Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for driving a display device by a display system is provided. The display system includes a processor, a first display controller, a second display controller and the display device. The first display controller receives display frames that are sent by the processor. The first display controller drives the display device when the processor sends new display frames. When the same display frames are continually sent by the processor, the control of the display device is switched to the second display controller, which is optimized for low-power operation. The control of the display device is switched in proximity to an input vertical synchronization (V-sync) pulse.

Abstract: A dual compression voice recordation non-repudiation system provides a voice recognition system that compresses voice samples for two purposes: voice recognition and human communication. The user navigates through menus displayed to a user through a television set using both voice commands and button presses on a remote control. The invention accepts voice samples from the remote control and compresses the voice sample for voice recognition while a copy of the voice sample is stored on a storage device. Compressed voice samples are sent to a Voice Engine that performs voice recognition on the voice sample to verify if it is from an authorized user from the consumer's household and determines the action required. If the command is to form a contractual agreement or make a purchase, the Voice Engine determines the merchant server that is appropriate for the action and sends the action request to the server.

Abstract: A thin electronic reader device is provided. The electronic reader device may have a reduced thickness. The device may comprise a top case housing having a front side and a back side. The device may also comprise a bottom case housing having a front side and a back side. The front side of the bottom case housing may be removably attached to the back side of the top case housing. The device may further comprise an electronic paper display nested within the top case housing. The electronic paper display may be adapted to display viewable images. The device may additionally comprise an interactive screen that may be affixed to the front side of the top case housing. The interactive screen may be adapted to overlie the electronic paper display.

Abstract: A method and system of speech recognition presented by a back channel from multiple user sites within a network supporting cable television and/or video delivery is disclosed.

Abstract: Traditional techniques for data reception in burst-mode receivers are of significant complexity. To aid detection, most burst-mode systems transmit a preamble, or predetermined data pattern, at the start of each new block of data. Using current methods, the detection of a new preamble, indicating the arrival of a new burst of data, is particularly complex. A method and apparatus is disclosed that significantly reduces this detection complexity, while maintaining superior signaling performance. This simplification can lead to higher data throughput within processing-limited receivers, and/or a greater degree of parallelism in multiple channel receivers.

Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for driving a display device by a display system is provided. The display system includes a processor, a first display controller, a second display controller and the display device. The first display controller receives display frames that are sent by the processor. The first display controller drives the display device when the processor sends new display frames. When the same display frames are continually sent by the processor, the control of the display device is switched to the second display controller, which is optimized for low-power operation. The control of the display device is switched in proximity to an input vertical synchronization (V-sync) pulse.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for remotely processing voice commands for controlling a television. A voice command is uttered by a user into a microphone contained in a remote control. The voice command is digitized, modulated, compressed, and wirelessly transmitted to a wireless receiver connected to a set-top box. The voice command is then transmitted to a cable head-end unit for voice and word recognition processing. Once the command function is determined, the function is transmitted back to the set-top box where the set-top box performs the command. The microphone is activated and deactivated by pressing and releasing a push-to-talk (PTT) switch. The PTT activates other functions by being turned, double-clicked and toggled up and down, left and right.

Abstract: A method and system of speech recognition presented by a back channel from multiple user sites within a network supporting cable television and/or video delivery is disclosed. The preferred embodiment of the invention comprises ans system and method of using a back channel containing a multiplicity of identified speech channels from a multiplicity of user sites presented to a speech processing system at a wireline node in a network that supports at least one of cable television delivery and video delivery.

Abstract: In the preferred embodiment of the invention, an output clock synchronizes an output CPU with an n-way demultiplexer to allow the demultiplexer to know which output is which. To do so, the invention provides a synchronization scheme in which a synchronization string is always written to channel zero before the output is allowed to be clocked. Once synchronization is established, each channel has its own word-length output buffer. Thus, each time the clock sends out a signal, a new word is put into the output buffer, unless it happens to be for channel zero which does not need a memory.

Abstract: A method and processor architecture that implements the delivery of compressed digital video and audio content over a broadband network is disclosed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for remotely processing voice commands for controlling a television. A voice command is uttered by a user into a microphone contained in a remote control. The voice command is digitized, modulated, compressed, and wirelessly transmitted to a wireless receiver connected to a set-top box. The voice command is then transmitted to a cable head-end unit for voice and word recognition processing. Once the command function is determined, the function is transmitted back to the set-top box where the set-top box performs the command. The microphone is activated and deactivated by pressing and releasing a push-to-talk (PTT) switch. The PTT activates other functions by being turned, double-clicked and toggled up and down, left and right.

Abstract: An interactive voice control application for an interactive digital television system needs greater than the typical bandwidth provided in the digital interactive television system return path. One way to obtain greater bandwidth is to make greater utilization of existing bandwidth. The invention herein provides a modified Aloha protocol that can solve the problem of maximizing bandwidth utilization without requiring changes to deployed equipment. The preferred embodiment of the invention provides a method and apparatus for increasing bandwidth assignment latency in a data transmission scheme which employs the Aloha protocol, to improve channel utilization in a multi-carrier data transmission system which thereby improves bandwidth efficiency.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided that significantly enhances the performance of MPEG-2 encoding for computer-output applications by easily distinguishing between situations where temporal coding is useful, and situations where it is unnecessary.

Abstract: A system is disclosed that gracefully degrades system performance at elevated temperatures, for example by shutting down individual components of the system. In the presently preferred embodiment of the invention, when a marginal temperature condition is detected, a computer can conserve power, and thereby reduce heat generation, by intentionally slowing or shutting down individual components. A marginal temperature condition occurs when the temperature sensors detect an ambient temperature that is close to exceeding the operating range and rising. This temperature adaptation technique allows the computer to continue to function at elevated temperatures, albeit at a lower performance level than it would in its ordinary operating environment. It is also possible to shut down the computer to a minimal level of activity to allow for uninterrupted remote diagnostics and commands, as opposed to continuing service to consumers.

Abstract: The invention provides a mechanism for implementing a common carrier, multiple output RF upconverter. The preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a method and apparatus for distributing the LO signals for both the first and second LO functions to several upconverter sections simultaneously. This technique eliminates the frequency synthesizers and VCOs typically required for each individual upconverter section, thereby substantially reducing the board space and component count required to perform this function. By providing a distributed LO, only two LO synthesizers and VCO's are required per board, where a board might support anywhere from two to twelve or more upconverters.

Abstract: A system and method combines the advantages of automatic speech recognition and human-to-human conversation in a speech recognition engine. Human intervention is used to augment an automatic speech recognition engine. When a confidence metric is low enough, the system transmits an utterance to a human operator. The human then transcribes the text, which is then provided back to the automatic system. In the preferred embodiment, no real time human-to-human conversation ever actually takes place. Thus, the user experience is consistent with automatic, machine speech recognition. A mechanism is also provided for examining voice recognition statistics that are gathered over many users. If there is a high correction rate for a particular word or phrase, the system automatically directs words that are in a potential match list to a human transcriber and makes no independent effort to recognize such words.

Abstract: Software or hardware on one node or processor in a system with multiple processors or nodes performs a cold or a warm restart on one or more other processors. Fault tolerance mechanisms are provided in a computing architecture to allow it to continue functioning when individual components, such as chips, printed circuit boards, network links, fans, or power supplies fail. One aspect of the invention provides multiple processors having self-contained operating systems. Each processor preferably comprises any of redundant network links; redundant power supplies; redundant links to input/output devices; and software fault detection, adaptation, and recovery algorithms. Once a processor in the system has failed, the system attempts to recover from the failure by restarting a failed processor. Because the preferred system is constructed as a set of self-contained processing units, it is possible to restart the system at a number of granularities, e.g.

Abstract: A portable notebook computer having a thickness of only one inch is obtained by provision of a computer housing containing a keyboard assembly and a motherboard positioned directly below the keyboard assembly, the keyboard assembly and the motherboard thereby defining a region in the enclosure. The other components comprising the computer; i.e. a hard disk drive, a PCMCIA option slot, a trackball assembly, and a DC to DC convertor, are positioned in an adjacent and generally co-planar relationship with this region. A battery housing is mounted externally on the computer housing for supplying electrical power to the computer.

Abstract: Web pages with integrated video are rendered in a head-end without the video content. The head-end creates key frames that depict the graphical representation of web pages, again exclusive of program video. Key frames arriving at set top boxes are written to a background display plane and signal that program video redirected by head-end to set top box should be rendered to an overlay display plane.

Abstract: A method and system of speech recognition presented by a back channel from multiple user sites within a network supporting cable television and/or video delivery is disclosed.