Abstract: A system and method for associating users with a micro-community that is relevant to an object reference. The object reference is anything that can be perceived either physically or conceptually, such as a location, a document, a calendar entry, a document, a news feed, a biometric key, an image, a news feed, etc. A micro-community engine identifies users who are associated explicitly with the object reference as well as people who would be interested in the object implicitly and associates them with a micro-community. The micro-community engine provides an intuitive and flexible means for communication between members of the micro-community.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method includes generating a metric for a first user that reflects preferences for image attributes, determining image attributes for a first set of images associated with a second user, selecting a subset of the first set of images for the first user based on the metric and the image attributes for the first set of images, and providing the subset of the first set of images to the first user.

Abstract: A system and method for associating users with a micro-community that is relevant to an object reference. The object reference is anything that can be perceived either physically or conceptually, such as a location, a document, a calendar entry, a document, a news feed, a biometric key, an image, a news feed, etc. A micro-community engine identifies users who are associated explicitly with the object reference as well as people who would be interested in the object implicitly and associates them with a micro-community. The micro-community engine provides an intuitive and flexible means for communication between members of the micro-community.

Abstract: A system and method for associating users with a micro-community that is relevant to an object reference. The object reference is anything that can be perceived either physically or conceptually, such as a location, a document, a calendar entry, a document, a news feed, a biometric key, an image, a news feed, etc. A micro-community engine identifies users who are associated explicitly with the object reference as well as people who would be interested in the object implicitly and associates them with a micro-community. The micro-community engine provides an intuitive and flexible means for communication between members of the micro-community.

Abstract: A method for querying a surveillance database stores videos and events acquired by cameras and detectors in an environment. Each event includes a time at which the event was detected. The videos are indexed according to the events. A query specifies a spatial and temporal context. The database is searched for events that match the spatial and temporal context of the query, and only segment of the videos that correlate with the matching events are displayed.

Abstract: A method of establishing a communications link uses automatic sensing of a computer user's presence and activity state to record user attributes in a form accessible to other computers in a communications network. Such automatic sensing may include keyboard/mouse monitors, cameras with associated image processing algorithms, speech detectors, RF radiation detectors, and infrared sensors. Preferably, the attribute recording is done in a server process which can be accessed by other computer programs. A first application of this method is to inform persons at remote locations whether the party to be called is available to receive a call. A second application of the method is to use a Connection Agent to determine whether all desired participants for a conference, or at least a quorum of them, are present and available, so that the conference can be started.

Abstract: Binary motion events are detected by individual motion sensors placed in a physical environment. The motions events are transmitted to a cluster leader, each motion detector being a cluster leader of immediately spatially adjacent motion sensors. Movements of objects are detected by the cluster leaders according to the motion events. The movements are transmitted to supercluster leaders, each motion detector being a supercluster leader of immediately spatially adjacent motion clusters of sensors. Activities of the objects are detected by the supercluster leaders, and actions of the objects are detected according to the activities.

Abstract: A method and apparatus acquires images of a scene with an omni-directional imager and a pan-tilt-zoom imager. A relationship between pixels in the input image and locations in the scene is expressed in terms of polar coordinates. An event is detected in the input images and the omni-directional pan-tilt-zoom camera is directed at the event in the scene using the relationship expressed in the polar coordinates.

Abstract: A surveillance system detects events in an environment. The system includes a camera arranged in the environment, and multiple context sensors arranged in the environment. The sensors are configured to detect events in the environment. A processor is coupled to the camera and the context sensors via a network. The processor provides the camera with actions based only on the events detected by the context sensors. The actions cause the camera to view the detected events.

Abstract: A computer implemented method models a scene in a video acquired by a camera. For each pixel in each frame of the video, a time series of intensities of the pixel is acquired. A harmonic series is extracted from samples of each time series using a sliding window. Distances between the harmonic series are measured. The distances are an estimate of spectral components in an autocorrelation function of underlying dynamic processes in the scene.

Abstract: A method determines temporal patterns in data sequences. A hierarchical tree of nodes is constructed. Each node in the tree is associated with a composite hidden Markov model, in which the composite hidden Markov model has one independent path for each child node of a parent node of the hierarchical tree. The composite hidden Markov models are trained using training data sequences. The composite hidden Markov models associated with the nodes of the hierarchical tree are decomposed into a single final composite Markov model. The single final composite hidden Markov model can then be employed for determining temporal patterns in unknown data sequences.

Abstract: A method models movement of users in an environment including sensors connected in a network. Events due to movement of the users are detected at the sensors and each event is labeled according to a particular sensor and time of the event. The events for each sensor are summed into a corresponding histogram time interval bin. A plurality of co-occurrence matrices are generated from the histograms according to C i , j , ? = ? t = 0 T ? ? ? H i , t ? H j , t + ? , where i and j represent each possible pair of sensors, ? represent time-off-sets, T is a total time for the detecting, t represents a particular time, and H represents the histogram time interval bins. The co-occurrence matrices can be used to determine a geometry of the network, and for predicting future activities signaled by terminating events.

Abstract: A single cable inter-facility link is provided using an IDU-ODU telemetry interface employing an encoder in the status transmit circuitry and in the control transmit circuitry which encodes the appropriate data by integrating Manchester encoding, a preamble and postamble, and on-off keying to create a unique data packet scheme which is compatible with any existing inter-facility link protocol and which does not interfere with the DC power or normal data traffic. Together with a simple receiver structure implementing an adaptive threshold detector that decodes the telemetry data, any kind of information can be communicated between the IDU and ODU over a single cable. Control of the ODU by the IDU via a bi-directional half-duplex or full-duplex telemetry interface allows the IDU to control the ODU settings.

Abstract: A water-absorbent wrap for power cables, communication cables, and like cables includes a calendered, single layer nonwoven formed of a carded mixture of super water-absorbent fibers and cohesive carrier fibers. The calendered nonwoven is characterized by a thickness of not more than 2.0 mm, a basis weight of not more than 200 gsm, a swelling height of at least 3 mm, a swelling speed of at least 1 mm/1st min., and a tensile strength of at least 20 N/5 cm.