Abstract: A high performance method for the compression of floating point format surface normals and the inverse method for the decompression of those compressed surface normals. Each of the three vector components of the surface normal is compressed by subtracting a constant from the floating point format value, then extracting a predefined field, and finally storing the extracted field. Decompression of the compressed surface normal requires first converting the three stored vector components into floating-point format and then adding a predefined constant to each. Typically the surface normals are of unit length.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for displaying information descriptive of the contents or intended use of a file. For Graphical User Interfaces on a computer monitor, abbreviated data for the file is displayed in a window opened adjacent to the file icon. The abbreviated data in this window describes the contents of the file. The display window containing the abbreviated data is placed so as to indicate the file to which it is attached and that it describes. Text, graphical, and other types of data can be displayed.

Abstract: Enhanced capability design-rule halos for use in Computer Aided Design (CAD) software programs are described. Such enhanced halos, created around a design feature at the design rule distance from that feature, have the following characteristics: beveled corners for closer placement of adjacent non-parallel and/or non-perpendicular design features, level-to-level design rule halos, following a bend or turn in a design feature, the design rule halo automatically adapts to bends or turns in the design feature and associated changes in the design feature following the bend, following a bend or turn in a design feature, the design feature and the design rule halo automatically snap back, as required, to avoid a design rule violation with respect to an adjacent design feature, and the design-rule halo is prevented from extending closer to an adjacent design feature than the design rule distance. These actions are performed real-time and interactively.

Abstract: Enhanced capability design-rule halos for use in Computer Aided Design (CAD) software programs are described. Such enhanced halos, created around a design feature at the design rule distance from that feature, have the following characteristics: beveled corners for closer placement of adjacent non-parallel and/or non-perpendicular design features, level-to-level design rule halos, following a bend or turn in a design feature, the design rule halo automatically adapts to bends or turns in the design feature and associated changes in the design feature following the bend, following a bend or turn in a design feature, the design feature and the design rule halo automatically snap back, as required, to avoid a design rule violation with respect to an adjacent design feature, and the design-rule halo is prevented from extending closer to an adjacent design feature than the design rule distance. These actions are performed real-time and interactively.

Abstract: Enhanced capability design-rule halos for use in Computer Aided Design (CAD) software programs are described. Such enhanced halos, created around a design feature at the design rule distance from that feature, have the following characteristics: beveled corners for closer placement of adjacent non-parallel and/or non-perpendicular design features, level-to-level design rule halos, following a bend or turn in a design feature, the design rule halo automatically adapts to bends or turns in the design feature and associated changes in the design feature following the bend, following a bend or turn in a design feature, the design feature and the design rule halo automatically snap back, as required, to avoid a design rule violation with respect to an adjacent design feature, and the design-rule halo is prevented from extending closer to an adjacent design feature than the design rule distance. These actions are performed real-time and interactively.

Abstract: A microlens and microlens array which collect light incident upon image sensor pixels. The microlens comprises two parts one which collects light from the cross-sectional area lying over the light-detection area and the second which collects light from the corner areas of the pixel lying outside the cross-sectional area of the light-detection area. Light from each of the two areas is refracted onto an associated light-detection area. Essentially all of the light incident upon the pixel can thus be collected and refracted to the photosensitive area.