Abstract: A method for displaying interactive advertisements on a television having a controller connected thereto and configured for receiving input from a viewer of the television is disclosed. The controller has a receiver operable to receive advertisements and a processor operable to modify the advertisements. The method generally comprises requesting action by the viewer of the television, modifying an advertisement based on the action of the viewer, and displaying the modified advertisement on the television.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a method comprises receiving, by an adaptive controller, performance measurement for a computing system. The method further comprises estimating a performance model for use by the adaptive controller, and determining whether the estimated performance model has a correct sign for approaching performance desired for the computing system. When determined that the estimated performance model has an incorrect sign, the adaptive controller takes action to determine a performance model having a correct sign for approaching performance desired for the computing system.

Abstract: A method for displaying interactive advertisements on a television having a controller connected thereto and configured for receiving input from a viewer of the television is disclosed. The controller has a receiver operable to receive advertisements and a processor operable to modify the advertisements. The method generally comprises requesting action by the viewer of the television, modifying an advertisement based on the action of the viewer, and displaying the modified advertisement on the television.

Abstract: A method for displaying interactive advertisements on a television having a controller connected thereto and configured for receiving input from a viewer of the television is disclosed. The controller has a receiver operable to receive advertisements and a processor operable to modify the advertisements. The method generally comprises requesting action by the viewer of the television, modifying an advertisement based on the action of the viewer, and displaying the modified advertisement on the television.

Abstract: A method for displaying interactive advertisements on a television having a controller connected thereto and configured for receiving input from a viewer of the television is disclosed. The controller has a receiver operable to receive advertisements and a processor operable to modify the advertisements. The method generally comprises requesting action by the viewer of the television, modifying an advertisement based on the action of the viewer, and displaying the modified advertisement on the television.

Abstract: A method for displaying interactive advertisements on a television having a controller connected thereto and configured for receiving input from a viewer of the television is disclosed. The controller has a receiver operable to receive advertisements and a processor operable to modify the advertisements. The method generally comprises requesting action by the viewer of the television, modifying an advertisement based on the action of the viewer, and displaying the modified advertisement on the television.

Abstract: A method for displaying interactive advertisements on a television having a controller connected thereto and configured for receiving input from a viewer of the television is disclosed. The controller has a receiver operable to receive advertisements and a processor operable to modify the advertisements. The method generally comprises requesting action by the viewer of the television, modifying an advertisement based on the action of the viewer, and displaying the modified advertisement on the television.

Abstract: A data-compressed audio waveform is temporally modified without requiring complete decompression of the audio signal. Packets of compressed audio data are first unpacked, to remove scaling that was applied in the formation of the packets. The unpacked data is then temporally modified, using one of a number of different approaches. This modification takes place while the audio information remains in a data-compressed format. New packets are then assembled from the modified data, to produce a data-compressed output stream that can be subsequently processed in a conventional manner to reproduce the desired sound. The assembly of the new packets employs a technique for inferring an auditory model from the original packets, to requantize the data in the output packets.

Abstract: The invention automatically evaluates the quality of the visual images in a collection of visual images and selects one or more visual image(s) from the collection based on the evaluation of the quality of the visual images.

Abstract: The invention identifies a blank segment (i.e., a segment that does not correspond to recorded visual content) in a set of visual recording data. The invention identifies a blank segment using a blank frame detector that is adapted to evaluate a frame of visual recording data to determine whether the frame of visual recording data is a blank frame, and a blank segment detector that is adapted to evaluate a characteristic of a group of frames of visual recording data to determine whether the group of frames of visual recording data is a blank segment comprising a plurality of blank frames. Identification of a blank segment can be used to, for example, decide whether to terminate digitization of a set of analog visual recording data.

Abstract: The invention identifies a blank segment (i.e., a segment that does not correspond to recorded visual content) in a set of visual recording data. The invention identifies a blank segment using a blank frame detector that is adapted to evaluate a frame of visual recording data to determine whether the frame of visual recording data is a blank frame, and a blank segment detector that is adapted to evaluate a characteristic of a group of frames of visual recording data to determine whether the group of frames of visual recording data is a blank segment comprising a plurality of blank frames. Identification of a blank segment can be used to, for example, decide whether to terminate digitization of a set of analog visual recording data.

Abstract: The invention automatically evaluates the quality of the visual images in a collection of visual images and selects one or more visual image(s) from the collection based on the evaluation of the quality of the visual images.

Abstract: The invention aligns two wide-bandwidth, high resolution data streams, in a manner that retains the full bandwidth of the data streams, by using magnitude-only spectrograms as inputs into the cross-correlation and sampling the cross-correlation at a coarse sampling rate that is the final alignment quantization period. The invention also enables selection of stable and distinctive audio segments for cross-correlation by evaluating the energy in local audio segments and the variance in energy among nearby audio segments.

Abstract: The invention automatically evaluates the quality of the visual images in a collection of visual images and selects one or more visual image(s) from the collection based on the evaluation of the quality of the visual images.

Abstract: Dense range data obtained at real-time rates is employed to estimate the pose of an articulated figure. In one approach, the range data is used in combination with a model of connected patches. Each patch is the planar convex hull of two circles, and a recursive procedure is carried out to determine an estimate of pose which most closely correlates to the range data. In another aspect of the invention, the dense range data is used in conjunction with image intensity information to improve pose tracking performance. The range information is used to determine the shape of an object, rather than assume a generic model or estimate structure from motion. In this aspect of the invention, a depth constraint equation, which is a counterpart to the classic brightness change constraint equation, is employed. Both constraints are used to jointly solve for motion estimates.

Abstract: A data-compressed audio waveform is temporally modified without requiring complete decompression of the audio signal. Packets of compressed audio data are first unpacked, to remove scaling that was applied in the formation of the packets. The unpacked data is then temporally modified, using one of a number of different approaches. This modification takes place while the audio information remains in a data-compressed format. New packets are then assembled from the modified data, to produce a data-compressed output stream that can be subsequently processed in a conventional manner to reproduce the desired sound. The assembly of the new packets employs a technique for inferring an auditory model from the original packets, to requantize the data in the output packets.

Abstract: An adaptive filter is used to filter a target version of a visual image that is produced by processing an original version of the visual image, the characteristics of the adaptive filter being determined in accordance with one or more characteristics of the original version of the visual image. The orientation and/or strength of filtering of the adaptive filter can be adjusted based on local properties of the original image, which can enable the adaptive filter to avoid introducing blurring across true edges in an image.

Abstract: Dense range data obtained at real-time rates is employed to estimate the pose of an articulated figure. In one approach, the range data is used in combination with a model of connected patches. Each patch is the planar convex hull of two circles, and a recursive procedure is carried out to determine an estimate of pose which most closely correlates to the range data. In another aspect of the invention, the dense range data is used in conjunction with image intensity information to improve pose tracking performance. The range information is used to determine the shape of an object, rather than assume a generic model or estimate structure from motion. In this aspect of the invention, a depth constraint equation, which is a counterpart to the classic brightness change constraint equation, is employed. Both constraints are used to jointly solve for motion estimates.

Abstract: The invention aligns two wide-bandwidth, high resolution data streams, in a manner that retains the full bandwidth of the data streams, by using magnitude-only spectrograms as inputs into the cross-correlation and sampling the cross-correlation at a coarse sampling rate that is the final alignment quantization period. The invention also enables selection of stable and distinctive audio segments for cross-correlation by evaluating the energy in local audio segments and the variance in energy among nearby audio segments.

Abstract: The invention enables and/or facilitates the display of personalized content to content observers by content providers (e.g., advertisers) who disseminate content over a network. The invention enables identification of particular content observers at a content display site using analysis of content observation behavior at a content display site, data regarding one or more physical characteristics of content observers in the vicinity of the content display device during display of particular content, and/or analysis of demographic characteristics of possible content observers at the content display site. The invention prevents unauthorized access to data produced as part of identification of the content observer.