Abstract: A portable wireless system is described. The portable wireless system has a controller that is operable to selectively configure the portable wireless system as a personal electronic appliance or a third party wireless repeater that is configured to relay wireless signals between a third party electronic appliance and a wireless network. Accordingly, the portable wireless system (e.g., a cellular telephone, a pager or a personal digital assistant) may act as a wireless repeater for third party wireless communications when the portable wireless system otherwise is not in use. In this way, the portable wireless system increases the utilization of existing wireless network infrastructures (e.g., a cellular telephone network) by making one or more unused wireless channels available to other devices. A novel incentives-based business model that encourages owners of portable electronic appliances to fully utilize existing wireless network capacity also is described.

Abstract: This disclosure provides a system for remotely communicating with a vehicle and a related business method of targeting promotions to one or more individuals associated with a vehicle. The system includes a wireless device, a security gateway, and an on-board computer coupled to one or more sensors or controls. The wireless device permits reporting of a maintenance event to a central source (e.g., a dealer, manufacturer or their delegee) or to a promoter that can target promotions based on the particular maintenance event. Preferably, the vehicle is equipped with software that automatically and unsolicitedly identifies maintenance event and notifies the dealer, manufacturer, delegee or a promoter. It is this third party that then notifies the vehicle owner (or other individual associated with a vehicle identification number) of the maintenance event, that identifies local product or service providers in the individual's vicinity, and that provides targeted promotions to the individual.

Abstract: A method and system for an inexpensive wireless imaging are provided which allows a user to take hands-free video or still-picture images. An imaging system includes a mask adapted to be worn by a user having a viewing area covered by a faceplate, an imaging subsystem which is mounted on the mask and adjacent to the faceplate, and an image storage system which is positioned outside the mask in close proximity to the user. The imaging subsystem is adapted to capture images positioned in front of the faceplate. The image storage system is operatively connected to the imaging subsystem by wireless communication and is capable of storing the images and instantly replaying the images for viewing by the user.

Abstract: In a MPEG or other video system, a “region map” is preferably defined in header information for each frame which indicates for each independently coded region in the frame which “image slices” contain data for that region. Using a system of globally and locally defined regions (region groups), the map permits automatic identification of an object through multiple frames (notwithstanding movement) and for select decoding and extraction of that object only, without necessarily decoding all irrelevant image data. An edited region can be re-inserted into the original encoded bit stream in place of the extracted data using minimal computational resources.

Abstract: Automated physical access control systems and methods are described. In one aspect, an access control system includes an object detector, a token reader, and an access controller. The object detector is configured to detect persons present within a detection area. The token reader is configured to interrogate tokens present within a token reader area. The access controller is configured to receive signals from the object detector and the token reader. The access controller is configured to compute one or more characteristics linking persons and tokens based upon signals received from the object detector and the token reader and to determine whether detected persons are carrying permissioned tokens based upon the one or more computed characteristics linking persons and tokens.

Abstract: Methods and devices providing portability of computer resources are described. Profile information associated with a user is received. The profile information is for configuring a device in a configuration particular to the user. The profile information is transferable to different devices, so that the configuration is substantially reproducible on the different devices. Access to selected software resident on the device is permitted according to the profile information. Access to other, selected software not resident on the device but residing on a source external to the device is also permitted according to the profile information.

Abstract: This disclosure provides a compression system for edited images which have previously been compressed. The preferred system uses software to track and determine the nature of edits made to each image frame. Each image frame is divided into spatial regions, and codes defining the nature of changes are then stored in a set of tables called the “registry of edits.” When it is time to compress images for output, re-compression software interrogates the registry to determine whether spatial regions in the frame has been altered in a manner that undermines the integrity of the original compression data. For example, if a compressed image signal is modified in the spatial domain to add the logo of a local television station, most of each image frame will remain unchanged and the original motion vectors and residuals (or other compressed representation) from an input signal may be re-used, thereby saving substantial processing time and minimizing introduction of additional quantization errors.

Abstract: A portable wireless system is described. The portable wireless system has a controller that is operable to selectively configure the portable wireless system as a personal electronic appliance or a third party wireless repeater that is configured to relay wireless signals between a third party electronic appliance and a wireless network. Accordingly, the portable wireless system (e.g., a cellular telephone, a pager or a personal digital assistant) may act as a wireless repeater for third party wireless communications when the portable wireless system otherwise is not in use. In this way, the portable wireless system increases the utilization of existing wireless network infrastructures (e.g., a cellular telephone network) by making one or more unused wireless channels available to other devices. A novel incentives-based business model that encourages owners of portable electronic appliances to fully utilize existing wireless network capacity also is described.

Abstract: In a MPEG or other video coding system, regions of each frame may be independently coded for later, independent extraction or processing directly from a compressed bit stream. An encoder/transcoder receives raw video, standard compressed video or compressed video already having independently coded regions (“ICRs”) that are to be edited in some manner. The encoder/transcoder permits user creation of regions, and provides automatic tracking features to identify and select those objects or regions through multiple frames (notwithstanding object movement). The encoder/transcoder re-uses as much compressed input data as is available in generating an output, and so, may be used for real-time encoding and editing processes. To this effect, the encoder/transcoder re-uses original bit stream data as well as original or new motion vector data in compiling an output, or any mix of them as appropriate.

Abstract: A wireless communication system is disclosed for communicating via a broadcast signal and a dedicated telephone connection. A remote wireless device has a broadcast receiver for receiving a locally broadcast signal from a broadcast unit. The device can be a cellular telephone with a local access function. The continuously looping signal can be transmitted for local access only (e.g., within a building) and contains a start signal, display information, and command information for a plurality of for a plurality of related, hierarchical menus. A broadcast receiver processing unit of the device converts the signal into one or more text menus for display on the wireless device. The menus may be navigated using an input device, and various branches within the hierarchical menu structure can be used to enable wireless users to focus in on items of interest.

Abstract: This disclosure provides a system for remotely communicating with a vehicle including a wireless device, a security gateway, an on-board computer coupled to one or more sensors or controls, and a web interface that provides for graphical interface between the vehicle and a remote individual. More particularly, a vehicle owner uses the Internet to directly communicate with the vehicle and, using this linkage, can monitor vehicle status (e.g., oil level and quality), read vehicle statistics such as odometer reading and interrogate other sensors as sampled by the on-board computer. Preferably, the owner can also change security functions such as door lock, alarm on, ignition kill “on,” and similar functions using this web interface.

Abstract: This disclosure provides a block-based compression system which uses a variable size search window, to thereby substantially reduce the time required for compression. In a MPEG-2 system, square tiles are processed left to right in rows, beginning at the top of a frame and finishing at the bottom. The absolute value of pixel differences for already-processed “northwest,” “north,” “northeast” and “west” neighbor tiles are separately summed and compared to a threshold. If any of the sums exceeds the threshold or if any of the neighbor tiles are unavailable (e.g., the tile under consideration is in the top row or the left-most column), then a maximum size search window is used to determine the tile's “closest match” in a prior image frame and the associated motion vector. If none of the exceed the threshold, then a relatively smaller size search window is used.

Abstract: This disclosure provides a block-based compression system which uses a variable size search window, to thereby substantially reduce the time required for compression. In a MPEG-2 system, square tiles are processed left to right in rows, beginning at the top of a frame and finishing at the bottom. The absolute value of pixel differences for already-processed "northwest," "north," "northeast" and "west" neighbor tiles are separately summed and compared to a threshold. If any of the sums exceeds the threshold or if any of the neighbor tiles are unavailable (e.g., the tile under consideration is in the top row or the left-most column), then a maximum size search window is used to determine the tile's "closest match" in a prior image frame and the associated motion vector. If none of the exceed the threshold, then a relatively smaller size search window is used. The size of the smaller window is selected in dependence upon the motion vectors for the neighbor tiles, e.g.

Abstract: This disclosure provides a multiple chip assembly where multiple chips are stacked on top of one another using relatively low melting temperature solder balls. Preferably, the chips (either packages or flip chip attachment) are each mounted to a substrate which is larger in lateral surface area than the associated chip. Each substrate thus has a free area, not masked by the chip, which is utilized to mount a vertically-adjacent substrate. Within this free area, solder balls connect the substrates to provide for vertical logic bus propagation through the assembly and vertical heat dissipation. The solder balls are made to have a relatively low melting temperature, permitting interconnection between chip/substrate layers without affecting connection between chip and substrate or with an intervening carrier.