Abstract: A fuel-less and battery-less cigarette lighter is a manually powered lighter that operates without the use of fuel. The lighter includes a super capacitor (low voltage, very high capacitance) that is discharged into a resistance. This resistance then becomes hot enough to light a cigarette or cigar upon contact. The super capacitor is charged by means of a mechanical system, such as the user winding or squeezing the lighter and a micro generator. After charging, a switch allows the capacitor to discharge into the resistance.

Abstract: Described is a technology in which video shots are clustered based upon the location at which the shots were captured. A global energy function is optimized, including a first term that computes clusters so as to be reasonably dense and well connected, to match the possible shots that are captured at a location, e.g., based on similarity scores between pairs of shots. A second term is a temporal prior that encourages subsequent shots to be placed in the same cluster. The shots may be represented as nodes of a minimum spanning tree having edges with weights that are based on the similarity score between the shots represented by their respective nodes. Agglomerative clustering is performed by selecting pairs of available clusters, merging the pairs and keeping the pair with the lowest cost. Clusters are iteratively merged until a stopping criterion or criteria is met (e.g., only a single cluster remains).

Abstract: A process for compressing and decompressing non-keyframes in sequential sets of contemporaneous video frames making up multiple video streams where the video frames in a set depict substantially the same scene from different viewpoints. Each set of contemporaneous video frames has a plurality frames designated as keyframes with the remaining being non-keyframes. In one embodiment, the non-keyframes are compressed using a multi-directional spatial prediction technique. In another embodiment, the non-keyframes of each set of contemporaneous video frames are compressed using a combined chaining and spatial prediction compression technique. The spatial prediction compression technique employed can be a single direction technique where just one reference frame, and so one chain, is used to predict each non-keyframe, or it can be a multi-directional technique where two or more reference frames, and so chains, are used to predict each non-keyframe.

Abstract: Described herein are various technologies for generating descriptors for image patches. An image patch can be received, and gradients of pixels in the image patch can be determined. The gradients are normalized based upon an average magnitude of the gradients in a local spatial region with respect to a given pixel under consideration. A four-dimensional histogram is defined that takes into consideration pixel orientation, and normalized gradients are selectively assigned to bins of the histogram. The bins are binarized as a function of a number of gradients assigned thereto, and the binarized bins can be utilized as a descriptor for the image patch.

Abstract: A system and method for calculating data representative of at least one intermediary transition image between a first image and a second image in the encoded domain is disclosed. Cinematic transitions can be created between encoded still images and frames from video sequences. For each corresponding location within the first and second image, a transform coded value is calculated for the at least one intermediary image using the transform encoded data of the first and second images without transform decoding the transform encoded data. The transform coded values can be fully encoded using a compression protocol and transmitted to a device for decoding and display of the cinematic transition.

Abstract: A two-dimensional blur kernel is computed for a digital image by first estimating a sharp image from the digital image. The sharp image is derived from the digital image by sharpening at least portions of the digital image. The two-dimensional blur function is computed by minimizing an optimization algorithm that estimates the blur function.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for acceleration techniques for improved image remoting. A rolling 2D hash of a first image sent to a client is computed. When the server has a second image to send to the client, it calculates a rolling 2D hash of the new image. It also calculates “pivot points” for the images based on the rolling 2D hashes. Based on the pivot points, it determines possible matching hash windows between the two images that correspond to window moves or scrolls. Where a match is confirmed, it determines whether a “larger” a larger matching rectangle exists between the two images. It then instructs the client to display the matching rectangle that exists in the first image that the client has in the appropriate location in the second image, thereby saving the bandwidth requirements to re-transmit it to the client.

Abstract: Systems, methods and computer-readable storage media are disclosed for accelerating bitmap remoting by extracting patterns from source bitmaps. A server takes a source image, and performs an edge-detection operation on it. From this edge-detected image, connected segments of the image are determined by executing multiple iterations of a small operation upon the image in parallel—for instance, by assigning each non-white pixel a unique value, then assigning each pixel the minimum value among itself and its neighbors until no pixel is assigned a new value in an iteration. Executing these operations in parallel greatly reduces the time required to identify the connected segments. When the segments are identified, they may be cached by the client so that they do not need to be re-sent to the client when re-encountered by the server.

Abstract: Systems, methods and computer-readable storage media are disclosed for accelerating bitmap remoting by extracting non-grid tiles from source bitmaps. A server takes a source image, identifies possibly repetitive features, and tiles the image. For each tile that contains part of a possibly repetitive feature, the server replaces that part with the dominant color of the tile. The system then sends to a client a combination of new tiles and features, and indications to tiles and features that the client has previously received and stored, along with an indication of how to recreate the image based on the tiles and features.

Abstract: A local bi-gram model object recognition system and method for constructing a local bi-gram model and using the model to recognize objects in a query image. In a learning phase, the local bi-gram model is constructed that represents objects found in a set of training images. The local bi-gram model is a local spatial model that only models the relationship of neighboring features without any knowledge of their global context. Object recognition is performed by finding a set of matching primitives in the query image. A tree structure of matching primitives is generated and a search is performed to find a tree structure of matching primitives that obeys the local bi-gram model. The local bi-gram model can be found using unsupervised learning. The system and method also can be used to recognize objects unsupervised that are undergoing non-rigid transformations for both object instance recognition and category recognition.

Abstract: The invention discloses 990 novel phosphorylation sites identified in carcinoma and leukemia, peptides (including AQUA peptides) comprising a phosphorylation site of the invention, antibodies specifically bind to a novel phosphorylation site of the invention, and diagnostic and therapeutic uses of the above.

Abstract: A method results in a system configuration wherein positioning a plurality of spargers reduces noise levels caused by fluid passing through the plurality of spargers. The method includes providing the plurality of spargers, each sparger having a center line access and an outer diameter measurement. Each of the plurality of spargers is positioned in a manner such that a ratio of the distance between the center line access of each sparger to the outer diameter measurement of each sparger is greater than a pre-determined ratio value. A greater ratio results in a reduction of noise emitted.

Abstract: Described is a user interface that displays a representation of a stereo scene, and includes interactive mechanisms for changing parameter values that determine the perceived appearance of that scene. The scene is modeled as if viewed from above, including a representation of a viewer's eyes, a representation of a viewing screen, and an indication simulating what each of the viewer eyes perceives on the viewing screen. Variable parameters may include a vergence parameter, a dolly parameter, a field-of-view parameter, an interocular parameter and a proscenium arch parameter.

Abstract: Described is a technology in which video shots are clustered based upon the location at which the shots were captured. A global energy function is optimized, including a first term that computes clusters so as to be reasonably dense and well connected, to match the possible shots that are captured at a location, e.g., based on similarity scores between pairs of shots. A second term is a temporal prior that encourages subsequent shots to be placed in the same cluster. The shots may be represented as nodes of a minimum spanning tree having edges with weights that are based on the similarity score between the shots represented by their respective nodes. Agglomerative clustering is performed by selecting pairs of available clusters, merging the pairs and keeping the pair with the lowest cost. Clusters are iteratively merged until a stopping criterion or criteria is met (e.g., only a single cluster remains).

Abstract: A client device receives a broadcast content signal containing an interactive identifier over a managed network at a client device. The interactive identifier may be a trigger that is included in a header or embedded within the digital video data. The trigger may have a temporal component, wherein the trigger can expire after a certain period of time. In response to identification of the trigger, the client device sends a user request for interactive content over an unmanaged network. For example, the managed network may be a one-way satellite television network, IP-television network or cable television network and the unmanaged network may be the Internet. The client device switches between receiving data from the managed network to receiving data from the unmanaged network.

Abstract: The stereo movie editing technique described herein combines knowledge of both multi-view stereo algorithms and human depth perception. The technique creates a digital editor, specifically for stereographic cinema. The technique employs an interface that allows intuitive manipulation of the different parameters in a stereo movie setup, such as camera locations and screen position. Using the technique it is possible to reduce or enhance well-known stereo movie effects such as cardboarding and miniaturization. The technique also provides new editing techniques such as directing the user's attention and easier transitions between scenes.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for creating in the encoded domain one or more video frames from a compressed still video image wherein image content in the created video frames is translated in location by panning or scrolling or a combination thereof on a non-block basis (i.e. pixel-level). A new block formed from portions of two other blocks is created by processing the original two blocks with identity matrices based upon the shift amount. By performing the creation process in the encoded domain processing power requirements are reduced and image quality is increased.

Abstract: A system and process for compressing and decompressing multiple video streams depicting substantially the same dynamic scene from different viewpoints that from a grid of viewpoints. Each frame in each contemporaneous set of video frames of the multiple streams is represented by at least a two layers—a main layer and a boundary layer. Compression of the main layers involves first designating one or more of these layers in each set of contemporaneous frames as keyframes. For each set of contemporaneous frames in time sequence order, the main layer of each keyframe is compressed using an inter-frame compression technique. In addition, the main layer of each non-keyframe within the frame set under consideration is compressed using a spatial prediction compression technique. Finally, the boundary layers of each frame in the current frame set are each compressed using an intra-frame compression technique. Decompression is generally the reverse of the compression process.

Abstract: Described are techniques for image deconvolution to deblur an image given a blur kernel. Localized color statistics derived from the image to be deblurred serve as a prior constraint during deconvolution. A pixel's color is formulated as a linear combination of the two most prevalent colors within a neighborhood of the pixel. This may be repeated for many or all pixels in an image. The linear combinations of the pixels serve as a two-color prior for deconvolving the blurred image. The two-color prior is responsive to the content of the image and it may decouple edge sharpness from edge strength.

Abstract: A client device receives a broadcast content signal containing an interactive identifier over a managed network at a client device. The interactive identifier may be a trigger that is included in a header or embedded within the digital video data. The trigger may have a temporal component, wherein the trigger can expire after a certain period of time. In response to identification of the trigger, the client device sends a user request for interactive content over an unmanaged network. For example, the managed network may be a one-way satellite television network, IP-television network or cable television network and the unmanaged network may be the Internet. The client device switches between receiving data from the managed network to receiving data from the unmanaged network.