Abstract: An audio coding system encodes and decodes audio signals as a plurality of independent layers of coded audio data. A basic representation of the original audio signal may be reconstructed from decoding of a single layer of coded audio data. However, a more complete representation of the original audio signal is reconstructed by decoding additional layers of coded audio data. The coding system finds application with decoding systems of varying processing power, and in transmission systems having communication channels that are characterized by intermittent transmission errors and/or variable capacity. At an encoding system, an audio signal is broken into a plurality of frequency bands which are filtered, down sampled and independently coded. A decoding system inverts the coding process applied at the encoding system for whatever number of layers that is determined will be decoded.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for protecting user privacy by providing an inaccurate measure of network systems automatically initiates one or more non-user requested accesses to one or more network systems. The data received from the host system corresponding to the one or more non-user requested accesses is then automatically ignored.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for video filtering filters video frames by determining a set of frames to be used to generate a single filtered frame. This set of frames is then combined to generate a single combined image. In one embodiment, proportions of the luminances for each of four fields from two consecutive frames in an NTSC video signal are combined to generate the single combined frame.