Abstract: Apparatus, methods, systems and computer program products are disclosed that optimize the application of deferred image operations on a tiled source image. The invention dynamically creates a data structure (such as a directed acyclic graph (DAG)) representing the operations performed on various instances of one or more images to create a final image. The invention analyzes the data structure to determine which source image tiles are needed when the actual image data comprising the final image is required. Each of these tiles are then separately processed by all of the deferred operations to create the final image data. This approach reduces the number of times a tile is read into memory for processing and improves the performance of deferred image operations on a tiled source image.

Abstract: Apparatus, methods, and computer program products are disclosed that improve the performance of multi-threaded computer applications that use objects (within an object collection) which require exclusive thread access. The invention monitors interrelationships between the objects in the object collection and provides mechanisms to lock the minimal set of these objects for the exclusive thread access. When these objects are locked, independent or unrelated objects are left unlocked and can, in turn, be locked by other threads. Because a minimal set of objects are locked other threads that access the object collection are less likely to be blocked by the lock. Thus, these other threads are more likely to be able to simultaneously access objects in the object collection.

Abstract: Apparatus, methods and computer program products are disclosed that allows a thread-unaware routine that accesses an operation-dependent temporary data structure to be shared by multiple threads in a multi-threaded computing environment. The programmer for an operation provides three routines—a pre-processing routine, a operation routine, and a post-processing routine. The pre-processing routine allocates the operation-dependent temporary data structure. The operation routine accesses the operation-dependent temporary data structure to perform its operation for each thread that invokes the operation routine. The post-processing routine deallocates the operation-dependent temporary data structure when it is no longer needed.

Abstract: According to one aspect the invention, a panoramic imaging arrangement is provided which includes at least a first lens block including a convex reflective surface and a transparent component. The convex reflective surface has a substantially vertically extending axis of revolution and is capable of receiving light from a 360° surrounding panoramic scene, and reflecting the light for further manipulation. The transparent component covers the convex reflective surface. The convex reflective surface is thereby protected from environmental conditions which may otherwise result in damage to the convex reflective surface.

Abstract: According to one aspect the invention, a panoramic imaging arrangement is provided which includes at least a first lens block including a convex reflective surface and a transparent component. The convex reflective surface has a substantially vertically extending axis of revolution and is capable of receiving light from a 360° surrounding panoramic scene, and reflecting the light for further manipulation. The transparent component covers the convex reflective surface. The convex reflective surface is thereby protected from environmental conditions which may otherwise result in damage to the convex reflective surface.

Abstract: According to one aspect the invention, a panoramic imaging arrangement is provided which includes at least a first lens block including a convex reflective surface and a transparent component. The convex reflective surface has a substantially vertically extending axis of revolution and is capable of receiving light from a 360° surrounding panoramic scene, and reflecting the light for further manipulation. The transparent component covers the convex reflective surface. The convex reflective surface is thereby protected from environmental conditions which may otherwise result in damage to the convex reflective surface.

Abstract: Apparatus, methods, and computer program products are disclosed for reducing the overhead associated with performing area-image operations on a tiled image. The invention detects when an area-image operation, that uses a source pixel contribution map, requires pixel values from one or more adjacent tiles. The invention also generates a list of boxes that represent pixel image information. These boxes are split with respect to the image edges and the tile edges within the image. The split boxes are used to direct memory buffer allocation for cobbled portions of the image and to leave the majority of the tile's pixel information to be operated on within memory buffer holding the tile. Thus, the invention provides a mechanism to assemble image data that crosses tile edges without copying major portions of the tile from one memory buffer to another.

Abstract: Apparatus, methods and computer program products provide for searching a data structure to extract possible matches of one or more known patterns that may exist in the data structure through a single traversal of the data structure. The apparatus methods and computer program products use a direction list tree that represents the known patterns that may exist in the data structure. The apparatus, methods and computer program products detect known patterns by gathering marker information from edge nodes that define the known patterns and then, at each pattern termination node, determines which known patterns have been found. These known patterns can then be processed.

Abstract: Apparatus, methods, and computer program products are disclosed that improve the performance of multi-threaded computer applications that use objects (within an object collection) which require exclusive thread access. The invention monitors interrelationships between the objects in the object collection and provides mechanisms to lock the minimal set of these objects for the exclusive thread access. When these objects are locked, independent or unrelated objects are left unlocked and can, in turn, be locked by other threads. Because a minimal set of objects are locked other threads that access the object collection are less likely to be blocked by the lock. Thus, these other threads are more likely to be able to simultaneously access objects in the object collection.

Abstract: A novel B tree data structure is taught and implemented for use in conjunction with a tertiary storage system. The tertiary storage system utilizes three levels of memory hierarchy: primary memory, such as RAM; read-write secondary storage, such as disk memory; and lower speed, and less expensive mass storage, for example a CD-ROM. A novel B tree is utilized to access data stored in two or more types of memory, such as a CD-ROM memory and a disk drive memory, and adapts for the provision of updated data stored on the hard disk which either replaces or supplements data stored on the CD-ROM. The B tree includes, for each data bucket, a pointer for both a CD-ROM and a disk drive location, and are, in certain embodiments, used in conjunction with a bit mask to indicate the presence of valid data in a first one of the memories, such as CD-ROM, and, if desired, a bloom filter associated with data stored in the second memory type, such as a magnetic disk, in order to speed accesses.