Abstract: A computer program displayed as text on a graphical display has each line of code divided into segments that can be highlighted. The code is being executed by a number of processors in parallel. A highlight, preferably a background color, which causes a code line segment to look like a large cursor, is associated with each processor. When a processor is executing a line of the program code, the highlight associated with that processor is used to highlight or light up the segment associated with that processor on the line of code being executed by the processor. In a preferred embodiment, the segments for a given processor are of equal lengths and aligned in vertical tracks. This gives the visual effect of the colored background moving along the track as the processor executes the lines of code. Since there are many processors executing the code, there are many tracks on the screen. There can be more than one processor (colored cursor) associated with a single track.

Abstract: A computer server program is disclosed that can execute object code provided by one or more clients even though the server was not previously programmed to execute specific code. The server executes the client code without re-compiling or re-linking. Clients provide the server with executable object code along with information about the code that allows the server to register the code object. By manipulating the registration information stored on the server, the clients can make various requests of the server which affect the execution of the code. Using the registration and request functions of the server, clients direct the server when, if, and how often to run object code or parts of object code called functions.

Abstract: The present method and apparatus use image processing to determine information about the position of a designated object. The invention is particularly useful in applications where the object is difficult to view or locate. In particular, the invention is used in endoscopic surgery to determine positional information about an anatomical feature within a patient's body. The positional information is then used to position or reposition an instrument (surgical instrument) in relation to the designated object (anatomical feature). The invention comprises an instrument which is placed in relation to the designated object and which is capable of sending information about the object to a computer. Image processing methods are used to generated images of the object and determine positional information about it. This information can be used as input to robotic devices or can be rendered, in various ways (video graphics, speech synthesis), to a human user.

Abstract: An apparatus used to assist a surgeon in surgery is divided into two parts, proximal and distal. The apparatus has a number of rigid links which rotate about pivots to position and re-position an instrument, like a surgical instrument, at a work point proximal to a patient but remote from the apparatus. The links cooperate in a way to move the manipulator about a center-of-motion with orthogonally decoupled degrees of freedom resolved at the work point.The proximal part of the apparatus is adjustably fixed to a stationary object, like an operating table, while the distal part of the apparatus holds the instrument. Certain links which can be adjusted in length, move the distal part with respect to the proximal part of the apparatus. In this manner, the work point of the manipulator and the working radius of the apparatus are changed without moving the proximal part. Actuators, manual or remotely (computer) controlled, both rotate the links about their pivots and adjust the length of the adjustable links.

Abstract: SIMD computer architecture is used in conjunction with a host processor and coordinate processor to render quality, three-dimensional, anti-aliased shaded color images into the frame buffer of a video display system. The method includes a parallel algorithm for rendering an important graphic primitive for accomplishing the production of a smoothly shaded color three-dimensional triangle with anti-aliased edges. By taking advantage of the SIMD architecture and said parallel algorithm, the very time consuming pixel by pixel computations are broken down for parallel execution. A single coordinate processor computes and transmits an overall triangle record which is essentially the same for all blocks of pixels within a given bounding box which box in turn surrounds each triangle. The individual pixel data is produced by a group of M.times.N pixel processors and stored in the frame buffer in a series of repetitive steps wherein each step corresponds to the processing of an M.times.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for enabling a cluster of computers to appear as a single computer to host computers outside the cluster. A host computer communicates only with a gateway to access destination nodes and processes within the cluster. The gateway has at least one message switch which processes incoming and outgoing port type messages crossing the cluster boundary. This processing comprises examining certain information on the message headers and then changing some of this header information either to route an incoming message to the proper computer node, port and process or to make an outgoing message appear as if originated at the gateway node. The message switch uses a table to match incoming messages to a particular routing function which can be run to perform the changes necessary to correctly route different kinds of messages.

Abstract: A method is described for maintaining constant chemical composition in solutions used for wet chemical processing. All chemical species that are deliberately included in the bath are kept at constant concentration primarily by a method of compensating for their depletion or generation with a set of feed solutions that are formulated and dosed into the bath in accordance with an overall material balance. Further, all chemical species not deliberately included in the bath are kept at constant concentration primarily by keeping the aggregate volume of replenishing stocks in strict proportion to the process service performed by the bath (e.g. the charge passed in an electroplating cell). Finally, a time-based scheme completes the control of the concentration of all bath species by controlling any species (whether deliberately included in the bath or not) that is depleted or generated as the result of chemical reactions which occur independently and/or spontaneously with time.

Abstract: The present method and apparatus determines an interference-free trajectory for fitting a moving solid body into a cavity, particularly where the body has a complex shape and tightly fits into the cavity. The method begins by describing the body surface with a finite set of body surface elements and the cavity surface with a finite set of cavity surface elements. Then a set of surface element pairs is determined. Each set comprises a body surface element and a corresponding cavity surface element. A neighborhood is a volume that contains the pair of surface elements but no other surface element pairs or parts of surface elements. Body motion constraints are developed for each pair. The constraints do not allow the body motion to cause the surface elements in the pair to interpenetrate or to leave their respective neighborhood. An incremental movement of the body, along a preferred direction, is then determined subject to the constraints.

Abstract: An apparatus for wavelength conversion of laser light which can prevent optical destruction of a wavelength conversion element and achieve a high wavelength conversion efficiency. The apparatus for wavelength conversion of laser light has an optical focusing system for focusing the input laser light on the wavelength conversion element in an optical cavity, which optical focusing system makes the cross-sectional shape of a light beam non-circular, for example, elliptical.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for machine translation of language is disclosed. For each translation pattern, qualified words and corresponding translations are extracted. The invention generalizes words by converting them into concepts which are more general and can be applied to many inputs. A partial thesaurus is generated that describes hierarchies of words and concepts that are hypernyms of these words. Based on frequency information obtained for the words, an importance value is computed for each concept. Importances are used to determine the possibility of generalizing concepts in the translation.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for determining the development endpoint in a X-ray lithographic process. Endpoint is determined by visually observing resist test field patterns through a microscope during the developing step. During the developing, changing test field patterns are formed because test field locations each had been exposed simultaneously to different radiation doses. These different doses are produced when radiation passes through a mask containing a plurality of different size radiation attenuators. When the changing test field pattern matches a known pattern, which is correlated to the desired development endpoint, the workpiece is removed from the developing step.

Abstract: A locking mechanism is incorporated in a high-resolution video display system including a monitor, a computer for providing controls signals to said display system and two frame buffers, one for storing computer generated graphics images and one for storing video data both of said buffers being operable under control of said computer for reading out data to the monitor. The locking mechanism includes an output lock functionally located between the output of both of the frame buffers and the monitor for preventing video data from overwriting graphics data on said monitor screen. An input lock is also provided for preventing static video data stored in predetermined regions of the video frame buffer from being continually overwritten by motion video data being continually supplied to the video frame buffer.

Abstract: A character recognition system and method using the generalized Hough transform are disclosed. A template table which stores edge point parameters to be used for the generalized Hough transform is compressed so as to include only predetermined parameters, and is then divided into a plurality of template tables which are respectively loaded in the memories of a plurality of subprocessors operating in parallel under the control of a main processor. In performing recognition processing, these subprocessors operate in parallel according to their related partial template tables. Character recognition using the generalized Hough transform provides a high rate of character recognition. Also, parallel processing using the compressed template tables and partial template tables helps shorten table search time and computation time, thereby increasing processing efficiency.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of accessing and repairing electrical opens in conducting metal lines on a semiconductor chip or other substrate using laser plating techniques. What has been described is a maskless means of repairing discontinuities in a conductor disposed on the surface of a substrate wherein the surface is locally irradiated to form a reversible carbonaceous layer thereon. This reversible carbonaceous layer acts as a base for electrodeless deposition of a metal to form a bridge across the discontinuity by laser-enhanced exchange plating or other suitable methods. Further, a means of accessing and repairing a discontinuity buried by a cover layer of an insulating or passivating material is described, wherein access to the discontinuity is provided by ablating away the cover layer using a pulsed excimer laser at a first power level.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of accessing and repairing electrical opens in conducting metal lines on a semiconductor chip or other substrate using a thin conductive layer formed within the surface of a substrate and laser plating techniques. What has been described is a maskless means of repairing discontinuities in a conductor disposed on the surface of a substrate wherein the surface is locally irradiated to form a reversible carbonaceous layer thereon. This reversible carbonaceous layer acts as a base for electrodeless deposition of a metal to form a bridge across the discontinuity by laser-enhanced exchange plating or other suitable methods. Further, a means of accessing and repairing a discontinuity buried by a cover layer of an insulating or passivating material is described, wherein access to the discontinuity is provided by ablating away the cover layer using a pulsed excimer laser at a first power level.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for machining very fine, smooth cuts and grooves on minute surfaces such as single point bonding tips. The invention accurately aligns the axis of a reciprocating cutting wire in the direction of reciprocating motion and permits precise positioning and repositioning of the cutting wire on a work surface. The apparatus allows an unobstructed view of the wire in proximity to the workpiece during the alignment, positioning, repositioning, and cutting operations.