Abstract: The apparatus comprises a discrete wavelet transform (DWT) engine, a code block manager, and an entropy encoder. The code block manager comprises at least one controller, which losslessly compresses the transform coefficients and stores them in a code block storage for buffering. The entropy coder comprises at least one entropy encoder, each comprising a decoder for decoding the losslessly compressed transformed coefficients prior to entropy encoding.

Abstract: The method decompresses blocks of a compressed image (202,204,206,208) and boundary filters the blocks (210). The method one-dimensionally filters across those boundary regions having a common boundary in accordance with a predetermined formulae, wherein the one-dimensional filtering is applied perpendicular to the common boundary.

Abstract: There is provided an apparatus for, and a method of, driving a plurality of uniaxial positioning elements of positioning stages to perform an automated search to find a signal in a multi-dimensional search space having a dimensionality equal to the number of alignment axes. The automated signal location is achieved by scanning over a search pattern defined by a succession of n−1 dimensional closed hyper-surfaces in an n-dimensional search-space, where n is the number of positioning axes involved in the alignment process. In an embodiment of the invention hyper-cubes are used as the hyper-surfaces and the search path follows a hyper-spiral track over hyper-surfaces of incrementally increasing size.

Abstract: A sysyem architecture for bypassing a local exchange carrier comprises an intelligent terminal, a residential gateway coupled to the terminal, a cable facility management platform terminating a twisted pair or coaxial cable facility and a network service platform. The twisted pair and/or coaxial cable fed, integrated residence gateway controlled intelligent terminal or set-top device provides a plurality of enhanced services. One necessary service is lifeline service which may be provided over the coaxial cable via a cable modem of the integrated residence gateway, over the twisted pair facility or via wirelss means. The integrated residence gateway is coupled to either or both of the coaxial cable or twisted pair and distributes the bandwidth facilities available over either service vehicle to customer devices including the set top box.

Abstract: The method of encoding divides the image into a number of blocks, which are then transformed (200), in accordance with a linear transform, into blocks of transform coefficients. The transform coefficients are rearranged (202) into a set of groups, wherein subsets of the groups of coefficients are capable of being inversed transformed to reproduce the image or a resolution thereof. The groups (203) are then encoded in turn. In the method of decoding, a user first selects a resolution mode and the method decodes (300) a predetermined number of groups in response to said resolution mode. The method then rearranges (301) the decoded groups to form blocks of transform coefficients, wherein the arrangement is determined in response to the resolution mode. The method then inverse transforms said rearrangement (303), if necessary, wherein the inverse transform is dependent on the resolution mode and combines the blocks of pixels to reconstitute the image or a resolution thereof.

Abstract: A twisted pair and/or coaxial cable fed, integrated residence gateway controlled set-top device provides a plurality of services. One service is lifeline service which may be provided over the coaxial cable via a cable modem of the integrated residence gateway or over the twisted pair facility. An integrated residence gateway is coupled to either or both of the coaxial cable or twisted pair and distributes the bandwidth facilities available over either service vehicle to customer devices including a set top box. A network service platform (NSP) is coupled to a cable facilities management platform (FNP) for providing services for cable television subscribers as well as telecommunication service subscribers such that an interexchange or telephone company would control the network services to the subscribers. The NSP architectural concept may permit the interexchange or telephone company to be the single service provider of information to subscribers on an equal basis.

Abstract: The method decodes an compressed representation of a digital image. The compressed representation is in the form of a bitstream comprising in sequence encoded bitplanes each having first portions representative of the significances of first sub-regions in the current bitplane and second portions representative of respective bits of each coefficient in second sub-regions of the current bitplane. The method decodes each bitplane of a block of transform coefficients from a maximum bitplane to a minimum bitplane in the following manner. The method decodes the first portion as the respective significances of the first sub-regions in the current bitplane and decodes the second portion as the respective bits of each coefficient in the second sub-regions of said current bitplane.

Abstract: A method inverse discrete wavelet transforms subband data in segments and maintains a state between segments. The method selects (840, 850) one of a plurality of different computational procedures for performing the inverse DWT by testing the state and the subset of the current segment of subband data to determine if a current segment can be inverse transformed with a reduced computation procedure (860). If the test is positive the method performs the inverse DWT using said reduced computation procedure; otherwise the method performs the inverse DWT of the segment using another procedure (860).

Abstract: An apparatus for receiving and transporting cigarette rejects in a cigarette manufacturing process comprises a receptacle having a receiving opening and an insertion opening for receiving rejects, a conduit having a first end and a second end and communicating with the insertion opening, and means for providing a fluid flow in the conduit for transporting the rejects. A method of collecting and transporting cigarette rejects in a cigarette manufacturing process comprises directing the rejects into a fluid stream whereby such rejects may be transported transporting the rejects in the fluid stream to a predetermined location in the cigarette manufacturing process, and separating the rejects from the fluid stream.

Abstract: A server that services a number of client computers over an Internet type of a network and that sends cookies to web browsers on those client computers is able to screen out and delete all cookies containing invalid data values. When a client computer web browser submits a request to the server, such as an HTTP request for a web page, the client web browser automatically sends to the server the names and data contents of all cookies that originally came from that server or a related server. The server screens this cookie data contents for illegal data values. If any are found, then when the server next delivers a document to the client web browser, the server inserts into the HTTP header that is associated with the HTML document commands directing the replacement of all named cookies containing erroneous data with new cookies having their expiration dates set to zero so that they are promptly discarded by the client web browser.

Abstract: The present invention is dispensing valve that provides for automatic and accurate fluid ratioing of two fluids. A valve body is designed to be easily assembled and disassembled by hand without the need for hand tools, and includes a first liquid flow body and a second liquid flow body releasably securable to a common nozzle body portion. The first and second liquid flow bodies each include flow sensors and the first liquid flow rate is adjusted to the sensed second liquid flow rate. The flow rate of the first liquid is regulated by a linear actuator operating a shaft through an orifice located in a flow channel of the first liquid flow body. The position of an end of the shaft relative to the orifice regulates the cross-sectional size of the flow channel through the orifice and therefor regulates the flow rate of the first liquid as a function of that cross-sectional size. The flow of the second liquid is regulated by an on/off device.

Abstract: A twisted pair and/or coaxial cable fed, integrated residence gateway controlled set-top device provides a plurality of services. One service is lifeline service which may be provided over the coaxial cable via a cable modem of the integrated residence gateway or over the twisted pair facility. An integrated residence gateway is coupled to either or both of the coaxial cable or twisted pair and distributes the bandwidth facilities available over either service vehicle to customer devices including a set top box.

Abstract: A facility management platform (FMP) monitors and views the status of a plurality of individually addressable downstream devices including, but not limited to, addressable terminals, IRG's, settops, cable modems, taps, nodes, and/or hubs at a network control center. The FMP may display problems at these downstream devices, for example, power loss, and/or may automatically notify the appropriate companies and/or personnel to correct the problem.

Abstract: The present invention is a flow rate control valve through which a liquid flows and from which the liquid is dispensed. The flow rate of the liquid is sensed and that information is sent to a microprocessor based control. The control operates a drive of the control valve so as to vary the resultant rate at which the liquid is dispensed therefrom. The drive operates a piston closure member that extends closely within a cylindrical passageway. The passageway has an inlet end and an outlet end and the drive operates the closure member in the passageway to a plurality of positions from a first position at the inlet end and a second position at the outlet end.

Abstract: A mechanism for a multi-axis flexure positioner includes a fixed part and a movable part (7), the movable part (7) being connected to the fixed part via a plurality of transmission means, one for each axis, for transmitting actuation forces for the respective axes to the movable part (7). The transmission means for each axis includes a flexure member (2,3,8) arranged to transmit actuation forces for that axis to the movable part (7) and to flex between the fixed part and the movable part in response to actuation forces associated with the or each other axis. There are three flexure members (2,3,8) arranged to extend along three mutually-perpendicular axes so that each flexure member (2,3,8) is flexible along the axes of extent of the other two flexure members (2,3,8). Each of the three flexure members (2,3,8) comprises a pair of flexure linkages arranged to extend parallel to each other, the three pairs of linkages thus defining three mutually-perpendicular planes.

Abstract: Apparatus 100 is disclosed that comprises a DCT unit 104 for transforming blocks of pixels into respective blocks of transform coefficients, entropy encoders 106(1), . . . 106(18) for encoding respective partitions of the DCT blocks where at least one partition comprises bit-plane data from each of the block of transform coefficients, a scan output manager 108 for storing the entropy encoded partitions in a buffer 110 of fixed memory size. The manager 108 manages the storing of the coded partitions in the buffer 110 whereby during the storing of the coded partitions if it is determined the buffer 110 is full, a coded least perceptually significant partition currently stored in the buffer 110 is overwritten by data from a coded more perceptually significant partition.

Abstract: A twisted pair and/or coaxial cable fed, integrated residence gateway controlled set-top device provides a plurality of services. One service is lifeline service which may be provided over the coaxial cable via a cable modem of the integrated residence gateway or over the twisted pair facility. An integrated residence gateway is coupled to either or both of the coaxial cable or twisted pair and distributes the bandwidth facilities available over either service vehicle to customer devices including a set top box. For corporate telecommuters who work from home, a greater variety of services is available. The greater bandwidth of the cable network allows for the faster exchange of information between home and office, allowing the employee working at home to function as if he or she were actually at the office. Individual pieces of equipment connected to the telecommuter's home may be addressed, so that phone and message forwarding may be properly forwarded to the telecommuter's home.

Abstract: Air knives 109,110 for a solder leveller each comprises an air knife tip 111. The tip has a nozzle slot 114, up-and down-stream lands 119, 115, which are parallel to a back surface 130. Beyond the lands, the tip has a wing 120 and a lip 117, with a wing face 121 and a lip face 118 Downstream from the lip face 118, an extension 131 is provided. This is set back 132 sufficiently far from the land 115 to have no fluid dynamic effect on a board being processed. The geometry of the wing and tip faces 121, 118 is such that the bulk of air from the slit passes over the wing and back towards solder applicators, carrying with it excess solder. The tips 111, that is an upper and a lower one for upper and lower air knives are mounted on plenum chambers 133 via their back datum surfaces 130. The plenum chambers are mounted in the solder leveller with the back surfaces 130 parallel to the board path.

Abstract: The apparatus (300) comprises a DWT engine (308), a code block manager (310) and entropy encoder (314). The code block manager (310) comprises at least one controller (412, 414, and 416), which losslessly compress the transform coefficients and stores them in a code block store (418) for buffering. The entropy coder (314) comprises at least one entropy encoder (422, 424, 426), each comprising a decoder (1206, 1204,) for decoding the losslessly compressed transformed coefficients prior to entropy encoding (1202).

Abstract: A system architecture for bypassing a local exchange carrier comprises an intelligent terminal, a residential gateway coupled to the terminal, a cable facility management platform terminating a twisted pair or coaxial cable facility and a network service platform. The platform serves both a cable headend and a telephone DSL network to enable a single service provider to provide different information content services independent of how a user actually receives the services. The twisted pair and/or coaxial cable fed, integrated residence gateway controlled intelligent terminal or set-top device provides a multiple menu heirarchy for selecting a plurality of enhanced services. The menus are implemented on a video telephone or similar device with a touch-sensitive screen display for interactively displaying video and accompanying audio signals and menu screens.