Abstract: An optical input apparatus includes a light source of a directional light beam and a receiving module. The receiving module contains a collection of photodetectors through which information can be input into a system by pointing the light beam at various photodetectors. The photodetectors can be so arranged that all the functionalities of the standard computer keyboard and mouse can be performed by this apparatus. Such an input interface reduces greatly the factors that may cause repetitive strain injuries and can be used by people having difficulties operating a keyboard and mouse. The most preferred embodiments are for computer mouse and keyboard. Other hand operating devices, such as Personal Digital Assistants and remote controls can all make use of the advantages offered by this apparatus.

Abstract: Methods and systems for transferring an event from a server to a remote client are described. An event is received from a driver. The event is dispatched into an event queue according to the event type. The event is processed according to the event type. The processing includes encoding the event when the event comprises multimedia data. The event is transferred to the remote client when triggered. The transfer occurs according to a protocol corresponding to the event type.

Abstract: A curable sealant composition is provided. The composition includes a polymer including at least conjugated diene contributed monomer units in a backbone of the polymer and terminal groups including silicon. The composition also includes additional sealant ingredients selected from the group consisting of plasticizers, filler, reinforcing agents, modifiers, curing catalysts/hardeners, stabilizers, and mixtures thereof.

Abstract: A video encoder that allows for the selection of a distortion level, comprising: a selection system for selecting a target distortion level; and a system for determining a quantization parameter q that will ensure compliance with the selected target distortion level, wherein the system includes an algorithm for calculating distortion that utilizes a Gaussian distribution having a variance that is a function of the quantization parameter q. The algorithm is based on a distortion model D(q)=N(a1q2+a2q+a3, b1q2+b2q+b3), wherein N is a Gaussian distribution and a1, a2, a3, b1, b2 and b3 are distortion model parameters.

Abstract: A system for automatic management of an e-service which partitions an e-service life-cycle among operational functionalities and non-operational functionalities and tends to the operational functionalities, thereby reducing the development burden of an e-service and enabling e-service owners to stay more focused on business related issues. In addition, a system according to the present teachings facilitates the smooth transition among the phases of an e-service life-cycle and facilitates the partition of system functionality into physically distributed components.

Abstract: An image retrieval system is provided for analyzing an image in a first color model format and detecting and retrieving from the image a selected image portion. The image retrieval system comprises an image processor for converting pixels in the image from the first color model format to a (Yr&thgr;) color model format, where Y is an intensity component indicating a total amount of light, r is a saturation component indicating an amount of white light mixed with a color of each pixel, and &thgr; is a hue component indicating the color of each pixel. The image processor groups spatially adjacent pixels into image regions according to hue components of the adjacent pixels and performs a merging process wherein a first image region and an adjacent second image region are merged into a composite region if a hue difference between the first and second image regions is less than a predetermined hue difference threshold.

Abstract: An optical input apparatus includes a light source of a directional light beam and a receiving module. The receiving module contains a collection of photodetectors through which information can be input into a system by pointing the light beam at various photodetectors. The photodetectors can be so arranged that all the functionalities of the standard computer keyboard and mouse can be performed by this apparatus. Such an input interface reduces greatly the factors that may cause repetitive strain injuries and can be used by people having difficulties operating a keyboard and mouse. The most preferred embodiments are for computer mouse and keyboard. Other hand operating devices, such as Personal Digital Assistants and remote controls can all make use of the advantages offered by this apparatus.

Abstract: A system and method for encoding a video image using object-based encoding. The system comprises a foreground encoding system for coding a foreground shape in a foreground object plane; and a background encoding system for coding a background object plane, wherein the background encoding system pads a masked area in the background object plane, and wherein the masked area is determined from data associated with the foreground shape.

Abstract: There is disclosed an image retrieval system for analyzing an image in a first color model format and detecting and retrieving from the image a selected image portion. The image retrieval system comprises an image processor for converting pixels in the image from the first color model format to a (Yr&thgr;) color model format, where Y is an intensity component indicating a total amount of light, r is a saturation component indicating an amount of white light mixed with a color of each pixel, and &thgr; is a hue component indicating the color of each pixel. The image processor groups spatially adjacent pixels into image regions according to hue components of the adjacent pixels and performs a merging process wherein a first image region and an adjacent second image region are merged into a composite region if a hue difference between the first and second image regions is less than a predetermined hue difference threshold.

Abstract: A sound imaging system and method for generating multi-channel audio data from an audio/video signal having an audio component and a video component. The system comprises: a system for associating sound sources within the audio component to video objects within the video component of the audio/video signal; a system for determining position information of each sound source based on a position of the associated video object in the video component; and a system for assigning sound sources to audio channels based on the position information of each sound source.

Abstract: A method and image processing system are disclosed that extract facial feature information from an image using biometrics information of a face. Regions of interests such as a face, eyes, nose and mouth are defined in the image. A combination of disparity mapping, edge detection and filtering are then used to extract coordinates/positions of the facial features in the regions of interest.

Abstract: A video object encoding system and method that dynamically selects a mask type based on the characteristics of the video object. The system comprises an object evaluation system that evaluates a video object using a predetermined criterion; and a mask generation system that generates one of a plurality of mask types for the video object based on the evaluation of the video object.

Abstract: The system disclosed herein builds a database of image-related data by inputting a plurality of images, and for each image: dividing the image into N1 (N1≧1) regions which are substantially homogenous with respect to at least one attribute of the image, generating a graph based on M1 (M1≧1) of the N1 regions, and storing data for the graph in the database. The database may then be used to determine whether a query image is similar to one or more of the plurality of images. To this end, the system inputs the query image, and divides the query image into N2 (N2≧1) regions which are substantially homogenous with respect to at least one attribute of the query image. The system then generates a graph based on M2 (M2≧1) of the N2 regions, and compares the generated graph to other graphs in the database that correspond to the plurality of images. Thereafter, an image is retrieved from memory that has a graph that is substantially similar to the generated graph.

Abstract: A method and model-based communication system are disclosed that determine whether a specific model to more accurately represent a particular object is available so that the complexity of a model adaptation process during a communication secession can be reduced. A generic model can be initially used to start the communication sequence. Once an object has been identified by pattern recognition methods, an adapted model, if available, is switched/used for the mode-based coding. If the adapted model is not available, a generic model may be customized and later switched for the generic model.

Abstract: A video encoder that allows for the selection of a distortion level, comprising: a selection system for selecting a target distortion level; and a system for determining a quantization parameter q that will ensure compliance with the selected target distortion level, wherein the system includes an algorithm for calculating distortion that utilizes a Gaussian distribution having a variance that is a function of the quantization parameter q. The algorithm is based on a distortion model D(q)=N(a1q2+a2q+a3, b1q2+b2q+b3), wherein N is a Gaussian distribution and a1, a2, a3, b1, b2 and b3 are distortion model parameters.

Abstract: A system and method for generating an animation video signal of sign language gestures corresponding to words in an audio/video signal for display on a monitor screen. A speech component is isolated from the audio/video signal and the spoken words in the speech signal are recognized. The spoken words are then used to identify sign language gestures which are mapped onto an animation model for generating an animation signal. The animation signal is used to animate a character icon stored in the monitor to display sign language gestures corresponding to the words of the speech signal.