Abstract: A multipurpose computerized television system generates a plurality of video images in association with a personal computer. A television circuit associates with the personal computer and is within the personal computer chassis for receiving a plurality of television signals and directing the signals to the monitor for the monitor to display. An audio multimedia circuit associates with the personal computer and the television circuit and is also located within the chassis for receiving and processing audio data from the television circuit. The audio multimedia circuit also communicates the audio multimedia data to the personal computer. Control circuitry associated with the television circuit and the personal computer within the chassis controls the operation of the television circuit through the personal computer. The control circuitry comprises a remote control circuit for remotely and independently controlling the television circuit and the personal computer.

Abstract: A modular floppy disk drive is designed to stand alone as an external drive or to be combined with a carrier to fit into a computer peripheral option bay configured for removable CD ROM drives. When used as an external floppy disk drive, the modular unit is connected to the personal computer through a connector and cable assembly. The carrier adapts the modular drive to the size and mechanical requirements of the peripheral option bay so that the modular unit can be inserted into the computer and used as an internal floppy disk drive.

Abstract: A page table entry management method and apparatus provide the Microkernel System with the capability to program the memory management unit on the PowerPC family of processors. The PowerPC processors define a limited set of page table entries (PTEs) to maintain virtual to physical mappings. The page table entry management method and apparatus solves the problem of a limited number of PTEs by segment aliasing when two or more user processes share a segment of memory. The segments are aliased rather than duplicating the PTES. This significantly reduces the number of PTEs. In addition, the method provides for caching existing PTEs when the system actually runs out of PTEs. A cache of recently discarded PTEs provides a fast fault resolution when a recently used page is accessed again.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for performing hierarchial type mask encoding and data transformation includes locating a data source, loading the data source into a temporary storage, encoding hierarchical heuristics for buffer transformation, and delivery of data for transformation and scalar type encoding, reduction, compression, iteration, type extension and versioning if required.

Abstract: A data processing system and method provide for sharing a partition of a memory in the system between a first task and thread and a second task and thread, so as to more efficiently enable adaptive sharing of data for local tasks or alternately copying of data into I/O buffers for remote tasks. The system and method automatically determine whether sharing has been established between two local tasks and if not, the system and method will adaptively copy data for messages to be transferred between the tasks.

Abstract: This method improves the user-friendliness of command-line driven programs by having a correspondence set up between possible commands which may be entered on a command line and a series of Graphic User Interface "buttons". These buttons are graphical symbols that appear on the screen and are selectable via a mouse. A display screen is divided into work areas, one of which is associated with the screen which a user would have seen while using the application program without the invention and a second of which displays an array of "buttons," each of which are associated with commands. When the user selects the specific button with a mouse pointer moving the mouse, the related "command" is identified. A message is then created, the message comprised of the same data that would have been created by the series of keystrokes to spell out that command. The command is passed to the application program, which receives it in the same manner that it would have received input from the keyboard.

Abstract: A method and a system in a data processing system for differentially smoothing raw isolines containing linear segments within a triangular mesh which represents a single-valued surface. The triangulation mesh comprises a plurality of triangles. A first centroid is located for a first triangle within the triangular mesh and a second centroid is located for a second adjacent triangle within the triangular mesh which shows a common side with the first triangle. Each centroid includes three medians beginning at the centroid and terminating at one of three vertices of a triangle associated with the centroid. The common side between the two triangles has a first end point and a second end point, and an isoline which traverses the first and the second triangle traverses at least one of the three medians in each triangle. A first point is determined at an intersection of the isoline and a median within the first triangle.