Display assembly
Granted: January 18, 2000
Patent Number:
D419141
Mechanism for integrated information search and retrieval from diverse sources using multiple navigation methods
Granted: January 4, 2000
Patent Number:
6012055
A software tool providing a single access mechanism for diverse and varied information spaces. The invention incorporates a plurality of navigator interfaces, including: a "How do I?" navigator, an Index navigator, a Tree navigator, and a Search Term navigator. Each navigator operates across the entire information space, allowing the user to find information in any available online source. The user can switch between the various navigators at will. The present invention presents search…
System and method for storing and accessing data representative of an object in various level-of-detail
Granted: December 14, 1999
Patent Number:
6002406
A system and method for storing a data representative of an object in various LODs. Each LOD representation is divided into a plurality of LOD cells and stored in a secondary memory. A designer designates a set of LOD cells with each of the plurality of LOD cells. When the projection of an eye point falls within a subject LOD cell, the set of LOD cells designated with the subject LOD cell are retrieved into a system memory. Thus, by properly designating the set of LOD cells, the designer…
System and method of performing tomographic reconstruction and volume rendering using texture mapping
Granted: December 14, 1999
Patent Number:
6002738
Volume rendering and tomographic reconstruction center around solving two related integral equations: a volume rendering integral (a generalized Radon transform) and a filtered backprojection integral (the inverse Radon transform). Both of these equations are of the same mathematical form and can be dimensionally decomposed and approximated using Riemann sums over a series of resampled images. When viewed as a form of texture mapping and frame buffer accumulation, enormous hardware…
Automatic generation of transitions between motion cycles in an animation
Granted: December 7, 1999
Patent Number:
5999195
A method for creating an animation tool, and the resulting animation tool, providing transition sequences for a character in an animation from a source frame of a first sequence of frames to a destination frame of a second sequence of frames.
Processor-inclusive memory module
Granted: December 7, 1999
Patent Number:
5999437
A processor-inclusive memory module (PIMM) is disclosed. In one embodiment of the present invention, the PIMM includes a printed circuit board having first and second opposing surfaces. The printed circuit board also has an address line formed therein. A first SRAM is mounted on the first surface of the printed circuit board. The present PIMM is further comprised of a second SRAM mounted on the second surface of the printed circuit board. The second SRAM is mounted on the second surface…
Computer housing
Granted: November 30, 1999
Patent Number:
D417203
System and method for coding colors and storing compensation factors used in color space conversion
Granted: November 30, 1999
Patent Number:
5995655
A system and method for coding colors and storing compensation factors used in converting colors from one color space to another color space. A color is converted from a first color space to a second color space using a color space converter. If one or more components of the second color is invalid in the second color space, a constant hue algorithm is used to create a compensated color which is valid in the second colors space. Specifically, a compensation determinator determines a…
Method and system for simultaneous high bandwidth input output
Granted: November 23, 1999
Patent Number:
5991824
The present invention comprises a method and system for peer to peer input output. The present invention is implemented on a computer system having a microprocessor and a packet switched router coupled to the microprocessor. The peer to peer input output system of the present invention defines a data source corresponding to a first device coupled to the computer system. The system then defines a data sink corresponding to a second device coupled to said computer system. The packet switch…
System and method for multiprocessor partitioning to support high availability
Granted: November 23, 1999
Patent Number:
5991895
A system and method for partitioning to support high availability of a multiprocessor system. The system comprises a plurality of masters, including processors, input/output devices, or the like, and is divided into regions. Per-region access rights are assigned to the system resources. The regions are grouped into partitions, wherein a partition is a portion of the system that is treated as a single unit with respect to failure. Failure of a master in a given region only affects…
Multi-layer flat panel display screen apparatus
Granted: November 16, 1999
Patent Number:
5986737
A multi-layer flat panel display screen. The present invention includes a multi-layer flat panel display screen including a rear polarizer for polarizing incident light; a back glass structure disposed adjacent to the rear polarizer; a thin film matrix for selectively polarizing light emitted through the rear polarizer, the thin film matrix including a transistor layer having a two-dimensional matrix of individually addressable transistors; a color filter layer; and a liquid crystal…
System and method for displaying active uniform network resource locators during playback of a media file or media broadcast
Granted: November 16, 1999
Patent Number:
5987509
A system and method are provided for displaying an active uniform network resource locator during playback of a media file or media broadcast. In one embodiment, a uniform network resource locator can be embedded in a media file. In another embodiment, a video signal or media broadcast can contain information encoded contemporaneously with or prior to broadcast defining an embedded uniform network resource locator. An output for display is generated based upon the media file or media…
Interactive selection of 3-D on-screen objects using active selection entities provided to the user
Granted: November 9, 1999
Patent Number:
5982382
A three dimensional selection entity for interactively selecting among the displayed objects represented in three-dimensional space. A user selects one of several three-dimensional selection entities provided in accordance with the present invention. The user manipulates the three-dimensional selection entity to designate the three-dimensional space of interest. The objects are deemed to be selected depending on whether the selection entity encompasses at least a portion of the object.
Enhancing texture edges
Granted: November 9, 1999
Patent Number:
5982939
A system and method of antialiasing edges of a texture that is being projected onto a polygon surface are described. The system operates by determining an initial opacity value of a pixel of the polygon surface as mapped into the texture, and then adjusting the initial opacity value so as to achieve a single pixel wide projected texture edge. This adjustment is performed by determining whether the initial opacity value is less than a threshold, where the threshold represents a desired…
Cache memory with dual-way arrays and multiplexed parallel output
Granted: November 2, 1999
Patent Number:
5978887
A two-way cache memory having multiplexed outputs and alternating ways is disclosed. Multiplexed outputs enable the cache memory to be more densely packed and implemented with fewer sense amplifiers. Alternating ways enable two distinct cache access patterns. According to a first access pattern, two doublewords in the same way may be accessed simultaneously. Such access facilitates the leading of data into main memory. According to a second access pattern, two doublewords in the same…
Temporal data control system
Granted: October 26, 1999
Patent Number:
5973669
A temporal data control system that uses a hand held, mobile scrubwheel that includes two position indicators and an activation switch. As a user moves the scrubwheel about on a surface of a position sensing tablet a computer controls the movement of a cursor on a display. The computer also displays one or more temporal sequences, such as video sequences, on the display. Movement of the scrubwheel is detected by the computer allowing the user to position the cursor on a sequence to be…
System and method for media stream indexing
Granted: October 26, 1999
Patent Number:
5973679
An indexing method for allowing a viewer to control the mode of delivery of program material. By mapping from time to data position, data delivery can begin at any selected time in the program material. The indexing method also provides for controlling data delivery to begin at the beginning of a frame of data. A synchronizing method is provided to minimize a time offset between audio and video data, particularly in environments using groups of pictures.
System and method for input/output flow control in a multiprocessor computer system
Granted: October 26, 1999
Patent Number:
5974456
An input/output flow control system for a processor system having an input/output request source (e.g., a processor) and a plurality of input/output request targets (e.g., I/O busses) uses a NACKing (negatively acknowledging) scheme to prevent a common I/O path from becoming blocked due to the blockage of one or more I/O buses. The system includes a flow controller associated with each of the targets for receiving input/output requests from the source, for accepting (ACKing) a request if…
Method, system and computer program product for profiling thread virtual memory accesses
Granted: October 26, 1999
Patent Number:
5974536
A method, system, and computer program product are provided for profiling virtual memory accesses by one or more threads. A virtual memory access thread profiling tool includes a histogram generator and a thread placement file generator. The histogram generator generates a histogram that indicates the relative frequency at which virtual memory addresses are accessed by each program thread. To generate the histogram, the histogram generator runs and interrupts each program thread to…
Integral actuator for a printed circuit board
Granted: October 19, 1999
Patent Number:
5967825
An integral actuator mounts to a printed circuit board and effects connection of the printed circuit board to an external device, such as a motherboard, from a remote position outside of the printed circuit board. The actuator includes a platform affixed to the printed circuit board, a plunger (with a handle) slidably attached to the platform, and a cam slidably and rotatably attached to the plunger. When a customer pushes the plunger handle (which extends outside the bulkhead assembly…
