Thomson Consumer Electronics Inc.

Thomson Licensing S.a.

Thomas Licensing S.a.

Michael Gene Kelly

Mark Alan Schultz

Shu Lin

Robert Alan Pitsch

Suresh Vishwanath Leley

The invention concerns a method ( ) and system ( ) for searching for duplicate data. The method ( ) includes the steps of: generating ( ) at least one identifier from at least one portion of a first segment of data using a unique identifier function; generating ( ) at least one identifier from at least one portion of a second segment of data using the unique identifier function; and comparing ( ) at least one identifier associated with the first segment of data with at least one identifier associated with the second segment of data to determine whether the first segment of data is substantially identical to the second segment of data.

System and method for searching for duplicate data

A subscriber callback modem, includes a source of callback data. A modem is coupled to a subscriber telephone line, and a control circuit is coupled between the data source and the modem, for conditioning the modem to automatically call a central computer and transfer the callback data from the data source to the central computer.

Automatic subscriber callback system

A modem is included in a television receiver for transferring data, such as 'pay per view' billing information, to a modem in a billing station during periodic callback operations. The television receiver modem monitors the telephone line for predetermined conditions, such as the presence of high frequency energy or a drop in the telephone line loop current, indicative of telephone use. The television receiver modem will ordinarily inhibit or terminate a callback in order to avoid interfering with normal telephone calls when the predetermined conditions are detected. However, the detection of the predetermined conditions may be caused by telephone network problems and not by normal telephone usage. Accordingly, the modem is controlled to ignore the detection of the conditions after a predetermined number of unsuccessful callbacks due to the detection of the conditions until a successful callback is achieved.

Modem with automatic callback provisions

A signal processing system includes a system control processor, an integrated circuit (IC) card, or smart card, for access control processing, system memory, and a smart card interface circuit including a direct memory access interface circuit for providing high speed access to the system memory. Data transfers between the smart card and system memory occur via the smart card interface circuit and the direct memory access interface circuit. The system controller initializes the smart card interface circuit prior to a transfer and, after a transfer is complete, processes transferred data that is stored in system memory. Processing by the system controller is not required during the transfer to complete the transfer. The smart card interface circuit also filters the transferred data stream by checking and generating parity bits as required and removing smart-card related control data from the data that is stored in memory.

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Fishers, IN, United States of America

Michael Gene Kelly