Recovery and relocation of a distributed name service in a cluster filesystem
Granted: July 22, 2004
Application Number:
20040143607
A cluster of computer system nodes share direct read/write access to storage devices via a storage area network using a cluster filesystem. During relocation of a server for a distributed name service and recovery of a cluster, entries related to the distributed name service for filesystems is updated. During relocation, a new server for a filesystem informs all nodes in the cluster of the new server's location. During recovery, a process executing on each node deletes entries related to…
Tracking menus, system and method
Granted: July 15, 2004
Application Number:
20040135824
The present invention is a system that includes a tracking menu that tracks the movement of a position transducer, such as a stylus or a mouse, as the transducer is moved about in association with a display. The menu is typically displayed on top of other objects in the display. The menu includes a tracking symbol, such as an arrow or cursor, positioned corresponding to inputs from the transducer as it is moved by a user. A mobile tracking region is also included. This tracking region…
System, method, and computer program product for near-real time load balancing across multiple rendering pipelines
Granted: July 1, 2004
Application Number:
20040125111
A system, method, and computer program product for creating a sequence of computer graphics frames, using a plurality of rendering pipelines. For each frame, each rendering pipeline receives a subset of the total amount of graphics data for the particular frame. At the completion of a frame, each rendering pipeline sends a performance report to a performance monitor. The performance monitor determines whether or not there was a significant disparity in the time required by the respective…
Method and apparatus for producing, controlling and displaying menus
Granted: May 20, 2004
Application Number:
20040095395
A system that combines a radial marking menu portion with a linear menu portion in a single menu display. Item selection in the linear portion is performed by location selection using a pointing device. Item selection in the marker portion is determined by the pattern of a stroke made by the pointing device with the system ignoring linear menu items across which the stroke completely passes.
Multi-processor system and method of accessing data therein
Granted: May 20, 2004
Application Number:
20040098561
A multi-processor system (10) includes a plurality of processors (12). Each processor (12) has an integrated memory (16) operable to provide, receive, and store data. Each processor (12) also includes an integrated memory controller (30) in order to control read and write access to the integrated memory (16). Additionally, each processor (12) includes an integrated memory directory (18) operable to maintain a plurality of memory references to data within the integrated memory (16). The…
System and method for image-based rendering with proxy surface animation
Granted: April 29, 2004
Application Number:
20040080506
Methods and systems for animating with proxy surfaces are provided. A method for animating includes preprocessing an object to form proxy surfaces of part(s) and/or joint(s), and rendering the proxy surfaces to be animated. In an embodiment, preprocessing includes dividing an object to be animated into parts that can move independently without changing shape, forming a proxy surface for each of the parts corresponding to an initial viewing direction, and obtaining a set of view textures…
System and method for hierarchical approximation of least recently used replacement algorithms
Granted: April 22, 2004
Application Number:
20040078526
A system for approximating a least recently used (LRU) algorithm for memory replacement in a cache memory. In one system example, the cache memory comprises memory blocks allocated into sets of N memory blocks. The N memory blocks are allocated as M super-ways of N/M memory blocks where N is greater than M. An index identifies the set of N memory blocks. A super-way hit/replacement tracking state machine tracks hits and replacements to each super-way and maintains state corresponding to…
Electromagneric Interference cable backshell assembly for high-density interconnect
Granted: March 11, 2004
Application Number:
20040048516
A cable connector assembly for high frequency applications having reduced electromagnetic emissions. Aspects include providing physical spacing and electrical isolation between the signal conductors and a conductive housing. An isolative member provides reduced capacitive coupling. One embodiment includes spring preloading of the electrical connecter relative to the housing. One embodiment includes a connector floating longitudinally within a conductive housing.
Multi-mode display
Granted: February 12, 2004
Application Number:
20040027357
A display is capable of displaying images in response to differently formatted signals. The display includes a switch that enables a user to select among a plurality of signal formats. The switch has a first setting that corresponds to a first of the plurality of signal formats and a second setting that corresponds to a second of the plurality of signal formats. The display also includes a memory module that receives requests from a channel and transmits a response associated with the…
System and method for decoupling the user interface and application window in a graphics application
Granted: February 5, 2004
Application Number:
20040021659
A system and method for generating a image, where the image comprises both a graphical user interface (GUI) and a subject graphics image. A first graphics pipeline renders the subject graphics image. A second graphics pipeline renders the GUI graphics data. A compositor then composites together the rendered subject graphics data that is produced by the first graphics pipeline, and the rendered GUI graphics data that is produced by the second graphics pipeline.
Modular fan brick and method for exchanging air in a brick-based computer system
Granted: January 29, 2004
Application Number:
20040017653
A modular computing system that includes an enclosure with a rack. A plurality of modular bricks that each include heat-generating electronic components are mounted in the rack. A fan brick that includes at least one fan is also mounted in the rack. The fan brick exchanges air between each modular brick and the fan brick to cool the electronic components in each of the modular bricks.
Method and rack for exchanging air with modular bricks in a computer system
Granted: January 29, 2004
Application Number:
20040017655
A modular computing system that includes an enclosure and a rack at least partially mounted within the enclosure. The modular computing system further includes a plurality of modular bricks that each include electronic components. The modular bricks are mounted in the rack and connected to the conduits in the rack. A fan is also connected to the conduits in the rack such that the rack exchanges air between the fan and each modular brick to cool the electronic components in each of the…
External fan and method for exchanging air with modular bricks in a computer system
Granted: January 29, 2004
Application Number:
20040017654
A modular computing system that includes an enclosure, a rack mounted inside the enclosure and a plurality of modular bricks. The modular bricks each include electronic components and are supported by the rack. The computing system further includes a floor tile supporting the enclosure. The floor tile includes a plurality of fans that exchange air with each of the modular bricks to cool the electronic components in each modular brick.
Method and system for forming an object proxy
Granted: January 22, 2004
Application Number:
20040012587
A system, method and computer program product for forming an object proxy. In one embodiment, a method forms an object proxy that approximates the geometry of an object. The method includes forming a volume that encompasses the object, forming an isosurface within the volume, adjusting the isosurface relative to a surface of the object, and pruning the isosurface to obtain the object proxy. An apparatus includes an isosurface former that forms an isosurface within a volume encompassing…
System and method for image-based rendering with object proxies
Granted: January 22, 2004
Application Number:
20040012602
A system and method for rendering with an object proxy. In one embodiment, a method includes forming a set of view textures corresponding to a set of viewing directions; selecting a viewing direction for rendering; selecting at least two view textures from the formed set based on the selected viewing direction; and rendering the object proxy at the selected viewing direction. The rendering step includes applying texture from the selected view textures onto the selected object proxy. The…
Method, system, and computer program product for blending textures in a texture paging scheme
Granted: January 22, 2004
Application Number:
20040012604
Methods, systems, and computer program products for blending textures used to render computer generated images are provided. In an embodiment of the invention, a MIP-mapped mask texture is constructed. Each MIP-level of the MIP-mapped mask texture includes texels representative of different mask information. The MIP-mapped mask texture is sampled during rendering to obtain mask information. The obtained mask information is used to blend between textures. The invention is used to blend,…
Accurate boolean operations for subdivision surfaces and relaxed fitting
Granted: January 1, 2004
Application Number:
20040001060
An apparatus, method, and computer readable storage medium for accurately performing Boolean operations on subdivision surfaces. The present invention produces a base mesh which subdivides into a surface which represents the Boolean operation of two subdivision surfaces. The method includes (a) chopping pieces of two Catmull-Clark bases meshes which correspond to pieces of a Boolean surface computed from limit surfaces of the two base meshes; (b) creating new edges on the chopped pieces…
System for physical rotation of volumetric display enclosures to facilitate viewing
Granted: January 1, 2004
Application Number:
20040001075
The present invention is a system that allows a user to physically rotate a three-dimensional volumetric display enclosure with a corresponding rotation of the display contents. The rotation of the enclosure is sampled with an encoder and the display is virtually rotated by a computer maintaining the scene by an amount corresponding to the physical rotation before being rendered. This allows the user to remain in one position while viewing different parts of the displayed scene…
Widgets displayed and operable on a surface of a volumetric display enclosure
Granted: January 1, 2004
Application Number:
20040001111
The present invention is a system that places 2D user interface widgets in optimal positions in a 3D volumetric display where they can be easily used based on the knowledge user have about traditional 2D display systems. The widgets are placed on a shell or outer edge surface of a volumetric display, in a ring around the outside bottom of the display, in a vertical or horizontal plane within the display and/or responsive to the users focus of attention. Virtual 2D widgets are mapped to…
Volume management system for volumetric displays
Granted: January 1, 2004
Application Number:
20040001112
The present invention is a system that manages a volumetric display using volume windows. The volume windows have the typical functions, such as minimize, resize, etc., which operate in a volume. When initiated by an application a volume window is assigned to the application in a volume window data structure. Application data produced by the application is assigned to the windows responsive to which applications are assigned to which windows in the volume window data structure. Input…
