Abstract: A system and method for determining a natural color depth of a digital image is described. Color distances between each pair of colors in a color palette stored for a digital color image are determined. A closest neighboring color for each color in the color palette separated by a substantially minimum color distance is selected. Each color pair that is visually indistinct is merged in iterative sequence.

Abstract: Adaptive control of codebook regeneration in data compression mechanisms. In one implementation, the present invention provides a means controlling the frequency of codebook updates based on expected performance gains resulting from codebook regeneration. The present invention, in one implementation, employs a mechanism that simulates the expected compression performance of a hypothetically, updated codebook. A compression module compares the simulated compression performance to the actual performance of the codebook used to compress the data, and updates the codebook if a threshold condition is satisfied.

Abstract: Methods, apparatuses and systems facilitating the distribution of updated traffic identification functionality to bandwidth management devices. The present invention, in one embodiment, allows for automatic updates to the traffic identification functionality implemented by bandwidth management devices eliminating the cumbersome upgrade processes required by prior art methods and systems. The present invention, in one embodiment, also provides a system facilitating management of upgrades for multiple bandwidth management devices.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to systems and methods for efficient and effective multicast delivery over hub and spoke networks, including satellite-based hub and spoke networks. In one embodiment, a method of establishing a multicast connection with a plurality of receiving stations includes receiving with a gateway port a unicast connection, such as a TCP connection, from a sending station, mapping the unicast connection to a multicast connection on a first multicast group IP address, and initiating the multicast connection to a plurality of receiving stations. In alternative embodiments, the multicast connection is established over a satellite link, and/or is unidirectional.

Abstract: A system and method for recompressing a JPEG image using requantization is described. DCT transform coefficients for a compressed JPEG image are statistically analyzed to generate a stored numeric error representation. Local minimizers are determined from the stored numeric error representation with selective rounding. A new quantization matrix Q1 is selected from the local minimizers bounded by a target quantization matrix Qbound. The compressed JPEG image is recompressed using the new quantization matrix Q1.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for performing classification in a hierarchical classification system performing caching are described. In one embodiment, the method comprises walking a classification tree in the hierarchical classification system to determine whether an incoming flow matches a class in the classification tree, and performing a lookup on a cache storing a data structure of multiple classes of one classification type to compare the incoming flow with multiple classes at the same time to determine whether the incoming flow matches one of the classes.

Abstract: Methods, apparatuses and systems allowing for dynamic detection of network devices, located along communications paths associated with a computer network, that include compatible transformation tunneling capabilities. In one embodiment, a tunnel probing device, having transformation tunneling capabilities, monitors data flows to respective destination hosts and probes for other network devices, having compatible transformation tunneling capabilities, located along respective communications paths to the destination hosts. A network device in a communications path, recognizing probes transmitted by the tunnel probing device, responds to the probe by communicating its transformation tunneling capabilities, and passes the probe along the path to the destination host for possible recognition by other compatible network devices. The present invention allows for recognition and optimization of network traffic between network devices without prior configuration.

Abstract: Methods, apparatuses and systems directed to measuring delay attributable to a network. The network delay is computed, in one implementation by determining a round-trip time for a network connection based on the arrival times of selected packets transmitted by first and second endpoints to establish the network connection, measuring the time gaps between consecutively increasing data packets in an ordered packet stream associated with a transaction, comparing the measured time gaps to the round-trip time, and computing a network delay for the transaction by adding the round-trip time to the measured time gaps that exceed the round trip time.

Abstract: A system and method for efficiently forwarding client requests from a proxy server in a TCP/IP computing environment is described. A plurality of transient requests are received from individual sending clients into a request queue. Each request is commonly addressed to an origin server. Time estimates of TCP overhead, slow start overhead, time-to-idle, and request transfer time for sending the requests over each of a plurality of managed connections to the origin server are dynamically calculated, concurrent to receiving and during processing of each request. The managed connection is chosen from, in order of preferred selection, a warm idle connection, an active connection with a time-to-idle less than a slow start overhead, a cold idle connection, an active connection with a time-to-idle less than a TCP overhead, a new managed connection, and an existing managed connection with a smallest time-to-idle. Each request is forwarded to the origin server over the selected managed connection.

Abstract: A system and method for dynamically identifying internal hosts in a heterogeneous computing environment with multiple subnetworks is disclosed. A plurality of packets are analyzed. Each such packet includes a source address of an originating host and a destination address of a receiving host. An unknown originating host located at the source address of an outbound packet is classified as an inside host with high confidence. An unknown receiving host located at the destination address of an inbound packet is classified as an inside host. The unknown receiving host is reclassified as an inside host with high confidence upon receiving a further outbound packet having a source address corresponding to the address of the unknown receiving host.

Abstract: According to the present invention a telecommunications apparatus for providing transport of packetized information over large distances. The apparatus provides a bi-directional flow of information from a first satellite gateway using a connection over a satellite network to a second satellite gateway. The apparatus uses a gateway that translates the information using the TCP protocol into information using a satellite protocol, which is suitable for transmission of such information over the satellite network.

Abstract: Methods, apparatuses and systems enabling a network services provider to deliver application performance management services to its enterprise customers. The invention allows network service providers to extend their service model beyond connectivity-oriented MNS services to more productivity-oriented, managed application services. The present invention, in one embodiment, allows network service providers to offer an application-aware service that provides real-time monitoring, measurement and control of application performance over MNS and other wide-area network services.

Abstract: A method for explicit data rate control is introduced into a packet communication environment (10) which does not have data rate supervision by adding latency to the acknowledgment (ACK) packet and by adjusting the size of the flow control window associated with the packet in order to directly control the data rate of the source data at the station (12 or 14) originating the packet.

Abstract: A system and method for recompressing a JPEG image using requantization is described. DCT transform coefficients for a compressed JPEG image are statistically analyzed to generate a stored numeric error representation. Local minimizers are determined from the stored numeric error representation with selective rounding. A new quantization matrix Q1 is selected from the local minimizers bounded by a target quantization matrix Qbound. The compressed JPEG image is recompressed using the new quantization matrix Q1.

Abstract: A method for explicit data rate control is introduced into a packet communication environment (10) which does not have data rate supervision by adding latency to the acknowledgment (ACK) packet and by adjusting the size of the flow control window associated with the packet in order to directly control the data rate of the source data at the station (12 or 14) originating the packet.

Abstract: In packet communication, a method for automatically classifying packet flows for use in allocating bandwidth resources and the like by a rule of assignment of a service level. By rendering discoverable the attributes of a flow specification for packet flows, a finer grained hierarchy of classification is provided automatically that is based on information which is specific to the type of program or application supported by the flow and thus allowing greater flexibility in control over different flows within the same application. The method comprises applying individual instances of traffic classification paradigms to packet network flows based on selectable information obtained from a plurality of layers to define a characteristic class, then mapping the flow to the defined traffic class. The flow specification is provided with some application-specific attributes, some of which are discoverable.

Abstract: In packet communication, a method for automatically classifying packet flows for use in allocating bandwidth resources and the like by a rule of assignment of a service level. By rendering discoverable the attributes of a flow specification for packet flows, a finer grained hierarchy of classification is provided automatically that is based on information which is specific to the type of program or application supported by the flow and thus allowing greater flexibility in control over different flows within the same application. The method comprises applying individual instances of traffic classification paradigms to packet network flows based on selectable information obtained from a plurality of layers to define a characteristic class, then mapping the flow to the defined traffic class. The flow specification is provided with some application-specific attributes, some of which are discoverable.

Abstract: In a packet telecommunications environment, a method is provided for end to end explicit rate control through a plurality of heterogeneous internetworked networking topologies comprising networks without explicit rate signaling, such as TCP/IP based LAN subnets, and networks with explicit network layer rate signaling, such as Frame Relay permanent or switched virtual circuits (PVC/SVC) or ATM available bit rate (ABR) services by reallocating bandwidth in a partition using a Committed Information Rate of the portion comprising the virtual circuits for a partition size. In specific embodiments, the invention may exist as an integrated device, such as an enhanced FRAD, or a bandwidth management device, which detects congested network conditions from information obtained indirectly from a FRAD or network edge device using techniques such as reading the network edge device's MIB.

Abstract: In a packet communication environment, a method is provided for automatically classifying packet flows for use in allocating bandwidth resources by a rule of assignment of a service level. The method comprises applying individual instances of traffic classification paradigms to packet network flows based on selectable information obtained from a plurality of layers of a multi-layered communication protocol in order to define a characteristic class, then mapping the flow to the defined traffic class. It is useful to note that the automatic classification is sufficiently robust to classify a complete enumeration of the possible traffic.

Abstract: In a packet communication environment, a method is provided for automatically classifying packet flows for use in allocating bandwidth resources by a rule of assignment of a service level. The method comprises applying individual instances of traffic classification paradigms to packet network flows based on selectable information obtained from a plurality of layers of a multi-layered communication protocol in order to define a characteristic class, then mapping the flow to the defined traffic class. It is useful to note that the automatic classification is sufficiently robust to classify a complete enumeration of the possible traffic.