Abstract: A system and method wherein a set of privileges assigned to a process may be modified responsive to a request. The modification may apply to one or more abilities within the set of privileges and may be applied during execution of the process subsequent to the process creation time. Accordingly a process may be created with a default set of privileges and subsequently the privileges may be modified (e.g. to include a sub-set of the default privileges) thereby mitigating the risk of malicious exploitation of the process through attack.

Abstract: A system improves the performance of compositing individual images representing graphic layers into a composite image. The system may subdivide an image area of the composite image into cells such that for each one of the cells, either none of the graphic layers overlap within a respective one of the cells or all of the graphic layers that overlap within the respective one of the cells overlap throughout the respective one of the cells. A composition operation may be applicable to composite the respective one of the cells. The system may determine which processor generates the respective one of the cells based on which one of the processors is able to perform the type composition operation. The processor may generate the respective one of the cells by processing the composition operation.

Abstract: A system improves speech intelligibility by reconstructing speech segments. The system includes a low-frequency reconstruction controller programmed to select a predetermined portion of a time domain signal. The low-frequency reconstruction controller substantially blocks signals above and below the selected predetermined portion. A harmonic generator generates low-frequency harmonics in the time domain that lie within a frequency range controlled by a background noise modeler. A gain controller adjusts the low-frequency harmonics to substantially match the signal strength to the time domain original input signal.

Abstract: A system includes a processor, one or more memory storage units, and software code stored in the one or more memory storage units. The software code is executable by the processor to generate a plurality of adaptive partitions that are each associated with one or more process threads. The software code further includes a scheduling system that is executable by the processor for selectively allocating the processor to run the process threads based on a comparison between ordering function values for each adaptive partition. The ordering function value for each adaptive partition is calculated using one or more weighted variables for each adaptive partition. The variables include, for example, 1) the process budget, such as a guaranteed time budget, of the adaptive partition, 2) the critical budget, if any, of the adaptive partition, 3) the rate at which the process threads of an adaptive partition consume processor time.

Abstract: An adaptive equalization system that adjusts the spectral shape of a speech signal based on an intelligibility measurement of the speech signal may improve the intelligibility of the output speech signal. Such an adaptive equalization system may include a speech intelligibility measurement module, a spectral shape adjustment module, and an adaptive equalization module. The speech intelligibility measurement module is configured to calculate a speech intelligibility measurement of a speech signal. The spectral shape adjustment module is configured to generate a weighted long-term speech curve based on a first predetermined long-term average speech curve, a second predetermined long-term average speech curve, and the speech intelligibility measurement. The adaptive equalization module is configured to adapt equalization coefficients for the speech signal based on the weighted long-term speech curve.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to computer operating systems, and more specifically, to operating system calls in a symmetric multiprocessing (SMP) environment. Existing SMP strategies either use a single lock or multiple locks to limit access to critical areas of the operating system to one thread at a time. These strategies suffer from a number of performance problems including slow execution, large software and execution overheads and deadlocking problems. The invention applies a single lock strategy to a micro kernel operating system design which delegates functionality to external processes. The micro kernel has a single critical area, the micro kernel itself, which executes very quickly, while the external processes are protected by proper thread management. As a result, a single lock may be used, overcoming the performance problems of the existing strategies.

Abstract: A system improves the performance of buffering frames. After a buffer flip occurs when double buffering the frames, the system may update some portions of dirty buffer regions in a back buffer with changes between a source frame and an intermediate frame. The system may update other portions of the dirty buffer regions with changes between the intermediate frame and a target frame. An application may write to an application buffer or a display buffer depending on whether the application controls a region of the display buffer that corresponds to the application buffer.

Abstract: A multimedia system comprising at least two multimedia devices having differing filesystems and/or no filesystem(s), one or more applications, and a media filesystem adapted to communicate with the at least two multimedia devices and the one or more applications is disclosed. The one or more applications are adapted to issue filesystem commands and/or receive filesystem responses in a common filesystem representation with respect to files of the at least two multimedia devices. The media filesystem may accept the filesystem commands from the one or more applications and may provide responses to filesystem commands to the one or more applications using the common filesystem representation.

Abstract: A method and system for enhancing the frequency response of speech signals are provided. An average speech spectral shape estimate is calculated over time based on the input speech signal. The average speech spectral shape estimate may be calculated in the frequency domain using a first order IIR filtering or “leaky integrators.” Thus, the average speech spectral shape estimate adapts over time to changes in the acoustic characteristics of the voice path or any changes in the electrical audio path that may affect the frequency response of the system. A spectral correction factor may be determined by comparing the average speech spectral shape estimate to a desired target spectral shape. The spectral correction factor may be added (in units of dB) to the spectrum of the input speech signal in order to enhance or adjust the spectrum of the input speech signal toward the desired spectral shape, and an enhanced speech signal re-synthesized from the corrected spectrum.

Abstract: A system allocates channel bandwidth based on the data received from a plurality of remote sources. A de-multiplexer/priority circuit separates two or more different data streams into their components parts. A stream modification driver modifies one or more characteristics of the data received from the de-multiplexer/priority circuit based on a priority assigned to the data by the de-multiplexer/priority circuit. The de-multiplexer/priority circuit determines the data transfer rates for each of the different data streams based on the assigned priority.

Abstract: A voice activity detection process is robust to a low and high signal-to-noise ratio speech and signal loss. A process divides an aural signal into one or more bands. Signal magnitudes of frequency components and the respective noise components are estimated. A noise adaptation rate modifies estimates of noise components based on differences between the signal to the estimated noise and signal variability.

Abstract: A rule-based end-pointer isolates spoken utterances contained within an audio stream from background noise and non-speech transients. The rule-based end-pointer includes a plurality of rules to determine the beginning and/or end of a spoken utterance based on various speech characteristics. The rules may analyze an audio stream or a portion of an audio stream based upon an event, a combination of events, the duration of an event, or a duration relative to an event. The rules may be manually or dynamically customized depending upon factors that may include characteristics of the audio stream itself, an expected response contained within the audio stream, or environmental conditions.

Abstract: A sub-band processing system that reduces computational complexity and memory requirements includes a processor and a local or distributed memory. Logic stored in the memory partitions a frequency spectrum of bins into a smaller number of sub-bands. The logic enables a lossy compression by designating a magnitude and a designated or derived phase of each bin in the frequency spectrum as representative. The logic renders a lossless compression by decompressing the lossy compressed data and providing lost data based on original spectral relationships contained within the frequency spectrum.

Abstract: A multi-channel signal enhancement system reinforces signal content and improves the signal-to-noise ratio of a multi-channel signal. The system detects, tracks, and reinforces non-stationary periodic signal components of a multi-channel signal. The periodic signal components of the signal may represent vowel sounds or other voiced sounds. The system may detect, track, or attenuate quasi-stationary signal components in the multi-channel signal.

Abstract: A system is set forth that includes a processor, one or more memory storage units, and software code stored in the one or more memory storage units. The software code is executable by the processor to generate a plurality of adaptive partitions that are each associated with one or more process threads. Each of the plurality of adaptive partitions has a corresponding processor budget that is assigned to it. The process threads include a mutex holding thread and a mutex waiting thread. The mutex holding thread is associated with a first adaptive partition and may gain exclusive access to a mutex object. The mutex waiting thread is associated with a second adaptive partition and must wait for access to the mutex object while the mutex object is held by the mutex holding thread. The software code further includes a scheduling system that selectively allocates the processor to run the process threads based, at least in part, on the processor budget of the associated adaptive partitions.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to computer graphics, and more specifically to methods of, and systems for, configuring, controlling and accessing multiple hardware graphics layers that are used to compose a single video display.

Abstract: A system and method for sample rate adaption. The system and method provide for information derived from sampling at a first rate to be applied or processed at a second rate where the first and second rates differ in frequency and phase. The information is adapted from the first rate to the second rate. Then phase differences including phase introduced as by-product of adapting the frequencies are reduced by phase adaption.

Abstract: In a system and method for noise estimation with music detection described herein provides for generating a music classification for music content in an audio signal. The music detector may classify the audio signal as music or non-music. The non-music signal may be considered to be signal and noise. An adaption rate may be adjusted responsive to the generated music classification. A noise estimate is calculated applying the adjusted adaption rate. The system and method may mitigate the noise modeling algorithms being misled by the music components.

Abstract: A processing system generates an output signal which includes desired signal components, and reduces or eliminates tonal noise. The output signal may be provided to any subsequent signal processing system, including voice recognition systems, pitch detectors, and other processing systems. The subsequent processing systems are less likely to mistake tonal input signal noise for desired signal content, to needlessly consume computational resources to analyze noise, and to take spurious actions induced by the tonal noise.

Abstract: A voice enhancement logic improves the perceptual quality of a processed voice. The voice enhancement system includes a passing tire hiss noise detector and a passing tire hiss noise attenuator. The passing tire hiss noise detector detects a passing tire hiss noise by modeling the passing tire hiss. The passing tire hiss noise attenuator dampens the passing tire hiss noise to improve the intelligibility of a speech signal.