Christopher T Ward

US Patent:

6567986, May 20, 2003

Filed:

Feb 23, 1999

Appl. No.:

09/255949

Inventors:

Christopher Ward - Glen Ridge NJ
Charles M. Wine - Princeton NJ

Assignee:

Sarnoff Corporation - Princeton NJ

International Classification:

H04N 7173

US Classification:

725118, 725 98, 348512, 348521, 348722, 348536

Abstract:

A method and apparatus for distributing time and frequency information to a plurality of studios such that the studios can then use the time and frequency information frequency and timelock their studio components to the global reference. The apparatus includes various embodiments for facilitating the distribution of time and frequency depending upon the type of digital network that is used for distributing the television signals.

US Patent:

6600520, Jul 29, 2003

Filed:

Feb 19, 1999

Appl. No.:

09/253281

Inventors:

Christopher Ward - Glen Ridge NJ
Charles M. Wine - Princeton NJ
David B. Homan - Hopewell NJ

Assignee:

Sarnoff Corporation - Princeton NJ

International Classification:

H04N 5222

US Classification:

348722, 348552, 348553, 725 91, 725 92, 725 94, 725114, 725138, 725146

Abstract:

A command and control architecture for a compressed digital television broadcast studio. The architecture includes provisions for session management, real-time control of studio activities, the use of proxy objects to establish communications with objects not providing a high level of control, control of studio filter devices and stream management. The invention includes an object architecture particularly suited to a digital studio.

US Patent:

6785289, Aug 31, 2004

Filed:

Jan 12, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/481350

Inventors:

Christopher Ward - Glen Ridge NJ

Assignee:

Sarnoff Corporation - Princeton NJ

International Classification:

H04L 1228

US Classification:

370412, 370413, 370429

Abstract:

A method and concomitant apparatus for incorporating one or more relatively low bitrate information streams (e. g. , MPEG) into a relatively high bitrate information stream (e. g. , SDTI) in a manner aligning low bitrate sub-stream splice entrance points and splice exit points within the frame boundaries of the high bitrate information stream. In this manner, the splicing of the relatively high bitrate information stream at appropriate In Frames and Out Frames will provide relatively seamless splicing of information sub-streams. The packing and unpacking methods are implemented such that the temporal offset between elementary streams carried within relatively low bitrate information stream is removed, i. e. , the elementary streams are synchronized.

US Patent:

6909743, Jun 21, 2005

Filed:

Oct 29, 1999

Appl. No.:

09/430631

Inventors:

Christopher Ward - Glen Ridge NJ, US
Robert Norman Hurst - Hopewell NJ, US

Assignee:

Sarnoff Corporation - Princeton NJ

International Classification:

H04B001/66

US Classification:

37524001, 37524025, 37524026, 37524028, 348584, 348473

Abstract:

A method for generating a transition stream and processing video, audio or other data within the transition stream using, respectively, pixel domain processing, audio domain processing or other data domain processing.

US Patent:

6912251, Jun 28, 2005

Filed:

Jul 2, 1999

Appl. No.:

09/347213

Inventors:

Christopher Ward - Glen Ridge NJ, US
Clifford Pecota - Lebanon NJ, US
Xiaobing Lee - Monmouth Junction NJ, US
Gary Hughes - Chelmsford MA, US

Assignee:

Sarnoff Corporation - Princeton NJ

International Classification:

H04B001/66

US Classification:

375240, 37524026, 386 52, 386111, 348584, 348473, 3484321

Abstract:

A method and apparatus for effecting a seamless, frame accurate splicing of MPEG-like transport streams by constructing a transition stream or clip with portions from each stream proximate respective splice points.

US Patent:

7254175, Aug 7, 2007

Filed:

Jun 1, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/141955

Inventors:

Christopher Ward - Glen Ridge NJ, US
Clifford Pecota - New Egypt NJ, US
Xiaobing Lee - Nashua NH, US
Gary Hughes - Chelmsford MA, US

Assignee:

CrystalMedia Technology, Inc. - Sunnyvale CA

International Classification:

H04B 1/66

US Classification:

37524001, 37524025, 37524024, 37524026, 37524015, 382233, 382235, 382238, 382236

Abstract:

A method and apparatus for generating universal splice point adapters, where during a splicing operation an “out-point splicing adapter” is used to transition from an exit stream, while an “in-point splicing adapter” is used to transition to an entry stream.

US Patent:

7457257, Nov 25, 2008

Filed:

Nov 17, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/281792

Inventors:

Chunqiang Tang - Ossining NY, US
Rong Nickle Chang - Pleasantville NY, US
Christopher Ward - Glen Ridge NJ, US

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

H04L 12/28

US Classification:

370256, 370390, 370408, 370432, 709220, 709238, 709252

Abstract:

A method to organize nodes into an overlay network and to disseminate multicast messages within this overlay both through an efficient tree embedded in the overlay and through gossips exchanged between overlay neighbors. Regardless of the size of the system, this invention incurs a constant low overhead on each node.

US Patent:

7480913, Jan 20, 2009

Filed:

Sep 9, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/658726

Inventors:

Melissa Jane Buco - Amawalk NY, US
Rong Nickle Chang - Pleasantville NY, US
Laura Zaihua Luan - Putnam Valley NY, US
Christopher Ward - Glen Ridge NJ, US
Joel Leonard Wolf - Katonah NY, US
Philip Shi-lung Yu - Chappaqua NY, US

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

G06F 9/46

US Classification:

718105

Abstract:

The present invention relates to the problem of scheduling work for employees and/or other resources in a help desk or similar environment. The employees have different levels of training and availabilities. The jobs, which occur as a result of dynamically occurring events, consist of multiple tasks ordered by chain precedence. Each job and/or task carries with it a penalty which is a step function of the time taken to complete it, the deadlines and penalties having been negotiated as part of one or more service level agreement contracts. The goal is to minimize the total amount of penalties paid. The invention consists of a pair of heuristic schemes for this difficult scheduling problem, one greedy and one randomized. The greedy scheme is used to provide a quick initial solution, while the greedy and randomized schemes are combined in order to think more deeply about particular problem instances. The invention also includes a scheme for determining how much time to allocate to thinking about each of several potential problem instance variants.