Application software

About: Application software is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 12185 publications have been published within this topic receiving 219822 citations. The topic is also known as: software application & application software.

Media processing methods and arrangements

Abstract: The present technology concerns cell phones and other portable devices, and more particularly concerns use of such devices in connection with media content (electronic and physical) and with other systems (e.g., televisions, digital video recorders, and electronic program directories). Some aspects of the technology allow users to easily transfer displayed content from cell phone screens onto a television screens for easier viewing, or vice versa for content portability. Others enable users to participate interactively in entertainment content, such as by submitting plot directions, audio input, character names, etc., yielding more engaging, immersive, user experiences. Still other aspects of the technology involve a program directory database, compiled automatically from information reported by network nodes that watch and identify content traffic passing into (and/or out of) networked computers. By identifying content resident at a number of different repositories (e.g., web sites, TV networks, P2P systems, etc.), such a directory allows cell phone users to identify the diversity of sources from which desired content can be obtained—some available on a scheduled basis, others available on demand. Depending on the application, the directory information may be transparent to the user—serving to identify sources for desired content, from which application software can pick for content downloading, based, e.g., on context and stored profile data. A great number of other features and arrangements are also detailed.

Downloading applications software through a broadcast channel

Abstract: Set-top terminals utilized in broadband broadcast networks are becoming increasingly intelligent (programmable). However, transmitting executable code, data and interactive audio/video materials through a selectively dedicated link requires an extensive, broadband point-to-point broadband network, which is prohibitively expensive to implement for large numbers of customers. The present invention provides for downloading application software and transmitting audio/video information through one channel of a digital broadcast network. The network also provides two-way, low-speed data communications capacity, e.g. for signaling and/or interactive text services. Signaling via data communication with a text server controls downloading of executable code from the digital broadcast channel into a programmable digital set-top terminal. Execution of the downloaded code in turn controls selective capture and presentation of audio and video segments received over one of the digital broadcast channels. Resident operating system and application software in the terminal provides all communication with nodes of the network. The downloaded code forms a non-resident application having a set of predetermined function calls for activating communication functions of the resident software.

MMX technology extension to the Intel architecture

Abstract: Designed to accelerate multimedia and communications software, MMX technology improves performance by introducing data types and instructions to the IA that exploit the parallelism in these applications. MMX technology extends the Intel architecture (IA) to improve the performance of multimedia, communications, and other numeric-intensive applications. It uses a SIMD (single-instruction, multiple-data) technique to exploit the parallelism inherent in many algorithms, producing full application performance of 1.5 to 2 times faster than the same applications run on the same processor without MMX. The extension also maintains full compatibility with existing IA microprocessors, operating systems, and applications while providing new instructions and data types that applications can use to achieve a higher level of performance on the host CPU.

SIFT: Design and analysis of a fault-tolerant computer for aircraft control

Abstract: SIFT (Software Implemented Fault Tolerance) is an ultrareliable computer for critical aircraft control applications that achieves fault tolerance by the replication of tasks among processing units. The main processing units are off-the-shelf minicomputers, with standard microcomputers serving as the interface to the I/O system. Fault isolation is achieved by using a specially designed redundant bus system to interconnect the proeessing units. Error detection and analysis and system reconfiguration are performed by software. Iterative tasks are redundantly executed, and the results of each iteration are voted upon before being used. Thus, any single failure in a processing unit or bus can be tolerated with triplication of tasks, and subsequent failures can be tolerated after reconfiguration. Independent execution by separate processors means that the processors need only be loosely synchronized, and a novel fault-tolerant synchronization method is described. The SIFT software is highly structured and is formally specified using the SRI-developed SPECIAL language. The correctness of SIFT is to be proved using a hierarchy of formal models. A Markov model is used both to analyze the reliability of the system and to serve as the formal requirement for the SIFT design. Axioms are given to characterize the high-level behavior of the system, from which a correctness statement has been proved. An engineering test version of SIFT is currently being built.

Software engineering issues for mobile application development

Abstract: This paper provides an overview of important software engineering research issues related to the development of applications that run on mobile devices. Among the topics are development processes, tools, user interface design, application portability, quality, and security.