A graphics processing system includes a graphics processor and a memory for storing data to be used by and generated by the graphics processor. In a first rendering pass, the graphics processor generates an array of graphics data and stores the generated array of graphics data in the memory. The array of graphics data generated in the first rendering pass is used in a subsequent rendering pass. In the first rendering pass, the graphics processor determines one or more regions of the array of graphics data that have a particular characteristic, and generates information indicative of the one or more regions. In the subsequent rendering pass, the graphics processor uses the information indicative of the one or more regions to control the reading of the array of graphics data when it is to be used in the subsequent rendering pass.

Graphics processing systems

The present invention is directed to a presence and availability system including: (a) an input (e.g., an interface) operable to receive an agent report from a context sensing agent in a host entity associated with a person, the agent report comprising presence information and the person having an address in an associated name space; (b) a tracking agent (154) operable to tag at least some of the presence information with at least one classification tag; and (c) a policy agent (158) operable to determine presence information to be provided to a requestor based on the at least one classification tag.

Presence tracking and name space interconnection techniques

Systems and methods for delivering digital content to a mobile device from a digital content provider are disclosed. Digital content is selected using a selection interface on the mobile device. The selected content is then transferred to a computing device by the digital content provider and subsequently transferred to the mobile device by the computing device. In some embodiments, the digital content is reformatted before being transferred to the mobile device. The digital content may be streamed from the computer system to the mobile device. A service provider of a network through which the mobile device connects to the digital content provider may bill a user of the mobile device on behalf of the digital content provider. The digital content provider may bill the user of the mobile device using a Premium SMS service.

Content delivery to a mobile device from a content service

The present invention provides a presence system capable of efficiently controlling the delivery of presence information for select individuals to a subscriber. Even if the subscriber has numerous individuals identified in a contacts list, only presence information for those individuals in an active list is provided to the subscriber. The active list can be relatively static or configured to change based on time and date, monitored events, availability of the subscriber, or other predefined criteria. The user can readily add or remove individuals from the active list in addition to selecting an inactive individual to monitor on an instantaneous basis, for a select period of time, until a successful communication occurs between the subscriber and selected individual, or until monitoring is no longer desired. The user can also issue one-time queries of typical or more detailed presence information about specific individuals.

Dynamic presence indicators

A presence aware communications system, comprising a messaging system configured to perform at least one of the following operations:
 (a) provide a subscriber's communication device with information regarding an incoming contact during a messaging session between the subscriber's communication device and the messaging system; (b) provide the subscriber's communication device with a text message containing information regarding one or more messages when a notification is received that the subscriber's communication device is available; (c) provide the subscriber's communication device with a text message relating to a voice message from a different first party received by the messaging system; (d) in response to the subscriber's communication device requesting a connection with at least one of an inputted telephone number and address, provide the subscriber's communication device with a notification respecting at least one eligible message from a second party associated with the at least one of an inputted telephone number and address; (e) while a contact between the subscriber and a different third party is in progress, provide the subscriber's communication device with information respecting the at least one eligible message from the third party; (f) transform an audio messaging session between the messaging system and the communication device of a contacting party into a graphical user interface-based audio session; and (g) transform the audio messaging session into a session having a video channel or both audio and video channels.

Messaging advice in presence-aware networks

A system for detecting and communicating the presence of one or more computing devices is presented. The invention also presents a method and system for aggregating presence information generated by multiple devices associated with a single user. A server acting as a presence agent on behalf of a first user receives and responds to a subscription request generated by a computing device operated by a second wishing to be permitted as a watcher of the first user. When the second user corresponds to access preferences of the first user, a notify message is sent to the second user's device that includes presence information indicative of an activity level and availability level associated with the first user. When the first user employs multiple computing devices, the server generates an aggregate presence document that is representative of the overall presence of the first user.

Method and system for supporting the communication of presence information regarding one or more telephony devices

A method and system for configuring a client computer for real-time communication is provided, in which configuration settings are sent to the computer in the form of a configuration document, such as mark-up language document, that is readable by the client computer. The client computer may request the configuration document on an as-needed basis, or may request to be notified whenever new configuration settings are needed.

Method and system for configuring a computer for real-time communication

An automated mechanism of automatically tagging media files such as podcasts, blog entries, and videos, for example, with meaningful taxonomy tags. The mechanism provides active (or automated) assistance in assigning appropriate tags to a particular piece of content (or media). Included is a system for automatic tagging of audio streams on the Internet, whether from audio files, or from the audio tracks of audio/video files, using the folksonomy of the Internet. The audio streams may be provided by the media author. For example, the author can make a recording to be posted on a website, and use the system to automatically suggest (via prompted author interaction) folksonomically appropriate tags for the media recording. Alternatively, the system can be used in an automated fashion to develop and assign without any intervention by the author.

Automatic tagging of content based on a corpus of previously tagged and untagged content

A mechanism for transferring files that leverages the user-friendly process of making a phone call. The phone call provides sufficient context to enable the sharing of data. Conversely, selected data that was previously shared can initiate an alternative means of communication (e.g., a phone call, email, etc.). The mechanism separates data into a separate application from voice, and allows users to continue using the familiar telephone while obtaining all of the benefits that multimodal applications (voice and data) provide. By making a phone call, data sharing capability is activated between the call parties. Moreover, sharing can continue after the call ends. The phone call serves as an introduction mechanism for the sharing services, which are available from then on, regardless of when the phone call finishes.

Telephone call as rendezvous mechanism for data sharing between users

Disclosed is a system for servers to redirect client requests to other servers in order to distribute client traffic among the servers. A client is assigned to a server although the client may be unaware of that assignment. When the client accesses a server, a server possibly identified to the client by a name service, the server checks the client's assignment. If the client is not assigned to this server, then in some scenarios this server redirects the client to its assigned server. The client responds by sending its request to the assigned server. In other scenarios, the first server accessed by the client proxies the client's traffic to the assigned server. A database is kept of client-to-server assignments. If the present load distribution is less than ideal (e.g., clients are assigned to an unavailable server), then the assignment database is updated to reflect how the load should be distributed.

Robert Brown

Papers

Method and system for supporting the communication of presence information regarding one or more telephony devices

Method and system for configuring a computer for real-time communication

Automatic tagging of content based on a corpus of previously tagged and untagged content

Telephone call as rendezvous mechanism for data sharing between users

Method and system for distributing load by redirecting traffic