Abstract: In one embodiment, a tiled video display is shown on a screen of a display device. The tiled video display includes a plurality of video tiles that each show video content of a different video stream. The video tiles are arranged on the screen according to a tiling layout. A user interface (UI) is shown on a touch sensitive screen of a wireless mobile device separate from the display device. The UI includes a plurality of UI tiles that each correspond to a respective video tile of the tiled video display. The UI tiles are arranged on the virtual display screen according to the tiling layout of the video tiles. In response to a gesture over at least a portion of a particular one of the UI tiles on the touch sensitive screen, a modification is made to both the particular UI tile and a correspond video tile.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an A/V interconnection architecture is provided that includes a TX A/V endpoint that supports native audio and stereo down-mixed audio on separate networks. The TX A/V endpoint outputs native audio over a video network to an RX A/V endpoint coupled to an A/V sink component that is capable of processing or outputting the native audio, and produces a stereo down-mixed version of the native audio which is output over an audio network to an audio system coupled to an audio sink component that is incapable of handling the native audio. In another embodiment, an A/V interconnection architecture is provide that enables expandable surround sound. If the number of audio channels for a type of surround sound is less than or equal to a number of local amplified output channels, surround sound is provided using only local unpowered speakers.

Abstract: An SMS-based human/computer interface that may be applied to a wide variety of tasks. The interface allows a human user to interact with a computer system using SMS messages. The user sends messages to the computer system and receives messages from the computer system in a format that would normally be used for interacting with a human acquaintance. The computer system includes a natural language processor with an associated lexicon of conventional language (such as English words) and SMS-unique language. The language processor determines the user's meaning and the system then generates responses that are appropriate within the present context The computer system includes the ability to bring in a human operator when conditions warrant such an intervention.

Abstract: In one embodiment, graphics frames are received, where each graphics frame includes one or more regions where pixels depict graphics that represent an on screen display (OSD) used to interact with a programmable multimedia controller, and a background region where pixels are set to the one or more predetermined colors. Further, video images are received, where at least some of the video images correspond to the plurality of graphics frames. Mixed images are created by mixing the graphics frames and the corresponding video images, the mixing to, where pixels of the graphics frame are not set to the one more predetermined colors, blend a color of at least some of the pixels of the graphics frame with a color of pixels of a corresponding video image, and, where pixels of the graphics frame are set to the one more predetermined colors, pass pixels of the corresponding video image.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a tiled video display is shown on a screen of a display device. The tiled video display includes a plurality of video tiles that each show video content of a different video stream. The video tiles are arranged on the screen according to a tiling layout. A user interface (UI) is shown on a touch sensitive screen of a wireless mobile device separate from the display device. The UI includes a plurality of UI tiles that each correspond to a respective video tile of the tiled video display. The UI tiles are arranged on the virtual display screen according to the tiling layout of the video tiles. In response to a gesture over at least a portion of a particular one of the UI tiles on the touch sensitive screen, a modification is made to both the particular UI tile and a correspond video tile.

Abstract: In one embodiment, graphics frames are received, where each graphics frame includes one or more regions where pixels depict graphics that represent an on screen display (OSD) used to interact with a programmable multimedia controller, and a background region where pixels are set to the one or more predetermined colors. Further, video images are received, where at least some of the video images correspond to the plurality of graphics frames. Mixed images are created by mixing the graphics frames and the corresponding video images, the mixing to, where pixels of the graphics frame are not set to the one more predetermined colors, blend a color of at least some of the pixels of the graphics frame with a color of pixels of a corresponding video image, and, where pixels of the graphics frame are set to the one more predetermined colors, pass pixels of the corresponding video image.

Abstract: In one embodiment, graphics from a general-purpose computer are mixed with video images from a video source. A first interface receives the graphics, the graphics including a plurality of graphics frames, at least some graphics frames including one or more regions having pixels set to one or more predetermined color values. A second interface receives video images from the video source, each video image corresponding to one of the plurality of graphics frames. A video mixer includes logic configured to recognize pixels in the at least some graphics frames that are set to the one or more predetermined color values, and in the one or more regions where the pixels are set to the one or more predetermined color values to mix pixels from the corresponding video image with the graphics frame, to create a plurality of mixed images. One or more output interfaces outputs the mixed images.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a multimedia control and distribution architecture is provided. A media server/controller generates a plurality of graphics signals, each graphics signal including a separate user interface to be displayed on a particular device, such as a touch screen unit. A universal extender (UVX) coupled to the media server/controller converts and extends the graphics signals for transmission on a plurality of universal transmission pathways. Each of the plurality of devices receives a graphic signal passed thereto, displays graphics embodied in the graphics signals, and accept user input in response to the graphics signal. For example, the one or more touch screen units may accept a user touch and pass a location of the user touch back on a universal transmission pathway to the UVX, for transmission to the media server/controller. The media server/controller generates control commands and provides the control commands.

Abstract: In one embodiment, graphics from a general-purpose computer are mixed with video images from a video source. A first interface receives the graphics, the graphics including a plurality of graphics frames, at least some graphics frames including one or more regions having pixels set to one or more predetermined color values. A second interface receives video images from the video source, each video image corresponding to one of the plurality of graphics frames. A video mixer includes logic configured to recognize pixels in the at least some graphics frames that are set to the one or more predetermined color values, and in the one or more regions where the pixels are set to the one or more predetermined color values to mix pixels from the corresponding video image with the graphics frame, to create a plurality of mixed images. One or more output interfaces outputs the mixed images.

Abstract: In one embodiment, multiple touch screen devices are driven from a graphics signal. A general-purpose computer provides a graphics signal of a particular display resolution. A display segmentor is configured to divide each graphics frame of the graphics signal into a plurality of pixel groups, each pixel group associated with a particular touch screen device of the plurality of touch screen devices. The display segmentor is further configured to generate an individual graphics signal from each pixel group, each individual graphics signal having a display resolution that is lower than the particular display resolution. One or more interfaces transmit each individual graphics signal to a different touch screen device of the plurality of touch screen devices.

Abstract: A system which allows a user to teach a computational device how to perform complex, repetitive tasks that the user usually would perform using the device's graphical user interface (GUI) often but not limited to being a web browser. The system includes software running on a user's computational device. The user “teaches” task steps by inputting natural language and demonstrating actions with the GUI. The system uses a semantic ontology and natural language processing to create an explicit representation of the task that is stored on the computer. After a complete task has been taught, the system is able to automatically execute the task in new situations. Because the task is represented in terms of the ontology and user's intentions, the system is able to adapt to changes in the computer code while still pursuing the objectives taught by the user.

Abstract: A system which allows a user to teach a computational device how to perform complex, repetitive tasks that the user usually would perform using the device's graphical user interface (GUI) often but not limited to being a web browser. The system includes software running on a user's computational device. The user “teaches” task steps by inputting natural language and demonstrating actions with the GUI. The system uses a semantic ontology and natural language processing to create an explicit representation of the task that is stored on the computer. After a complete task has been taught, the system is able to automatically execute the task in new situations. Because the task is represented in terms of the ontology and user's intentions, the system is able to adapt to changes in the computer code while still pursuing the objectives taught by the user.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a multimedia control and distribution architecture is provided. A media server/controller generates a plurality of graphics signals, each graphics signal including a separate user interface to be displayed on a particular device, such as a touch screen unit. A universal extender (UVX) coupled to the media server/controller converts and extends the graphics signals for transmission on a plurality of universal transmission pathways. Each of the plurality of devices receives a graphic signal passed thereto, displays graphics embodied in the graphics signals, and accept user input in response to the graphics signal. For example, the one or more touch screen units may accept a user touch and pass a location of the user touch back on a universal transmission pathway to the UVX, for transmission to the media server/controller. The media server/controller generates control commands and provides the control commands.

Abstract: In one embodiment, multiple touch screen devices are driven from a graphics signal. A general-purpose computer provides a graphics signal of a particular display resolution. A display segmentor is configured to divide each graphics frame of the graphics signal into a plurality of pixel groups, each pixel group associated with a particular touch screen device of the plurality of touch screen devices. The display segmentor is further configured to generate an individual graphics signal from each pixel group, each individual graphics signal having a display resolution that is lower than the particular display resolution. One or more interfaces transmit each individual graphics signal to a different touch screen device of the plurality of touch screen devices.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for providing redundancy for telecommunication switches. A primary telecom switch has an active processing board and a passive I/O board for communicating with external sources, such as a control network and bearer traffic network. A redundant secondary telecom switch has an active processing board and a passive I/O board for communicating with a control network, and is connected to the I/O board of the primary switch through a redundancy connection for communicating with the bearer traffic network. According to the invention, the secondary telecom switch assumes the role of the primary telecom switch in the event that the primary processing board becomes unavailable. The secondary telecom switch then communicates with the bearer traffic network as the master switch through the redundancy connection and the I/O board of the primary switch, thus avoiding the necessity for reconnections and reconfiguration.

Abstract: The switch has a passive section and an active section or tray that may be docked to the passive section. The passive section contains only the physical interfaces to the switch's external data and telephony networks and power input. It is not intended to be a field replaceable unit and is therefore intended to be mounted in a rack system with all of the power and communications cables attached thereto. The telephony and data ports are routed from the passive section to the active section via connectors on the two sections as well as to a redundancy connector on the passive section that may be physically connected by a cable to a slave unit in a redundant application. The active section or tray contains all of the active components of the switch and is inserted via guides into the passive section. The tray is considered a field replaceable unit and can be inserted into and extracted from the passive section while the system is powered up and operational.

Abstract: A telecommunications switch includes a plurality of digital signal processing modules resident on a communications services card, wherein each module includes its own time slot interchange (TSI). Significantly, this allows each digital signal processing module to simultaneously receive all information transmitted from the line cards. In addition, since each digital signal processing module includes its own dedicated TSI and each of these TSIs is connected in parallel to the same TDM bus, one or more TSIs may simultaneously output data onto the TDM bus during a time slot. Advantageously, this allows multiple TSIs to be assigned to the same transmit time slot and mux transmit time slots at the bit level. For example, if a first TSI on the digital signal processing module needs only three bits of an eight bit time slot, and a second TSI needs five or less bits, then both TSIs can be assigned to transmit during the same time slot.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for conferencing two or mores calls in an expandable telecommunications system. The system may include a plurality of nodes connected by an inter-nodal network such that the nodes communicate with each other by exchanging variable-length packets of information. At least one node in the system contains digital signal processing circuitry capable of conferencing the voice information from three or more callers interfaced with the system. Packets containing voice information from each conference participant are preferably transmitted via the inter-nodal network to the node having the requisite digital signal processing circuitry. This node performs a conferencing function on that information, packets the resulting conferenced information and transmits those packets via the inter-nodal network to the nodes interfaced with the conference participants.

Abstract: This invention relates to an object detection system and device for detecting objects located on storage sections, and in particular a lower storage section, of a moving shopping cart. The system and device comprise a detecting means which detects objects on the storage sections of shopping carts when the shopping cart moves into a predetermined position. The detecting means generates a detection signal if an object is detected. The detecting means operates in response to a trigger signal which is sent from a triggering means. The triggering means is operable to sense at least one, and preferably two parts of the shopping cart when the shopping cart moves into the predetermined position. The triggering means sends the triggering signal when it senses the presence of a cart or other body. The preferred triggering embodiment senses three spaced-apart portions of the cart, to minimize erroneous operation of the system by objects other than a cart of predetermined character.