Abstract: The disclosure presents information about a user selected item. A determination is made about attributes of the selected item and from such attributes sample items are shown to a user which have similar attributes to that of the user selected item. The user is presented with a representation of the sample item and is provided with information as to what attribute of the sample item is similar to the attributes of the user selected item.

Abstract: The disclosure presents a plurality of images of an item previously purchased by a user from an electronic commerce vendor. Each of the images has a visual characteristic that is modified from the original image. A user compares a physical version of the item purchased against such display images to select the image that most represents how the physical item really looks. A visual calibration metric is determined from the selected image and a modification, based on the calibration metric, is applied to all subsequently displayed images of items available from an electronic commerce vendor.

Abstract: An image processing system is provided for encoding images based on example-based compression. The system selects a set of candidate dictionary predictor entries to encode a portion of an image based at least in part on the neighbors of the portion. The spatial continuity between portions of the image is exploited by the image processing system by selecting corresponding dictionary predictor entries that have the same offset vector as the portion of the image and its neighboring portions.

Abstract: A system and method for managing healthcare information is disclosed. The data servers each include a data manager that comprises a controller, a grid engine, applications, an application manager and a user interface engine. The controller manages the core functions and the transmission of data between data manager components. The grid engine manages information sent between data servers. The applications are applications that are created by the user or downloaded as third-party applications. The application manager manages the creation and communication between applications. The user interface engine generates user interfaces for displaying the applications and collecting clinical trial data.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are described including allocating one of a plurality of sub-channels to one of a plurality of multicast group clients for a multicast session and performing bit-loading for the allocated sub-channel, wherein said performing act further includes finding one of the plurality of multicast group clients having a lowest received bit rate, finding one of the plurality of sub-channels needing a lowest power to transmit one more bit to the one of the plurality of multicast group clients having the lowest received bit rate, comparing the needed power to a residual power, adding one more transmission bit to the sub-channel if the needed power is not greater than the residual power and updating a multicast rate, the residual power and the power need to transmit one more bit if the needed power is not greater than the residual power.

Abstract: An exemplar dictionary is built from example image blocks for determining predictor blocks for encoding and decoding images. The exemplar dictionary comprises a hierarchical organization of example image blocks. The hierarchical organization of image blocks is obtained by clustering a set of example image blocks, for example, based on k-means clustering. Performance of clustering is improved by transforming feature vectors representing the image blocks to fewer dimensions. Principal component analysis is used for determining feature vectors with fewer dimensions. The clustering performed at higher levels of the hierarchy uses fewer dimensions of feature vectors compared to lower levels of hierarchy. Performance of clustering is improved by processing only a sample of the image blocks of a cluster. The clustering performed at higher levels of the hierarchy uses lower sampling rates as compared to lower levels of hierarchy.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are described including assigning sub-channels to different multicast sessions under the assumption that in each session all sub-channels are allocated to all users of that session and power is equally allocated to each sub-channel, then for each session assigning the sub-channels to the users of that session under the assumption that the same amount of power is allocated to each sub-channel, then allocating remaining power to certain sub-channels within the session to increase multicast rate, finally modifying the sub-channel allocations among the multicast sessions depending on the sub-channel and power allocation within each multicast session.

Abstract: Message formats and apparatus are described that serve to reserve access to a communication medium in a multi-cast system. A first message, a multicast request-to-send message, includes a duration field having information representing the reserved time for a communication medium, a multicast receiver address field, a multicast transmitter address field, a field that identifies the number of slots for a clear-to-send response, and a field that identifies the number slots for a not-clear-to-send response. A second message includes a duration field, and a multicast receive address field. The second message has a format that can be used as one of a clear-to-send message in response to a multicast request-to-send message, a cancel-clear-to-send message that cancels a data transmission after the clear-to-send message is sent, and a not-clear-to-send message in response to the multicast request-to-send message.

Abstract: An image processing system is provided for encoding videos based on example-based compression. To select the dictionary predictor entries to encode a video, the image processing system reduces the complexity of the video by decomposing the video into smaller pieces. By breaking the video into the simpler pieces, it is easier to locate dictionary predictor entries that are similar to the pieces of the video. The image processing system may decompose the video into one more space-time tubes. For each space-time tube, the image processing system selects dictionary predictor entries to encode the tube.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for recovering data, comprising establishing a secondary recovery network with a device, detecting data loss and recovering via the secondary recovery network the lost data from the device, the device having correctly received the data, are described. The lost data was sent in a primary wireless multicast network. A method and apparatus for recovering data, comprising receiving data, establishing a secondary recovery network with device and recovering the lost data via said secondary recovery network, are also described. The received data was sent in a primary wireless multicast network.

Abstract: A method is described including requesting content from a directory service, receiving a list of peers in a peer-to-peer network having the requested content, selecting a peer from the received list of peers, establishing communications with the selected peer, receiving a list of chunks of content and ads available from the selected peer, requesting a chunk of content and ads available from said selected peer and receiving the chunk of content and randomly selected ads from the selected peer. Also described is a method including receiving a request for content, generating a list of chunks of content available for the requested content, generating a list of ads associated with the requested content, transmitting the list of available chunks of content responsive to the request, receiving a request for a selected chunk of content and transmitting the selected chunk of content and ads associated with the selected chunk of content.

Abstract: An exemplar dictionary is built from exemplars of digital content for determining predictor blocks for encoding and decoding digital content. The exemplar dictionary organizes the exemplars as clusters of similar exemplars. Each cluster is mapped to a label. Machine learning techniques are used to generate a prediction model for predicting a label for an exemplar. The exemplar dictionary is used to encode digital content. Clusters of exemplars are obtained by applying a prediction model to a target block of digital content for encoding. A predictor block is selected for encoding the target block based on frequency of occurrence of exemplars in the clusters. The target block is encoded using the predictor block.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are described including communicating with neighbor nodes in a wireless network, determining one-hop neighbor nodes and two-hop neighbor nodes responsive to the communication, determining a minimum multipoint relay set responsive to the first working channel determination and communicating over the wireless network using the minimum multipoint relay set.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are described including multicasting a medium reservation message and receiving a response to the medium reservation message. Also described are a method and apparatus including receiving a medium reservation message, determining if a medium is idle and transmitting a response to the medium reservation message responsive to the determination. Further described are a method and apparatus including receiving a medium reservation message, determining if a received network allocation vector in the medium reservation message has a value greater than a current network allocation vector, determining if transmission over a medium during a time interval is detected and resetting the current network allocation vector responsive to the determination of transmission.

Abstract: An apparatus a receiver for a camera for signal communication with transmitters in known locations for determining location of the camera, a compass for the camera for determining orientation of the camera, and a device for determining time associated with the determined camera location and orientation.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are described comprising detecting a playback operation, determining a target playback point for the playback operation and detecting a sub-clip type into which the target playback point falls. The method and apparatus also receive a streamed leading sub-clip, determine a set of needed sub-clips, locate one of the set of needed sub-clips and download the located sub-clip.

Abstract: The present invention relates to portable video decoder devices that are used by sporting enthusiasts to monitor and access real time information concerning a sporting event. The present invention comprises a receiver which includes a touch screen display, keypad, audio and other media input and output ports which allows the user to monitor the statistics of a live sporting event and further access up to date information related to the event. A transmitter scheme is also disclosed for transmitting a plurality of media feeds related to an event where such media feeds are derived from source media feeds.

Abstract: A system and method for managing healthcare information is disclosed. The data servers each include a data manager that comprises a controller, a grid engine, applications, an application manager and a user interface engine. The controller manages the core functions and the transmission of data between data manager components. The grid engine manages information sent between data servers. The applications are applications that are created by the user or downloaded as third-party applications. The application manager manages the creation and communication between applications. The user interface engine generates user interfaces for displaying the applications and collecting clinical trial data.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are described including scanning a channel, generating a report for the scanned channel, transmitting the channel report to an associated access point and receiving a channel assignment responsive to said channel report. Also described are a method and apparatus including scanning a channel, generating a first channel report, receiving a second channel report from an associated client, transmitting the first channel report and the second channel report to a server, receiving a channel assignment message from the server responsive to the first and second channel reports and transmitting the channel assignment message to the associated client. Further described are a method and apparatus including receiving a channel report from an associated access point, building an interference graph responsive to the channel report, determining channel assignments based on the interference graph and transmitting a channel assignment message to the associated access point.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are described including multicasting a medium reservation message, receiving responses to the medium reservation message and determining if a ratio of the received responses to an expected number of responses exceeds a threshold. Also described are a method and apparatus including receiving a medium reservation message, determining if the medium reservation message specifies this receiver in a list of receivers from which a response is requested, determining if a medium is idle and transmitting the response to the medium reservation message responsive to the second determination.