Abstract: Hook- and loop-type tapes are selectively attached to a video display unit and to flexible elongated strips of magnetic material so that the strips of magnetic material may be removably mounted around the video display unit in orthogonally intersecting planes to absorb magnetic radiation from the source. Each strip of magnetic material has a grain orientation parallel to its longitudinal axis and may be formed from grain-oriented ferromagnetic material in the range from M3 to M7. A multiple-layer magnetic shielding material is provided by securing first and second layers of such grain-oriented ferromagnetic material together with the grain orientation of the first layer orthogonal to the grain orientation of the second layer. Each strip of magnetic material may also be formed from this multiple-layer magnetic shielding material.

Abstract: A foot impression unit is provided with an array of gauging elements, a control mechanism for urging the gauging elements into contact with the undersurface of a person's foot to form an impression of the undersurface of the foot, a locking mechanism for releasably locking the gauging elements in place to retain that impression, and a sensing mechanism for scanning the gauging elements to produce digital signals indicative of the positions of the gauging elements. These digital signals are stored and processed by a computer to provide a stored data record serving as a digital representation of the impression of the undersurface of the foot. The computer may also be employed to provide stored additional information for modifying that data record to compensate for a perceived defect of the foot.

Abstract: A portable computer convertible between using a keyboard or an electronic pen to input data is provided with an electronic pen holder. This pen holder rotates to provide easy access to the electronic pen when the computer is configured for either keyboard or pen input. In addition, the pen holder includes pen holding holes for storing the electronic pen vertically when rapid repetitive access to the pen is desired.

Abstract: Hook- and-loop-type tapes are selectively attached to a video display unit and to flexible elongated strips of magnetic material so that the strips of magnetic material may be removably mounted around the video display unit in orthogonally intersecting planes to absorb magnetic radiation from the source. Each strip of magnetic material has a grain orientation parallel to its longitudinal axis and may be formed from grain-oriented ferromagnetic material in the range from M3 to M7. A multiple-layer magnetic shielding material is provided by securing first and second layers of such grain-oriented ferromagnetic material together with the grain orientation of the first layer orthogonal to the grain orientation of the second layer. Each strip of magnetic material may also be formed from this multiple-layer magnetic shielding material.

Abstract: An adhesive backed label is perforated or scored along its mid-line. The same label either can be used as a standard adhesive label or it can be folded along its midline to capture the ends of a string and can be used as a tag label.

Abstract: An electrical interface connects a conductive pins to a printed circuit board. The electrical interface includes an elastomer holder having a plurality of holes. Elastomer conductors are placed in the plurality of holes within the elastomer holder. The elastomer holder is then attached to the printed circuit board so that each elastomer conductor comes into contact with a conductive pad on the printed circuit board. The conductive pins are placed in electrical contact with the elastomer conductors, for example, through a conductive socket. In the preferred embodiment the elastomer holder is composed of printed circuit board material. Before the elastomer holder is connected to the printed circuit board, the elastomer conductors are held in the holes in the elastomer holder using a throw-away retainer.

Abstract: An improved compilation and linkage system for use in operating a computer to generate a cross-module optimized executable code file from a plurality of source files and object files. The source files are compiled to intermediate code files using a compiler sub-system. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the intermediate code files consist of intermediate language instructions that can be optimized for execution on a predetermined computer and a global symbol table. The compiler sub-system can also be used to generate conventional object code files if desired. A linkage sub-system is then used to cross-module optimize the code in a plurality of intermediate code files and link the resultant object code with any other object code files to generate the executable code file for execution on the computer in question.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to computer software compilation systems and methods which support run-time data type identification of objects in computer programming languages which support polymorphism. The present invention comprises translators, compilers, and debuggers. The compiler and translator store modified debug information in an object code file. The modified debug information contains information regarding either multiple virtual tables or concatenated virtual tables. A debug lookup table is constructed from the modified debug information. The debugger uses the debug lookup table to determine the actual data types of the objects, and to completely and accurately display and modify the objects' contents. Also, innovative type inquiry operators reference the concatenated virtual tables to determine the actual data types of the objects during run-time. The operation of the compiler, translator, and debugger is transparent to computer programmers and operators.

Abstract: A computer software compiler system and method for distributing a machine independent computer program, created on a native computer platform, to heterogeneous target computer platforms. The system is comprised of a producer component and one or more installer components. The producer component receives the machine independent computer program as input and generates a compiler intermediate representation in a machine independent manner according to an HPcode-Plus compiler intermediate language. The compiler intermediate representation is architecture neutral and represents an architecture neutral distribution format (ANDF). The compiler intermediate representation is distributed to heterogeneous target computer platforms where the installer components reside.

Abstract: The present invention provides a protocol method for waiting the bus in a digital computer and an apparatus for implementing that protocol. By allowing the bus to continue running after a wait command has been asserted, modules on the computer bus are not required to respond instantly to the wait command. Information on the bus during the multiple cycles of the wait period is defined as invalid and valid data is driven on the bus after the wait period has expired. Bus driver modules are provided with a replay queue to replay, on the bus, data the driver module drove on the bus during the wait period if required.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method for building a lexical analyzer that can scan multibyte character sets. The present invention factors regular expressions that contain multibyte characters, so that a single byte finite state automata can be constructed. In particular, the present invention provides a computer-based system and method for tokenizing a source program written in a programming language that is represented by both single byte values and two byte values. The present invention includes a mechanism for building a lexical analyzer that is configured to accept an input specification. The input specification typically includes a regular expression(s) and a corresponding associated action(s). The present invention also including a mechanism for factoring the regular expression(s), if the regular expression(s) contains at least one two byte character, into a regular expression(s) containing only single byte characters.

Abstract: A computer software compiler system and method for distributing a machine independent computer program, created on a native computer platform, to heterogeneous target computer platforms. The system comprises installer components which exist on heterogeneous target computer platforms. The installers receive a compiler intermediate representation of the machine independent computer program. The compiler intermediate representation is architecture neutral and represents an architecture neutral distribution format. The installers translate the compiler intermediate representation to object code representations according to an HPcode-Plus compiler intermediate language. The installers operate in a machine dependent manner such that the object code representations are architecture dependent, or machine dependent, on the target computer platforms.

Abstract: A method for operating a digital computer in response to the occurrence of an exception is disclosed. The method provides for the examination both of the contents of a predetermined computer location and of the instruction code for the instruction causing the exception. The computer then utilizes the result of those examinations to determine the dismissibility of the exception. The computer transfers control to the next instruction after the instruction which caused the exception if that instruction is dismissible.

Abstract: A computer software compiler system and method for distributing a machine independent computer program, created on a native computer platform, to heterogeneous target computer platforms. The system comprises a producer which receives the machine independent computer program as input and which generates compiler intermediate representation. The system operates in a machine independent manner according to an HPcode-Plus compiler intermediate language. Thus, the compiler intermediate representation is machine independent and represents an architecture neutral distribution format (ANDF). The compiler intermediate representation, being architecture neutral, can be distributed to heterogeneous target computer platforms. At the heterogeneous target computer platforms, the compiler intermediate representation can be translated in a machine dependent manner into object code representations such that the object code representations are architecture dependent, or machine dependent, on the target computer platforms.

Abstract: Radio frequency emissions within a computer system having a printed circuit assembly in proximity of a metal surface are reduced by the placement of one or more lossy components electrically connected to a metal plane within the printed circuit assembly. A connector electrically connects the lossy components to the metal surface. In one embodiment, the lossy components include two resistors at opposite ends of an edge of the printed circuit assembly that is closest to the metal surface. In an alternate embodiment, a single lossy component is a resistor placed in the middle of an edge of the printed circuit assembly that is closest to the metal surface.