Abstract: A digital data handling system handling display signal streams has a video processor which is capable of high performance due to vector processing and special addressing modes. The video processor is a single VLSI device having a plurality of processors, each of which has associated instruction and data caches, which are joined together by a wide data bus formed on the same substrate as the processors. Most audio and/or video compression algorithms use a Huffman style bit compression scheme with compression codes in variable length bit fields. The compressed data is a compacted bit stream which must be interpreted serially in order to extract the codes. In contrast to most microprocessors which process bit streams only inefficiently, the present invention uses a serialization FIFO to provide a hardware assist to the Huffman encoding/decoding.

Abstract: A monitor and debugger routine operable on a personal computer for facilitating the design of power-on self-test (POST) and basic input and output system (BIOS) code. The monitor and debugger routine is invoked by POST code early in the system initialization process, before most of the system hardware devices have been initialized and before the operating system has been invoked. The monitor and debugger routine uses minimal system resources--lower memory and a serial communications controller--and is accessed via an external communications and display device connected via a serial communications link generated by the serial communications controller. As so invoked, the monitor and debugger routine can be used to facilitate the design and debugging of the remaining portions of the system initialization code, hardware interface code, suspend and resume code, video code, and other code that cannot be debugged using standard debuggers that require a functioning BIOS and an operating system to operate.

Abstract: In a graphical user interface, a method for resizing the windows which allows to immediatly focalize on the desired part of the displayed image. The final image displayed in the window strictly depends on the way the window has been resized by the user.

Abstract: A display generating system, and particularly a computer such as a mobile client system, in which a control program such as an application or interface program cooperates with a processor in reflowing table elements. In particular, the present invention breaks apart tabular portions of documents to be displayed and reorganizes such portions to facilitate top-to-bottom or vertical scrolling while retaining all information to be displayed.

Abstract: A bidirectional or unidirectional information handling system for data exchange and distribution. The system includes a data repository system and a data display system. The systems are linked for data exchange by a broadband channel for unidirectional high data flow rates and, in some embodiments, by a narrowband channel for bidirectional lower data flow rates. The display system may take a number of forms, including personal communications assistants, desktop personal computers, and set top boxes. The data communication channels may be defined by a number of different protocols and bandwidth segments and may be wireline or wireless.

Abstract: A docking station adapted to a portable computer has a first docking unit, which can be mechanically coupled with the portable computer, including a first connector for electrically connecting with the portable computer, more than one connection port provided for the respective port signal lines that run from the first connector, and a second connector for directly passing through bus signal lines that run from the first connector; and a second docking unit, which can be mechanically coupled with the first docking unit, including a third connector for electrically connecting with the second connector, space for retaining a peripheral device connected to a bus expanded through the third connector, and at least one bus slot to connect an expansion adaptor card to the bus expanded through the third connector.

Abstract: A computer system preferably a mobile client computer, optimizes data handling and display through the use of predictive widgets. A predictive widget uses a predictive list of possible entries into a defined field of a form, as in a form filling application, to provide one or both of a predictive default entry for a field or a predictive fill once a user has started an entry into the field. A first predictive widget for a first data field interacts to determine the performance of a second predictive widget for a second field.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to translating cylinder-head-sector (CHS) addressing of digital data written to or read from a DASD so as to accommodate DASD storage capacities in excess of the approximately five hundred twenty eight megabyte capacity limit imposed by Interrupt 13 design in an Industry Standard Architecture personal computer system. A CHS (cylinder-head-sector) address in a first frame of reference which meets the restraints of Interrupt 13 design in the ISA BIOS is translated to a CHS address in a second frame of reference which meets the physical characteristics of a DASD which is otherwise outside the restraints of Interrupt 13 design in the ISA BIOS.

Abstract: A computer in which entry of data from an area provided on a display, touchscreen or the like is facilitated by the provision of a "soft keyboard" having keys configurable as hexagonal cells. Hexagonal cells enable display of larger areas for engagement by the finger or other input pointer used by a user of the computer of this invention. A user can be permitted a choice between hexagonal and rectangular cells.

Abstract: A computer system, preferably a mobile client computer, optimizes data handling and display through the use of predictive widgets. A predictive widget uses a predictive list of possible entries into a defined field of a form, as in a form filling application, to provide one or both of a predictive default entry for a field or a predictive fill once a user has started an entry into the field. Predictive lists are shared and copied between and among a plurality of communicating computer systems.

Abstract: A computer in which entry of data from an area provided on a display, touch screen or the like is accomplished by the provision of a "soft keyboard". Misentry of data is avoided by providing for the calculation of an offset as may be required by the entry habits of a user which target areas of a defined key cell spaced from the center of the cell.

Abstract: The present invention provides a data processing system arranged to run a plurality of applications, each application being associated with one or more windows, and each window being under the control of a user interface provided by the system. A method of operating such a system is also provided. The system according to the invention comprises: a display device for displaying the windows to a user; an input means for receiving events entered by a user from a plurality of input devices connectable to the system; a storage device for storing the user events received by the input means in queues for subsequent processing by the applications; and a queue control means for creating the queues in the storage device and for directing the user events received by the input means to selected queues in the storage device.

Abstract: A display system, particularly a computer such as a mobile client system, in which an empty element, cell or field of a displayed table is suppressed from being displayed until called for purposes of entry.

Abstract: Advantage is taken of Very Large Scale Integrated (VLSI) circuit design and manufacture to provide, in a digital data handling system handling display signal streams, a video processor which is capable of high performance due to vector processing and special addressing modes. A single VLSI device has a plurality of processors which cooperate for generating video signal streams and which employ distinctive addressing modes for memory elements of the device. Each of the plurality of processors has associated instruction and data caches, and the processors are joined together by a wide data bus formed on the same substrate as the processors. Each processor has a load/store unit, a translation unit associated with the load/store unit, and an index control register for controlling any translation of data bit streams passed through the load/store unit.

Abstract: A computer in which entry of data from an area provided on a display, touchscreen or the like is facilitated by the provision of a "soft keyboard". The data entry area is defined, by the cooperation of a control program and a processor, to have a central zone in which data entry keys are displayed, and peripheral zones, in which function keys and a list of entry options are displayed. A user may morph the keyboard into any desired one of a variety of configurations.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing a digital data stream digital including a plurality of samples representing an audio signal. The plurality of samples are requantized. The plurality of requantized samples are filtered using a fast Fourier transform, wherein pulse code modulated samples are created from the plurality of requantized samples.

Abstract: Disclosed is a compact power supply unit that prevents an electronic device from being shut down even when due to an in-rush current phenomenon the electronic device requires a supply of power that is extraordinarily greater than that which is needed for normal operation. A CV area where constant voltage feedback control is performed on an output terminal voltage until it reaches a level V.sub.1 is continued until an output current value is I.sub.1. Then, constant current feedback control is performed with the output current I.sub.1 until the output terminal voltage falls to V.sub.2 (<V.sub.1). Further, constant current feedback control is performed with the output current I.sub.2 (<I.sub.1) in the area where the output terminal voltage is lower than V.sub.2 (more specifically, in a battery charging area).