462results about "Input/output processes for data processing" patented technology

A system and method for “on-the-fly” de-duplication of data before storing the data in a storage system is provided. A data de-duplication module illustratively cooperates with protocol servers and a file system of a storage operating system executing on the storage system to implement the novel de-duplication technique. The de-duplication module illustratively generates a block store, an index file and a hash table on storage space provided by the storage system. The hash table is utilized for tracking fingerprints and locations of blocks within the block store. The index file is utilized for storing directory information identifying the contents of data containers stored on the storage system, while the block store is utilized to store raw data blocks that comprise the data containers.

A proactive user interface, installed in (or otherwise control and/or be associated with) any type of computational device. The proactive user interface actively makes suggestions to the user, based upon prior experience with a particular user and/or various preprogrammed patterns from which the computational device could select, depending upon user behavior. These suggestions could be made by altering the appearance of at least a portion of the display, for example by changing a menu or a portion thereof; providing different menus for display; and/or altering touch screen functionality. The suggestions could also be made audibly.

A remote control uses IR (infrared) commands to control various consumer appliances made by various manufactures. The remote control is low-cost, consumer-friendly, programmable, has its own graphical display so it does not interfere with a TV or other viewing screen, and is capable of interacting with the internet or other data source to provide a rich set of functionality.

Systems and methods for providing event driven browser launch are provided. In exemplary embodiments one or more communication data variables associated with a communication are received. Browser launch settings for an individual associated with the communication are reviewed to determine a time to launch a browser. The browser may then be launched at the predetermined time. In exemplary embodiments, the browser provides data retrieved from a URL associated with at least one of the communication data variables.

The present invention relates to a spoken dialog system and method based on dual dialog management using a hierarchical dialog task library that may increase reutilization of dialog knowledge by constructing and packaging the dialog knowledge based on a task unit having a hierarchical structure, and may construct and process the dialog knowledge using a dialog plan scheme about relationship therebetween by classifying the dialog knowledge based on a task unit to make design of a dialog service convenient, which is different from an existing spoken dialog system in which it is difficult to reuse dialog knowledge since a large amount of construction costs and time is required.

Method for determining the pose of a camera with respect to at least one object of a real environment for use in authoring/augmented reality application that includes generating a first image by the camera capturing a real object of a real environment, generating first orientation data from at least one orientation sensor associated with the camera or from an algorithm which analyses the first image for finding and determining features which are indicative of an orientation of the camera, allocating a distance of the camera to the real object, generating distance data indicative of the allocated distance, determining the pose of the camera with respect to a coordinate system related to the real object of the real environment using the distance data and the first orientation data. May be performed with reduced processing requirements and/or higher processing speed, in mobile device such as mobile phones having display, camera and orientation sensor.

A system for managing favorite channel lists on a television, personal computer or PC/TV convergence environment is disclosed. The favorite channel lists are dynamically created by a computerized system rather than manually created by a user who specifically identifies a set of channels to be included in the favorite channel list. In one embodiment of the invention, the computerized system generates a list of favorite channels based on a theme selected by the user. In another embodiment of the invention, the computerized system generates a list of favorite channels based on the channels most frequently viewed by the user.

Enhanced accuracy finger position and motion sensors devices, algorithms, and methods are disclosed that can be used in a variety of different applications. The sensors can be used in conjunction with partial fingerprint imagers to produce improved fingerprint scanners. Such improved scanners can use image analysis techniques, such as interpolation between partial fingerprint images to correct for missing data, or discarding redundant partial fingerprint image data, to produce adequate fingerprint images even when the finger has not been applied to the sensor using an optimum technique.

An object oriented design for an automated modeling system for mapping and monitoring the business roles and impact of elements within an IT Infrastructure that make up specific applications or business processes, spanning not only network elements, hosts, servers and programs but also users, company structure and processes. The design including: a series of collector modules for collecting relationship, modeling and status information from both IT and external non IT specific sources used to build a model of the application or process in the database and to gather data about activities occurring on the computer network from a business impact perspective; a series of visualizer modules for reporting monitoring activities conducted by the monitoring system; a modeling database for storing information collected by the collector modules; a series of correlator modules for automatically determining relationships between data objects stored in the database to build application models of individual applications in the context of business process and IT service delivery.

A computer device is disclosed comprising at least one component operable to process commands at command intervals, and control circuitry operable to set an idle mode timeout interval. The control circuitry stores a plurality of the command intervals, and then evaluates the command intervals to set the timeout interval by finding a qualifying number of the command intervals that fall within a sliding window. The component is configured into an idle mode if a most recent command interval exceeds the timeout interval. In this manner, after entering the idle mode the probability that the next command will be processed within the sliding window is reduced, thereby helping to optimize power consumption.

Computing devices capable of internetworking and receiving, storing and viewing programmed (scheduled) television and multimedia content provide a platform for access to a combination of Internet and Television content and services. On this platform, a mix of pre-scripted and live interactive dialog (chat with offered responses) are broadcast by a connected server or servers to provide supplemental entertainment, information regarding programmed content, enhancements to scheduled television advertising, a community experience, and an interface to Internet applications and services. The dialog provides a “Social Interface” allowing fictional and non-fictional characters to interact with viewers. The fictional and non-fictional characters are each emblematic of a specific affinity group categorization, which a user personally identifies with and is drawn to. Selection of an affinity character also provides a filter for selecting internet and broadcast content associated with that character. Second level content is also associated with and mediated by each character. This provides e-commerce opportunities whereby sponsors can direct advertising content based upon factors such as the relative popularity of each character or the demographic group associated with each character.

A communication support method system to ease make selection of a virtual space in a chat system. Category DB 22, which accumulates URLs and URL categories, is prepared. A URL said in a channel, its category, and the channel name are written to a URL table. The total sum of categories of URLs said in a channel becomes the channel characteristics. Channel characteristics are displayed in a window, etc. at an IRC client. After finding the total sum of URL categories, the weighting of URLs that conform to the chat contents should be immediately increased so that the channel characteristics better reflect the chat contents. For example, this includes increasing the weighting of URLs said by users who spend a long time in the channel or users who are active in sending messages. This also includes increasing the weighting of URLs which result in active chatting after the URL is said.

An apparatus and method for the remote control and/or interaction-with electronic-devices such as computers; home-entertainment-systems; media-centers; televisions; DVD-players; VCR-players; music systems; appliances; security systems; toys/games; and/or displays. A user may orient a pointer (e.g., laser pointer) to place a visible pointer-spot on/near object(s) on an active-display(s); and/or a fixed-display(s); and/or on real-world object(s) within a display region or pointer-spot detection-region. Detectors and/or camera(s) may be connected/attached to the display region and/or a structure that is connected/attached to display region. When the user initiates a “select”, the detectors/cameras may detect the location of the pointer-spot within the display region. Corresponding to the user's selection(s); control action(s) may be performed on the device(s) being controlled/interacted-with and additional selection-menus may be optionally presented on an active-display. In an alternative embodiment, the invention may operate equivalent to a computer-mouse or other pointing-device. In another alternative embodiment, the invention may be made inter-operable with existing electronic-devices [e.g., televisions] that are controlled with infrared signaling.

A method of rearranging a display of at least one icon on a touch screen of a portable electronic device is provided. The method detects if the device has entered a tilted state, and automatically rearranges the display of the at least one icon according to the tilted state. In some implementations, icons are rearranged to be displayed in a lopsided manner when entering the tilted state, thereby facilitating user touch selection of the icons.

The VOD purchasing method enables a user-viewer to purchase goods via a shop OD (on-demand) process on an interactive TV (STB enabled TV). The user selects shop OD goods and the STB-TV creates a transaction ID code with the STB-ID code or the cable head end (HE) or shop OD client application at the HE creates the trans-ID. The trans-ID is displayed on the user's TV. If created at the HE, the trans-ID is sent as metadata or configured VA to the STB-TV. Supplemental communications channels may deliver carry trans-ID to the user (cell phone, VoIP, land-line telephone, Internet or fax). User profile data is gathered via supple-comm channel lists purchasing limits (time, day, monetary, and PIN). The shop OD computer server limits purchases thereby. Financial fraud and abuse parameters are set at the OD server as are parental control parameters.

A graphical user interface (GUI) displaying a viewport includes a panning control region defined within an outer boundary of the viewport within the GUI. The panning control region includes multiple segments, each of the multiple segments corresponding to a panning direction, wherein a panning rate is indicated by a level of translucency of the multiple segments. A panning available region defined along the outer boundary of the viewport within the GUI is included. The panning available region indicates whether a source image extends beyond an edge of the viewport, and the panning available region is a subset of the panning control region. A method for panning an image through a viewport and a computing device are also provided.

Disclosed is a form having a form layout with at least one entry field. It may be printed on a base in the form of a sheet (or any other surface). The surface of the base may have a position-coding pattern. The entry field can be completed using a user unit that has an optical sensor to detect positions on the sheet utilizing the position-coding pattern. The optical sensor can thereby enable digital recording of the information entered in the entry field. The surface may also have an identity pattern that can identify the form layout after recordation by the sensor of the locations defined by the identity pattern.

The present invention provides systems and methods for data storage. A hierarchical storage management architecture is presented to facilitate data management. The disclosed system provides methods for evaluating the state of stored data relative to enterprise needs by using weighted parameters that may be user defined. Also disclosed are systems and methods evaluating costing and risk management associated with stored data.

In a portable telephone, a sensor constructed of, for example, a 3-axial acceleration sensor is built in the vicinity of a display unit which is provided on a main body of the portable telephone. When a user moves the display unit along a vertical direction (Z-axis direction) with respect to a display screen thereof while the user holds the appliance main body, the sensor senses both a move direction and a move amount of the display unit, and thus, information displayed on the display screen of the display unit is enlarged, or compressed in display magnification defined in response to the sensed move amount. As a result, a display size of the information displayed on the display screen can be changed in such a manner that the user may have such a natural feeling achieved by moving a magnifying glass.

A port adapter for connecting zero or more network interfaces to a host system having a SPI-4 bus is disclosed. The port adapter comprises zero or more network interfaces; a SPI-4 bus coupled to a host system to provide a communication channel between the host and the network interfaces; a control bus coupled to the host system for controlling and monitoring the port adapter; and interface logic that interfaces the SPI-4 bus and the control bus to the network interfaces. Methods are provided for selecting and using one of a small plurality of different packet formats for various networking technologies, so that the port adapter can hide details of the technology that it handles from the host system, and for operating the host system's SPI-4 bus at one of several speeds based on bandwidth requirements of the port adapter.

A method and system for using a peripheral device identifier obtained from a peripheral device to determine a network address from a database, or generate the network address based on the identifier. Information related to the peripheral device is obtained from a remote device at the network address. The method includes automatically transferring at least one identifier from the peripheral device to a host device when the peripheral device is connected to the host device. The step of transferring is preferably done during or after enumeration of the peripheral device, such as occurs when a USB device is connected to a computer. The identifier is used as an index to automatically determine a network address from a database on the host device or a remote device, or to automatically generate a network address. Then, communication occurs between the host device and a remote device or other source of the information indicated by the network address. For example, the host device may download a device driver for the peripheral device from the remote device or from another peripheral device connected to the host device indicated by the network address.

A media application of some embodiments includes a timeline, which is a composite display area for displaying media clips that are part of the composite media presentation. The timeline of some embodiments includes a primary lane called a spine as well as one or more anchor lanes. The spine represents a primary sequence of media, which, in some embodiments, does not have any gaps. When a clip is deleted or removed from the timeline, the media-editing applications automatically closes the gap created in place of the clip. The clips in the anchor lanes are anchored to a particular position along the spine. Anchor lanes may be used for compositing (e.g., removing portions of one video and showing a different video in those portions), B-roll cuts (i.e., cutting away from the primary video to a different video whose clip is in the anchor lane), audio clips, or other composite presentation techniques.

A system for stabilizing a delay through a signal path of an integrated circuit (IC) includes an oscillator for producing a periodic first reference signal, a delay circuit for delaying the first reference signal to produce a periodic second reference signal, and a loop controller for adjusting the magnitude of the IC's power supply so as to maintain a constant phase difference between the first and second reference signals. By adjusting the power supply magnitude, the loop controller also stabilizes signal path delays through logic circuits implemented in the IC. The oscillator is formed by a logic gate implemented in the IC and a passive delay line feeding the logic gate's output back to its input. The delay of the delay circuit is programmably adjustable to allow for adjustment of the signal path delay through the IC.

A memory alignment system for efficient data transfer between a host system and a remote system comprises a data communications controller configured to align transmitted and received data based on formatting information received from the host system. When transmitting data from local system memory, for example over an Ethernet connection, communications control driver software may first write formatting information corresponding to the data into a configurable transmit data buffer. The data communications controller is operable to align the data based on the formatting information as the driver software moves the data into the transmit data buffer. Similarly, the driver software may write formatting information for receive data into a receive-format configuration buffer. The data communications controller may align the receive data based on the receive-formatting information as the receive data is being written into a configurable receive buffer. As the data communications controller performs all the required data alignment, no data alignment by the host processor is required.