Abstract: The invention provides a method and apparatus for switching between execution of a plurality of object code types having different conventions for invoking program procedures and performing stack manipulations. The invention may also be used to switch between different calling conventions within a single object code type. Briefly according to the invention, a computer system comprises a routine descriptor, a stack switch frame, a mode switching mechanism for switching from a first processor, code or calling convention type to a second processor, code or calling convention type and means for executing instructions in various code types. A routine descriptor describes a program or code segment and its code type and calling conventions. A routine descriptor contains, among other information, a “mixed mode” field which is set to a specific, predetermined value such as a value indicating an instruction which is not legal in the runtime environment of a first processor, code or calling convention type.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for integrating applets running on a client with the application logic for applications running on a server. The mechanism of the present invention provides two significant advantages over the prior art: the synchronization of state, and the recognition of user actions in the browser including the invocation of the appropriate application logic in the server. Instead of using the FORM element available in HTML, individual active applets are available and may be created that obtain user input (e.g. a checkbox, textbox, button, etc.). A hidden applet called the Applet Group Controller is created which handles communication between the applets on the browser and the application logic on the server. The Applet Group Controller maintains an association with each applet that maintains the keys and values of any parameters and variables for the applet.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for reducing file names and for retrieving files having reduced file names. In response to a request to access file names that are not supportable by an applications programming interface (API), a file manager program retrieves an original file name having an original file name length and an original file identifier. Next, the file manager divides the original file name into a set of primary characters and a set of extension characters. A shortened identifier having a set of shortened identifier characters is created by encoding the original file identifier. The primary characters are then truncated. A reduced file name is then created by combining the truncated characters, a reduced file name marker, the shortened identifier, and the extension characters.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing a user with increased flexibility and control over the appearance and behavior of objects on a user interface are described. Sets of objects can be grouped into themes to provide a user with a distinct overall impression of the interface. These themes can be switched dynamically by switching pointers to drawing procedures or switching data being supplied to these procedures. To buffer applications from the switchable nature of graphical user interfaces according to the present invention, colors and patterns used to implement the interface objects are abstracted from the interface by, for example, pattern look-up tables.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for controlling a screen display of an electronic book. The contents of the book are displayed on a screen of the computer system as pages with which the user interacts by a pointer such as a pen or stylus. The navigational tool set performs various functions including one or more of the following: (1) creating page displays for content of the book, (2) providing a navigation interface for identifying material in the book and moving to desired locations, (3) finding character strings located within the book, and (4) accepting handwritten information on pages of the book. The electronic book includes a “bookmark” button which when selected displays a bookmark icon and inserts a bookmark in the book at the page that is currently displayed. Thereafter the user can close the book or move to another page and automatically return to the marked page by selecting the bookmark icon.

Abstract: An applications programming interface implements and manages isochronous and asynchronous data transfer operations between an application and a bus structure. During an asyncronous transfer the API includes the ability to transfer any amount of data between one or more local data buffers within the application and a range of addresses over the bus structure using one or more asynchronous transactions. An automatic transaction generator may be used to automatically generate the transactions necessary to complete the data transfer. The API also includes the ability to transfer data between the application and another node on the bus structure isochronously over a dedicated channel. During an isochronous data transfer, a buffer management scheme is used to manage a linked list of data buffer descriptors. This linked descriptor list can form a circular list of buffers and include a forward pointer to the next buffer in the list and a backward pointer to the previous buffer in the list for each buffer.

Abstract: A system for retrieving information which is relevant to a user's input. The system has an input interface through which a user can enter an input. A questions source is coupled to the input interface and contains questions which are comparable to the input and which the source retrieves in response to an input. An information source is coupled to the input interface and contains information which is relevant to retrieved questions. A searcher is coupled to the input interface for searching the information source for information which is relevant to the input. A method for a computer system to retrieve information relevant to a user's input includes the steps of: entering an input in an input interface; matching the input with a question stored in a questions source; and selecting a question in the questions source with which to retrieve information relevant to the question.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for organizing information in a computer filing system. The method and apparatus include the creation of a pile comprising a collection of documents and displaying a graphical representation of the collection of documents. The method and apparatus further include browsing the collection of documents by pointing a cursor at a particular item in the collection of documents to reveal an indicia for the particular item in the collection of documents. The filing system can automatically divide a pile (e.g. a collection of documents from an electronic mail network) into subpiles on the basis of the content of each document in the pile, and the filing system, at the user's request can automatically file away documents into existing piles in the computer system on the basis of a similarity match between the content (or other internal representation) of the document and the content (or other internal representation) of existing piles in the computer system.

Abstract: Systems and method for providing a user with increased flexibility and control over the appearance and behavior of objects on a user interface. Sets of objects can be grouped into themes to provide a user with a distinct overall impression of the interface. Themes can be switched dynamically by switching pointers to drawing procedures or switching data being applied to these procedures. To buffer applications from the switchable nature of graphical user interfaces, colors and patterns used to implement the interface objects are abstracted from the interface by, for example, pattern look-up tables.

Abstract: A method for controlling a scheduler on a computer display including the steps of: a) dislaying a calendar in a calendar area on the computer display; b) choosing at least one date on the calendar; and c) displaying a schedule in a schedule area on the computer display for the chosen date or dates, where both the calendar and the schedule remain active and within a single window. In one embodiments, the method is implemented on a pen-based computer system, where a stylus can choose a desired date or dates on the calendar to automatically display the schedules for that date or dates.

Abstract: A power supply provides a voltage to a digital camera. If the power supply voltage falls below a predetermined threshold, a voltage sensor generates a signal to a power manager. In response, the power manager configures the camera into a lower power consumption state. As the power source weakens further, the power manager continues to place the camera into a lower and lower power consumption state, until the power source is exhausted. The method of the present invention preferably comprises the steps of monitoring the power source's voltage, generating a signal if that voltage falls below a pre-determined threshold, and reducing the camera's power consumption in response to the signal.

Abstract: In a digital signal processing system, a method for selecting a transform function to apply to an input signal based on characteristics of the signal, and for self-adjusting criteria which are used in selecting a transform function to apply to a subsequent signal. Characteristics are obtained from the signal. The characteristics are compared to adjustable criteria which are used in selecting a transform function. Differing criteria are maintained for the different selectable transform functions. A record is maintained of transform functions selected and the particular characteristics that caused the selection. Based on the ability of a transform function to minimally define the coded signal, an inverse transform function is selected to decode the signal. The criteria used in selecting a transform function to apply to a subsequent signal are adjusted based on a quality measure of the decoded signal and the record of selected transform functions.

Abstract: Three-dimensional computer graphics systems and methods and more particularly to structure and method for a three-dimensional graphics processor and having other enhanced graphics processing features. In one embodiment the graphics processor is Deferred Shading Graphics Processor (DSGP) comprising an AGP interface, a command fetch decode (2000), a geometry unit (3000), a mode extraction (4000) and polygon memory (5000), a sort unit (6000) and sort memory (7000), a setup unit (8000), a cull unit (9000), a mode injection (10000), a fragment unit (11000), a texture (12000) and texture memory (13000) a phong shading (14000), a pixel unit (15000), a backend unit (1600) coupled to a frame buffer (17000). Other embodiments need not include all of these functional units, and the structures and methods of these units are applicable to other computational processes and systems as well as deferred and non-deferred shading graphical processors.

Abstract: A software object management system incorporated in a computer operating system utilizes a suite of transformations to convert objects between software object formats not native to an application program, and those which are a native software object type. In addition to formatting, transformations are also applied to change the location of an object and authenticate the object. With this approach, applications programs need not have the ability to handle any type of object other than their native types. The operating system does the transformations in a manner that is transparent to the application program. Additional transformations can be added to the operating system without modifying the application programs.

Abstract: An authoring or other software tool is provided which allows users of the tool to review the creation and evolution of all or part of a content such as a multimedia title created using a tool incorporating the invention. According to the invention, an authoring tool comprises a recording mechanism for recording actions performed during the development or modification of software content in a manner that preserves, directly or indirectly, the relative chronological order of the actions and a playback mechanism for performing or otherwise simulating recorded actions. Preferably, the playback of an action includes annotation using text, recorded or computer-generated voice, video and/or graphic animation. Preferably, an authoring tool embodying the invention allows an author to specify criteria for which actions are to be played back, thereby providing an author with a mechanism for focusing on a particular subset of the recorded actions.