Abstract: A digital content pricing apparatus may include a sales computer and a memory used to retain digital content items associated with a base price and one or more option prices, along with a final price related to the base and option prices by a final pricing formula. A method may include selecting a digital content item and at least one configuration option associated with the item, calculating the item price using appropriate adjustment factors, and calculating the final price using a final pricing formula. Pricing information, in the form of prices, adjustment factors, and formulae may be defined in meta-data descriptors included in the digital content.

Abstract: An apparatus, a system, an article including a machine-accessible medium, and methods for pricing digital content are disclosed. The digital content pricing apparatus may include a sales computer and a memory used to retain digital content items associated with a base price and one or more option prices, along with a final price related to the base and option prices by a final pricing formula. The method may include selecting a digital content item and at least one configuration option associated with the item, calculating the item price using appropriate adjustment factors, and calculating the final price using a final pricing formula. Pricing information, in the form of prices, adjustment factors, and formulae may be defined in meta-data descriptors included in the digital content.

Abstract: A technique for generating an animated character based on visual and audio input from a live subject. Further described is a technique of extracting phonemes to select corresponding visemes to model a set of physical positions of the subject or emotional expression of the subject.

Abstract: A method for performing feature tracking includes generating a pool of candidates on an image frame for a first feature point from information about a pool of candidates for a second feature point on a previous image frame.

Abstract: A method and system is provided for detecting occurrences of semantic temporal events based on observations extracted from input data and event models. The input data is fed into the system from some data source. Based on specified event to be detected, multiple-layer models corresponding to the event are retrieved. The models are used to determine the types of temporal observations to be extracted from the input data. The extracted temporal observations are then used, in combination with the multiple-layer models of the event, to detect the occurrences of the event.

Abstract: A method for background replacement. The method takes an input image of one or more frames of video, or a still image, and performs an initial classification of the pixels (14) as foreground or background pixels. The classification is refined (16) using one of several techniques, including anisotropic diffusion or morphological filtering. After the refined classification is completed, a feathering process (18) is used to overlay the foreground pixels from the original image on the pixels of the new background, resulting in a new output image (20).

Abstract: A system for providing traffic information to a plurality of mobile users connected to a network. The system comprises a plurality of traffic monitors, each comprising at least a traffic detector and a transmitter, the traffic detector generating a signal in response to vehicular traffic and the transmitter transmitting the signal. A receiver receives the signals from the traffic monitors. A computer system is connected to the receiver and is further connected to the network. The computer system in response to a request signal received from one of the users transmits in response thereto information representative of the signals transmitted by the traffic monitoring units. Alternative systems for gathering traffic information are disclosed.

Abstract: A method of and a system for collecting, data about an event and describing the event, which for example, might be an entertainment event, a sports event, or a political event. Identifying characteristics of the event, characteristics of types of data about the event, and a record of the event are acquired by a description generator. A person wishing to view a particular type of data utilizes an interactive receiver to select the type of data, and characteristics of the selected type of data within the record of the event are located so as to locate data of the selected type. The located data are then collected and displayed. By storing characteristics of different types of segments that occur in the event, a viewer can select segments of a particular type for viewing. Characteristics of the selected type of segments are then located within the record of the event so as to locate segments of the selected type, and the located segments are then displayed.

Abstract: A system for providing traffic information to a plurality of mobile users connected to a network. The system comprises a plurality of traffic monitors, each comprising at least a traffic detector and a transmitter, the traffic detector generating a signal in response to vehicular traffic and the transmitter transmitting the signal. A receiver receives the signals from the traffic monitors. A computer system is connected to the receiver and is further connected to the network. The computer system in response to a request signal received from one of the users transmits in response thereto information representative of the signals transmitted by the traffic monitoring units. Alternative systems for gathering traffic information are disclosed.

Abstract: A method for performing feature tracking includes generating a pool of candidates on an image frame for a first feature point from information about a pool of candidates for a second feature point on a previous image frame.

Abstract: A technique for generating an animated character based on visual and audio input from a live subject. Further described is a technique of extracting phonemes to select corresponding visemes to model a set of physical positions of the subject or emotional expression of the subject.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is described that smoothes images within regions but not across boundaries. In one embodiment, a segmentation map is smoothed. Based on the color difference between pixels in an input frame and corresponding pixels in a background image, this segmentation map indicates the likelihood that each pixel in the input frame belongs to the foreground. The smoothed segmentation map may be processed further to reduce misclassification errors. Based on the segmentation map, the foreground portion of the image is superimposed over a new background image.

Abstract: A method and system is provided for detecting occurrences of semantic temporal events based on observations extracted from input data and event models. The input data is fed into the system from some data source. Based on specified event to be detected, multiple-layer models corresponding to the event are retrieved. The models are used to determine the types of temporal observations to be extracted from the input data. The extracted temporal observations are then used, in combination with the multiple-layer models of the event, to detect the occurrences of the event.

Abstract: A system for providing traffic information to a plurality of mobile users connected to a network. The system comprises a plurality of traffic monitors, each comprising at least a traffic detector and a transmitter, the traffic detector generating a signal in response to vehicular traffic and the transmitter transmitting the signal. A receiver receives the signals from the traffic monitors. A computer system is connected to the receiver and is further connected to the network. The computer system in response to a request signal received from one of the users transmits in response thereto information representative of the signals transmitted by the traffic monitoring units. Alternative systems for gathering traffic information are disclosed.

Abstract: A reality-based sports gaming network includes a hierarchical event model, a gaming engine, and an event synthesis engine. The event synthesis engine and the hierarchical event model work together to predict events in a sports match using a probabilistic inferential technique such as Bayesian networks. The Bayesian network is trained based on semantic events detected from a real version of the sports match.

Abstract: An apparatus, a system, an article including a machine-accessible medium, and methods for pricing digital content are disclosed. The digital content pricing apparatus may include a sales computer and a memory used to retain digital content items associated with a base price and one or more option prices, along with a final price related to the base and option prices by a final pricing formula. The method may include selecting a digital content item and at least one configuration option associated with the item, calculating the item price using appropriate adjustment factors, and calculating the final price using a final pricing formula. Pricing information, in the form of prices, adjustment factors, and formulae may be defined in meta-data descriptors included in the digital content.

Abstract: Content is delivered from media sources by searching the media sources for content and metadata based on a search criteria, parsing the metadata from the sources, receiving user preference information from a user, integrating the content and the metadata according to the user preference information and based on the result of the parsing, and displaying an integrated content concurrently on one or more user displays.

Abstract: A system for providing traffic information to a plurality of mobile users connected to a network. The system comprises a plurality of traffic monitors, each comprising at least a traffic detector and a transmitter, the traffic detector generating a signal in response to vehicular traffic and the transmitter transmitting the signal. A receiver receives the signals from the traffic monitors. A computer system is connected to the receiver and is further connected to the network. The computer system in response to a request signal received from one of the users transmits in response thereto information representative of the signals transmitted by the traffic monitoring units. Alternative systems for gathering traffic information are disclosed.

Abstract: A method of automatic statistics generation and management includes receiving input data of a sporting event. Semantic information and geometric model information is generated based on the input data. Sporting statistics is generated based on at least one of the semantic information and the geometric information.

Abstract: A method and system is provided for detecting occurrences of semantic temporal events based on observations extracted from input data and event models. The input data is fed into the system from some data source. Based on specified event to be detected, multiple-layer models corresponding to the event are retrieved. The models are used to determine the types of temporal observations to be extracted from the input data. The extracted temporal observations are then used, in combination with the multiple-layer models of the event, to detect the occurrences of the event.