Abstract: A method 300 for retrieving media content (120). The method can include receiving metadata (118) associated with a first media file, receiving the first media file, processing at least the metadata to identify at least a second media file (124) likely to be of interest to a user, and automatically downloading the second media file. Processing the metadata can include identifying at least one parameter contained in the metadata and/or the first media file that correlates to the second media file. Metadata (122) also associated with the second media file also can be downloaded.

Abstract: A streaming content-on-demand service provider (400), upon receiving (301) from a remotely located content consumer (100) an on-demand request (406) for present delivery of a particular identified item of streaming content, allocates (303) a multicast address/port to which a multicast stream (411) comprising the streaming content will be provided. The content consumer (via, for example, a corresponding client platform) can then use this multicast address/port to receive the particular identified item of streaming content. Such an approach will serve to permit the initiation of a new stream of content to serve an initial request for such content. This approach will also permit, if desired, late joiners to begin receiving, mid-stream, content that has already begun streaming in response to an earlier client request for such content.

Abstract: A method (20) and system (100) for sending authenticated events from a first device (36) to a second device (32) can include creating (21) a bond between the first and second device, creating (27) a signed event on the first device, and sending (28) the signed event from the first device to the second device, where the second device authenticates the signed event. The bond can be created by the first device signing (22) its device certificate (102) to create an authentication bonding object (ABO). The ABO can be transferred (23) from the first device to the second device. The second device can authenticate (24) a certificate signature or authenticate a first device signature. The second device can authorize (25) ABOs based on phone numbers. The second device can authenticate (29) an event by authenticating the signed event with a public key obtained from a certificate obtained from an ABO.

Abstract: A password is securely distributed to a client device of a network by sending a first encrypted message from the client device to a server of the network, the first message comprising a nonce created by the client device, a username of the client device, and a network address of the client device, then sending a second message from the server to the network address of the client device, the second message comprising the nonce created by the client device, and a password created by the server. If the client device verifies that the nonce received from the server matches the nonce sent to the server, the password and username may be used to enable to client device to access information on the server. The first encrypted message may be an HTTPS message and the second message may be an SMS message.

Abstract: A system (150) and method (200) for peer-to-peer content sharing in an ad-hoc network is provided. The system can include a plurality of peers (102) and a super peer (110). The super peer provides a continuous power supply (112) and mass storage (111) for distributing and caching shared content. The super peer can monitor (202) a plurality of requests for content, identify (204) popular content from the plurality of requests, and distribute (214) the popular content to the peers to offload content sourcing responsibilities. The super peer can manage a want-list (320), a popularity-list (330), and a source-list (340) for acquiring and distributing popular content.

Abstract: A method 300 for retrieving media content (120). The method can include receiving metadata (118) associated with a first media file, receiving the first media file, processing at least the metadata to identify at least a second media file (124) likely to be of interest to a user, and automatically downloading the second media file. Processing the metadata can include identifying at least one parameter contained in the metadata and/or the first media file that correlates to the second media file. Metadata (122) also associated with the second media file also can be downloaded.

Abstract: A search system (200) for a database (224) including records having a multiple disparate types of media is provided. The search system supports queries, that include different types of search criteria, including content based retrieval search criteria. A fuzzy logic method (400) is provided for effectively combining the results of different types of search criteria. The fuzzy logic method also allows confidence levels entered by the user for search criteria to be considered in combining results. Retrieval relevance values for documents for at least some search criteria are used in the fuzzy logic method. For content based image retrieval searches, the retrieval relevance values are computed by mapping a distance between quantitative characterizations of a search basis image, and other images into a finite range.

Abstract: A search system (200) for a database (224) including records having a multiple disparate types of media is provided. The search system supports queries, that include different types of search criteria, including content based retrieval search criteria. A fuzzy logic method (400) is provided for effectively combining the results of different types of search criteria. The fuzzy logic method also allows confidence levels entered by the user for search criteria to be considered in combining results. Retrieval relevance values for documents for at least some search criteria are used in the fuzzy logic method. For content based image retrieval searches, the retrieval relevance values are computed by mapping a distance between quantitative characterizations of a search basis image, and other images into a finite range.

Abstract: A cache is used in the performance of one task that may be interrupted by another task. The first task results in the cache being loaded at least partially. The second task interrupts, but is preventing from thrashing the highest priority data. The highest priority data is not available for thrashing during the running of the second task. The second task may be interrupted as well. Similarly, the third task is prevented from thrashing the highest priority data of the second task and the first task. The third task can thrash all of the cache except that preserved for the first and second tasks. After the third task is completed, the second task can begin running again without having to reload the highest priority data. The first task is similarly completed.

Abstract: An arbitration and task switching technique in a real-time multiprocessor data processing system (20) having a common bus (32) and a segmented shared memory (30), where fullness of memory segments of the shared memory (30) is used as a measurement for arbitration and task switching priorities. A bus request mechanism in each of the processors dynamically calculates normalized priority values based on relative needs across the system (20). The normalized priority calculation is based on monitoring the fullness of memory segments of the shared memory (30) associated with each processor (24, 26, 28) of the system (20). Using this normalized priority calculation, the bus access order and bus bandwidth are optimally allocated according to tasks executed by the processors (24, 26, 28). Also, the normalized priority calculation and a preprogrammed threshold is used to control task switching in the multi-processor system (20).

Abstract: The present invention is method and apparatus for preventing overflow and underflow of an encoder buffer in a video compression system. A virtual buffer is created in a rate controller to model the decoder buffer fullness (102). A sequence of bits is generated by an encoder (104). The encoder is controlled by the rate controller to prevent a decoder buffer underflow and overflow. Then, the sequence of bits is received by the encoder buffer to produce a bitstream (106). The bitstream corresponds to an instantaneous channel bitrate. The bitstream is transmitted from the encoder buffer to a decoder buffer following a delay (108). The delay is controlled by a rate controller to synchronize an encoder buffer fullness with a virtual buffer fullness (110). The synchronization prevents overflow and underflow of the encoder buffer.

Abstract: A method and device are provided for processing an input value to provide an output inverse trigonometric function value of the input value. It substantially comprises a method and device for modifying the input value to obtain an approximation value, determining at least one correction factor, generating at least one intermediate function value, being substantially an inverse trigonometric function value of the approximation value, and combining the intermediate function value with at least one correction factor to determine an output inverse trigonometric function value.

Abstract: A high-speed processor utilizes combinational logic and range limitation for a modified input value to increase efficiency in convergence factor determination for convergent division and square root computation. An input value is modified to a value in a limited range, which is then partitioned into two subdivisions. By utilizing these two groupings, the processing platform minimizes time consumption in conversion factor determination by inverting selected binary bits to form a modified factor and utilizes that modified factor to facilitate high-speed convergence factor computation.

Abstract: A logarithm of an input value is computed utilizing a function generator to generate a first logarithm of an approximation value of the input value, scaled to a natural logarithm value where the first logarithm is not a natural base logarithm, and then combined with a correction value, obtaining a natural base logarithm of the input value. An error value, related to the input value and the approximation value, is generated and is utilized in a specified power series to determine the correction value. The natural base logarithm obtained is scaled by a natural base logarithm of a desired base of a desired output logarithm, thereby determining the desired output logarithm of the input value that has the desired base.

Abstract: A method and apparatus utilizes "Lindsley's Law," a polynomial convergence algorithm, suitable even for high convergence rates, to implement more efficient reciprocal j.sup.th root, and hence, j.sup.th root itself, computations of desired inputs. The invention emphasizes multiplication, instead of addition, as the iterative operator, thereby reducing error at a rate relative to a power of a selected convergence rate.

Abstract: A method and device are provided for processing an input value to provide an output trigonometric function value of the input value. It comprises a method and device for modifying the input value to obtain an approximation value, determining an error value with respect to the approximation value, generating first and second function values with respect to the approximation value, the first and second function values typically being trigonometric function values and typically being obtained from a memory device, determining at least one correction value utilizing a predetermined number of terms of at least one power series, and combining the at least one correction value with the first and second function values to determine the output trigonometric function value.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are described for processing an input value to provide an output exponential value of a desired base raised to the power of the input value. The method includes, and the apparatus included hardware for implementing, the steps of adjusting the input value relative to the input value, a predetermined base of a first exponential value, and the desired base of the output exponential value to obtain a first scaled value, modifying the scaled value to obtain an approximation value, determining the first exponential value of the approximation value, generating an adjusted error value relative to the first scaled value, the approximation value, and a logarithm of the predetermined base of the first exponential value, determining a correction value for the first exponential value and combining the first exponential value with the correction value to obtain, substantially, the output exponential value having the desired base raised to the power of the input value.

Abstract: A channel bank speech synthesizer for reconstructing speech from externally-generated acoustic feature information without using externally-generated voicing or pitch information is disclosed. An N-channel pitch-excited channel bank synthesizer (340) is provided having a first low-frequency group of channel gain values (1 to M) and a second high-frequency group of channel gain values (+1 to N). The first group controls a first group of amplitude modulators (950) excited by a periodic pitch pulse source (920), and the second group controls amplitude modulators excited by a noise source (930). Both groups of modulated excitation signals are applied to the bandpass filters (960) to reconstruct the speech channels, and then combined at the summation network (970) to form a reconstructed synthesized speech signal. Additionally, the pitch pulse source (920) varies the pitch pulse period such that the pitch pulse rate decreases over the length of the word.

Abstract: A method and arrangement for a speech recognition system employs channel bank information to represent speech. The method considers background noise included with the speech. The method includes determining three energy levels for each channel the first representative of background noise energy, the second representative of the input frame energy and the third representative of the word template frame energy. Values representing energy level differentials are assigned at each channel. If the second energy level is less than the first energy level, then a predetermined constant value is assigned at the particular channel. These values are combined to generate a distance measure depicting the similarity between the two frames.

Abstract: The present invention describes a method and arrangement for reducing a sequence of initial frames into a reduced set of representative frames by combining the initial frames into a plurality of representative frames, the combining process including generating a distortion measure associated with each representative frame and comparing each distortion measure to a distortion threshold. From these representative frames, a set of mutually exclusive frames is determined to minimize the number of representative frames, whereby each representative frame in the set represents a unique set of contiguous initial frames and has an associated distortion measure which does not exceed the distortion threshold.