Method and apparatus for reducing delays following the execution of a branch instruction in an instruction pipeline
Granted: December 9, 1997
Patent Number:
5696958
A pipeline processor, when processing a branch instruction, initiates fetching of both the target and fall-through streams prior to execution of the branch instruction such that the number of pipeline cycles between completion of execution of the branch instruction and initiation of processing of the head instruction of the target or fall-through stream is less than the minimum number of pipeline cycles between fetching of an instruction and the execution of the instruction. At least one…
Flat panel monitor combining direct view with overhead projection capability
Granted: December 9, 1997
Patent Number:
5696529
A back-lit flat panel display subsystem for direct viewing as a monitor and having overhead projection capability. The display subsystem contains a removable door assembly which provides for back-lighting when configured for direct viewing. When the door assembly is removed, the active matrix LCD is semi-transparent and can be placed over (viewing surface down) the imaging screen of an overhead projector such that the LCD color image can be thus projected. The lamps that provide the…
Method for selecting a three-dimensional object from a graphical user interface
Granted: December 2, 1997
Patent Number:
5694532
A method for selecting a three-dimensional object in a three-dimensional environment improves a speed and efficiency of a lassoing technique. The method reduces the number of objects that have to be rendered into images in order to determine whether the object is included within an area selected by the lasso. The method selects objects intersected by the lasso using ray picking. These selected objects are not rendered into images. The method determines those objects whose bounding boxes…
Computer-implemented method and apparatus for converting data according to a selected data transformation
Granted: December 2, 1997
Patent Number:
5694578
A computer-implemented method and apparatus allowing a user to select a data transformation for converting input data to output data without having to perform complicated programming. An interactive graphic display provider menu display options which enable a user to generate input and output graphic display templates by selecting data items such as scalars, arrays, lattices, and sets from a data palette. The user then identifies a selected data transformation by making assignments…
System and method for conditionally compiling a software compilation unit
Granted: November 25, 1997
Patent Number:
5692196
A system and method for conditionally recompiling a compilation unit having a plurality of source code modules operates by selecting one of the source code modules, and determining whether it is necessary to generate a new condensed representation of the selected source code module. A new condensed representation of the selected source code module is generated if such generation is determined as being necessary. Changes between the new condensed representation of the selected source code…
Methods and system of controlling menus with radial and linear portions
Granted: November 18, 1997
Patent Number:
5689667
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.
Dimm pair with data memory and state memory
Granted: November 11, 1997
Patent Number:
5686730
A high memory capacity DIMM for use in a directory-based, distributed shared memory multiprocessor computer system includes a data memory for storing data and a state memory for storing state or directory information corresponding to at least a portion of the data. The DIMM allows the data and the state information to be accessed independently. The DIMM is configured for use in a DIMM pair. In the DIMM pair, a first DIMM includes a first data memory having first and second memory bank…
Antialiased imaging with improved pixel supersampling
Granted: November 4, 1997
Patent Number:
5684939
An image processing system that receives polygonal image data at the direction of a processor and develops antialiased image data for display on a raster scanned display. In particular, the image system includes a scan convertor for converting the polygonal image data into pixel data, which includes pixel screen coordinates and at least one color value for each polygon covered pixel of the pixel data and a supersample coverage mask indicating an extent of polygon coverage within each…
System and method for network exploration and access
Granted: October 28, 1997
Patent Number:
5682479
A vector routing scheme provides an effective method for exploring nodes in a multi-processor computer system consisting of an inter-connection network of nodes connected by edges. The object of this exploration is to determine the configuration of the network to facilitate internode communications. Any node in the network can systematically build a connectivity graph of the network indicating the nodes of the network and the connections to those nodes. This is accomplished by sending…
Apparatus and method for handling data transfer between a general purpose computer and a cooperating processor
Granted: October 28, 1997
Patent Number:
5682554
An apparatus in a computer system for handling data transfer between a first data processing system and a second data processing system is described. The apparatus includes a buffer for storing data received from the first system at a first data transfer rate and then transferred to the second system at a second data transfer rate. The buffer generates a first indication signal when substantially full and a second indication signal when substantially empty. A first counter counts a first…
Directory-based coherence protocol allowing efficient dropping of clean-exclusive data
Granted: October 21, 1997
Patent Number:
5680576
A multiprocessor system having a plurality of requestors, a memory and memory directory controller employing directory-based coherence. The system implements a method to detect dropping of clean-exclusive data. Only one intervention message is permitted to target an exclusive object held by a first requestor, wherein the intervention message is caused by a second requestor. The system detects whether the first requestor has an outstanding writeback for the object targeted by the…
Four-dimensional graphical user interface
Granted: October 14, 1997
Patent Number:
5678015
A computer-based system and method for displaying a workspace of greater effective area than that of the display screen using a four-dimensional graphical user interface employing real-time texture mapping. According to the present invention, the user selects a number of workspaces to be displayed. Each selected workspaces is then texture mapped to a polygonal surface. Then the surfaces are displayed at orientations to form a polyhedron with a workspace on each face. Each face may be…
Low-power, compact digital logic topology that facilitates large fan-in and high-speed circuit performance
Granted: September 23, 1997
Patent Number:
5670898
A circuit topology for implementing combinational logic functions with large fan-in, high speed, and low power consumption using a combination of dynamic and static gates. The circuit topology includes a dynamic gate and a Pseudo-NMOS gate coupled to the dynamic gate.
Scan chain for shifting the state of a processor into memory at a specified point during system operation for testing purposes
Granted: September 23, 1997
Patent Number:
5671235
In a semiconductor device having a processor for processing digital data and RAM for storing the digital data, an apparatus for accessing the state of the digital data stored in the RAM during system operation for testing purposes. A stall controller is used to stall the processor at a specified point of execution during system operation. The state of the processor at that particular point is shifted out of the registers by using a scan chain and temporarily stored into a buffer. A…
Method and apparatus for displaying data within a three-dimensional information landscape
Granted: September 23, 1997
Patent Number:
5671381
A method and apparatus for displaying a three-dimensional navigable display space containing an aggregation of graphical objects and an overview of the aggregation of display objects. An altered perspective is provided by compressing the horizontal dimension of the displayed objects so that a user can see a representative overview of the entire aggregation of display objects that have been selected for display together on a display screen. The compressed component is expanded so that the…
Apparatus for efficiently accessing graphic data for rendering on a display
Granted: September 23, 1997
Patent Number:
5671401
An electronic logic and computer implemented apparatus and method for accessing graphic geometric data within a computer display system utilizing an SIMD environment. The present invention spreads the vertex data structure of geometric primitives across multiple memories allowing much higher bandwidth access into the data structure for greater performance. The present invention eliminates branches from the processing of triangle and quadrilateral primitives allowing full utilization of…
Hierarchical fat hypercube architecture for parallel processing systems
Granted: September 16, 1997
Patent Number:
5669008
A hierarchical fat hypercube topology provides an infrastructure for implementing a multi-processor system at a plurality of levels. A first level is comprised of a plurality of n-dimensional hypercubes. This plurality of n-dimensional hypercubes is interconnected at a second level utilizing an m-dimensional metacube. The number of dimensions at each level and the number of bristles at each level can be customized depending on the requirements of the application. Additionally, routers…
Clickaround tool-based graphical interface with two cursors
Granted: September 9, 1997
Patent Number:
5666499
A graphical user interface with clickaround tools for enhanced user interaction with an application program utilizing "two-handed" techniques. The "tool-handed" technique provides two displayed cursors controlled by two distinct pointing input devices. Actuation of a secondary input device, corresponding a secondary cursor, provides a tool palette or menu near a displayed primary cursor. This technique allows a user to select and activate tools to perform substantive operations on…
Readily removable heat sink assembly
Granted: September 2, 1997
Patent Number:
5662163
A readily attachable and detachable heat sink assembly apparatus and method. In one embodiment of the present invention, a backing plate has alignment pins extending therefrom. The backing plate is adapted to be located next to the back surface of a printed circuit board, and have the alignment pins extend through the holes in the printed circuit board. A heat sink unit is adapted to thermally contact a heat generating device located on a front surface of the printed circuit board. The…
System and method of implementing read resources to maintain cache coherency in a multiprocessor environment permitting split transactions
Granted: September 2, 1997
Patent Number:
5664151
A multiprocessing system that uses read resources to track cache coherent split transactions on its main system bus. Pending reads are tracked by being associated with read resources. When a read request is issued, it occupies the first available read resource. A pending read request will occupy a read resource until a corresponding read response appears on the bus. If all read resources are filled, future read requestors must wail until a read resource becomes available.
