Abstract: A multimedia communication system in an Internet Protocol (IP) network includes broadcast capabilities. A system-wide emergency broadcast initiated by a user with the appropriate authority interrupts all teleconferences in progress. A group-wide high priority broadcast initiated by a user with the appropriate authority may interrupt some teleconferences in progress in the selected or other group(s). A group-wide normal priority broadcast allows all teleconferences to remain in progress and user may choose to join or not join the broadcast when the in-progress teleconference has ended.

Abstract: The present invention provides a cobalamin-drug conjugate suitable for the treatment of tumor related diseases. Cobalamin is indirectly covalently bound to an anti-tumor drug via a cleavable linker and one or more optional spacers. Cobalamin is covalently bound to a first spacer or the cleavable linker via the 5?-OH of the cobalamin ribose ring. The drug is bound to a second spacer of the cleavable linker via an existing or added functional group on the drug. After administration, the conjugate forms a complex with transcobalamin (any of its isoforms). The complex then binds to a receptor on a cell membrane and is taken up into the cell. Once in the cell, an intracellular enzyme cleaves the conjugate thereby releasing the drug. Depending upon the structure of the conjugate, a particular class or type of intracellular enzyme affects the cleavage. Due to the high demand for cobalamin in growing cells, tumor cells typically take up a higher percentage of the conjugate than do normal non-growing cells.

Abstract: Embodiments are directed to systems and methods for delivering broadcast television (TV) using an Internet Protocol (IP) network. The IPTV system and methods use real-time routing servers to unicast and/or multicast of broadcast television programs. The IPTV system and methods may enable advertisers to insert local commercials into national or international television broadcasts. The IPTV system and methods offer network-based time-shifting of broadcast television programming rather than personal video recorder (PVR)-based time-shifting. The IPTV system and methods may provide scalable video on-demand (VOD) by multicasting video content and dynamically determining whether to speed up or slow down a bit stream to catch up to or wait for the previous or next multicast of the video content. The IPTV system and methods also may enables interactive television programming whereby a viewer may be permitted to exchange video with a television program and have that video displayed.

Abstract: A method is described for encoding video. A video sequence is captured at a full frame resolution. Boundaries for an inner region are identified within frames of the video sequence. The video sequence is encoded at the full frame resolution into a bitstream. The bitstream includes a sub-bitstream which encodes for the inner region. Data is embedded within the bitstream. The data identifies the sub-bitstream within the bitstream. In one aspect, the data is a header specifying the inner region. In another aspect, the encoding estimates motion for pixels within the inner region based on pixels within the inner region.

Abstract: Participants in a teleconference may exchange multimedia data, such as audio, video, documents, thumbnails, white board, buddy list, control data, etc., for example. The end-point devices may be located in different locations, may have different capabilities, such as processing power, amount of random access memory, amount of graphics memory, and display size, and the links among terminals may have different bandwidths. A real-time routing server may scale features available, such as video capture/encoding size, video decoding/display size, number of video display windows, quality of video pictures, whether to have thumbnails, etc., to the end-points based on the capabilities of the particular end-point device and/or its link bandwidth to the real-time routing server.

Abstract: A system is described that includes a real-time routing server to route and process multimedia sessions over a network. The system also includes a group server to manage the multimedia communications sessions over the network. The group server is coupled to the routing server. The system further includes a plurality of end-point processing devices to schedule and conduct multimedia communications sessions over the network. The plurality of end-point processing devices are coupled to the routing server and the group server. Protocols determine the topology of the network, reserve bandwidth, reserve media processing resources, and find the best route and the best real-time routing server to transfer and process multimedia data.

Abstract: In an encoding process, video data are represented as a bitstream of a quantized base layer and one or more enhancement layers, which capture the difference between a quantized base video picture and an original unquantized input video picture. Due to bandwidth constraints on a communication channel, it may be unfeasible to transmit all enhancement layers. During the encoding process, the enhancement layer data may be adjusted to give transmission priority to information in the enhancement layers that is visually important. Following transmission, the adjustment may be undone during the decoding process.

Abstract: A medical device and method for transportation and release of a therapeutic agent into a mammalian body are disclosed. The medical device is coated with alternating layers of a negatively charged therapeutic agent and a cationic polyelectrolyte, following a controlled adsorption technique. The method is simple, with minimal perturbation to the therapeutic agent and uses clinically acceptable biopolymers such as human serum albumin. The amount of the therapeutic agent that can be delivered by this technique is optimized by the number of the layers of the therapeutic agent adsorbed on the surface of medical device. There is a washing step between alternate layers of the therapeutic agent and cationic polyelectrolyte carrier, so that the amount of the therapeutic agent on the insertable medical device represents the portion that is stably entrapped and adsorbed on to the medical device.

Abstract: A medical device and method for transportation and release of a therapeutic agent into a mammalian body are disclosed. The medical device is coated with alternating layers of a negatively charged therapeutic agent and a cationic polyelectrolyte, following a controlled adsorption technique. The method is simple, with minimal perturbation to the therapeutic agent and uses clinically acceptable biopolymers such as human serum albumin. The amount of the therapeutic agent that can be delivered by this technique is optimized by the number of the layers of the therapeutic agent adsorbed on the surface of medical device. There is a washing step between alternate layers of the therapeutic agent and cationic polyelectrolyte carrier, so that the amount of the therapeutic agent on the insertable medical device represents the portion that is stably entrapped and adsorbed on to the medical device.

Abstract: The present invention provides a cobalamin-drug conjugate suitable for the treatment of tumor related diseases. Cobalamin is indirectly covalently bound to an anti-tumor drug via a cleavable linker and one or more optional spacers. Cobalamin is covalently bound to a first spacer or the cleavable linker via the 5?-OH of the cobalamin ribose ring. The drug is bound to a second spacer of the cleavable linker via an existing or added functional group on the drug. After administration, the conjugate forms a complex with transcobalamin (any of its isoforms). The complex then binds to a receptor on a cell membrane and is taken up into the cell. Once in the cell, an intracellular enzyme cleaves the conjugate thereby releasing the drug. Depending upon the structure of the conjugate, a particular class or type of intracellular enzyme affects the cleavage. Due to the high demand for cobalamin in growing cells, tumor cells typically take up a higher percentage of the conjugate than do normal non-growing cells.

Abstract: In an encoding process, video data are represented as a bitstream of a quantized base layer and one or more enhancement layers, which capture the difference between a quantized base video picture and an original unquantized input video picture. Due to bandwidth constraints on a communication channel, it may be unfeasible to transmit all enhancement layers. During the encoding process, the enhancement layer data may be adjusted to give transmission priority to information in the enhancement layers that is visually important. Following transmission, the adjustment may be undone during the decoding process.

Abstract: A method of encoding and decoding an image includes the following steps: subsampling the image to obtain a plural number of subsampled frames of spatially offset image-representative signals; transforming each of the subsampled frames to obtain a corresponding number of frames of transform coefficient-representative signals; forming vector-representative signals from corresponding coefficient-representative signals of the respective frames of coefficient-representative signals; transforming the vector-representative signals; quantizing the transformed vector-representative signals to obtain encoded signals; transmitting the encoded signals; receiving the transmitted encoded signals; and decoding the encoded signals to obtain a recovered version of the image.

Abstract: The disclosure has application, for use in conjunction with a video encoding/decoding technique wherein images are encoded into frame-representative bitstreams that include start codes and variable length codes and at least some of the bitstreams are truncated for streaming, ultimately, to a decoder for decoding. A disclosed method includes the following steps: selecting an end code having a value that is different than any start code and any variable length code of the bitstream; and appending the end code to the bitstreams.

Abstract: A method for encoding and decoding an input signal, includes the following steps: applying a transform to the input signal to obtain a transformed signal; quantizing the transformed signal to obtain a sequence of quantized values, the quantized values being representable in the form of ordered binary bits; for each order of said binary bits, encoding a bit plane of the sequence using (run, end) coding to obtain encoded values; and decoding the encoded values to recover the input signal.

Abstract: In a form of the present invention, a method is set forth for decoding an encoded signal that includes an encoded control portion and an encoded video portion, comprising the following steps: providing a plurality of inverse transform functions; decoding the encoded signal to recover said control portion; selecting one of said inverse transform functions in accordance with the recovered control portion; and decoding said encoded video portion with the selected inverse transform function.

Abstract: For use in conjunction with a video encoding/decoding technique wherein images are encoded using truncatable image-representable signals in bit plane form, a method including the following steps: selecting a number of bitplanes to be used in a prediction loop; and producing an alignment parameter in a syntax portion of an encoded bitstream that determines the alignment of bitplanes with respect to the prediction loop.

Abstract: A method for wavelet encoding image-representative signals, including the following steps: identifying shape information of a shape in the image; within rows of pixels of a shape, performing wavelet decompositions for segments of consecutive pixels in the shape; for segments of pixels having out of the shape pixels in a wavelet decomposition, forming a zero tree that includes don't-care nodes and having uncoded don't-care descendents of don't-care nodes.

Abstract: In accordance with a feature of the present invention, a bit plane approach is used in representing coded levels or values. Although, this approach will require more codes to be generated (since each bit plane is separately encoded), the codes themselves, and/or the entropy codes therefor, will require less bits for their representation, and in many cases the net result will be a substantial reduction in the bits necessary to encode the original signal.

Abstract: The disclosure has application for use in conjunction with a video encoding/decoding technique wherein video images are encoded using truncatable image-representative signals in bit plane form. A disclosed method includes the following steps: determining a specified number of bitplanes for the coding of an image-representative frame; and producing an encoded bitstream for the frame which has a syntax-containing portion that includes a representation of the specified number.

Abstract: A method for wavelet encoding image-representative signals, including the following steps: identifying shape information of a shape in the image; within rows of pixels of a shape, performing wavelet decompositions for segments of consecutive pixels in the shape; for segments of pixels having out of the shape pixels in a wavelet decomposition, forming a zero tree that includes don't-care nodes and having uncoded don't-care descendents of don't-care nodes.