Abstract: Provided is a magnetic reproducing method that enables a thin-film magnetic head including a head element for reading data signals which has a noise in its output due to a low temperature to bring out an excellent read characteristic in which the noise is suppressed even under the use environment with the low temperature. The magnetic reproducing method comprises the steps of: heating a head element for reading data signals which has a noise in its output due to a low temperature; and performing a read operation by using the head element for reading data signals under condition that the head element is increased in temperature.

Abstract: Performance of endpoints, client devices and servers within a communication system, is monitored by collecting call quality data from each endpoint. The collected metric data is retrieved periodically from a database, categorized based on endpoint location and metric type, and compared to predefined thresholds for different endpoint types, metric categories, and call configurations. If an alert condition is met indicating a problem with quality of experience in the system, an alert is issued to an administrator.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of image coding for joint decoding of images from different viewpoints using distributed coding techniques. The method receives a first set of features (205) and error correction bits (203) corresponding to a first image (201) obtained at a first viewpoint (122) and a second set of features (425) from a second image (254, 415) corresponding to a second viewpoint (124). An approximation (437) of said first image (201) at said first viewpoint (122) is determined (432, 434, 436) an based on the first and second sets of features (205, 425) and the second image at the second viewpoint. A reliability measure (445) of the approximation of the first image is then determined (450) by joint decoding (438) the approximation (437) using the error correction bits (203). The approximation of the first image is then refined iteratively (460, 438) based on the reliability measure (445) and image information (448) derived from the joint decoding.

Abstract: A method for transitioning a video system is disclosed. The method generally includes a first step for (A) executing in a processing circuit a standby code stored in a nonvolatile memory while the video system is in an off state, the off state defining a low power configuration for the processing circuit and a power off condition for the video system, the standby code being responsive to a plurality of wake up conditions to wake up the video system. In a second step, the method may (B) store an application code in a volatile memory while in the off state, the application code configured to operate the video system while in an on state of the video system. The method generally includes a third step for (C) transitioning from the off state to the on state upon detection of at least one of the wake up conditions. A step for (D) executing in the processing circuit the application code while in the on state to decode video may also exist in the method.

Abstract: Tools and techniques for application-specific heap management are described herein. The tools may provide machine-readable storage media containing machine-readable instructions for profiling an application to facilitate managing heap memory associated with the application, and for managing requests from the application to allocate or deallocate from the heap memory based on the profiling. The tools may also receive requests from the application to allocate buffers, and may determine whether an instance-level memory pool, which is associated with a portion of the application, contains enough free buffers to satisfy the request. Finally, the tools may receive requests from the application to deallocate buffers, and in response to the request, may deallocate the requested buffers into the instance-level memory pool. The tools may also determine whether the instance-level memory pool contains a number of free buffers that exceeds a threshold.

Abstract: A method for transitioning a video system is disclosed. The method generally includes a first step for (A) executing in a processing circuit a standby code stored in a nonvolatile memory while the video system is in an off state, the off state defining a low power configuration for the processing circuit and a power off condition for the video system, the standby code being responsive to a plurality of wake up conditions to wake up the video system. In a second step, the method may (B) store an application code in a volatile memory while in the off state, the application code configured to operate the video system while in an on state of the video system. The method generally includes a third step for (C) transitioning from the off state to the on state upon detection of at least one of the wake up conditions. A step for (D) executing in the processing circuit the application code while in the on state to decode video may also exist in the method.

Abstract: Performance of endpoints, client devices and servers within a communication system, is determined by collecting call quality data from each endpoint by a quality monitoring server/application. Call quality data includes predefined metrics based on network and end device characteristics during each call. Calls include voice, video, and data exchanges. Collected metric values are then aggregated according to a formula for consistency and scaled based on factors such as traffic volume. Resulting performance values are used to order the endpoints such that those with degraded quality and prioritized based on factors like traffic volume can be attended to first.

Abstract: Provided is a method for testing a head element that enables proper evaluation of the head element based on a characteristic of the head element under high-temperature and high-stress conditions. The testing method can be performed on a thin-film magnetic head including a head element and a heating element capable of applying a heat and stress to the head element, or performed on a row bar or a substrate wafer on which a plurality of the head elements and a plurality of the heating elements are disposed. The testing method comprises the steps of: causing the heating element to generate heat to apply a heat and stress to the head element; and measuring a characteristic of the head element under the heat and stress to evaluate the head element.

Abstract: A method (800) of performing distributed video encoding on an input video frame (1005), is disclosed. The method (800) forms a bit-stream from original pixel values of the input video frame (1005), such that groups of bits in the bit-stream are associated with clusters of spatial pixel positions in the input video frame (1005). The bit-stream is interleaved to reduce the clustering. The interleaved bit-stream is encoded to generate parity bits from the bit-stream according to a bitwise error correction method.

Abstract: Performance of endpoints, client devices and servers within a communication system, is determined by collecting call quality data from each endpoint by a quality monitoring server/application. Call quality data includes predefined metrics based on network and end device characteristics during each call. Calls include voice, video, and data exchanges. Collected metric values are then aggregated according to a formula for consistency and scaled based on factors such as traffic volume. Resulting performance values are used to order the endpoints such that those with degraded quality and prioritized based on factors like traffic volume can be attended to first.

Abstract: Methods (700, 800) for encoding an input video frame (1005) comprising a plurality of pixel values, to form an encoded video frame, are disclosed. The pixel values of the input video frame (1005) are down-sampled to generate a first stream of bits configured for use in subsequent determination of approximations of the pixel values. Samples from predetermined pixel positions of the input video frame (1005) are extracted to generate a second stream of bits configured for improving the determined approximations of the pixel values. A third stream of bits is generated from the input video frame (1005), according to a bitwise error correction method. The third stream of bits contains parity information, where the first, second and third stream of bits represent the encoded video frame.

Abstract: Optimized conferencing performance may be provided. First, a plurality of data streams respectively received from a plurality of conferencing users may be monitored. Then, for each of the plurality of conferencing users, a plurality of talk frequency conditions respectively corresponding to the plurality of conferencing users may be determined based upon the monitored plurality of data streams. The plurality of talk frequency conditions may comprise, for example, active-talker, infrequent talker, or listener-only. Next, a plurality of data packet size values respectively corresponding to the plurality of conferencing users may be determined based upon the determined plurality of talk frequency conditions. The plurality of data streams may then be mixed to create data. Next, the data may be transmitted to each of the plurality of conferencing users respectively using the determined plurality of data packet size values respectively corresponding to the plurality of conferencing users.

Abstract: Methods, apparatuses (100, 400, 1000), and computer program products for generating an enhanced digital image (490, 495, 1022) comprising a plurality of pixels are disclosed. Using a first digital image (420, 1020) captured from a first camera (124) and parity bits (410, 415, 1010) generated from a second digital image captured by a second camera (122, 126), a third digital image (445, 447, 1045) is constructed. The second camera (122, 126) captures the second image at a resolution different to the resolution of the first camera (124) capturing the first image (420, 1020). A disparity map (455, 457, 1055) between the first image (420, 1020) and the third image (445, 447, 1045) is determined (450, 452, 1050). One of the first image (420, 1020) and the third image (445, 447, 1045) is enhanced (470, 472, 1070) dependent upon the determined disparity map (455, 457, 1055) to generate the enhanced digital image (490, 495, 1022).

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a video decoder, a video memory and a global motion circuit. The video decoder may be configured to generate a decoded video signal in response to a coded video signal. The video memory may be connected to the video decoder. The global motion circuit may be configured within the video decoder circuit. The global motion circuit may be configured to (i) receive one or more warp points and (ii) generate one or more warping addresses presented directly to the video memory.

Abstract: Architecture that automatically breaks the circular reference between objects without any different logic by introducing a helper object called a child object container. The child object is contained within the container object and both share a reference counter. The parent object holds a strong reference to the container object. When adding a reference to the child object both the shared reference counter and the parent reference counter increase. When releasing a reference to the child object both the shared reference counter and the parent reference counter decrease. This approach provides a systematic way of solving the circular reference problem that does not rely on any weak-reference feature provided by the programming language.

Abstract: A system (100) for encoding an input video frame (1005), for transmitting or storing the encoded video and for decoding the video is disclosed. The system (100) includes an encoder (1000) and a decoder (1200) interconnected through a storage or transmission medium (1100). The encoder (1000) includes a turbo encoder (1015) for forming parity bit data from the input frame (1005) into a first data source (1120), and a sampler (1020) for down-sampling the input frame (1005) followed by intraframe compression (1030) to form a second data source (1110). The decoder (1200) receives data from the second data source (1110) to form an estimate for the frame (1005). The decoder (1200) also receivers the parity bit data from the first data source (1120), and corrects errors in the estimate by applying the parity bit data to the estimate. Each bit plane is corrected in turn by a turbo decoder (1260). The decoder determines how reliably a pixel value was decoded, too.

Abstract: A system (100) for encoding an input video frame (1005), for transmitting or storing the encoded video and for decoding the video is disclosed. The system (100) includes an encoder (1000) and a decoder (1200) interconnected through a storage or transmission medium (1100). The encoder (1000) includes a module (1007) for mapping bit representations of component values of pixels of the input video frame (1005) to form mapped bit representations, wherein the Hamming distance of successive values in the mapped bit representations is at least two. The encoder (1000) further includes a turbo encoder (1015) for forming parity bit data from the mapped bit representations into a first data source (1120), and a sampler (1020) for down-sampling the input frame (1005) followed by intraframe compression (1030) to form a second data source (1110). The decoder (1200) receives data from the second data source (1110) to form an estimate for the frame (1005).

Abstract: A remote controlled aircraft may include a deployable main parachute, deployable paratroopers stored in the coils of helical spring actuator and moved into deployment position by rotation of the actuator. The actuator may be operated within a storage compartment configured to fit the actuator and to maintain alignment of the paratroopers before deployment. The remote control may include individual engine boost buttons and selectable, preprogrammed engine speeds. A secondary remote controlled aircraft may also be mounted for deployment on the main aircraft. Various configurations and combinations of elements and features are disclosed and may be claimed.

Abstract: Optimized conferencing performance may be provided. First, a plurality of data streams respectively received from a plurality of conferencing users may be monitored. Then, for each of the plurality of conferencing users, a plurality of talk frequency conditions respectively corresponding to the plurality of conferencing users may be determined based upon the monitored plurality of data streams. The plurality of talk frequency conditions may comprise, for example, active-talker, infrequent talker, or listener-only. Next, a plurality of data packet size values respectively corresponding to the plurality of conferencing users may be determined based upon the determined plurality of talk frequency conditions. The plurality of data streams may then be mixed to create data. Next, the data may be transmitted to each of the plurality of conferencing users respectively using the determined plurality of data packet size values respectively corresponding to the plurality of conferencing users.

Abstract: An apparatus for producing simulating action effects is provided. The apparatus includes a support structure to be worn by a player, a plurality of impact generators mounted in the support structure, and a control unit for receiving signals and activating the plurality of impact generators in response to the signals. Each impact generator includes an electromagnetic device adapted to generate an impact force on the body of the player when activated.