Abstract: A text exchange associated with a distance value n can be received. The text exchange can be conveyed by a text exchange application which can be linked to a group session. The group session can comprise of one or more participants each associated with a proximity value m. The text exchange can be a real-time text based communication between one or more computing devices. A participant can be determined to receive the text exchange based on the distance value of the text exchange and the proximity value associated with the participant. The text exchange can be communicated to a computing device utilized by the participant when the proximity value is equivalent to the distance value. The text exchange can be presented in a visually and/or aurally distinct manner within an interface of the text exchange application.

Abstract: An electron beam focusing electrode and an electron gun using the same may include a plate having a polygonal through-hole; at least a projecting portion formed on at least one side of the through-hole. By using the electron beam focusing electrode, a spreading phenomenon of an electron beam having a rectangular cross section may be reduced. Further, the output of the electron gun may be increased, and electron beams may be easily focused.

Abstract: Link delay is determined in a network comprising a plurality of nodes by identifying pairs of nodes associated with a given link, and, for each of the identified pairs, setting up a virtually-concatenated group (VCG) between the nodes of that pair. The VCGs are utilized to make delay measurements, and the delay measurements are processed to determine delay of the given link. In an illustrative embodiment, the VCGs comprise two-member VCGs with the members being routed on opposite sides of a logical ring. For a given one of these two-member VCGs, a differential delay measurement is made at a particular one of the associated nodes by comparing frame indicator fields for concurrently arriving frames. A system of equations is generated based on the differential delay measurements made utilizing the VCGs, and the system of equations is solved to obtain information utilizable to determine delay of the given link.

Abstract: A text exchange associated with a distance value n can be received. The text exchange can be conveyed by a text exchange application which can be linked to a group session. The group session can comprise of one or more participants each associated with a proximity value m. The text exchange can be a real-time text based communication between one or more computing devices. A participant can be determined to receive the text exchange based on the distance value of the text exchange and the proximity value associated with the participant. The text exchange can be communicated to a computing device utilized by the participant when the proximity value is equivalent to the distance value. The text exchange can be presented in a visually and/or aurally distinct manner within an interface of the text exchange application.

Abstract: At least one unique collection of storage artifacts can be specified to indicate that the storage artifact is a member of the unique collection. Each storage artifact can be a discrete object comprising digitally encoded content that is stored as a node within a tree structure of a tangible storage medium. The collection can be referenced by a set of different storage artifacts to form a collection of related storage artifacts. Each storage artifact can correspond to different collections, wherein membership within a collection is independent of a storage path within the tree structure. A file management action relating to the storage artifact can be performed. The file management action can be dependent upon the storage artifact being a member of the unique collection.

Abstract: A subscriber or other user is provided with access to a subscription service of a signal distribution system at a roaming location remote from a home location of the user. The home and remote locations are serviced by respective first and second head ends of the system. The subscription service comprises a plurality of selectable channels available to the user at the home location. The second head end obtains content for at least one channel of the subscription service available to the user at the home location, and inserts the content into a program stream utilizable for delivery of content to an interface device at the remote location to thereby make the channel accessible to the user at the remote location.

Abstract: A system for and method of multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) network tuning. In one embodiment, the system includes a hot zone clearing subsystem that recursively identifies label switched paths (LSPs) to be rerouted from a defined hot zone subject to edges to be avoided. In that embodiment, the system further includes an LSP ordering subsystem, which is coupled to the hot zone clearing subsystem, that orders the LSPs to be rerouted to yield a migration sequence. The migration sequence is employable to reduce a load of the hot zone.

Abstract: A system and method for rerouting circuits on a SONET, SDH or similar ring without disrupting service. In one embodiment, the system includes: (1) a route design subsystem adapted to identify, for the circuits, alternative routes that are subject to an alignment constraint and increase an objective value associated with the ring and (2) a path migration subsystem, associated with the route design subsystem, adapted to determine a hitless migration sequence that allows the alternative routes to be employed.

Abstract: A maximum-flow based route precomputation algorithm includes at least a route generation phase and a route selection phase, and determines one or more routes between at least a given pair of nodes in a network. In the route generation phase, a maximum-flow algorithm is applied to a first set of information characterizing links between the given pair of nodes in the network. The output of the maximum-flow algorithm is utilizable to generate a second set of information characterizing corresponding admissible flows. In the route selection phase, one or more routes are determined based on the second set of information using, for example, a shortest widest path (SWP) algorithm. The route generation and route selection phases may be repeated for each of a plurality of node pairs of the network.

Abstract: Advertisements or other types of targeted information are delivered to set-top boxes or other user interface devices of a signal distribution system. In one aspect of the invention, an access node sends a message to the user interface device directing the user interface device to switch from a content stream to a targeted information stream at a specified time. Responsive to the message, the access node receives a request from the user interface device to join a targeted multicast group associated with the targeted information stream. Without requiring receipt of a subsequent request from the user interface device to leave a content multicast group associated with a content stream, the access node causes the user interface device to be dropped from the content multicast group prior to the specified time. The access node then delivers the targeted information stream to the user interface device via the targeted multicast group.

Abstract: Advertisements or other types of targeted information are delivered to set-top boxes or other user interface devices of a signal distribution system. In one aspect of the invention, a user interface device comprises at least first and second software clients and a video buffer. The first software client receives packets associated with a first media stream, and the second software client receives packets associated with a second media stream containing the targeted information. The first software client delivers at least a portion of the packets associated with the first media stream to the video buffer. The second software client delivers at least a portion of the packets associated with the second media stream to the video buffer while one or more packets of the first media stream are still in the video buffer. The user interface device switches from the first media stream to the second media stream based on timing information which may be received from an external detection server.

Abstract: A subscriber or other user is provided with access to a subscription service of a signal distribution system at a roaming location remote from a home location of the user. The subscription service comprises a plurality of selectable channels available to the user at the home location. In one aspect of the invention, a request for initiation of a roaming session is received, and responsive to initiation of the roaming session, at least one user interface is generated for presentation on a device at the remote location. The generated user interface is configured to provide access at the remote location to one or more of the channels available to the user at the home location, and represents an at least partial alteration of a normal user interface that would otherwise be presented on the device at the remote location in the absence of the roaming session.

Abstract: Advertisements or other types of targeted information are delivered to set-top boxes or other user interface devices of a signal distribution system. In one aspect of the invention, at least one multicast update comprising updated targeted information is sent to the user interface devices during a multicast update period. If a given one of the user interface devices is unable to obtain a complete set of the updated targeted information from the multicast update before timeout of the multicast update period, a unicast update comprising at least a portion of the updated targeted information is sent to the given user interface device during a unicast update period. The unicast update may be sent responsive to a request from the given user interface device for a designated portion of the updated targeted information.

Abstract: An electron beam focusing electrode and an electron gun using the same may include a plate having a polygonal through-hole; at least a projecting portion formed on at least one side of the through-hole. By using the electron beam focusing electrode, a spreading phenomenon of an electron beam having a rectangular cross section may be reduced. Further, the output of the electron gun may be increased, and electron beams may be easily focused.

Abstract: The invention relates to a medical device for performing substantially bloodless surgery wherein the device comprises a double-skinned chamber with at least one through-bore.

Abstract: Virtually-concatenated data traffic is routed in a network comprising at least first and second nodes. The first and second nodes may comprise a source-sink node pair, an ingress-egress node pair, or any other pair of network nodes. For a given traffic demand, a plurality of routes for routing the traffic demand through the network are determined. Each of the routes corresponds to a member of a virtually-concatenated group, such that different portions of the traffic demand are assigned to different members of the virtually-concatenated group.

Abstract: Advertisements or other types of targeted information are delivered to a set-top box or other user interface device of signal distribution system. In one aspect of the invention, a detection server of the system detects at least one cue associated with a first media stream, and generates timing information from the detected cue. The timing information is signaled to the interface device. An advertisement server of the system generates a second media stream containing targeted information for delivery to the user interface device. The user interface device switches from the first stream to the second stream based on the timing information. The timing information may also be signaled by the detection server to the advertisement server, for use in controlling generation of the second stream.

Abstract: A method for data path provisioning in a reconfigurable data network is disclosed. A data path between a source IP router and a destination IP router is determined taking into account the IP-subnets of the network interfaces of the IP routers included in the path. In one embodiment, the requirement that two IP routers can send packets via their connected interface if and only if the two interfaces are on the same subnet (i.e., the subnet constraint) is completely honored during the data path determination. In another embodiment, the data path is determined while allowing some number of violations of the subnet constraint. A transform network graph is computed and is used to determine the data path taking into account the IP-subnets.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for restoration of virtually-concatenated data traffic in a data transmission network. A virtually-concatenated group is formed comprising: (i) a plurality of primary members each associated with a corresponding data stream, and (ii) at least one backup member. Each of the plurality of primary members and the backup member of the virtually-concatenated group may be assigned a corresponding one of a plurality of data transmission routes between first and second nodes of the network. Responsive to a failure of a given one of the plurality of primary members, the backup member is utilized for restoring at least a portion of the data traffic of the given member. The invention also provides a modified link capacity adjustment scheme (LCAS) protocol which substantially reduces the time required to report changes in member status information from a sink node to a source node, thereby substantially reducing the amount of time required to perform a restoration operation.

Abstract: Virtually-concatenated data traffic is routed in a network comprising a plurality of nodes. For a given traffic demand to be routed from a source node to a destination node in the network, an initial candidate path set satisfying a differential delay constraint is determined by arranging a plurality of paths in order of increasing delay and selecting a particular subset of the plurality of paths as the initial candidate set. A determination is then made as to whether the initial candidate path set is able to support a bandwidth requirement of the traffic demand. If the initial candidate path set is able to support the bandwidth requirement of the traffic demand, the initial candidate path set is utilized to route the traffic demand.