Abstract: An image is transferred from a sender to a receiver. The image is progressively re-created at a display of the receiver. First, a low-resolution full-color representation of the image is transferred. Then, a full-resolution limited-color representation of the image is sent. The pixel values of the full-resolution representation typically represent alpha-numerical characters or edges of features. The representations are combined to create a version of the image by modifying the pixels of first representation under control of the limited-color content of the spatially corresponding pixel of the second representation. The legibility of the combined image is achieved considerably faster than with conventional techniques.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a head-mounted display comprising at least one image display panel and an optical system for projecting an image in a left and right exit pupil of the head-mounted display. The optical system comprises a beam splitter, a hollow mirror and a first and a second light channel each comprising a folding mirror and magnifying optics. The magnifying optics comprise a lens element. An additional lens, one surface of which is provided with a diffractive structure, is arranged between the image display panel and the hollow mirror.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an image display device (1) comprising a two-dimensional display (3; 19, 21; 72) and an optical system (5; 15, 17; 60). The optical system comprises a lens having a first semitransparent reflecting surface (23, 25; 9) and a second semitransparent reflecting surface (27, 29; 11). The first surface is directed towards the display. The second surface is directed towards the viewer. Both the display and the lens are divided into a plurality of segments in order to increase the field of view.

Abstract: A data processing system with an optical disk drive is provided with a magnetic disk drive as a cache. The magnetic disk drive is physically integrated with the optical disk drive. A semiconductor RAM is provided as a further cache for the magnetic disk drive and is physically integrated therewith.

Abstract: A macro is created for a system that controls multiple electronic devices. Stimuli are supplied to the devices to trigger the desired responses. The responses are recorded. The macro contains a sequence of instructions. Each particular instruction requests the device involved to re-establish its particular state that caused it to provide a particular response.

Abstract: The user interacts with a virtual workspace through guiding a cursor across a display screen for visual representation of the workspace. A user-interface provides a tactile response which is user-programmable and enables specifying tactile fields at particular locations in the virtual workspace. The user navigates through the virtual workspace by guiding the cursor while experiencing the tactile response fields programmed in advance.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system for downloading software with a module, which includes a control circuit and a storage device for storing software, and with a loading device for delivering software to the module whose control circuit is arranged to download software to be stored in the storage device in response to an appropriate instruction. The software comprises system software, at least consisting of operating system software and downloading software, and application software for controlling at least one component coupled to the module. A first part of the storage device is arranged to store the system software and a second part of the storage device is arranged to store the application software.

Abstract: A loudspeaker has a chassis, a cone, an actuator and a sub-frame. The actuator is coupled between the chassis and the diaphragm. The sub-frame is flexibly coupled to the chassis and the diaphragm. The diaphragm is flexibly suspended from the chassis. The actuator directly drives both the diaphragm and the sub-frame through coils attached to the cone and to the sub-frame.

Abstract: Multiple users share a virtual environment through an interactive software application. State changes of a specific user are transmitted to one or more other users dependent on respective relative distances in the virtual environment between the specific user and each respective one of the other users. This conditional transmission reduces message traffic and allows a virtual environment to scale indefinitely.

Abstract: An information processing system has a music data base. The music data base stores homophonic reference sequences of music notes. The reference sequences are all normalized to the same scale degree so that they can be stored lexicographically. Upon finding a match between a string of input music notes and a particular reference sequence through an N-ary query, the system provides bibliographic information associated with the matching reference sequence.

Abstract: A control system comprises multiple consumer electronics devices and task-driven control means coupled to the devices for controlling an interaction among the devices. The control means acts on respective software representations of each respective one of the consumer devices. By encapsulating the variable complexity of the task within a software representation, it can be made as simple or as sophisticated as needed to bring the capabilities up to a common level. Since the level of interface is common to the devices, applications can uniformly manipulate devices which embody very different levels of sophistication.

Abstract: A remote control device for a home entertainment system has a GUI with touch screen functionality. The visible part of the GUI is hierarchically organized in several control levels. All levels have consistent lay-outs with a first area for selectable items in a first location, a second area with controls for the selected one of the items in a second location and a third area for content data relating to the selected item in a third location. The spatial relationship between locations and areas is maintained throughout the levels. Such a GUI contributes significantly to the user-friendliness of the home entertainment system.

Abstract: An identifier token has an electronic circuit with a bidirectional electronic interface for accessing the circuit. The circuit comprises an identifier code. The code is realized by bonding the circuit to a conductor external to the circuit as part of a non-volatile coding mechanism. The code may be stored in an on-board EEPROM that is fixated by bonding its write enable pin to an appropriate voltage. A second realization is by means of selective coding interconnections between a series of bond pads and a conductor for forming a string of code elements.

Abstract: A loudspeaker system is physically integrated with a monitor. The monitor has a CRT. The loudspeaker system comprises an electro-acoustic transducer, a passive radiator and a tube mounted in between. The tube has a circular cross-section. The tube has an axis that is in parallel with a plane of the CRT's shadow mask.

Abstract: A data processing system with a look-up table means for implementing a transfer function with non-uniform resolution comprises a memory to store a plurality of function data; an input to receive external address words for operating on the memory; and an output to provide the function data. The look-up table means comprises a converging means between the input and the memory for mapping specific ones of the external address words onto a specific one of internal address words to access the memory. This greatly reduces memory size. If the transfer function has a symmetry property, a symmetry-handling means further reduces the memory size.

Abstract: A microcontroller that provides an environment to run processes developed to run on several prior or low end generation machines with the independent register, status and data space needed for execution, that is, the resources of the microcontroller are a superset of the resources of the prior generation machine. The ability to limit one process from accessing the data space of another independent process is provided by data space segmentation controlled by upper order address bits not accessible by the independent processes. The separate workspaces are configured substantially like a workspace of a prior or low end generation machine allowing the microcontroller to perform the tasks of several independent prior or low end generation machines working in concert.

Abstract: The invention relates to a programmable phase shifter PS receiving an input signal Vin to be phase-shifted, of the form A.cos .omega.t, a digital control signal CM?0:2N-1!, and supplying an output signal Vout of the form A'.cos (.omega.t-X), the phase shift value X being defined by the control signal CM?0:2N-1!, said phase shifter comprising a module 10 supplying a signal in phase quadrature with the input signal Vin of the form A.sin .omega.t, a first multiplier 20 and a second multiplier 30, the first multiplier 20 supplying a signal resulting from the multiplication of the signal Vin by a value which is substantially equal to V.cos (X), the second multiplier 30 supplying a signal resulting from the multiplication of the output signal of the quadratic module by a value which is substantially equal to V.sin (X), an adder 40 supplying a signal Vout of the form A'.cos (.omega.t-X) resulting from the sum of the output signals of the multipliers 20 and 30.

Abstract: A data processor chip has a sensor that senses the temperature of the substrate. When the sensor senses that the temperature has increased beyond a predetermined level, the sensor supplies a signal to the processor. Upon receipt of the signal, the processor's execution switches from the current task to a task that is less compute intensive than the current one.