Abstract: Descriptive statements representative of a communication level coupling the functional logic of an integrated circuit to the external environment is translated into complex functional specification language for input to hardware design programs. Plain language within the functional specifications is converted to proper design language to implement hardware described by the functional specification.

Abstract: Clock paths are routed in two steps or phases. First, a local clock distribution network is generated to minimize as much as possible the length of conductors within regions and positioning local clock buffers, one in each region. Second, a global clock distribution network is designed to couple the local clock buffers to a clock source using equidistant conducting path between the local clock buffers. Consideration is given to constraints imposed by capacitance, conductor length, and power requirements. The second phase repeats the first phase when power constraints are violated.

Abstract: Individual objects are located according to a coordinate system in time-successive patterns and correlated between patterns. The objects are correlated by assigning identifiers to each in both patterns. The locations are transformed by reorientation to their centroid. The average of the transformed coordinate differences is used to adjust the centroid of the objects in a subsequent pattern and the transformed coordinate differences adjusted for the centroid displacement. A figure of merit is taken as the root-mean-square of the adjusted differences and used to determine which possible combination of correlated objects between two patterns is most likely.

Abstract: Universal Serial Bus active extension cable for increasing the distance between devices coupled via a Universal Serial Bus cable includes a pair of transceivers for bidirectional transmission of data therealong. A drive detector senses which terminal device is transmitting data and enables the other terminal device to receive the data. A speed detector senses which of more than one transmission speed is being used and sets the devices coupled to the cable accordingly. An end-of-packet detection determines when the transmission of a packet of data has been completed. When the system enters a suspend mode, a detector sets the components to a low power mode.

Abstract: Lines or sections of lines on a scanned CRT display are checked to determine whether a moire pattern exists. The existence is determined by comparing the number of pixels occurring on a line or a section of a line to a reference count corresponding to a moire pattern. Substantial equality of the pixel count and the reference count enables a moire correction circuit for the section of the display containing the moire pattern. In sections of the display where the moire pattern does not occur, i.e., the pixel count and the reference count are not substantially equal, the moire correction circuit is automatically disabled.

Abstract: Momentum wheel speed correction in an orbital space vehicle that corrects for the oscillation resulting from spurious variations in the angular velocity of the momentum wheel. The momentum wheel's angular velocity is subject to random fluctuations due to Coulomb forces. These fluctuations are coupled into the vehicle's spin rate causing errors in the yaw rate and yaw. By adding corrective values to the determined yaw rate and yaw by selectively filtering the momentum wheel tachometer signals, pointing errors are substantially reduced or even eliminated.

Abstract: A filter for passing tobacco smoke or other gaseous material comprising two layers of material having a plurality of circuitous or serpentine passageways forming pathways through which tobacco smoke travels a distance greater than the length of the filter itself. The filter is constructed by coating the layers with an adhesive except in the areas forming the passageways so that when the two layers are fastened together, there are unobstructed paths through the layers of material. The combined layers are rolled into a cylindrical construct. In an alternative embodiment, one or more cavities are formed along the passageways.

Abstract: Chaining or cascading two or more DMA devices to perform DMA transfers across common buses. DMA devices are modified to act as a bus slave relative to another DMA bus master device so that information can be transferred from one bus to another across a third bus common to the DMA devices. The slave DMA can cause the master DMA to stop sending data to limit the bandwidth requirements of the common bus.

Abstract: Measuring the difference in dihedral angles formed by planes defined by a pair of passive sensors, a target, and a reference plane to determine whether both sensors are tracking the same target. The reference plane is defined by the positions of the two sensors and the origin of the system's reference coordinates. A sensor-target plane is determined by the sensor's position, the position of the other sensor, and the position of its target. If the target is the same for both sensors, the sensor-target planes will be substantially the same and their dihedral angles formed with the reference plane will be substantially equal. If the target is not the same for both sensors, then a statistic relating to the dihedral angles with the reference plane will be significant. A decision based on the dihedral angle statistic and a statistic derived from the tracking predictor, e.g., the Kalman Filter Residual, can be made whether the target is maneuvering, has been lost, is correctly tracked.

Abstract: Transmitting via color signals or vertical signals to control a computer's display monitor using software adjustments of the display parameters. A user can vary the display parameters including, for example, the contrast, brightness, horizontal and vertical size and position, inter alia, and transmit other commands and other data using codes transmitted with the color codes, or alternatively, with the vertical synchronization pulses.

Abstract: Priority levels and bump values are assigned to requestors for access to a system resource. When access requests are received, arbitration of the requests is made in accordance with the assigned priorities, bump values, and the received access requests. If a high priority level access request is granted, then the same request will be held off for a successive number of requests as set by the bump values. In cases where the access is required for more than one request/grant cycle, the priority level access can be retained as long as required.

Abstract: Memory testing is performed by a dedicated hardware system, initialized by a system processor and employing the processor's DMA capability to allow the system to execute other programs without having to wait until memory testing is completed. The same hardware can be utilized as a memory scrubber.

Abstract: Resource master and slave combinations operating from separate local clocks asynchronously even though there may be wide speed variations among the devices, eliminating the need to synchronize the trailing edges of generated control signals with the local clock so as to free access to the resource as soon as possible without introducing timing or logic hazards.

Abstract: Use of a single pass print data stream conversion process when sufficient memory is available to store all the page data to be printed and reversion to a double pass conversion when insufficient memory is available. Scanning of the input data stream, storing the page data, and downloading the resource data to the printer continues so long as sufficient memory to store the page data is available. If the available memory is filled before the entire page is scanned, the stored page data is discarded. The scanning continues to download the resource data but the page data is no longer stored. When the page has been completely scanned, the scanning is restarted at the beginning of the page, downloading the page data to the printer and discarding the resource data during the second scan.

Abstract: Clipping individual rows or columns of pels from patterns stored as pels is accomplished by passing quads of pels through a clipper before rotation is effected. Integral numbers of quads are clipped by skipping their address when reading from the pattern store or inhibiting their transfer. This permits more detailed pages to be composed for printing.

Abstract: Method for use in a CAD system whereby three-dimensional interferences among space-oriented objects can be rapidly determined by storing a reduced granularity of the design space in the form of a three-dimensional matrix having elements which represent identification numbers of objects which occupy the design space in the subcontinuum represented by the element. The element can be multidimensional or the element can refer to a table if more than one object occupies the associated subcontinuum. As objects are added to the drawing, the new objects are assigned unique index numbers which are stored in all the matrix elements corresponding to all the subcontinuums occupied by the object. Calculations for interference among pairs of objects need only be made between objects having their index number in a same element of the matrix.

Abstract: Automatic processing of color signals to print an accurate reproduction of an original color image. The RGB scan signals are processed to use the full dynamic range of the system and to adjust the values such that the gray scale lines of the color components pass through the white points. The additive color signals are converted to subtractive color signals that are adjusted so that the gray scale lines pass through the black points to produce automatically an accurate reproduction with a proper neutral gray scale. The processing is arranged to make the adjustments and corrections as fast as possible.

Abstract: Field-effect transistor coupled to conduct current from a rechargeable battery to a load so long as the voltage potential across the rechargeable battery is sufficient to turn on the field-effect transistor to prevent the rechargeable battery discharging below a predetermined value, thereby protecting the rechargeable battery from permanent damage from overdischarge.