International Business Machines Corporation

Vastvideo, Inc.

David Alexander Epstein

Sanjiva Weerawarana

Francisco Phelan Curbera

Matthew Jason Duftler

Jaroslaw R Rossignac

Richard F Boehme

Glenn G Gilley

Rick A Hamilton, Ii

Clifford A Pickover

Kevin Patrick McAuliffe

Hongfei Li

Paul Michael Matchen

Nader Gharachorloo

William Arpad Nagy

Perry G Hartswick

Ching-Hua Chen-Ritzo

Ralph Peter Williams

Joseph J Kesselman

Robert C Plotkin

Nathan Leight

Jonathan Katz

Jeffrey W Wu

Roger L Phillips

Richard A Boehme

Frederik W Jansen

Christos S Zoulas

Kevin P McAuliff

Methods, systems and apparatus for determining a proposed cost for use of sensor resources and selecting a method of processing of sensed data are presented. Such a method includes the steps of: predicting a state of an environment, obtaining at least one criterion related to the use of the sensor resources comprising one or more data sensors, determining the proposed cost for use of the sensor resources, acquiring the sensed data from the one or more data sensors, determining a characteristic of the sensed data, and selecting the method of processing the sensed data according to the determined characteristic and the predicted state. The at least one criterion is based upon the predicted state. The determining of the proposed cost is based on the at least one criterion. One or more of steps are implemented on the processor device.

Determining cost and processing of sensed data

This invention provides for the implementation of dynamic &ldquo;event to method&rdquo; adapter class generation. Event to method adapter classes and objects are automatically and dynamically generated and wired to source and target objects as required using a runtime environments language such as the Beans Markup Language (BML). Adapter classes and objects are automatically and dynamically generated as required while the application program loads and runs. Dynamically generated classes and objects need to exist only at the time that a running application calls for the adapters use, and can be dynamically modified or exchanged in order to optimize the running application or modify application functionality.

Method and apparatus for dynamic generation of adapters

This invention provides a computer-method for parsing by enabling scripts to be expressed in a language which is syntax-compatible with the document surrounding them. A document is loaded having script and non-script components. Script components are identified and delineated, and are then passed to an interpreter, which returns an object corresponding to each script component. Then, script elements in the original document are replaced with the last returned object from the interpreter. If the returned object is a suitable Document Object Model (DOM) Node, it replaces the script element in the document structure. If the object is not a DOM node, the server invokes its string conversion method to obtain a textual representation, and replaces the script element with that text. After all BML markup block elements in the document have been processed, the altered document is delivered to the client.

Method and system for supporting dynamic document content expressed in a component-level language

A uniform mechanism for building containment hierarchies separates the code/method which actually perform the containment insertion operations on the components from the specification of the containment and then provides an automatic way of obtaining and executing that code when containment hierarchies need to be created. The mechanism consists of an abstract syntax for describing the containment relationships, processing mechanism for creating the containment mechanism, and a registry containing the mechanisms for implementing specific containment policies. Having this abstraction allows an application programmer to be able to construct hierarchies of objects without having to be concerned about the specific details of how that containment is performed. In fact, the details may be deferred until run-time (and even downloaded from elsewhere). Also, having this abstraction significantly simplifies automatic generation of object hierarchy codes, both from the point of view its implementation as well as that of the code that is generated.

Uniform mechanism for building containment hierarchies

A detachable display unit for portable devices is field replaceable and can be interchanged rapidly for service, upgrade or more flexible use. The display is a simple field replaceable unit that can be replaced in a matter of a few seconds in a routine way, allowing more cost effective service both for the repair organization and the consumer. This is made possible by a set of electrical interfaces and connectors for portable devices such that high cost and fragile displays can be quickly changed in the field by the consumer. The specific sets of interfaces and connectors for different classes of portable devices utilize as much as possible common electrical and physical components, thereby standardizing the electrical interfaces and connectors.

Detachable displays or portable devices

A method and apparatus aids consistent, high-quality input of meta-information associated with items inserted into a database by coupling a hierarchical subject taxonomy, used to definitively assign an element, with sets of attributes appropriate for each category. Each attribute in turn is itself associated with a set of legal values drawn from a universe of appropriately typed values. The method and apparatus can be used to enable a user of a database management system to input or augment a set of semantically relevant and consistent meta-information associated with content in or being placed into the database management system. The content in the database system is placed into one or more of a set of hierarchical taxonomic categories. Zero or more semantically relevant attributes are associated with each taxonomic category. Relevant sets of values for each attribute, drawn from a universe of appropriate values, are associated with each attribute at each level in the taxonomic hierarchy. The placement of an element into a category adds the hierarchical set of attributes associated with that category to those relevant to the element. The value sets associated with those attributes may then be used to select consistent and appropriate meta-information to be associated with the element.

System and method for classifying media items

A generalized mechanism manages ad-hoc type conversions in computer software. A management framework improves type conversion tasks by enabling the modularization of this task by partitioning the work of defining an individual type convertor from the task of identifying and locating type convertors on demand. The details of how type convertors are applied on demand are also a function of the management framework.

Type convertor registry

Efficient differencing and update mechanisms operate directly on the native representation of the data. No irrelevant differences are introduced by the process. The difference reports generated are stated in terms of the basic operations that can be performed on a data tree, thus requiring no additional interpretation, and making it amenable to direct human inspection and understanding. This mechanism can become a central part of any version management system.

Quick difference and update for tree structure data

A system and method for efficiently evaluating and executing unresolved data variables used as input for functional processes in a previously defined acyclic dataflow graph (or sequence of instructions which may be so represented). Embodiments of the present invention also contemplate maintaining previously computed values of data elements so that re-evaluation of the entire data flow graph or portions thereof may not be necessary.

System and method for efficiently executing directed acyclic graphs

Apparatus and method for generating displayable information expressive of a three dimensional solid object. The apparatus includes a processor (12,16) for expressing the object in a Constructive Solid Geometry representation thereof so as to be comprised of one or more primitive objects. The apparatus further includes a processor (18, 20) for repetitively evaluating the one or more primitive objects to determine displayable faces thereof. A depth interval buffer (20) is responsive to the operation of a scan conversion processor (18) for detecting when a predetermined number of repetitive evaluations occur without causing a change in the determination of a displayable face and for causing the operation of the evaluation processor to terminate. Toleranced depth tests are used to remove dangling faces or edges and to properly handle coincident faces. Pixel-centering is employed to improve the accuracy of depth tests and to identify pixels upon which a product projects. Shadowing is accomplished using a two-pass scan-conversion technique with an auxiliary shadow-buffer (ZS).

Direct display of CSG expression by use of depth buffers

Method and apparatus for use in a digital data processing system that evaluates functional networks. A method operates to assign a unique signature to each input constant of the network, assign a unique signature to each output of a network Function, and to store each of the constants and function outputs along with their assigned signatures. The signatures operate as an access key to the associated stored constants and function outputs, thereby eliminating a requirement to reevaluate a Function if its outputs already exist. A storage element, or Dictionary (20), stores data units, such as input data, intermediate values, and/or pointers to same, each with a unique signature. The storage element, in concert with a Dictionary Controller (18), provides for the deletion of a stored data unit that is associated with a specified signature and the retrieval of a stored data unit that is associated with a specified signature. Preferably, the signatures are generated from a combination of constant and Function attributes and values and are each uniquely encoded by a CRC generator (14).

Method and apparatus for saving and retrieving functional results

A CSG solid modelling system 10 has a triple z-buffer architecture. For each pixel stored in a pixel memory 12 there are five storage entries grouped into five buffers including a front z-buffer (F) 16 which is employed to store the depths of a front face for a currently processed z-connected product, a back z-buffer (B) 18 which is employed to store the depths of a back face for the currently processed z-connected product and a final z-buffer (Z) 20 which stores the front faces of a displayed solid. Two other buffers are an intensity buffer (T) 22 for storing the intensities associated with the front face of the current z-connected product and a final intensity buffer (I) 24 for storing the intensities of the visible faces of the displayed solid. A bus 26 couples these various buffers together and to a processor 28 which may be a central processing unit or a peripheral processor. The system provides for a solid represented by any CSG tree to be represented as a union of z-connected products and that these z-connected products be expressed as intersections of z-connected sweeps. Furthermore it is shown that expressions of z-connected products in terms of sweeps are extracted directly from a CSG tree. Variations of the display methods may be used to detect interferences and differences between solids defined in CSG.

Growing community of inventors

Ossining, NY, United States of America

David Alexander Epstein