Abstract: An object-oriented framework is used to create multimedia application programs which route multimedia data from a multimedia source, such as a storage, to a multimedia presentation device for presentation. A variety of multimedia objects are defined in the storage, each of which has input and output ports, and a display is used to create the presentations by means of interactive graphics. Each of the objects generates its own graphic image and the application program is created by positioning the graphic images on the display and connecting them together with other connecting objects that generate graphic images, such as line segments. When the graphic images are connected, the underlying objects connect their input and output ports together to form the multimedia application program. The connecting objects can also perform data processing in the process of passing information from one object to another.

Abstract: A view system provides support for applying matrix operations to one or more views to render a view in a more realistic manner. The matrix operations are applied in accordance with a predefined coordinate system for each application to generate the screen information for each application program. The view system applies the matrix operations to generate views appearing on the display, off the display and partially on and partially off the display. Furthermore, the system enables hierarchical linkage of views to enhance the correspondence between a view undergoing a transformation and proximal views.

Abstract: An object-oriented file system in an object-oriented operating system includes a file system entity class that is subclassed into a volume, directory and file subclass. These classes encapsulate standard file system properties such as name, creation date, and size, as well as standard operations such as create, open, close, and property accessors. Using object-oriented programming, the class properties and operations can easily be modified and extended. Also provided is a convenient and efficient means for searching through the entities, and collecting heterogeneous sets. Further, a category of notification classes is provided for notifying clients when an entity has changed. Still further, user authentication and protection domains are used to protect against unauthorized access. Finally, a means for working with foreign file systems running under different operating systems is provided.

Abstract: A distributed program configuration database system is designed for use on a client-server network. The system consists of a plurality of program servers which maintain version information for various program components. A program developer, upon logging into a client terminal on the network, establishes a workspace or project and connects with one of the servers. After connection to the server has been made, a draft of the program configuration is retrieved from the server. The configuration draft may include information for constructing some of the program components and "bridge" information identifying other program servers where additional program components are located. The workspace uses the component information to assemble components and the bridge information to connect to other servers and retrieve the remaining components in order to assemble the complete source code for a program in the workspace.

Abstract: A self contained pulsatile surgical irrigation device that includes a housing, a trigger moveably connected to the housing, a motor within the housing, a pump within the housing, and a mechanical drive train for coupling the motor to the pump. The trigger is mechanically connected to the drive train to enable the stroke of the pump to be varied, thereby varying the output flow from the device.

Abstract: An object-oriented view system which displays a plurality of separate view areas on a computer display screen allows hierarchically arranged overlapping view areas. The views are controlled by a view hierarchy object which includes a tree structure of information associated with every view. The tree structure has multiple branches and supports recursive view support for views within views. The views are drawn directly in the screen buffer by application programs which retrieve view definition information from the view hierarchy object. The view hierarchy makes it possible for views of uncertain origin or implementation to function polymorphically within a display hierarchy.

Abstract: Screen objects used by the application programs to draw or paint on the display screen are created in accordance with a predefined class structure which represents a generic display system. Developers of specialized hardware develop specialized classes based on the predefined structure to handle specific command sets and protocols. When the system is initially powered up or reconfigured, the screen objects are created from the generic and specialized classes as necessary by examining the actual display hardware present in the system. When the specialized classes are used to create the screen objects, the screen objects receive the specialized command sets and protocols necessary to interact with display hardware which have been provided by the hardware developers.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for representing the attributes of an object representing a person or entity in an object oriented operating system running on a computer networked to other computers. The information is presented in the form of a graphic depiction of a business card with information specific to a particular person, place or thing appearing on the business card. The information on the business card and the card itself can be used to invoke various actions. Further, any information on the card can be copied, pasted or otherwise manipulated by the system.

Abstract: A method and system provides an object-oriented framework for rendering three-dimensional surfaces on a two-dimensional display in a flexible manner. The framework comprises two main classes that work together to render discretized data points that represent the three-dimensional graphic objects. The first class is used to construct a surface object which has a first member function that generates vertex information for each of the data points and stores the vertex information in a memory. The surface object also contains a second member function which generates indices into the stored vertex information which indices define shards on the surface which is being rendered. The second class is used to construct a rendering object which calls the first and second member functions in the surface object to first process the vertex data for display and then use the shard indices to retrieve the processed vertex data to render the surface.

Abstract: An object-oriented user interface utilizes object-oriented controls that operate together and compartmentalize the response code in three separate objects. The first object is called an interactable object and is incorporated into the application program. The interactable object includes a displayable representation generically referred to as an icon and a number of methods for manipulating the icon display. The display itself is managed by a second object called a view object which is associated with the display screen. The view object monitors and tracks the position of the icons on the display screen. The view object and the interactable objects are coordinated by means of an interaction object which receives input messages and event signals generated by mouse movements, mouse button presses, keyboard key presses and position information generated by the view object.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for developing graphics applications, including a framework for handling the exchange of graphical data between applications and for presenting and manipulating graphical objects. The framework includes a number of classes which are used by the application developer to facilitate the interaction between the major subsystems, Models, Views and User Interface, of the system architecture.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for an innovative, object-oriented hardware independent interface to the external world. The interrupt services are part of an overall IO model providing an object base IO system that supports dynamic configuration of the system. Object processing is architected into even the lowest lever routines in the preferred embodiment of the invention. This includes an object oriented design all the way down to interrupt processing abstractions. These interrupt abstractions provide an architecturally sound framework for the dynamic installation, configuration, and timely execution of interrupt handlers.

Abstract: A method and system for controlling various multimedia objects throughout the course of a multimedia presentation on a computer with a storage and a display utilizes a control object defined in the storage and associated with each multimedia object. The control objects each contain an internal current time value which is used to control presentation of multimedia data by the associated multimedia object. The internal current time value is calculated as a function of an input time value and control objects can be connected together so that the internal current time value of one clock object serves as the input time value of another clock object so that multimedia objects can be synchronized. Each control object can also be directly manipulated via a mouse or other pointing device to directly control the associated multimedia object to position the object to a particular position in time, or adjust the playback rate.

Abstract: A filtering framework in an object oriented operating system with a processor, such as an IBM PowerPC, a storage connected to and controlled by the processor, a display connected to and controlled by said processor, an object-oriented operating system resident in the storage and under the control of the processor, a view framework in the object-oriented operating system for managing a window on the display, a container framework in the object-oriented operating system for storing and manipulating information indicative of each item displayed in the window on the display, and a filter framework in the object-oriented operating system containing a method and data which respond to selection of a particular filter object and application of the filter object to each item displayed in the window to filter out all items not matching a particular characteristic that is not currently required. The filtered out items in a preferred embodiment are gathered into a bundle of unusable items and displayed in a group.

Abstract: A hardware configuration system for enabling automatic configuration of hardware in a computer system. First, at system ipl, the particular computer system is identified based on its identification number. Then, a specific software component object is instantiated based on the computer system. All of the details of the standard computer system are predefined in the software component object based on supported hardware and peripherals for the specific hardware. Then a test is performed to determine if additional hierarchies are present. Each hierarchy has an associated identification number. If so, then for each hierarchy, the hierarchy is processed as discussed above. The result is a set of instantiated objects completely specifying the hardware environment.

Abstract: A mechanism for putting on therapeutic elastic stockings. The mechanism includes a wrapping for wrapping the foot. The wrapping has relatively slidable inner and outer parts of smooth material and a pulling member adapted to protrude from the stocking. Both the inner and outer parts of the wrapping may be pulled away from under the stocking in a manner sliding along each other and stripping along the foot.

Abstract: A multi-speed transmission is provided which employs inflatable diaphragms to alter drive ratio. Particularly applicable to bicycles, the transmission is composed of a diaphragm mounted at the pedal axis and another mounted at the drive wheel axis, with a nylon drive belt connecting the two. These diaphragms are each inflated and deflated by way of pressurized cylinders mounted on the bicycle. Pedaling of the bicycle turns the pedal axis diaphragm which, in turn, drives the rear wheel diaphragm via a nylon drive belt. Pressure tubes carry the pressurized fluids from each of the cylinders to their respective diaphragm. Standard shifter mechanisms are used each of which, when moved, moves a piston within one of the cylinders, changing the pressure in that cylinder and the inflation of its respective diaphragm.

Abstract: A self configuring computer system, which configures and loads appropriate software to support custom configurations without manual intervention by the user or the manufacturer, is disclosed. The invention includes an "interrogation" module, stored on a system disk and loaded when the computer is first activated, that scans the system for components requiring specific software to operate. The interrogation module obtains identification data from these components and, based thereon, enables a startup module to select the appropriate software from a series of disk-based files. The startup module also executes configuration software having a characteristic naming pattern when the system is first activated, performs various one-time setup or configuration operations on at least the main system disk to render it compatible with the operating system, and selects the proper version of the operating system for the purchased system.

Abstract: A window server communicates with clients and creates, destroys and modifies window objects. Objects are created in response to parameters provided by clients. Clients can obtain a variety of information regarding windows managed by the window server. Hardware windows are supported by subclassing objects, which provides polymorphic screen objects. Therefore, it does not matter whether the window is created by a hardware or software entity. Clients may be notified by the window server in response to certain events occurring with respect to particular windows, such as a configuration change. The window server also dynamically manages a default window layering scheme which takes into account the parameters specified, or not specified, by clients as well as the characteristics of the windows currently being managed by the window server. The window server also supports window clustering, which allows a window to span monitors.