Abstract: A method is provided for processing image data for display by a multiple-view display device (24) so as to reduce the visibility of undesirable artefacts. Image pixel data are received (20, 21) representing the pixel brightnesses of respective images or sequences of images. The pixel data are processed (22) by applying a unidirectional filter. The processed pixel data for the images may then be interleaved (23) and supplied to the display device (24).

Abstract: Systems and methods for processing data and communicating encrypted data are provided. A method of processing data and communicating encrypted data may include receiving input traffic data at a first interface of a channel service unit/data service unit (CSU/DSU). The method may also include encrypting management data associated with the input traffic data at the CSU/DSU to produce encrypted management data. The method may further include sending the encrypted management data via a second interface of the CSU/DSU to a remote terminal of a local area network via a data router coupled to the CSU/DSU.

Abstract: A method and system for use in identifying customer premises equipment (CPE) in a distributed network are presented. The method utilizes a unique identifier provided by a CPE device to a host server during the discovery stage of PPPoE communications in a distributed network. The server receives the unique identifier and stores the identifier for use in identifying and managing CPE devices attached to a service provider's network. The host server is configured to receive an active discovery packet from a communications device. The active discovery packet has a tag comprising a device identifier field. The device identifier includes chipset and firmware information regarding remote DSL CPE.

Abstract: Systems and methods for processing data and communicating encrypted data are provided. A method of processing data and communicating encrypted data may include receiving input traffic data at a first interface of a channel service unit/data service unit (CSU/DSU). The method may also include determining management data associated with the input traffic data. The method may also include encrypting the management data at the CSU/DSU to produce encrypted management data. The method may further include sending the encrypted management data via a second interface of the CSU/DSU to a remote terminal of a local area network for viewing by user via a data router coupled to the CSU/DSU.

Abstract: An enhanced data communication node is disclosed. The data communication node can be coupled to a local area network and a wide area network for transferring data traffic between the two networks according to a first protocol, for example, a frame relay protocol. The data communication node includes a network reporting element capable of monitoring management information of an intermediate network coupled into a data communication path to the wide area network. The management information includes service level information of the intermediate network and equipment fault information of a bridging device coupled to the data communication node and the intermediate network. The bridging device encapsulates data according to a second protocol, for example, a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) protocol. The encapsulating is transparent to the transfer of data between the local area network and the wide area network by the data communication node.

Abstract: A system and method for detecting computer port inactivity are disclosed. In one embodiment, a system includes a router that has a first interface to communicate with a first connection at an end-user computer and a second interface to communicate with a second connection at a distributed computer network. The system includes detection logic responsive to the first interface to detect inactivity at the end-user computer and further includes blocking logic responsive to the detection logic. The blocking logic is operable to selectively initiate a blocking signal to disable communicating data received at the second interface to the end-user computer via the first interface. The detection logic and the blocking logic are embedded within a port of the router.

Abstract: An enhanced network management system is disclosed. The network management system is configured to receive management information via multiple virtual connections from multiple data communication nodes. The management information includes service level information for a transparent connection, for example, a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) connection carrying encapsulated frame relay packets between two networks, for example a wide area network and a local area network. The transparent connection is intermediate to the wide area network and the local area network. The management information further includes equipment failure information of customer equipment, for example, a bridging node used to encapsulate the frame relay packets. Thus, using the collected management information, a network outage caused by customer equipment failure can be differentiated from a service provider service level event.

Abstract: An autostereoscopic display comprises a pixellated transflective spatial light modulator which is arranged to provide a visual indication to an observer of the amount of crosstalk caused by reflection of ambient illumination. The display comprises a rear parallax barrier between a backlight and the modulator. Part of the barrier is formed as a screen blocking transmitted light from a first region of the modulator so that the pixels in this region are visible only by reflection of ambient illumination. In a second region, the pixels are illuminated with both transmitted and reflected light. A controller sets the pixels of the first region to maximum intensity and the pixels of the second region to a fraction of the maximum intensity. The fraction corresponds, for example, to a maximum amount of crosstalk which is permissible for autostereoscopic viewing.

Abstract: An adapter is provided for adapting an optical instrument, such as a camera (3) or a projector, to capture or display panoramic three-dimensional images. The adapter comprises a plurality of mirrors (1a, 1b, 1c), each of which has a reflective surface which is in the shape of a curved non-circular conic section rotated about an axis of symmetry (15a, 15b, 15c). The reflective surfaces have first foci which are spaced perpendicularly from a longitudinal axis of the adapter and which are angularly spaced around the longitudinal axis. For example, the conic section may be a hyperbola with first foci equidistantly spaced from the longitudinal axis and equiangularly spaced around 15b the longitudinal axis. The axes of symmetry (15a, 15b, 15c) of the mirrors (1a, 1b, 1c) converge to intersect the longitudinal axis at a point which is coincident with the front principal point of, for example, a camera lens (12).

Abstract: An engine piston is manufactured by assembling an outer shell, comprising a crown and tubular side wall in which a ring groove region and skirt are defined, with a plate-like mounting member and bonding them together by brazing or welding. The mounting member is located within the tubular side wall displaced axially from the crown and is bonded near, but displaced radially from, its centre to the crown and at its periphery to the side wall at the end of the ring groove region. The mounting member carries gudgeon pin boss means facing away from the crown. The outer shell is formed by extrusion or the like that permits minimal wall thickness and the bonded structure is of light weight but great strength and stiffness, particularly in the ring groove region. A combustion bowl formed in the crown facilitates bonding to the mounting member and defines with the mounting member an annular cooling chamber adjacent the ring groove region and crown.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a hair fixative composition comprising a canonically modified hydrolyzed starch and especially canonically modified hydrolysed starches, hydrolysed to the extend of having a dextrose equivalent of 1 to 6.

Abstract: A system and method for detecting an idle or inactive data port connection on a personal computer (PC) and blocking external access, e.g., Wide Area Network (WAN) access to an end-user PC is presented. The system provides for added security for unattended PCs having broadband connections. The idle time period for detection/blocking logic initiation of a blocking signal to disable communications, e.g., Ethernet port access to the PC, may be for a fixed time period or may be determined by a user of the end-user PC.

Abstract: A stereoscopic display controller supplies serial picture element data to a scanned stereoscopic display which comprises a plurality of picture elements. Each of the picture elements includes image data for M color components, while M is greater than one. The stereoscopic display controller includes: N memories, N being an integer greater than one; a memory controller arranged to write the picture element data for N different views of a three-dimensional image in the respective memories, and arranged to control reading of the memories in turn so that image data for consecutively scanned picture elements of the display are read from different ones of the memories; and a data reordering circuit coupled to outputs of the memories and arranged to reorder the image data for at least one of the color components.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a communication node coupled to a first data network and a second data network is disclosed. The first data network is a wide area data network. The communication node includes a first data interface to the first data network, a second data interface to the second data network, a data processor responsive to the first data interface and to the second data interface, and an encryption module coupled to the data processor. The first data interface is a telephony type interface and the second data interface is a packet data interface. The data processor receives input traffic data carried over the first data interface and generates management performance data based on measurements with respect to the input traffic data. The encryption module receives the management performance data to produce encrypted management performance data to be communicated to the second data network via the second data interface.

Abstract: A method and system for use in identifying customer premises equipment (CPE) in a distributed network are presented. The method utilizes a unique identifier provided by a CPE device to an access concentrator during the discovery stage of PPPoE communications in a distributed network. The access concentrator receives the unique identifier and stores the identifier in a database for use in identifying and managing CPE devices attached to a service provider's network. A system for identifying a communications device includes an access server and a database server. The access server is configured to receive an active discovery packet from a communications device. The active discovery packet has a tag comprising a device identifier field. The device identifier field is embedded in the tag by a module in the communications device, e.g., CPE device.

Abstract: A method of rectifying a stereoscopic image consisting of left and right captured images comprises determining left and right rectification transformations. According to one aspect of the invention, statistics of the parameters of the stereoscopic image capture device used to capture the left and right images are used in the determination of the left and/or right rectification transformation. According to another aspect of the invention, the left and right rectification transformations are constrained to correspond to a transformation to a virtual alignment to a parallel camera set-up. Once the left and right rectification transformations have been determined they are preferably used to rectify the left and right images to eliminate, or substantially eliminate, vertical disparity from the rectified image pair. The left and right rectified images may then be displayed on a stereoscopic display device for viewing by an observer, or they may alternatively be stored for later use.

Abstract: A method and system for use in identifying customer premises equipment (CPE) in a distributed network are presented. The method utilizes a unique identifier provided by a CPE device to a host server during the discovery stage of PPPoE communications in a distributed network. The server receives the unique identifier and stores the identifier for use in identifying and managing CPE devices attached to a service provider's network. The host server is configured to receive an active discovery packet from a communications device. The active discovery packet has a tag comprising a device identifier field. The device identifier includes chipset and firmware information regarding remote DSL CPE.

Abstract: An autostereoscopic display comprises an SLM which is controlled to provide an image display and a signal display. A parallax optic has a first portion which cooperates with the image display to form a plurality of viewing windows. A second portion of the parallax optic forms first and second images visible to an observer to allow the observer to distinguish between a desired orthoscopic viewing zone and undesirable viewing positions such as pseudoscopic positions. The pitch of parallax elements in the second portion is one and a half times the parallax element pitch in the first portion.

Abstract: An engine piston is manufactured by assembling an outer shell, comprising a crown and tubular side wall in which a ring groove region and skirt are defined, with a plate-like mounting member and bonding them together by brazing or welding. The mounting member is located within the tubular side wall displaced axially from the crown and is bonded near, but displaced radially from, its centre to the crown and at its periphery to the side wall at the end of the ring groove region. The mounting member carries gudgeon pin boss means facing away from the crown. The outer shell is formed by extrusion or the like that permits minimal wall thickness and the bonded structure is of light weight but great strength and stiffness, particularly in the ring groove region. A combustion bowl formed in the crown facilitates bonding to the mounting member and defines with the mounting member an annular cooling chamber adjacent the ring groove region and crown.

Abstract: Microcapsules for use in liquid detergents having a core and a polyelectrolyte complex shell in the form of a semipermeable membrane capable of withstanding a force before bursting of from about 20 mN to about 20,00 N and having a density of from about 900 Kg/m3 to about 1,300 Kg/m3 at 25° C. The invention also relates to a process for making the microcapsules and liquid detergents comprising said microcapsules.