Abstract: Currently data transmission over the Internet between two client computers where both client computers are protected by firewalls is problematic, since firewalls block incoming packets. A method is provided for permitting packet based data transmission between a first client computer C1 protected by a first NAPT or NAT firewall and a second client computer C2 protected by a second NAPT or NAT firewall to traverse the first and the second firewalls. The method can also be applied to other devices, such as routers, using NAT or NAPT.

Abstract: A method and system for providing location information is provided wherein the sender of a message sends a location ID with the message, after obtaining the location ID from a location server. The location ID includes the location information relating to the sender and the sender's IP address. On receipt of the location ID, the message recipient sends it to a location server, which responds with the location information relating to the sender.

Abstract: Currently data transmission over the Internet between two client computers where both client computers are protected by firewalls is problematic, since firewalls block incoming packets. A method is provided for identifying the firewalls protecting a first client computer C1 protected by a first NAPT or NAT firewall and a second client computer C2 protected by a second NAPT or NAT firewall and allowing communications between the computers to traverse the first and the second firewalls.

Abstract: Currently data transmission over the Internet between two client computers where both client computers are protected by firewalls is problematic, since firewalls block incoming packets. A method is provided for identifying the firewalls protecting a first client computer C1 protected by a first NAPT or NAT firewall and a second client computer C2 protected by a second NAPT or NAT firewall and allowing communications between the computers to traverse the first and the second firewalls.

Abstract: Currently data transmission over the Internet between two client computers where both client computers are protected by firewalls is problematic, since firewalls block incoming packets. A method is provided for permitting packet based data transmission between a first client computer C1 protected by a first NAPT or NAT firewall and a second client computer C2 protected by a second NAPT or NAT firewall to traverse the first and the second firewalls. The method can also be applied to other devices, such as routers, using NAT or NAPT.

Abstract: Over a poor quality network, interactive computer animation displayed at the client terminal may be jittery due delays in processing the animation at the client. The present invention therefore provides a method for improving interactive animation over a computer network having a client and a server, comprising: a) forming a queue of server messages at the client; b) adding received server messages to the queue; c) calculating the minimum deadline of the server messages in the queue; d) calculating the time required to play all the currently queued animations; and e) if the time required to play all the currently queued animations is greater than the minimum deadline of the server messages in the queue, accelerating the animation.

Abstract: A method of encoding an input video signal for communication over a computer network, the method comprising the steps of: i) applying a three-dimensional wavelet-based temporal and spatial decomposition to produce a plurality of spatio-temporal subbands; ii) quantizing the coefficients of the spatio-temporal subbands with a uniform scalar quantizer to produce a significance map; and iii) ran-length and adaptive arithmetic coding of the signal by encoding the significance map, encoding the signs of all significant coefficients, and encoding the magnitudes of significant coefficients, in bit-plane order starting with the most significant bit-plane.

Abstract: A method of encoding an input video signal for communication over a computer network, the method comprising the steps of: i) dividing each frame into a two-dimensional array of macroblocks; ii) detecting motion between each macroblock of a current frame and the corresponding macroblock of a previous frame, and coding only those macroblocks where motion is detected; iii) replacing all coefficients of non-coded macroblocks with zero coefficients; iv) applying discrete cosine transformation to coded macroblocks; v) reorganizing coefficients into a multi-resolution representation; vi) quantizing the coefficients with a uniform scalar quantizer to produce a significance map; and vii) adaptive arithmetic coding of said signal by encoding the motion information, encoding the significance map, encoding the signs of all significant coefficients, and encoding the magnitudes of significant coefficients, in bit-plane order starting with the most significant bit.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and a system for sending multicast information to a user. The present uses agents, network programs, that reside on multicast-enabled computers. The agents receive multicast data packets sent to members of a multicast group. The agents repackage the multicast information into a unicast data packet and forward the unicast data packet to a client registered with the agent. The agent may maintain a list of clients for whom it provides service along with information on the multicast group(s) from which the client wants to receive information. Clients may register with an agent by sending a join message. In one embodiment of the present invention, the join message is sent to a source server, another computer program, that handles the assignment of clients to agents. The source server may maintain and/or generate information concerning client/agent pairings that may be used in the assignment process.

Abstract: Over a poor quality network, interactive computer animation displayed at the client terminal may be jittery due delays in processing the animation at the client. The present invention therefore provides a method for improving interactive animation over a computer network having a client and a server, comprising: a) forming a queue of server messages at the client; b) adding received server messages to the queue; c) calculating the minimum deadline of the server messages in the queue; d) calculating the time required to play all the currently queued animations; and e) if the time required to play all the currently queued animations is greater than the minimum deadline of the server messages in the queue, accelerating the animation.