Circuit for filtering a power supply for noise sensitive devices
Granted: October 20, 1998
Patent Number:
5825238
The present invention comprises an active shunt filter for filtering a power supply for noise sensitive devices. The active shunt filter includes a transistor and an op amp. A first resistor is coupled between the emitter of the transistor and a first power supply. A second resistor is coupled between the collector of the transistor and a ground. A third resistor is coupled between the base of the transistor and the output of the op amp. The output of the op amp controls the impedance of…
Collaborative work environment supporting three-dimensional objects and multiple remote participants
Granted: October 13, 1998
Patent Number:
5821925
A collaborative work environment supports manipulating an object defined by a three-dimensional model by multiple remote participants. A three-dimensional model of the object is able to be translated, rotated and scaled in a work area of a whiteboard associated with the collaborative work environment. Each of the remote participants is able to view, manipulate, and mark-up the three-dimensional model of the object so that the remote participants can work collaboratively together.
Distributed global clock system
Granted: October 13, 1998
Patent Number:
5822381
A clock system for a distributed multiprocessor system includes a plurality of local clock circuits and a distribution network. The distribution network includes a plurality of interconnected routers. Each local clock circuit is associated with a processing node of the multiprocessor system. Each local clock circuit generates a global clock source signal, provides the global clock source signal to the distribution network, receives a global clock signal back from the distribution…
Power switch plunger mechanism
Granted: October 6, 1998
Patent Number:
5817997
A switch and plunger mechanism which allows for simple, inexpensive and reliable actuation of a switch is disclosed. A plunger having two flanges and a plunger pin is disposed in an opening within a computer housing which includes angled surfaces. When the plunger is pushed in, the flanges press against the tapered surfaces so as to deflect each of the flanges inwardly. Continued movement of the plunger into the engaged position moves the plunger pin such that it engages the switch. As…
Apparatus and method for determining the speed of a semiconductor chip
Granted: October 6, 1998
Patent Number:
5818250
A method of testing a speed of a semiconductor chip. A test time interval is specified. A test oscillator is fabricated as part of the semiconductor under test. The test oscillator contains elements that simulate a critical path of the semiconductor chip. Hence, the test oscillator's frequency is sensitive to process variations. The number of cycles of the oscillator occurring during the test time interval is counted. Based upon this count value, the speed of the semiconductor chip under…
Grapics memory apparatus and method
Granted: October 6, 1998
Patent Number:
5818433
A graphics memory apparatus and methods for the organization, storage and playback of graphics data for display purposes. The image data and overlay data (and/or other graphics data) are organized and stored in the graphics memory in an interleaved fashion so that only one type of graphics data is stored at any one memory address (pixel data or overlay data or other graphics data) and so that preferably full memory capacity is utilized for the area of graphics memory employed. As an…
System and method for deforming objects using delta free-form deformation
Granted: October 6, 1998
Patent Number:
5818452
A system and method for deforming objects uses delta free-form deformations (DFFD). The DFFD computes a delta vector based on a conventional free-form deformation (FFD) and an original vertex. Multiple delta vectors can be computed and combined for each vertex. Because delta vectors are independent from each other, various operations such as rotations and translations in addition to multiple overlapping deformations are applied to the vertex with superior results over the conventional…
System and method for color space conversion
Granted: October 6, 1998
Patent Number:
5818613
A system and method for converting a color represented in a first color space to the color represented in a second color space uses a constant hue algorithm. The constant hue algorithm is used to compensate invalid colors in the second color space obtained as a result of the conversion. The constant hue algorithm determines a compensation factor that, in effect, blends the invalid color with pure grey until the invalid color becomes a valid color in the second color space. The…
Apparatus and method for selectively storing depth information of a 3-D image
Granted: October 6, 1998
Patent Number:
5819017
In a computer system for creating images of three-dimensional objects, an apparatus and method for processing depth values representing the relative depths of the objects. The depth values are transformed according to projections in order to give the appearance of depth when the objects are displayed on a two-dimensional computer screen. These transformed depth values are then interpolated using N bits of precision. Next, the depth values are encoded into a format whereby the depth…
System/method for recovering network resources in a distributed environment, via registered callbacks
Granted: October 6, 1998
Patent Number:
5819019
A system and method for resource recovery in a distributed system uses a resource audit service to monitor the status of a client that receives a resource from a service that allocates the resource. The allocating service registers a callback with the resource audit service identifying the client. The resource audit service subsequently monitors the status of the client. When the resource audit service determines that the client has failed, the resource audit service performs the…
System and method of drawing anti-aliased lines using a modified bresenham line-drawing algorithm
Granted: September 29, 1998
Patent Number:
5815162
Described herein are a system and method for drawing high-quality, mathematically perfect or near-perfect anti-aliased lines by using a modified integer Bresenham line-drawing algorithm that yields optimally accurate coverage values. These coverage values are derived from the Bresenham algorithm itself without the computational expense of an arithmetic division at each pixel. The Bresenham algorithm generates pixel coordinates and coverage values of a line by iterating the line's minor…
Method and apparatus for address space translation using a TLB
Granted: September 29, 1998
Patent Number:
5815686
A method and a system for address space translation. The present invention is implemented on a computer system having a microprocessor with a translation look aside buffer (TLB). The address space translation system of the present invention translates an emulated virtual address space into a physical address space. The system receives a virtual address from a process running on the system. The system compares the TLB with the virtual page number of the virtual address and returns a…
Multi-configurable push-pull/open-drain driver circuit
Granted: September 22, 1998
Patent Number:
5811997
A multi-configurable HSTL/LVCMOS/Open-Drain output driver circuit includes push-pull and open-drain transistors that are selectively enabled/disabled depending upon the desired mode of operation.
Instruction methods for performing data formatting while moving data between memory and a vector register file
Granted: September 22, 1998
Patent Number:
5812147
Instruction methods for moving data between memory and a vector register file while performing data formatting. The methods are processed by a processor having a vector register file and a memory unit. The methods are useful in the graphics art because they allow more efficient movement and processing of raster formatted graphics data. The vector register file has a number of vector registers (e.g., 32) that each contain multi-bits of storage (e.g., 128 bits). In one class of…
Raid system with fibre channel arbitrated loop
Granted: September 22, 1998
Patent Number:
5812754
A modular and highly available RAID system has a fiber channel arbitrated loop (FC-AL) interface coupled with a disk array. Fault-tolerant operation is assured. The system provides dual and isolated arbitrated host and storage device loop circuits for redundant, independent input/output (I/O) paths to local and/or remote host computers. Each loop includes bypass circuits which prevent the failure of any device (host computer or storage device) from affecting the operation of loop.…
System and method for constaint propagation cloning for unknown edges in IPA
Granted: September 22, 1998
Patent Number:
5812855
The present invention provides a system and method for solving interprocedural problems on incomplete call graphs. For a given program, the present invention constructs a standard call graph on which the edges are updated with summary information needed to solve a given interprocedural problem such as constant propagation. Each node of the call graph having an unknown incoming edge is cloned. The call graph is then updated so that the unknown incoming edges are directed to the clone…
Network navigator with enhanced navigational abilities
Granted: September 15, 1998
Patent Number:
5808613
A browser for allowing a user to navigate in a three-dimensional world having a plurality of objects provides enhanced navigational capabilities. The browser allows the user to seek to an object or location in the world, navigate throughout the world using cursor inputs and select an object to follow links associated with that object. The browser differentiates between a seek command, a select command and a travel command entered by the user via a pointing device to provide the three…
System and method for using dependency graphs for the control of a graphics creation process
Granted: September 15, 1998
Patent Number:
5808625
A system and method for merging all subsystems within a graphics system into a single control entity, referred to herein as a dependency graph. The term "dependency graph" refers to a set of dependency nodes and the information flowing between the dependency nodes. Seamless interaction is accomplished by defining a strongly typed, rigidly enforced interface to the set of dependency nodes. Any dependency node that wants to interact with another dependency node must do so through a…
Synchronized, interactive playback of digital movies across a network
Granted: September 15, 1998
Patent Number:
5808662
A system and method for synchronized playback and control of a movie (also referred to as time-based digital media). The movie includes one or more data structures, called "tracks", containing time-based data that is intended to be played together in a synchronized manner at a given rate of speed. The system and method allows two or more participants that are operating on different playback systems at different locations to simultaneously view and control the playing of the movie. The…
Analytic motion blur coverage in the generation of computer graphics imagery
Granted: September 15, 1998
Patent Number:
5809219
A system and method for simulating motion blur. Intersections of pixel sampling points with leading and trailing edges of moving polygons are identified. The intersection points define segments of coverage of the pixel sampling point by a polygon. A segment list is sorted to identify segments that are associated with visible polygons. The segments of visible polygons are passed to shading and texturing functions which individually determine the temporal sampling points for a single…
