)=< key (KD). The digital object is then according to such key (KD), and the encrypted digital object is distributed.

Abstract: Methods and computer program products for using a front-end server to access content stored on one or more back-end servers. The front-end server receives requests for content from client systems. Back-end servers store the content, but to the client system, it appears as if the front-end server is the content's source. Upon receiving the request, the front-end server checks the validity of the request and examines a global catalog that dynamically maps client system requests to the back-end server or servers that store the requested content. In some circumstances, the content will be stored at a single back-end server and the front-end server directs the request to that server. Alternatively, a list of back-end servers storing the requested content may be generated. If so, the front-end then uses an authentication token as a key to a hash operation that is performed on the list and a single server that is capable of satisfying the request for content is identified.

Abstract: A compressed trie has nodes including multiple character sub-strings. Such multiple character storage reduces the number of nodes in the trie, thereby reducing the amount of memory required for storing the trie and reducing the amount of time required to perform matching. Furthermore, in such a compressed trie, sub-strings are stored in a single character string. Each node references its corresponding sub-string by the sub-string's starting position and length in the character string. Multiple nodes may reference a single sub-string. Thus, referencing rather than storing sub-strings in corresponding nodes eliminates repetitive sub-string storage, thereby reducing the amount of memory required for storing the trie.

Abstract: A system and method for encoding and/or decoding a signal, such as an audio signal, employing a reversible transform obtained via matrix lifting. This reversible transform not only converts integer input to integer output, but also reconstructs the exact input from the output. It is one of the key modules for lossless and progressive to lossless audio codecs. The system and method of the invention produces smaller quantization noise and better compression performance of lossless and progressive to lossless codecs previously known. A number of embodiments employing RMDCT solutions are described. Matrix lifting is used to implement a reversible fast Fourier transform (FFT) and a reversible fractional-shifted FFT, respectively, which are further combined with reversible rotations to form a RMDCT. A progressive-to-lossless embedded audio codec (PLEAC) employing RMDCT is implemented with superior results for both lossless and lossy audio compression.

Abstract: A guaranteed distributed failure notification method is described, wherein a failure notification (FN) facility allows applications using the facility to create FN groups to which the application associates an application state. The application registers failure handlers with the FN facility on nodes in the FN group; each failure handler is associated with a specific FN group. When, on a given node, the FN facility learns of a failure in the FN group, the facility executes the associated failure handler on that node. System failures detected by the application are signaled to other FN group members using the facility. The facility detects system failures that occur in an overlay network on which the facility is implemented, and signals a failure notification to the other FN group members.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for transferring a set of data over a network by monitoring the level of actual network bandwidth utilization. The method identifies a maximum monitored level of actual utilization and calculates a threshold level of utilization as a function of the maximum monitored level of utilization. If the actual level of utilization is less than the threshold level, at least a portion or segment of the data is received over the network. Each time a portion of the data is received, the monitoring step is repeated and a counter is incremented. The size of the discrete portions of the data is a function of the value of the counter and is increased when the value of the counter is greater than a predetermined value.

Abstract: An implementation of a technology is described herein for deriving robust non-local characteristics and quantizing such characteristics for blind watermarking of a digital good.

Abstract: An encoder/decoder obtains pixel data from one or more field lines associated with a first block in an interlaced frame coded picture comprising plural macroblocks each having an equal number of top and bottom field lines. The encoder/decoder obtains pixel data from one or more field lines associated with a second block and performs in-loop deblocking filtering across a boundary. The in-loop deblocking filtering comprises filter operations performed on pixel data from field lines of same polarity only. In another aspect, an encoder/decoder obtains transform size information for plural blocks of macroblock, obtains field/frame type information for the macroblock and selects one or more boundaries for in-loop deblocking based at least in part on the transform size information and the field/frame type information. In-loop deblocking can be performed on horizontal block boundaries prior to vertical block boundaries.

Abstract: A scalable, fault-tolerant, federated event notification method is described, wherein clients express interest in a topic by subscribing, and published event notifications are delivered to all current topic-subscribers. Event notifications are disseminated by a multicast tree that does not require participation by unwilling nodes. The multicast tree is constructed so that nodes belonging to the organization owning the tree do not rely on nodes outside the organization to forward message traffic. Event notifications are delivered using redundant tree-based application-level multicast to ensure reliable delivery.