Abstract: Methods and arrangement are provided for compressing and transporting image-based rendering (IBR) data using alignment and three-dimensional (3D) wavelet transform techniques, and selectively decompressing portions of the resulting compressed data to render various two-dimensional (2D) views of a 3D scene. A compression engine compresses the IBR data using a 3D wavelet transform and outputs a compressed bitstream comprising encoded frequency coefficients associated with the IBR data. This compressed bitstream can then be provided to a separate decompression engine that selectively decodes portions of the compressed bitstream based on an access request for image data associated with a desired view from a rendering engine. Through a mixed cache, the progressive inverse wavelet synthesis (PIWS) engine decompresses the decoded portions with minimum calculation, and provides the decompressed IBR data to the rendering engine.

Abstract: The performance of a multiphase and/or multiple amplitude receiver, such as a 64/256 quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) receiver, is improved in the presence of single and multiple echoes. A moving window adaptive decision feedback equalizer (DFE) is provided according to the adaptive equation Cn(k+1)=Cn(k)−&Dgr;·W(k)·En(k)·Xn(k), where &Dgr; (delta) is the step size, Cn(k) is the tap value of tap n for the k symbol, En(k) is the error output at the symbol k, Xn(k) is the received signal for pre-cursor taps (FFE) and past decision output for post-cursor taps (DFE), and W(k) is the sliding window function at symbol k. In the adaptation process, some coefficients are fixed while other taps are being adapted. In particular, the adaptation is focused on a group of taps which correspond to received echoes.

Abstract: An apparatus and a concomitant method for using M-ary pyramid decomposition in combination with N-scale tiling to reduce the computational complexity in determining motion vectors for block-based motion estimation is disclosed.

Abstract: A power control scheme for a wireless network communication system that includes a base station and multiple wireless mobile device dynamically adjusts transmission power of a mobile device in conjunction with adjusting its bit allocation in source coding and channel coding to minimize its total power consumption while maximizing the system capacity in terms of the total effective transmission rates received by the base station. The base station sets a target signal quality value for each mobile station, and the target values are determined by the base station such that the total effective data rate from all the mobile devices is maximized under constraints of the total received power and the error protection level requirements for the mobile devices.

Abstract: A method and system for managing admission to a network considers the packet delay of the network in making an admission decision. The packet delay of the network is periodically probed. To avoid disturbing or impairing the traffic of the network, a sequence of probing packets is sent to the network at an irregular interval. Responses to the probing packets are analyzed to obtain delay information of the network. If the delay information is insufficient to make an admission decision, then the packet loss rate of the network is measured and considered.

Abstract: A dispersion compensation system includes a number of etalons cascaded in series to form a chain. The chain of etalons introduces a cumulative group delay that compensates for chomatic dispersion and dispersion slope. At least one of the etalons is tunable, thus allowing the system to be turned, for example to compensate for different amounts of dispersion and/or manufacturing variations.

Abstract: A system for content (e.g., streaming media) is presented comprising a server, to provide media content on request through a wireline network, coupled to a wireless host through a network gateway. The network gateway establishes a communication channel from the server to the wireless host through both a wireline network and a wireless network, wherein the communication channel includes a transport layer protocol with control parameters for network elements of each of the wireline network and the wireless network. This abstract itself is not intended to limit the scope of this patent. The scope of the present invention is pointed out in the appending claims.

Abstract: A method comprising receiving media data in a compressed, digital domain, analyzing motion vectors associated with the received media content while in the compressed digital domain and identifying one or more objects in the received media data based, at least in part, on the motion vector analysis.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for classifying regions of an image, based on the relative “importance” of the various areas and to adaptively use the importance information to allocate processing resources and input image formation.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for encoding zerotrees in a wavelet-based coding technique. The method uses a depth-first pattern for traversing the zerotree, i.e., each branch of the tree, from parent to child to grandchild and so on, is fully traversed before a next branch is traversed. The depth-first tree traversal pattern is used to quantize the coefficients of the tree as well as to assign symbols to the quantized coefficients. The method assigns one of three symbols to each node: ZEROTREE ROOT, VALUED ZEROTREE ROOT, and VALUE. By using three symbols and the efficient tree traversal pattern, the method is substantially more efficient at encoding a zerotree than the prior art. Additionally, this concept is applied to the encoding of “vector” zerotrees.

Abstract: A motion-compensated video encoding scheme employs progressive fine-granularity layered coding to encode macroblocks of video data into frames having multiple layers, including a base layer of comparatively low quality video and multiple enhancement layers of increasingly higher quality video. Some of the enhancement layers in a current frame are predicted from different quality layers in reference frames. The video encoding scheme estimates drifting errors during the encoding and chooses a coding mode for each macroblock in the enhancement layer to maximize high coding efficiency while minimizing drifting errors.

Abstract: The present invention relates to transgenic animals, as well as compositions and methods relating to the characterization of gene function. Specifically, the present invention provides transgenic mice comprising mutations in a alpha-endosulfine gene. Such transgenic mice are useful as models for disease and for identifying agents that modulate gene expression and gene function, and as potential treatments for various disease states and disease conditions. The present invention also relates to diabetes and diabetic condition, as it demonstrates the role of the alpha-endosulfine in diabetes and diabetic conditions. The present invention further relates to weight gain and weight related conditions, such as obesity, and demonstrates the role of the alpha-endosulfine in weight gain and weight related conditions, such as obesity.

Abstract: A fuzzy steering controller for wheel-type agricultural vehicles with an electrohydraulic steering system is disclosed. The fuzzy controller was developed based on a common-sense model of agricultural vehicle steering. The controller implements steering corrections based upon the desired steering rate and the error between the desired and the actual wheel angles. The controller consists of a variable fuzzifier, an inference engine with a steering control rulebase, and a control signal defuzzifier. The controller could be used on different platforms. Tuning of the fuzzy membership functions will accommodate for physical differences between the platforms. The controller achieves prompt and accurate steering control performance on both a hardware-in-the-loop electrohydraulic steering simulator and on an agricultural tractor.

Abstract: The present invention relates to transgenic animals, as well as compositions and methods relating to the characterization of gene function. Specifically, the present invention provides transgenic mice comprising mutations in a CX2 gene. Such transgenic mice are useful as models for disease and for identifying agents that modulate gene expression and gene function, and as potential treatments for various disease states and disease conditions.

Abstract: An automatically guided agricultural vehicle with multiple sensors is disclosed. The automatically guided agricultural vehicle includes guidance parameter identification using multi-sensor data fusion for real-time vehicle guidance. To insure robust navigation, a map-based guidance and sensor-based guidance are disclosed and integrated because no individual sensing technology is ideally suited for vehicle automation under all modes of use. The appropriate sensor and operational mode will depend on the field status of time or operation. A fiber optic gyroscope (FOG) and a real-time kinematic GPS (RTK-GPS) and machine vision are added to the guidance system in order to improve reliability of the system for vehicle guidance. The navigator includes key functions of selecting control mode, correcting position by vehicle roll/pitch inclinations, Kalman filtering, and calculating a steering angle.

Abstract: A fuzzy steering controller for wheel-type agricultural vehicles with an electrohydraulic steering system is disclosed. The fuzzy controller was developed based on a common-sense model of agricultural vehicle steering. The controller implements steering corrections based upon the desired steering rate and the error between the desired and the actual wheel angles. The controller consists of a variable fuzzifier, an inference engine with a steering control rulebase, and a control signal defuzzifier. The controller could be used on different platforms. Tuning of the fuzzy membership functions will accommodate for physical differences between the platforms. The controller achieves prompt and accurate steering control performance on both a hardware-in-the-loop electrohydraulic steering simulator and on an agricultural tractor.

Abstract: An optical interleaver apparatus and method are disclosed. The apparatus comprises a first birefringent element, a first waveplate, a second birefringent element, a polarization rotation device and a retro-reflector. The first birefringent element separates an input optical signal into first and second beams having complementary polarizations. The first waveplate rotates a polarization of light in a first wavelength range, but not a second wavelength range. The second birefringent element splits the first and second beams into third, fourth, fifth and sixth beams. The polarization rotation device and retro-reflector are configured such that, on a reverse path, the second birefringent element combines the third beam with the sixth beam and the fourth beam with the fifth beam. The inventive apparatus may operate as either a demultiplexer or multiplexer. In an alternative embodiment, the apparatus includes a switchable polarization rotator disposed between the first birefringent element and the first waveplate.

Abstract: The present invention relates to transgenic animals, as well as compositions and methods relating to the characterization of gene function. Specifically, the present invention provides transgenic mice comprising mutations in the LXRB gene. Such transgenic mice are useful as models for disease, such as diabetes. The present invention is also directed to identifying agents that modulate LXRB gene function, and as potential treatments for various disease states and disease conditions, including diabetes.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for encoding, illustratively, a video information stream to produce an encoded information stream according to a group of frames (GOF) information structure where the GOF structure and, optionally, a bit budget are modified in response to, respectively, information discontinuities and the presence of redundant information in the video information stream (due to, e.g., 3:2 pull-down processing).

Abstract: Machine operators rely on intuition and experience to evaluate vehicle performance. As we increasingly turn to automation, it is important to automatically evaluate sensor data and system performance. Fuzzy logic allows us to take advantage of domain knowledge to evaluate data and to describe a system linguistically. In this application a fuzzy quality module evaluates output from a noisy sensor. It compares the sensor data with an estimated sensor value, and based on that comparison, dynamically adapts a fuzzy logic rulebase used to determine whether the sensor value is valid or not.