Abstract: A system for providing audible cues that enable a listener to identify locations of origins of sounds. In one embodiment, a front and rear signal are copies of an input signal. The rear signal is modified by application of a modified head related transfer function which is the difference between the front and rear head related transfer functions. Copies are then made of the front signal and the modified rear signal, one copy of each associated with a first channel and one copy of each associated with a second channel. Front/rear cues are applied by delaying one of the rear signals or inverting the phase of one of the rear signals. Volume levels are then modified according to the location of the sound source. Locations of sound sources, including sources location behind the user are therefore audibly distinguished. Thus, in an interactive environment, such as a video game environment, the sounds generated by moving objects can be readily modified by simply modifying the volume levels.

Abstract: A back-up method for equipment settings of electronic equipment, especially telecommunications equipment, in which a plurality of parallel board units are located in a subrack or the like. Set data of each board unit are stored in that board unit. A back-up copy of the set data of each board unit is stored initially, the storing taking place in such a way that the addresses of a first and a second other board unit in the equipment are stored in the set values for each respective board unit in such a way that the first address indicates the board unit in which is stored a back-up copy of the set values of the board unit in question, and the second address indicates the board unit for which a back-up copy of its set values is stored in the board unit in question.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of detecting service interactions in intelligent networks. According to the invention, the detection method comprises a first stage in which services are formally specified and a second stage in which the thus specified services are checked for possible interactions. In the formal specification, use is made of conditions defining the execution of the services, such as pre conditions, post conditions and global conditions. The second stage is suitable for computer-assisted execution.

Abstract: Management packets are defined that are modified in the payload by each node along a virtual connection and are used to measure both end-to-end QoS and specific individual intermediate node performance parameters. Management packets are implemented by defining entirely new packets or by modifying ATM OAM cells. Switches or routers for use as intermediate nodes are defined that modify the payload of the management packet and locally measure packet delay and packet loss. An intermediate node measures and records the difference between the arrival and departure times of management packets at that switch utilizing delay-stamp fields within the management packets and either the switch internal routing header or timestamp fields within the packet. At the endpoint of the virtual connection, delay-stamp fields in the management packet indicate individual node delays and the cumulative delay.

Abstract: A network interface system and related methods. A single logic control module, which may be implemented in hardware or software, is utilized to perform any of a number of data manipulation functions including, for example, parsing, filtering, data generation or analysis, based upon one or more programmably configurable protocol descriptions which may be stored in and retrieved from an associated memory.

Abstract: A personal calendaring system includes a portable calendaring system and a complementary office calendar system, each synchronizing calendar entries by two-way wireless transmission. The portable calendaring system includes a GPS receiver interface providing location data. The office calendar system and the portable calendar system each includes a calendar memory storing calendar entries, a wireless paging interface for exchanging schedule change requests and location data, a traffic receiver interface receiving wireless traffic data from an external source, and a perceptual software agent that automatically updates stored calendar entries in response to detected events. The perceptual agents of the respective portable and office systems communicate using the two-way wireless paging interfaces to ensure the stored schedules are synchronized, and to minimize conflicts between schedule change requests entered at respective locations.

Abstract: An internet activity analyzer includes a network interface controller, a packet capturing module, a packet analysis module, and a data management module. The network interface controller is connected to a transmission medium for a network segment and is arranged to receive the stream of data packets passing along the medium. The packet stream is filtered to remove undesired packet data and is stored in a raw packet data buffer. The packet data is decoded at the internet protocol layer to provide information such as timing and sequencing data regarding the exchange of packets between nodes and the packet data for exchanges between multiple nodes may be recompiled into concatenated raw transaction data which may be coherently stored in a raw transaction data buffer. An application level protocol translator translates the raw transaction data and stores the data in a translated transaction data buffer.

Abstract: Disclosed is a waveform analyzer, which inputs measured data of an electronic device to be analyzed; generates an orthogonal analyzing wavelet; produces wavelet-analyzed components in which the measured data is wavelet-transformed into a plurality of wavelet spectra by using the orthogonal analyzing wavelet, thereafter the plurality of wavelet spectra are inverse-wavelet-transformed to produce the wavelet-analyzed components; and adds up a component with an order corresponding to a desired filter characteristic of the wavelet-analyzed components to get a filtered waveform.

Abstract: A network interface system and related methods. A single logic control module, which may be implemented in hardware or software, is utilized to perform any of a number of data manipulation functions including, for example, parsing, filtering, data generation or analysis, based upon one or more programmably configurable protocol descriptions which may be stored in and retrieved from an associated memory.

Abstract: A system and method for providing on demand access to information related to a movie while the movie is being presented to a user, where the movie was generated from the movie related information. The system operates by presenting the movie to the user, and then receiving from the user a query pertaining to the movie. The system determines a frame of the movie that was being presented to the user when the user issued the query (the system may extract this information from the query, or may extract this information from the movie itself). The system identifies, as specified by the query, portions of the movie related information relating to the frame, and retrieves those portions of the movie related information. These retrieved portions of the movie related information are presented to the user. The system includes a manager to enable users to create personalized versions of movies, and personalized collections of items.

Abstract: A system comprise a management section, a plurality of terminal sections and a coaxial cable. The management section is provided with a predetermined number of video game units and video recorders. The management section further comprises a memory for storing a plurality of video game programs. Each of the video game units executes a video game program to generate a first audio and video signal varying in response to a control signal received from a terminal section. Each of the video recorders storing a plurality of video movies generates a second audio and video signal associated with a video movie. A user of a terminal section selects a desired service from the video games and the video movies. When a video game is selected, the video game program is downloaded into the available game unit provided in the management section. The game unit runs the game program in response to the control signal received from the terminal section where the user is operating a keypad.

Abstract: A scalable architecture is disclosed for delivery of real-time information over a communications network. Embedded into the architecture is a control mechanism that provides for the management and administration of users who are to receive the real-time information. In the preferred embodiment, the information being delivered is high-quality audio. However, it could also be video, graphics, text or any other type of information that can be transmitted over a digital network. Preferably, there are multiple channels of information available simultaneously to be delivered to users, each channel consisting of an independent stream of information. A user chooses to tune in or tune out a particular channel, but does not choose the time at which the channel distributes its information.

Abstract: An interactive scanning device or system having one or more single or multi-dimensional scanners, an input device, an image processor, and a communication interface, for scanning an object or surface and interactively displaying and manipulating a threedimensional image of the object or surface from the geometrical dimensions of the object or topology of the surface captured during scanning. The communication interface enables the geometrical dimensions of the object, the topology of the surface, or the image of the object, to be transmitted over a wire or wireless communication medium to an end user station having an interactive scanning device or a computer station, or both, for initial or further display and manipulation. A further embodiment of the present invention incorporates a photosensitive or photographic recording device to capture an optical image of the object or surface to superimpose with the scanned image.

Abstract: A distributed computer system is disclosed which includes a central location and a plurality of remote locations. A central location computer system generates a module which includes a data section containing a plurality of data units. Each of the data units is either a minimum addressable data unit or a longer data unit. Each longer data unit contains a plurality of minimum addressable data units. The module also includes a swap section containing data identifying locations of longer data units within the data section. A remote location computer system receives a module, and contains a loader. The loader swaps the minimum addressable data units of the longer data units in the data section. A transmission link, transmits the module from the central location computer system to the remote location computer system.

Abstract: In a microcontroller-based system that controls the operation of equipment such as lights and wipers in an automobile, overcurrent is detected by comparing the total current through the device with a stored level. If the detected current is excessive the devices are independently activated and the current through each device is compared with stored current level for the device. A device having an overcurrent condition is inactivated and the remaining devices are activated.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method (200) and device (300) for error control of a video compressed sequence in which error protection for both random and burst channel errors is provided. The error control syntax (100) applies a fixed length packet synchronization system to variable length coded compressed video data, which provides the capability to limit error propagation within the decoded video bit stream. The fixed length packet control information provides information to decode compressed video data in both forward and reverse directions to allow for the recovery of correctly decoded video data within a decoded frame after long bursts of channel errors while reducing the overhead for error control. The error control method also provides video error detection which may be used for error concealment.

Abstract: Video signals are encoded using motion compensation based on motion vectors generated using multi-phase motion estimation. In a first phase, a first subset of video signals of each block is compared to the reference frame at locations corresponding to a first set of motion vectors. In a second phase, a second subset of video signals of each block is compared to the reference frame at locations corresponding to a second set of motion vectors, where the resolution of the first subset of video signals in the spatial domain is lower than the resolution of the second subset of video signals. In an alternative embodiment, in the first phase, each block is compared to the reference frame at locations corresponding to a first set of motion vectors. In the second phase, each block is compared to the reference frame at locations corresponding to a second set of motion vectors, where the second set of motion vectors is based on at least two best matches from the first phase.

Abstract: A system and process for providing financial services via video in real time to a customer at one of a plurality of remote locations from one of a plurality of personal bankers at a central location via a video self-service device.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for monitoring the behavior over time of a distributed system. Time-stamped data descriptive of events at one subsystem are placed into a local buffer. The subsystem is notified of the time when a trap condition occurs at another subsystem. Data having a time-stamp within a certain interval of the occurrence of the trap condition are archived to provide a history of the system for later analysis. Time is determined by a local clock in each subsystem. These clocks are synchronized to ensure accurate correlation between events at different subsystems. Trap conditions are categorized and data descriptive of subsystem states are classified to facilitate selective notification of one or more other subsystems, and selective retention of the data, depending on which category of trap condition has occurred and which class of data has been collected.

Abstract: A system for monitoring the structural integrity of a mechanical structure. The system utilizes a trainable adaptive interpreter such as a neural network to analyze data from the structure to characterize the structure's health. An actuator is attached to the mechanical structure for generating vibrations in response to an input signal. A sensor, also attached to the mechanical structure, senses the vibrations and generates an output signal in response thereto. The sensor output signal is then coupled to a pre-trained adaptive interpreter for generating an output which characterizes the structural integrity of the mechanical structure. The system can provide continual health monitoring of a structural system to detect structural damage and pinpoint probable location of the damage. The system can operate while the structural system is in service there by significantly reducing structural inspection costs.