Abstract: An improved degauss coil for use with cathode ray display tubes is disclosed. The degauss coil is formed from conductive traces placed directly on to a plastic part attached to or adjacent the front bezel surrounding the cathode ray tube. Alternatively, the conductive traces may be placed directly on to the bezel itself. The invention allows for a very narrow bezel border surrounding the cathode ray tube.

Abstract: A pulse modulated infrared data communications link including a transmitter and receiver in which the data to be sent is encoded as a biphase modulated signal having bit-cell and mid-cell transitions. Each transition is encoded as a narrow pulse in a pulse modulated signal. The pulse modulated signal is used to activate an infrared optical transmitter for generating pulsed optical signals. At a receiver, an optical detector converts pulsed optical signals into pulsed electrical signals. The pulsed electrical signals are amplified and filtered and evaluated by a comparator to generate a pulsed digital signal. The pulsed digital signal is processed by a logic circuit to generate a biphase encoded signal for transmitting on a serial data line.

Abstract: The present invention comprises an apparatus for feeding print media, such as paper, into a printer. The paper is stored in a stack in a movable paper tray. The tray is lifted so that the top sheet of paper is brought in contact with the feed roller. The feed roller feeds the top sheet into position for printing. The tray is then backed away from the sheet which is being fed thereby minimizing the resistance on the page being fed. A unitary motor controls both the motion of the feed rollers and the movement of the paper tray. A spring serves to bias the paper tray toward the feed rollers. Thus the present invention serves to eliminate the necessity for two separate motors and prevents the feeding of the paper until after the paper tray is properly positioned.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for processing video data for compression/decompression in real-time. The apparatus comprises a plurality of compute modules, in a preferred embodiment, for a total of four compute modules coupled in parallel. Each of the compute modules has a processor, dual port memory, scratch-pad memory, and an arbitration mechanism. A first bus couples the compute modules and a host processor. Lastly, the device comprises a shared memory which is coupled to the host processor and to the compute modules with a second bus. The method handles assigning portions of the image for each of the processors to operate upon.

Abstract: In a printer assembly including a printhead which moves in a first direction for printing on a sheet of paper, roller means having an outer cylindrical periphery that engages the sheet of paper at successive tangent points on the periphery for moving the paper in a second perpendicular direction, and driving means for rotating the roller means, an apparatus for correcting certain pre-established errors in the positioning of the sheet of paper by the roller means is described. The apparatus comprises means for controlling the driving means such that the driving means rotates the roller means in order to move the sheet of paper in a way which eliminates the pre-established errors. An arrangement for determining certain pre-established errors in the positioning of the sheet of paper by the roller means is also described.

Abstract: A bidirectional synchronous gearing mechanism includes a first gear with a first and second gear profile and a second gear identical to the first gear and with identical first and second gear profiles. The teeth of the two gears are meshed together and the gears are rotatably secured about their respective central axes. Rotation of one of the gears causes rotation of the other gear in an opposite direction.

Abstract: A user interface element having a plurality of user interface elements for marking, finding, organizing, and processing data within documents stored in an associated computer system are described. Each element typically has an appearance which is uniquely related to the data or the function the element is designed to represent or perform, respectively. In their simplest form, these elements are only used to mark data within a document. Each element, however, can also be programmed to cause the computer to perform some function in association with the marked data, such as printing the data or mailing the data to someone. A user can select particular data within a document using an element and have that data associated with the element in memory. Data marked with common elements can be found by searching for a particular representative element in memory. Users can create their own elements, program elements with their own desired functionality, and modify existing elements.

Abstract: A sequential information controller for use in combination with a computer comprising a slider bar, integrating standard velocity and direction indicators, and a control icon. The user controls the playback velocity and direction of the sequential information, such as video information, on the display of the computer through an interactive user interface, which works in combination with the computer's system software. The interface includes an interactive slider bar and an interactive control icon which are depicted within an operating window of the display. The slider bar includes both playback direction/velocity indicators and control buttons. The playback of video information is primarily controlled by manipulating the image of the control icon with respect to the image of the slider bar.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for intelligent scrolling. In a computer system that has a user interface which allows for the movement of items from a first open window to a second open window or to a second region, such as a desktop, the present invention allows a user to select one or more items in the first window, move the selected item(s) to within a predetermined distance from an edge of the first window for a predetermined period of time and cause the viewable portion of the data and/or document within the first window to scroll in a corresponding direction.

Abstract: A head and media for optical data storage with a media in which a partially light transmissive recording layer and a reflective layer are located on opposite faces of a transparent substrate layer. The head emits a light beam which passes through the recording layer, transits the substrate layer, reflects internally off the reflective layer, transits the substrate layer in the opposite direction, and comes to focus on the recording layer. This optical path is used for reading and writing. Two of these optical media, placed back to back, with recording layer faces outward, can be used to form a double-sided media with read and write capability from either side. In a magneto-optical system, since the recording layer is near the outer surface, both the optical and magnetic heads can be located and moved as a single unit, increasing the speed and reliability and reducing the cost.

Abstract: A bi-directional bus adapter coupling a system bus, which operates at a first speed using a first protocol, and an IO bus, which operates at a second speed using a second protocol, and allowing data transfering devices on either bus to transfer data to or from devices on the other bus. The bus adapter includes a cycle generation mechanism which is responsive to data cycles from one of the buses in order to generate bus cycles needed to complete a data transfer to a device on the other bus. The bus adapter includes a synchronization mechanism for converting the plurality of data cycles generated by the cycle generation mechanism from either the first speed to the second speed or vice versa. The bus adapter includes bi-directional data path mechanism for routing data between the system and IO buses according to said protocols, such that the data path directs bytes of data to specific data lines to perform byte steering and dynamic bus sizing on the data from the system bus to the IO bus.

Abstract: An improved backlighting system for electronic displays that require such backlighting is disclosed. The system comprises a fluorescent lamp with improved visible light generating means and a reflector means for channeling the light generated by the lamp into the electronic display. In particular, the lamp comprises, in a preferred embodiment, a cylindrical glass housing, sealed at both ends and containing a plasma which can be excited to generate short wavelength light. A strip of phosphorescent material is placed along the inside surface of the tube, the strip being relatively restricted in width, its width being partially determined by the thickness of the electronic display. A reflector surrounds the lamp and helps drive the light the lamp generates into the phosphor. The lamp is also comprised of a glass transparent to the frequencies of light generated by the plasma.

Abstract: A method for reducing interrupt processing overhead is applied in situations when it is not necessary to preserve processor state information. A flag is provided to indicate whether or not the processor is available. Upon recognition of an interrupt, an interrupt vector address is computed based, in part, on the state of the processor available flag. If the processor is available, indicating that it is not currently working on a task, there is no need to preserve the processor state information, and the state-saving portions of the interrupt processing routines are bypassed. On the other hand, if the processor is not available, indicating that the it is engaged in a task, the state information must be preserved so that the processor can return to the task after the interrupt is processed. In this case, the state-saving portions of the interrupt processing routines are not bypassed.

Abstract: Interface ciruitry for accomplishing a block transfer of information over a NuBus protocol bus having associated therewith a plurality of individual computer modules through the steps of testing to determine whether an addressed module is capable of accomplishing a NuBus protocol block transfer, conducting such a transfer if that module is capable of accomplishing a NuBus protocol block transfer, locking the bus if that module is not capable of accomplishing a NuBus protocol block transfer, conducting a series of individual data transfer operations during the period the bus is locked, terminating the individual operations, and unlocking the bus.