System for communications where first priority data transfer is not disturbed by second priority data transfer and where allocated bandwidth is removed when process terminates abnormally
Granted: June 1, 1999
Patent Number:
5909594
The present invention comprises a method and system for implementing prioritized communications in a computer system. The present invention is implemented on a computer system having a microprocessor and a plurality of peripheral devices coupled to the computer system. The system of the present invention determines a first priority level and determines a second priority level. The system of the present invention receives a bandwidth allocation request from a software process to transfer…
Resilient panel for housing a machine
Granted: April 27, 1999
Patent Number:
5897180
A housing includes a structural frame. The frame has several corner posts. At least two of the corner posts have a recess therein. A resilient sheet is dimensioned to fit between the two corner posts. The resilient sheet includes a first edge and a second edge. Each edge includes a feature shaped so that it engages the recess in the corner post. The engagement of the feature provides a fastenerless attachment of the resilient sheet to the frame. In addition, the resilient sheet includes…
Removable backlighting assembly for flat panel display subsystem
Granted: April 20, 1999
Patent Number:
5896119
A light distributing removable door assembly (and elements thereof) for a back-lit flat panel display subsystem wherein the subsystem is for direct viewing as a monitor and having overhead projection capability. The removable door assembly provides for back-lighting via a light pipe for direct viewing when installed in the subassembly. When the door assembly is removed, the active matrix LCD is semi-transparent and can be placed over the imaging screen (viewing side down) of an overhead…
Interactively reducing polygon count in three-dimensional graphic objects
Granted: April 13, 1999
Patent Number:
5894308
The number of polygons in a 3D graphic object is adjusted by receiving interactive input from a user through a user-interface abstraction, and altering the number of polygons in the 3D graphic object in real time based on the input received from the user.
Browser driven user interface to a media asset database
Granted: April 6, 1999
Patent Number:
5893110
A method for automatically constructing a database query for data assets associated with multimedia works. The database query is based on the context of a selected point of interest of a multimedia work. The point of interest is selected by a user interacting with the multimedia work and pausing the multimedia work at the point of interest. A database query is automatically constructed that is constrained by data that is associated with the point of interest. In addition, a list of…
Manipulation of branching graphic structures using inverse kinematics
Granted: March 30, 1999
Patent Number:
5889528
A graphic structure having a root block with a root, and at least two branch blocks each with an end effector, is manipulated from an initial configuration towards a goal configuration. The manipulation derives, in a succession of iterations, an update configuration positioning the end effectors closer to corresponding goal positions than in a prior configuration, and in one iteration, derives an update configuration by reducing the effect of a root block on an end effector of a branch…
System and method for generating and displaying complex graphic images at a constant frame rate
Granted: March 30, 1999
Patent Number:
5889529
A system and method for dynamically resizing graphic images of variable image complexity to generate display images at a constant frame rate for output to a display device. In one frame, an image resolution is determined and a graphic image is drawn to the determined image resolution. In the subsequent frame, the graphic image is magnified to a target resolution prior to being output to a display device. The synchronization of the drawing of the graphic image and its display is managed…
Method and apparatus for publishing documents in a hypertextural network environment
Granted: March 30, 1999
Patent Number:
5890170
A method, apparatus and system for allowing a user to create and add information to his World Wide Web home page, or a private home page. In the present invention, a user drags and drops icons representing the information that should be included in the user's home page. The present invention creates links in the user's home page to the information (or to a copy of the information). The organization of the home page remains completely transparent to the user.
Electromagnetic interference shielding enclosure and heat sink with compression coupling mechanism
Granted: March 9, 1999
Patent Number:
5880930
A EMI shield which includes a heat sink and a compression coupling. A top housing formed of electrically conductive material is placed over a circuit board containing electronic devices and is electrically coupled to an electrical ground through contact along the length of a conductive strip which is connected to an electrical ground. A bottom housing formed of electrically conductive material is connected to an electrical ground through electrical contact along the length of a…
Method system and computer program product for shading
Granted: March 9, 1999
Patent Number:
5880736
A method, system, and computer program product are provided for accelerated shading of an object surface by bump mapping in tangent space or object space. A tangent space transform module builds a tangent space transform matrix M(p) having elements comprised of normal, tangent, and binormal vector components determined at a surface point on the object surface. The tangent space transform module further transforms shading vectors, such as, lighting and viewing vectors, into a tangent…
System and method for automatically creating a desktop icon for access to a remote resource
Granted: March 9, 1999
Patent Number:
5880730
A system and method are provided for automatically creating a desktop icon for access to a remote resource. A text drop event in a desktop area of a user interface is identified, and the associated dropped text is analyzed. It is determined whether the dropped text is a recognized format for a path name to a remote resource. If the dropped text is a recognized format, a desktop icon is created for access to the remote resource based upon the recognized format and the dropped text.
Graphical method and system for accessing information on a communications network
Granted: March 2, 1999
Patent Number:
5877767
A system and computer-based method for permitting a computer system to access a network location using a browser application by activating a desktop icon. The system comprises a first computer readable program code means for causing the computer system to display a desktop icon associated with a file containing a network address corresponding to the network location. When the desktop icon is activated, a second computer usable program code means causes the computer to launch an instance…
Method and apparatus for supersampling based on the local rate of change in texture
Granted: March 2, 1999
Patent Number:
5877771
A method and an apparatus for high quality texture mapping. Multi-resolutional texture data for a destination pixel is supersampled at horizontal and vertical screen space sampling rates based on the local rate of change at a texture coordinate. Two-dimensional and/or three-dimensional multi-resolutional texture data is sampled. The calculated local rates of change in texture can be scaled, independently, to allow the effect of each texture dimension upon the horizontal and vertical…
Method to pipeline write misses in shared cache multiprocessor systems
Granted: February 23, 1999
Patent Number:
5875468
In a computer system having a number of nodes, wherein one of the nodes has a number of processors which share a single cache, a method of providing release consistent memory coherency. Initially, a write stream is divided into separate intervals or epochs at each cache, delineated by processor synch operations. When a write miss is detected, a counter corresponding to the current epoch is incremented. When the write miss globally completes, the same epoch counter is decremented. Synch…
Resumption of preempted non-privileged threads with no kernel intervention
Granted: February 16, 1999
Patent Number:
5872963
A system and method for context switching between a first and a second execution entity (such as a thread) without having to enter into protected kernel mode. The system includes a memory and a plurality of processors, wherein each of the plurality of processors operates within both a user mode and a protected kernel mode and includes a program counter and a plurality N of registers. The first and second execution entities have user states defined by a program counter value, a context…
Memory system with multiple addressing and control busses
Granted: February 9, 1999
Patent Number:
5870325
A memory system that includes a memory controller and memory modules that provide address and control signals to groups of memory components through multiple busses. In one embodiment, each memory module is coupled to an address/control buss. The use of multiple address/control busses provides the necessary bandwidth so as to allow for fast access and control of memory components. Memory components are grouped into banks of memory components with each bank including three memory…
System and method for fetching multiple groups of instructions from an instruction cache in a RISC processor system for execution during separate cycles
Granted: February 9, 1999
Patent Number:
5870574
A system and method for fetching instructions for use in a RISC processor having an on-chip instruction cache is disclosed. The system accesses a first group of instructions having a first set of ordered addresses and a second group of instructions having a second set of ordered addresses, simultaneously, from an instruction cache. The first group of instructions is to be executed during a first cycle and the second group of instructions is to be executed during a second cycle. The…
Graphical user interface for defining and invoking user-customized tool shelf execution sequence
Granted: February 2, 1999
Patent Number:
5867163
A method, apparatus and display for controlling defining and automatically executing a sequence of commands of a tool shelf. The user places (drags and drops) desktop icons from a tool box into a sequence tool shelf in an order in which the commands are to be executed. A directed list of the commands created during the placement of the icons in the sequence shelf, along with a current command pointer, is used to automatically control the execution of the commands in the order specified…
Processor-inclusive memory module
Granted: February 2, 1999
Patent Number:
5867419
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…
Light bar and reflector assembly
Granted: January 19, 1999
Patent Number:
5861815
A light bar and reflector assembly for indicating the status of a computing device is disclosed. A reflector assembly having a light source is connected to the chassis of a computer. The reflector assembly includes reflective surfaces that reflect light from the light source through an opening in the reflector assembly. A light bar is attached to the bezel such that, when the bezel is placed over the computer chassis, the light bar aligns with the opening in the reflector assembly. The…
