6916 results about "On demand" patented technology

A technique for centralized and differentiated content and application delivery system allows content providers to directly control the delivery of content based on regional and temporal preferences, client identity and content priority. A scalable system is provided in an extensible framework for edge services, employing a combination of a flexible profile definition language and an open edge server architecture in order to add new and unforeseen services on demand. In one or more edge servers content providers are allocated dedicated resources, which are not affected by the demand or the delivery characteristics of other content providers. Each content provider can differentiate different local delivery resources within its global allocation. Since the per-site resources are guaranteed, intra-site differentiation can be guaranteed. Administrative resources are provided to dynamically adjust service policies of the edge servers.

A medical device and system capable of providing on-demand delivery of biologically active material to a body lumen patient, and a method of making such medical device. A first coating layer comprising a biologically active material and optionally a polymeric material is disposed on the surface of the medical device. A second coating layer comprising magnetic particles and a polymeric material is disposed on the first coating layer. The second coating layer, which is substantially free of a biologically active material, protects the biologically active material prior to delivery. The system includes the medical device and a source of energy, such as an electromagnetic or mechanical vibrational energy. When the patient is exposed to the energy source, the magnetic particles move out of the second coating layer and create channels therein through which the biologically active material can be released.

A system and method for displaying digital media files with compulsory advertisement files is disclosed. In one embodiment, the system includes a user interface, a media file decryptor, an ad manager, an intersplicer, and a media player. The user interface receives input from a user indicating the selection of media files to be presented. The media file decryptor receives and decrypts the selected media files. The ad manager receives and manages ad files from an ad file source. The intersplicer combines the media files with the ad files by providing control signals to the media player, causing the media player to present the ad files with the selected media files. Various embodiments of the invention facilitate the wide distribution of media content in a way that allows the free use of media properties, on demand, with direct consumer exchange capabilities, while at the same time enabling compensation to copyright holders.

An interactive television system that renders on-demand interactive multimedia services for a community of users. The interactive multimedia is delivered to each user on a TV or on a LAN-node (Local-Area-Network) computer through an "interactive TV channel" created and controlled by a Channel-processor, which can be implemented as either a PC or a high-end workstation. The system employs a direct-access on-demand workgroup server. It is equipped with the primary on-demand multimedia data base stored on a hard disk subsystem that is connected directly to the Channel-processors through an internal workgroup link. Using a no-overhead server technology, the connected workgrouped Channel-processors can all concurrently retrieve and process the data directly from the hard disk subsystem without resorting to a stand-alone server system for data retrieving and downloading. The system also employs peer-to-peer workgroup connectivity, so that all of the workgrouped Channel-processors that are connected to the workgroup server through the internal workgroup link, can communicate with one another.

Methods and apparatus for supporting content delivery service are described. In accordance with the invention content can be supplied to temporary storage of a regional or local server used to supply the content to a customer's premises when the requested content is not already available in the regional or local server. A content server hierarchy may be implemented with servers higher up in the hierarchy including more content, e.g., titles, than the number of titles stored in the lower level servers. By storing less frequently accessed content in servers higher in the hierarchy and frequently requested titles lower in the hierarchy, a vast number of titles can be supported without overburdening the storage available at local and regional servers. In addition, a national or other server high in the hierarchy can be used to store, move, and distribute local or other content as part of an on demand service.

A system for secure delivery of on-demand content over broadband access networks includes a client application executing on a user's local computer system. The client application interacts with a content server on which a plurality of selectable titles are stored and further interacts with an access server which provides the network address of a title and keying data necessary for to the client process access and execute the title. The client process utilizes an installation abstraction which enables a title to be executed on the local computer system without ever being installed. The abstraction is achieved by mounting a network file system and storing a set of registry entries related to the title on the local computer system. Portions of the title are retrieved from the content server and executed by the local operating system. During title execution, requests from the local operating system are intercepted and redirected to the set of registry entries, as applicable. The times at which the client process may retrieve the title data from the content server are defined by the access server through use of an activator and token.

A system for handling data and transactions involving data through the use of a virtual transaction zone, which virtual transaction zone removes the dependency of such transaction on the delivery medium of the product. The invention may reside and operate on a variety of electronic devices such as televisions, VCRs, DVDs, personal computers, WebTV, any other known electronic recorder / player, or as a stand alone unit. The transaction zone also provides a mechanism for combining mediums, data feeds, and manipulation of those feeds. The transaction zone also provides a mechanism for controlling the content, delivery, and timing of delivery of the end consumer's product.

A computer executable "aggregate" task is processed by dividing it into subtasks and distributing the subtasks "on demand" to remotely located subscribing computers via a computer network. The aggregate task originates at a coordinating computer, coupled to one or more peripheral computers by appropriate communications links. The coordinating computer divides the aggregate task into multiple independent subtasks. Each peripheral computer begins to "subscribe" to the coordinating computer's aggregate task by obtaining an "idle time activation program" from the coordinating computer, and then installing the program locally. The idle time activation program which may include a screen saver, activates automatically when the subscribing computer is inactive. Continuing the subscription process, each peripheral computer requests a subtask from the coordinating computer. In response, the coordinating computer distributes different subtasks among the subscribing computers, completing the subscription process. The subscribing computers automatically work on their respective subtasks whenever they are idle, as directed by the local idle time activation program. When a subscribing computer completes its subtask, it transmits results back to the coordinating computer. When results of all subtasks have been received from subscribing computers, the coordinating computer compiles and stores these results, concluding the aggregate task.

A layer-3 virtual router connects two or more virtual networks. Virtual networks are overlaid upon physical networks. Each virtual network (VN) is a layer-2 network that appears to expand an organization's LAN using virtual MAC addresses. The network stack forms a virtual-network packet with a virtual gateway MAC address of the virtual router to reach a remote virtual network. A VN device driver shim intercepts packets and their virtual MAC and IP addresses and encapsulates them with physical packets sent over the Internet. A VN switch table is expanded to include entries for nodes on the remote virtual network so that all nodes on both virtual networks are accessible. A copy of the VN switch table is stored on each node by a virtual network management daemon on the node. A Time-To-Live field in the virtual-network packet is decremented for each virtual hop and a checksum recalculated.

QoS is built into a peer network within existing Internet infrastructure itself lacking QoS, by enabling a network peer to continuously discern the network's ability to deliver to that peer a particular Content Object (distributed in groups of component Packages among neighboring VOD peers) within predetermined times. Content Objects are divided into groups of component Packages and distributed to Clusters of neighboring network peers, enhancing QoS upon subsequent retrieval. Tracking Files (lists of network peers storing Package groups) and Tracking Indexes (lists of network peers storing Tracking Files) are generated to facilitate “on demand” Content Objects retrieval. Dynamically monitoring network traffic (including VOD functionality, bandwidth and reliability) creates “distributed closed-loop feedback,” and in response, attributes of individual network peers (e.g., Trust Level and membership within a particular Cluster) are modified, and “content balancing” functions performed (e.g., redistribution of Package groups among network peers) enables maintaining high QoS.

A system and method for recording and playback of a live presentation that enables a reproduction of audio and visual aspects of the live presentation and enables on-demand viewing of the presentation at a later time. A live presentation comprising a plurality of presentation slides, audio content, and optionally, visual content are recorded as a data stream, so that when the recording of the data stream is played, the presentation slides are displayed in substantial synchrony with reproduced audio and visual content on a viewer's computer, thereby reproducing the live presentation. The plurality of presentation slides are saved as HTML files to a predetermined location that is accessible by the viewer's computer over a computer network, such as the Internet. During the presentation, the live audio and visual content is captured and encoded into the data stream, which is in an active streaming format (ASF), and the data stream is saved to a file. Also, slide display commands produced in conjunction with the display of the presentation slides during the presentation are interleaved into the data stream. In response to a viewer's request to view the presentation at a later time, the data stream file is downloaded to the viewer's computer and played back using a media player, which decodes the data stream file to replicate the live audio and visual content of the presentation. As the slide display commands are encountered during playback of the data stream file, corresponding HTML slide files are downloaded over the computer network to the viewer's computer and displayed so that they are substantially synchronized with the reproduced audio and visual content of the presentation.

A source virtual machine (VM) hosted on a source server is migrated to a destination VM on a destination server without first powering down the source VM. After optional pre-copying of the source VM's memory to the destination VM, the source VM is suspended and its non-memory state is transferred to the destination VM; the destination VM is then resumed from the transferred state. The source VM memory is either paged in to the destination VM on demand, or is transferred asynchronously by pre-copying and write-protecting the source VM memory, and then later transferring only the modified pages after the destination VM is resumed. The source and destination servers preferably share common storage, in which the source VM's virtual disk is stored; this avoids the need to transfer the virtual disk contents. Network connectivity is preferably also made transparent to the user by arranging the servers on a common subnet, with virtual network connection addresses generated from a common name space of physical addresses.

A system and method for production of customized compact discs (CD) includes compiling a collection of digital data files from source CDS, receiving customer orders and processing those customer orders by writing customer-selected digital data files onto a CD. Data files are read from the source CDs by an acquisition station and stored in a storage subsystem distributed over a number of data servers. A order input client receives and logs orders from customers. The customer orders are then processed by data servers transferring the cuistomer-selected data files to a writing station. The writing station records the data onto a destination CD. A printing station then prints content description information on the CD and jacket and also prints invoices and shipping labels.

Devices, systems, and methods are provided for wirelessly powering and / or communicating with microchip devices used for the controlled exposure and release of reservoir contents, such as drugs, reagents, and sensors. In one embodiment, the system includes (1) a microchip device comprising a substrate having a plurality of reservoirs containing reservoir contents for release or exposure; and (2) a rechargeable or on-demand power source comprising a local component which can wirelessly receive power from a remote transmitter wherein the received power can be used, directly or following transduction, to activate said release or exposure of the reservoir contents. In another embodiment, the system comprises (1) a microchip device comprising a substrate a plurality of reservoirs containing reservoir contents for release or exposure; and (2) a telemetry system for the wireless transfer of data between the microchip device and a remote controller.

Methods and apparatus for supporting content delivery service are described. In accordance with the invention content can be supplied to temporary storage of a regional or local server used to supply the content to a customer's premises when the requested content is not already available in the regional or local server. A content server hierarchy may be implemented with servers higher up in the hierarchy including more content, e.g., titles, than the number of titles stored in the lower level servers. By storing less frequently accessed content in servers higher in the hierarchy and frequently requested titles lower in the hierarchy, a vast number of titles can be supported without overburdening the storage available at local and regional servers. In addition, a national or other server high in the hierarchy can be used to store, move, and distribute local or other content as part of an on demand service.

A local database cache enabling persistent, adaptive caching of either full or partial content of a remote database is provided. Content of tables comprising a local cache database is defined on per-table basis. A table is either: defined declaratively and populated in advance of query execution, or is determined dynamically and asynchronously populated on-demand during query execution. Based on a user input query originally issued against a remote DBMS and referential cache constraints between tables in a local database cache, a Janus query plan, comprising local, remote, and probe query portions is determined. A probe query portion of a Janus query plan is executed to determine whether up-to-date results can be delivered by the execution of a local query portion against a local database cache, or whether it is necessary to retrieve results from a remote database by executing a remote query portion of Janus query plan.

Network configuration hierarchy information is maintained using flexible mechanisms and methods for establishing routes and transferring information between nodes in ad-hoc data communication networks using on-demand multicast and unicast techniques. Communication nodes use network topology information to build and maintain a dynamically mobile, wireless, ad-hoc network capable of efficiently routing both unicast and multicast traffic. Network nodes that facilitate the collection and distribution of network topology and routing data are dynamically selected, configured, and maintained. Network traffic overhead necessary for maintaining and distributing network routing table information is held to a minimum and efficiently distributed across the network, thereby reducing the potential for network traffic bottlenecks due to network overhead processes.

A software platform in communication with networked distributed energy resource energy storage apparatus, configured to deliver various specific applications related to offset demand monitoring, methods of virtual power plant and orchestration, load shaping services, methods of reducing demand at aggregated level, prioritizing computer programs related to virtual energy pool, energy cloud controllers methods, charge discharge orchestration plans of electric vehicles, distributed energy resources, machine learning predictive algorithms, value optimizing algorithms, autonomous sensing event awareness, mode selection methods, capacity reservation monitoring, virtual power plant methods, advanced DER-ES apparatus features, energy management system for governing resources and methods, aggregated energy cloud methods, load shaping methods, marginal cost cycle-life degradation, load shaping API, forward event schedule, on demand request, and load service state request methods. Various rules, constraints of predictive algorithms for signal inputs to determine incremental storage cycles, cycle life degradation marginal cost, iterative and forward event schedule development, and load control.

Methods, systems, computer program products, and methods of doing business by using dynamic capacity-on-demand techniques for re-routing traffic in a distributed computing network. When demand on an enterprise's resources exceeds some predetermined level, dynamic modifications cause static content (such as images) to be served from resources which are external to the enterprise, such as a caching system which is located close to the enterprise's end users. When demand falls below the predetermined level, the modifications are effectively reversed, such that the external resources are no longer used. The predetermined level may apply to a single monitored device, or to a group of monitored devices. The dynamic capacity-on-demand techniques may also be used for dynamic types of content, such as for dynamically re-routing access to an application program executing on an external resource, and may be used for internal capacity-on-demand as well.

In accordance with the present invention, a system, method, and computer-readable medium for identifying malware in a request to a Web service is provided. One aspect of the present invention is a computer-implemented method for protecting a computer that provides a Web service from malware made in a Web request. When a request is received, an on-demand compilation system compiles high-level code associated with the request into binary code that may be executed. However, before the code is executed, antivirus software designed to identify malware scans the binary code for malware. If malware is identified, the antivirus software prevents the binary code associated with the request from being executed.

Embodiments of the invention provide networked storage of content, which can be used to allow the enhanced provision of real-time and / or on-demand content (such as video content, audio content, etc.) to a subscriber. Merely by way of example, in an aspect of some embodiments, a hierarchical storage structure may be used to cache content for provision to a plurality of subscribers. This can be used to balance competing concerns of efficiently using network and / or storage resources and providing expedient responses to subscribers' requests for content.

A method of delivering a live stream is implemented within a content delivery network (CDN) and includes the high level functions of recording the stream using a recording tier, and playing the stream using a player tier. The step of recording the stream includes a set of sub-steps that begins when the stream is received at a CDN entry point in a source format. The stream is then converted into an intermediate format (IF), which is an internal format for delivering the stream within the CDN and comprises a stream manifest, a set of one or more fragment indexes (FI), and a set of IF fragments. The player process begins when a requesting client is associated with a CDN HTTP proxy. In response to receipt at the HTTP proxy of a request for the stream or a portion thereof, the HTTP proxy retrieves (either from the archive or the data store) the stream manifest and at least one fragment index. Using the fragment index, the IF fragments are retrieved to the HTTP proxy, converted to a target format, and then served in response to the client request. The source format may be the same or different from the target format. Preferably, all fragments are accessed, cached and served by the HTTP proxy via HTTP. In another embodiment, a method of delivering a stream on-demand (VOD) uses a translation tier (in lieu of the recording tier) to manage the creation and / or handling of the IF components.

A “Mass File Sharer” (MFS) provides a mass P2P file sharing protocol with optional on-demand file access across a P2P network. Unlike conventional P2P file sharing, the MFS simultaneously asynchronously shares large numbers of files, while providing optional on-demand (synchronous) access to shared files. The MFS uses a unique metadata structure in combination with an inter-peer file / folder version analysis and an inter-peer file / folder availability analysis to share complex directory structures that may include any number of folders, sub-folders, and files. Sharing may be asynchronous and / or synchronous. Specifically, file sharing is generally accomplished as an asynchronous distribution across the network. However, when a particular peer wants direct access particular files, an on-demand access mode is used to enable synchronous delivery of shared files. This combination of asynchronous and synchronous file distribution enables the MFS to support a number of applications, such as on-demand movie viewing, file / folder browsing, etc.

A network appliance for monitoring, diagnosing and documenting problems among a plurality of devices and processes (objects) coupled to a computer network utilizes periodic polling and collection of object-generated trap data to monitor the status of objects on the computer network. The status of a multitude of objects is maintained in memory utilizing virtual state machines which contain a small amount of persistent data but which are modeled after one of a plurality of finite state machines. The memory further maintains dependency data related to each object which identifies parent / child relationships with other objects at the same or different layers of the OSI network protocol model. A decision engine verifies through on-demand polling that a device is down. A root cause analysis module utilizes status and dependency data to locate the highest object in the parent / child relationship tree that is affected to determine the root cause of a problem. Once a problem has been verified, a “case” is opened and notification alerts may be sent out to one or more devices. A user interface allows all objects within the network to be displayed with their respective status and their respective parent / child dependency objects in various formats.

A mobile phone system with a mobile phone having internal accounting capabilities for real time call debiting to account for the billing parameters of a mobile phone unit that is operated in a multi zone communication network with a complex rate structure, the mobile phone unit having an internal processor with accessible internal memory for storing the accounting program and call data for each call, a clock and circuit means for activating and deactivating the phone, the accounting program including an updatable rate table and a complex billing algorithm for calculating the account status on the fly including multiple rate structure factors such as long distance calls, international calls with country independent local charges, charges for roaming per day and / or roaming per minute, and call surcharges, where the account status of the mobile phone is calculated in real time for decrementing a debit account or calculating an account charge on demand, the mobile debit phone having a signal for alerting the user of account status which is preferably a display of real time account status, the mobile phone system including a communication system for activating and programming a new phone unit over the airways and upgrading the account status in rate table in the phone unit over the airways.

Location information associated with an access device on a data network may be generated by the network and transmitted in-band on an emergency call to a PSAP to allow the PSAP operator to obtain the location of the caller for emergency services. The location information may be audible or may be generated in a form readable by a machine at the PSAP operator's station. The information may be provided automatically or on-demand. Enabling the data network to generate and transmit the location information enables the data network to provide more up-to-date location information than if the location information were required to be updated into the PSAP's ALI database. Additionally, mobility on the data network may be accommodated to enable the emergency location service to be provided on a wireless network. A database associated with the service may be configured to store the location information, which may then be provided in connection with emergency calls.

Disclosed is a system for allowing on-demand delivery of data, such as MPEG-2 compressed video data, to a subscriber from a content server. The system utilizes a managed IP network that is coupled to the one or more content servers that allows the content servers to deliver data such as video, audio, and textual data with a guaranteed quality of service that is at least as good as broadcast quality service. The managed IP network is connected to a head end or other local cable service provider where video is delivered locally to subscribers. The IP transport data is translated to MPEG transport data, multiplexed onto an MPEG transport system, digitally modulated onto an rf carrier and up-converted to a specific frequency channel. The signal is then applied to the cable for delivery to the subscriber. Upstream signaling occurs through a set top box or computer that is connected to the cable and subsequently to a digital modulator / demodulator and ISP to a managed IP network 66. Low band signals can also be transmitted from the content servers back to the set top box or computer indicating confirmation of an order. Also, control signals such as stop, rewind, fast-forward, and slow can be transmitted back to the content server to control the transmission of data from the content server to the subscriber.