A secure data interchange system enables information about bilateral and multilateral interactions between multiple persistent parties to be exchanged and leveraged within an environment that uses a combination of techniques to control access to information, release of information, and matching of information back to parties. Access to data records can be controlled using an associated price rule. A data owner can specify a price for different types and amounts of information access.

Secure data interchange

A storage router and method for providing virtual local storage on remote storage devices to devices are provided. Devices are connected to a first transport medium, and a plurality of storage devices are connected to a second transport medium. In one embodiment, the storage router maintains a map to allocate storage space on the remote storage devices to devices connected to the first transport medium by associating representations of the devices connected to the first transport medium with representations of storage space on the remote storage devices, wherein each representation of a device connected to the first transport medium is associated with one or more representations of storage space on the remote storage devices and controls access from the devices connected to the first transport medium to the storage space on the remote storage devices in accordance with the map and using native low level block protocol.

Storage router and method for providing virtual local storage

A method and apparatus for uploading, analyzing, searching and displaying multimedia files based on the context and content of the multimedia files.

Method and apparatus for uploading, indexing, analyzing, and searching media content

A method for storing a plurality of multimedia objects in a cache memory is described. First ones of the multimedia objects are written into the cache memory sequentially from the beginning of the cache memory in the order in which they are received. When a first memory amount from a most recently stored one of the first multimedia objects to the end of the cache memory is insufficient to accommodate a new multimedia object, the new multimedia object is written from the beginning of the cache memory, thereby writing over a previously stored one of the first multimedia objects. Second ones of the multimedia objects are then written into the cache memory sequentially following the new multimedia object in the order in which they are received, thereby writing over the first ones of the multimedia objects. This cycle is repeated, thereby maintaining a substantially full cache memory.

Data transmission over the internet using a cache memory file system

The present invention is a system in which packet-switched (or general purpose network) multimedia data streaming is controlled based on the capabilities of a client and the preferences of a user. A server processor, coupled to the client processor over a packet-switched network, such as the Internet, receives client processor capabilities in association with a request for service for a multimedia type data transfer. The capabilities can be obtained by an application running on the client assessing the capabilities or through prompting of the user. The client capabilities include, for example, processor speed and multimedia encoders of the client. The server can also obtain the preferences of the user of the client processor and respond based on the preferences. Preferences include, for example, the quality of service of the transfer. The capabilities and preferences can be obtained via a query from the server to the client or can be automatically sent with each request. The data format is chosen, the data is adapted and transferred over the network by the server responsive to the capabilities and preferences and played to the user by the client.

System for capability based multimedia streaming over a network

A media streamer (10) includes at least one control node (18); a user interface (64, 65, 66) having an output coupled to the at least one control node; at least one storage node (16, 17) for storing a digital representation of at least one video presentation; and a plurality of communication nodes (14) each having an input port for receiving a digital representation of at least one video presentation therefrom The video presentation requires a time T to present in its entirety, and is stored as a plurality of N data blocks Each data block stores data corresponding to a T/N period of the video presentation Each communication nodes further has a plurality of output ports for outputting a digital representation A circuit switch (12) is connected between the at least one storage node and the input ports of communication nodes for coupling one or more input ports to the at least one storage node The user interface includes a capability for specifying commands for execution, and the at least one control node is responsive to individual ones of the commands for controlling at least one of the at least one storage node and at least one of the plurality of communication nodes, in cooperation with the circuit switch, so as to execute a function associated with individual ones of the commands The commands may include video cassette recorder-like commands that include commands selected from a group that includes a Load command, an Eject command, a Play command, a Slow command, a Fast Forward command, a Pause command, a Stop command, a Rewind command, and a Mute command The commands may also include commands selected from a group that includes a Play List command, a Play Length command, and a Batch command A synchronous application program interface (API) is provided for coupling, via the user interface, a user application program to the at least one control node The API includes Remote Procedure Call (RPC) procedures

Video optimized media streamer user interface employing non-blocking switching to achieve isochronous data transfers

A computer system constructs a compression dictionary for compressing a character string by interrogating an initial substring portion to determine input string characteristics that are used to select one or more dictionary segments from a library of predetermined dictionary segments individually adapted for compressing strings with particular characteristics. The initial substring portion is dynamically determined during the interrogation. A first set of dictionary segments that meet predetermined automatic selection criteria are selected and a second set of candidate dictionary segments that meet second-level selection criteria are identified for a sampling phase. During the sampling phase, the candidate dictionary segments are alternately used to compress the initial substring portion and determine compression performance statistics. The performance of the dictionary segments in the sampling phase determines which candidate dictionary segments will be added to the first selected dictionary segments, within dictionary total size limits. The first selected dictionary segments and the identified segments constitute a system-built compression dictionary that is used to compress the remainder of the input string. In this way, predetermined compression dictionaries are selected for maximum efficiency in accordance with the data actually being compressed and compression can be carried out quickly and efficiently as input data is received.

Access method data compression with system-built generic dictionaries

A computer implemented method for robustly copying pages to system managed storage in order to maintain data in a consistent state and in order to provide continuous access availability of the pages to executing applications. The method achieves data consistency by atomically shadow copying application referenced pages and amending directories in a failure independent medium on (1) an access path interrupt as well as on (2) a page update basis. Availability is enhanced by duplexing the pages and directories as part of the atomic shadow copying step.

Highly available fault tolerant relocation of storage with atomicity

A media streamer (10) includes at least one control node (18); a user interface (64,65,66) having an output coupled to the at least one control node; at least one storage node (16, 17) for storing a digital representation of at least one video presentation; and a plurality of communication nodes (14) each having an input port for receiving a digital representation of at least one video presentation therefrom. The video presentation requires a time T to present in its entirety, and is stored as a plurality of N data blocks. Each data block stores data corresponding to a T/N period of the video presentation. Each communication nodes further has a plurality of output ports for outputting a digital representation. A circuit switch (12) is connected between the at least one storage node and the input ports of communication nodes for coupling one or more input ports to the at least one storage node. The user interface includes a capability for specifying commands for execution, and the at least one control node is responsive to individual ones of the commands for controlling at least one of the at least one storage node and at least one of the plurality of communication nodes, in cooperation with the circuit switch, so as to execute a function associated with individual ones of the commands. The commands may include video cassette recorder-like commands that include commands selected from a group that includes a Load command, an Eject command, a Play command, a Slow command, a Fast Forward command, a Pause command, a Stop command, a Rewind command, and a Mute command. The commands may also include commands selected from a group that includes a Play List command, a Play Length command, and a Batch command. A synchronous application program interface (API) is provided for coupling, via the user interface, a user application program to the at least one control node. The API includes Remote Procedure Call (RPC) procedures.

Pong-Sheng Wang

Papers

Video optimized media streamer user interface employing non-blocking switching to achieve isochronous data transfers

Access method data compression with system-built generic dictionaries

Highly available fault tolerant relocation of storage with atomicity

Video optimized media streamer user interface