54results about How to "Minimize input" patented technology

Disclosed herein is a method and apparatus for creating a 3D avatar. The method of creating a three dimensional (3D) avatar includes receiving body information of a user and storing the body information in a DataBase (DB), and creating a 3D avatar for the user by modifying standard data, predetermined based on body information about various persons and stored in the DB, based on the body information of the user.

Methods and systems for supporting presentation using a zoomable space. In an exemplary method, a structure, such as a hierarchy, of presentation information is provided. The presentation information may include slides, text labels and graphical elements. The presentation information is laid out in the zoomable space based on the structure. A path may be created based on the hierarchy and may be a sequence of the presentation information for the slide show. When a modification is received in at least one of the hierarchy and the layout, the path may be automatically updated based on the modification. During a presentation, the presentation information is displayed based on the path.

An storage area network (SAN) has a manager digital data processor that includes a first element that maintains a first representation of the SAN and a second element that maintains a second representation of the SAN. The first element generates notifications of events in the SAN, e.g., addition or removal of components or relationships between components, and includes with them data pertaining to the event. The second element responds to such notifications and data by updating the second representation. That data is preferably sufficient for the second element to update the second representation without further reference to information contained in the representation.

The invention provides an improved storage area network (SAN) of the type having a digital data processor, e.g., a host, in communication with one or more storage devices, e.g., a LUN and, further, of the type having a plug-and-play (PNP) manager that generates an event in response to a change in status of at least one of the storage devices. The improvement is characterized by at least a selected process, that executes on the host (or other digital data processor) and that references at least a selected one of the storage devices using a previously assigned logical identification, e.g., a LUN ID. The improvement is further characterized by the selected process responding to an event generated by the plug-and-play by querying for information the storage device (or an interface thereto) with respect to which the event was generated. From that information, the process generates a logical identification for the device.

Novel storage area networks (SANs) and methods of operation thereof utilize a plurality of hosts coupled via an interconnect with one or more storage units. A manager device, process or other functionality in communication with a plurality of agent processes, devices or other functionality, each of which is associated with a host. The agents identify attributes of (i) their associated hosts, (ii) interconnect to which that host is coupled, and/or (iii) storage units to which that host is coupled via the interconnect. The manager responds to these attributes identified by the agents to manage the SAN. The manager can be implemented on a first digital data processor and the hosts on further digital data processors. These digital data processors can be coupled via a first network, e.g., an IP or other network, to support communications between the manager and the agents. A second network, e.g., SCSI and/or fiber channel based fabric, separate from the first network, can be utilized as the interconnect between the hosts and the storage devices.

The invention provides an improved SAN of type having one or more host digital data processors, coupled to one or more storage devices. At least a selected one of the hosts includes a file system that effects access by the host to assigned storage devices. This can be, by way of non-limiting example, an AIX journal file system, a Veritas file system, a Unix file systems using Veritas volume manager or other host platform file system that oversees file and other data accesses between the host and those assigned devices. In response to a request by (or on behalf of) the selected host for extension of the file system, a manager (e.g., executing on a further digital data processor) assigns one of more further storage devices to that digital data processor. An agent associated with the first digital data processor that responds to the assignment by extending the file system to include the assigned storage device.

Systems and methods are provided for facilitating contact or communication between users or participants. A profile matching process is performed to match a user profile of a first user to a user profile of a second user. A number of questions to ask the second user are automatically selected. In addition, an answer to one or more of the questions may be suggested to the second user. The questions and any suggested answers are then sent to the second user at an associated user device. A reward to be revealed to the second user in response to answering the questions may also be provided. A summary of the answers given by the second user may be provided to the first user. In response, the first user may choose to share his or her full or partial user profile, contact information, or the like with the second user.

A digital data processor of the type used, e.g., in management of a storage area network (SAN), executes a process (a “manager” process) to maintain a representation of the SAN topology or at least an attribute thereof. A graphical output device displays the SAN representation. A further process (a “user interface” process) controls the output device for purposes of displaying that representation. An interface element effects retrieval of the SAN representation, for example, in response to a request from the user interface process. It transmits that representation to the user interface process for display on the graphical output device.

A serial, dual piston high pressure fluid pumping system that overcomes the difficulties of gas in the fluid stream without the need for added mechanical valves or fluid paths. A bubble detection and recovery mechanism monitors compression and decompression volumes of the serially configured dual pump head pump, and the overall system delivery pressure. Bubble detection is effected by sensing a ratio of compression to decompression volume and determining if the ratio exceeds an empirical threshold that suggests the ratio of gas-to-liquid content of eluent or fluid in the system is beyond the pump's ability to accurately meter a solvent mixture. The magnitude of the ratio of compression to decompression volume indicates that either the intake stroke has a bubble or that the eluent has a higher-than-normal gas content. Once a bubble has been detected, recovery is effected by forcing the pump into a very high stroke volume with the compression and decompression stroke limits constrained to obtain the largest delivery stroke compression ratio that will expel a bubble or solvent that has detrimental quantities of gas.

A storage area network (“SAN”) includes one or more digital data processors that are coupled for communication with one or more storage devices (e.g., LUNs) over an interconnect. The improvement provides a mechanism for hierarchically displaying, e.g., on the administrator console or other output device, portions of the SAN topology. It includes a process that generates for application to the output device a plurality of graphical object that represent “segments” of the SAN and/or components of the SAN, along with the interconnections between them. The process selectively responds to operator/administrator selection of any of the graphical objects that represent a segment by regenerating the display to depict the interconnected segments and/or components that make up that segment.

A storage area network (SAN) of the type has a plurality of components including one or more digital data processors in communication with one or more storage devices via a switching fabric. An interface process, e.g., resident on a manager digital data processor, permits the operator/administrator to effect execution of at least a process residing on the manager and at least one process, such as a management application, residing on another SAN component.

A storage area network (SAN) includes a plurality of digital data processors, each with a file system that effects access to one or more storage devices coupled to the SAN, for example, via an interconnect fabric. A process (e.g., executing on a manager digital data processor) responds to a file system over-extension notification from at least a selected one of the digital data processors, e.g., by assigning a further storage device to the selected digital data processor. The type of response is, more particularly, determined in accord with a hierarchically defined policy inherited, in whole or in part, from one or more hierarchical groups of which the digital data processor is a member.

A storage area network has a plurality of components, such as host digital data processors and storage devices. A store, e.g., resident on a manager digital data processor, contains one or more objects (or other data constructs) that represent information gathered from the hosts, i.e., scans. Further such objects represent components in the SAN and/or relationships between and among those components. A discover engine or other functionality executing on the manager digital data processor validates information gathered from a selected host concerning a selected component or relationship based on a scan object, if any, that is associated with a component object or relationship object, respectively, corresponding to the selected component or relationship.

A storage area network has one or more digital data processors, e.g., hosts, in communication with one or more storage devices. At least a selected one of the hosts has an operating system in which a storage device must be claimed before the storage device can be accessed by applications programs executing on that host. The improvement is characterized by a selectively actuable filter, e.g., loaded with the selected host operating system, that when downloaded and actuated to a host intervenes to block claiming of one or more selected storage devices.

A storage area network (SAN) has a plurality of components including digital data processors, e.g., hosts, coupled to a plurality of storage device. Common, platform-independent processes execute on the hosts, which can be of varied platform types, e.g., Unix™, Windows™, Solaris, and so forth. Those processes utilizes the command line interface of the host operating system to invoke platform-dependent processes on the respective hosts. The platform-dependent processes return data to the platform-independent processes, e.g., via Standard Output or Standard Error of the host operating system command line interface.

The invention provides improvements on storage area network (SAN) of the type having one or more host digital data processors in communication with one or more storage devices, where a host has an operating system that utilizes (i) a port driver to define a software interface between a class driver and an adapter to which one or more of the storage devices are coupled, and (ii) a class driver that claims storage devices for access, e.g., by the operating system and any applications programs executing therein, by invoking the port driver to which the host is coupled, e.g., via the interconnect fabric. The improvement comprises a software filter in communication with the port driver and the class driver. That filter intervenes to block claiming of one or more selected storage devices by the class driver.

A model-based distortion compensating noise reduction apparatus for speech recognition, includes: a speech absence probability calculator for calculating the probability distribution for absence and existence of a speech using the sound absence and existence information for the frames; a noise estimation updater for estimating a more accurate noise component by updating the variance of the clean speech and noise for each frame; and a speech absence probability-based noise filter for outputting a first clean speech through the speech absence probability transmitted from the speech absence probability calculator and a first noise filter. Further, the model-based distortion compensating noise reduction apparatus includes a post probability calculator for calculating post probabilities for mixtures using a GMM containing a clean speech in the first clean speech; and a final filter designer for forming a second noise filter and outputting an improved final clean speech signal using the second noise filter.

A method and system for establishing data communications channels between users is disclosed. These data communications channels may be used for file transferring, internet collaborations, etc. In one embodiment, a data communications channel is automatically established between two user devices upon the establishment of a voice communications channel between communications devices associated with said user devices. In this embodiment, the data communications channel is set up without any additional input from the user. In another embodiment, a data communications channel is used to transfer files between user communication devices. The method and systems of the invention may use unique identifiers to establish the data communications channels. In the event that the communications devices are telephones, a user's telephone number may comprise at least part of the unique identifier. In one embodiment, only the telephone number of another user is needed to establish the data communications channel.

The invention relates to an internal combustion engine having a turbocompound system. The turbocompound system encompasses an exhaust-gas turbocharger, a turbo intercooler, and a power turbine. The power turbine is connectable, via a transmission with clutch, to the crankshaft of the internal combustion engine. A connectable compressor, which is couplable either to the power turbine or to the internal combustion engine, is received in a multiple-flow intake pipe.