Abstract: Improvements in an application composite eidtor for compound documents containing not only text but also graphics and tables facilitate the manipulation of object sets in the formatting algorithm. The editor works with a page layout philosophy wherein data objects reside on the page and data resides in the data objects. All pages reside within a document object, and some data objects may have additional objects within them. Objects are data-specific entities that the user can manipulate on the page. All objects exist within a specified boundary on the page, and this boundary is defined as an object set boundary. Object sets may be moved into positions on the page such that more than one object set is occupying a single displayable are on the page. Such an arrangement of objects creates a structure called a superblock. A superblock is any displayable area containing two or more object sets positioned so that the object sets overlap one another, reside side-by-side or extend above or below one another.

Abstract: Improvements in an application composite editor for compound documents containing not only text but also graphics and tables facilitate the manipulation of object sets in the formatting algorithm. The editor works with a page layout philosophy wherein data objects reside on the page and data resides in the data objects. All pages reside within a document object, and some data objects may have additional objects within them. Objects are data-specific entities that the user can manipulate on the page. All objects exist within a specified boundary on the page, and this boundary is defined as an object set boundary. Object sets may be moved into positions on the page such that more than one object set is occupying a single displayable area on the page. Such an arrangement of objects creates a structure called a superblock. A superblock is any displayable area containing two or more object sets positioned so that the object sets overlap one another, reside side-by-side or extend above or below one another.

Abstract: Improvements in an application composite editor for compound documents containing not only text but also graphics and tables facilitate the manipulation of object sets in the formatting algorithm. The editor works with a page layout philosophy wherein data objects reside on the page and data resides in the data objects. All pages reside within a document object, and some data objects may have additional objects within them. Objects are data-specific entities that the user can manipulate on the page. All objects exist within a specified boundary on the page, and this boundary is defined as an object set boundary. Object sets may be moved into positions on the page such that more than one object set is occupying a single displayable area on the page. Such an arrangement of objects creates a structure called a superblock. A superblock is any displayable area containing two or more object sets positioned so that the objects sets overlap one another, reside side-by-side or extend above or below one another.

Abstract: An instruction prefetch buffer control (20) is provided for an instruction prefetch buffer array (10) which stores the code for a number of instructions that have already been executed as well as the code for a number of instructions yet to be executed. The instruction prefetch buffer control includes a register (201) for storing an instruction fetch pointer, this pointer being supplied to the buffer array (10) as a write pointer which points to the location in the array where a new word is to be written from main memory. A second register (205) stores an instruction execution pointer which is supplied to the buffer array (10) as a read pointer. A first adder (203) increments the first register to increment the instruction fetch pointer for sequential instructions and calculates a new instruction fetch pointer for branch instructions.

Abstract: An electronic board testing system includes a card testing device which is designed for use with a personal computer (PC) and arranged for connection to a unit under test. Through the utilization of a test-authoring program, a test-implementing program may be created by a test designer by inputting appropriate testing process flow information in response to inquiries displayed on the PC screens. The test implementing program thereby created is effective to subsequently present on the PC display, testing procedures and probe placements to an operator to enable the collection and comparison of test data in a step-by-step and point-by-point process and to display the test results associated therewith on the PC screen.

Abstract: A method for generating a graphical figure in a textual markup language used for document composition. A special tag in the mark-up language calls a procedure. The procedure consists of drawing a series of contiguous rectangular boxes, of very small extent in at least one dimension, so as to appear as continuous lines representing the figure. Text can be associated with the tag and included within the figure. The size of the figure then depends on the extent of the text.

Abstract: A procedure for generating a mirror image of a graphic object on an interactive computer graphics display is disclosed. In the specific example described, a cursor locating device such as a mouse and an all points addressable display are assumed. The graphics object for which the mirror image is to be generated is selected by the pointing cursor. The mirror image function is also selected by the pointing cursor. This causes a default mirror image to be generated on the display along with the original image of the selected graphics object. In addition, a "mirror" with a direction handle and an angle handle is displayed in a window on the display. Either of these handles may be "grabbed" by selecting with the pointing cursor and then rotated to manipulate the generated mirror image and the selected object on the display. When the direction handle is rotated, the generated mirror image and the selected object are simultaneously rotated in the plane of the display.

Abstract: An application program automatically logs on and logs off user networks by using an internal table of prompts and responses which was constructed when the user logged onto a user-specified network and responded in the usual way to prompts sent by the host data processing system. The construction of the table is done once during a teaching session, and another teaching session is required only if the user adds another network or the parameters of the previously added network change.

Abstract: A computer based word processor or text editor is provided with a technique for defining line unit spacing which is particularly useful in a multi-font environment. A pop-down panel showing a miniature vertical scale line is displayed for the user. Adjacent the scale line is a handle which the user can select with a cursor. When the handle is selected, it may be moved up or down the scale line to the desired line unit spacing, at which time the handle is deselected. A numeric display of line unit spacing is also provided, and this display is continuously updated as the handle is moved. If the handle is moved to the top or bottom of the scale line, the scale line is moved up or down.

Abstract: A technique is disclosed which facilitates the selection by a user of a graphic object on a display screen. Selection is by means of a pointing cursor which is moved about the display screen by means of a pointing device having a select button. When the pointing cursor is brought within a predetermined distance of a graphic object, the point on the graphic object closest to the pointing cursor is highlighted to show the user that that graphic object would be selected if the select button were pressed. If the user presses the select button when a point on a graphic object is highlighted, the entire graphic object is highlighted to indicate that it has been selected.

Abstract: A complementary input circuit with a nonlinear front end is used to transfer the state of an external input to the internal signal lines of an intetraged circuit chip such as a dynamic or static RAM. The combination of a nonlinear front end and a "partially" cross-coupled complementary latch provide good level detection.

Abstract: An inductive device composed of a bead (10) of magnetic material, such as ferrite, has an aperture through which an electrical conductor (13) is adapted to pass and a reset winding (14) wound thereon and connected to a source of constant current. The constant reset current resets the bead of magnetic material so that the maximum volt-second absorbtion capability of the bead is available for preventing destructively high current spikes from flowing through the electrical conductor. The inductive device is advantageously used in the d.c. supply of the power transistors (101 and 102) of an inverter (100) to protect the transistors from current surges due to the simultaneous conduction of the transistors.

Abstract: An improved railroad coupler mount is provided for securely mounting railroad signalling and monitoring equipment (10) on the coupler of the last railroad car of a train. The railroad coupler mount includes a banana shape member (30) which extends through a pair of relief holes (22) in the knuckle (12) of the railroad car coupler. The railroad coupler mount has a tightening means (28) for partially withdrawing the banana shaped member and tightly pressing a support leg (20) against the side wall of the coupler to provide a secure mount which is free of rotation problems. The railroad coupler mount is secured with a locking device (26) which serves the dual function of resisting the total withdrawal of the banana shaped member when the railroad coupler mount is tightened as well as preventing the unauthorized removal of the signalling and monitoring equipment. The railroad coupler mount is attached in a position which avoids damage to the signalling and monitoring equipment due to accidental coupling.

Abstract: A branch target table (10) is used as an instruction memory which is referenced by the addresses of instructions which are targets of branches. The branch target table consists of a target address table (12), a next fetch address table (14), valid entries table (16) and an instruction table (18). Whenever a branch is taken, some of the bits in the untranslated part of the address of the target instruction, i.e. the instruction being branched to, are used to address a line of the branch target table (10). In parallel with address translation, all entries of the branch target table line are accessed, and the translated address is compared to the target address table (12) entry on that line.

Abstract: A portable spectrum analyzer using frequency synthesis is used in the field to perform voltage amplitude measurements of specified channel segments in a multichannel configured coaxial cable environment. The instrument is a microprocessor (28) based system, and includes an RF input (1) and keyboard (36) and function switch inputs and provides both aural and visual outputs by means of a speaker and an LCD display (27). A three stage frequency converter (7) including PLLs (11, 12 and 13) controlled by the microprocessor (28) allows for the automatic monitoring of a plurality of carrier channels or the display of both video and audio levels of a single channel. Automatic adjustment of the input signal level is provided by attenuator pads (2 and 3) controlled by the microprocessor (28). Calibration is also automatically controlled by the periodic injection of a signal of predetermined level from a noise source (4) under the control of the microprocessor (28).

Abstract: A method of updating business chart data by editing the business chart is disclosed. The chart is displayed using predefined data. A draw graph object of the business chart is selected for editing. When the editing action is completed, a check is made to determine whether the action on the business chart destroyed the relationship between the chart and the predefined data. If it did and if the user has selected the two-way editing mode, the predefined data is updated to reflect the edited chart.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for interactively manipulating a business chart as a group of draw graph objects. The chart is displayed using predefined data. A draw graph object of the business chart is selected for editing. When the editing action is completed, a check is made to determine whether the action on the business chart destroyed the relationship between the chart and the predefined data. If it did, a message is displayed to the operator indicating that the link between the chart and the data has been broken.

Abstract: A personal computer having an interactive all points addressable display thermal (44) and a cursor positioning device (52) is provided with apparatus for facilitating the generation of a graphics display. At least one table of selectable cursor characters is stored in memory (16), and from this table, any character can be selected to be the cursor character. The selected character is displayed as the cursor and movable to any point on the all points addressable display by the cursor positioning device. Once the current cursor character is at a desired point on the display, it is fixed in that position by reading the position and cursor data into the display buffer of the display terminal.

Abstract: An adaptive method of file compression is based on the recognition that language can be thought of as a stream of alternating words and separators. Empty dictionaries are created for the words and separators. For each event in the data stream, a determination is made whether the word is in the dictionary for words compiled from the previously encountered words or whether the word is a new word. If the event is a separator, a similar determination is made using the dictionary for separators. If the event is a new word or a new separator, the event is encoded with a predetermined new word or new separator symbol followed by encoding the characters of the word or separator. A count is maintained of all word events and a count is maintained of all separator events as those events are encoded. In addition, individual counts for each occurence of a word and each occurence of a separator are maintained.

Abstract: A system is provided for increasing the operation speed of monolithic sensor arrays by segmenting the output circuitry to provide parallel outputs. Two approaches are described. One is an "on-chip" configuration, and the other, an "off-chip" configuration. In the first case, the transfer shift register (14) is divided into two or more segments, each segment serving a corresponding segment of the sensor array (10). By segmenting the transfer shift register, the transfer rate to parallel processors can be improved. In the off-chip approach, a system of gates (18) are provided to shift the contents of the on-chip transfer shift register (14) into a plurality of smaller shift registers (20), the contents of which are then transferred to multiple data processors.