Abstract: A hierarchical movie is provided. A hierarchical movie is a movie that contains one or more embedded movies. Embedded movies may themselves contain embedded movies. Each movie contains zero or more media sequences. Within a hierarchical movie, media sequences that should be edited together may be grouped together using embedded movies. The media sequences of a hierarchical movie may be sequenced during playback based on a different time coordinate system than the time coordinate system that governs any embedded movies. This allows a movie to contain both time-based and time-independent media sequences. Also, the relative timing of events in the movie may vary from performance to performance. The hierarchical movie structure allows movies to be used as user interface controls, and even as field-sensitive databases.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an automatic ID allocation technique for use in AV/C device applications. The method allows ID assignment without manual user intervention. The method includes assigning an ID to an entity when called to do so upon detection of a new entity. Furthermore, old IDs are reallocated for later use upon disconnection of the associated entity.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for performing need based synchronization of a time clock maintained by a computer system. A number of computer systems are connected to a network, such as the Internet. Each computer system synchronizes its time clock by accessing a time server via the network. The time server may service a large number of client computer systems for purposes of providing accurate time of day readings and may therefore be subject to substantial loading. Accordingly, in each client system, the time clock is synchronized at least twice, and an amount of drift in the time clock is determined based on the two or more synchronizations. The synchronization interval for future synchronizations of the clock or the specific time of the next synchronization is then determined based upon the amount of drift, such that the time clock of each client computer system is synchronized only when necessary, and such that the loading on the time server is reduced.

Abstract: A method for loop breaking includes selecting a first port of a node, transmitting a first packet containing a first identifier from the first port of the node, listening for a second packet containing a second identifier for a period of time on a second port of the node, joining the first port and the node if the second identifier meets a first criteria with respect to the first identifier and quarantining the first port when the second identifier meets a second criteria with respect to the first identifier.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is described that is related to split editing. An indicia of a first time based stream of information is displayed at a source media. An indicia of a second time based stream of information is displayed at the source media. This is followed by an editing of the first time based stream of information and the second time based stream of information together in an operation that uses no more than six edit points between the source media and a destination media combined. The editing is performed such that the selected amount of time of the first time based stream of information differs from the selected amount of time of the second time based stream of information, and the destination media includes a third time based stream of information.

Abstract: A cycle master in a digital network having a bus architecture that complies with the IEEE-1394 Standard for a High Performance Serial Bus is calibrated by first computing a clock offset representing a difference between a first time synchronized to each of a plurality of packet arrival events and a second time synchronized to periodic ones of said plurality of packet arrival events; and then adjusting a frame rate of said packet arrival events to compensate for said clock offset.

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: An automatic crossover and healing process is disclosed for the P1394b standard. In particular, a crossover process is disclosed which comprises coupling the transmitting logic of a PHY to TPA, and coupling the receive logic of a PHY to TPB.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a system for determining communication paths, especially for AV/C devices. The system includes gathering pertinent information about drivers in each available communication between nodes in the system and ordering the driver information in a communication path list string. The system may be employed with multiple nodes having one or more communication paths between nodes. The system may also be employed with multiple nodes where at least one of the nodes is a bridge.

Abstract: Improved techniques for synchronization of media contents stored on a media player with media contents stored on a host computer are disclosed. According to one aspect, synchronization can be automatically initiated and performed upon connection of a data link between the media player and the host computer. According to another aspect, synchronization is able to be achieved with a reduced amount of data transfer between the host computer and the media device.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods and apparatus for displaying data associated with a plurality of records in a database, including obtaining a first layout including a body defining a plurality of fields having a specified order and associated attributes, each of the associated attributes having a corresponding attribute value. A second layout is created from the first layout such that the second layout includes selected ones of the plurality of fields, the second layout being adapted for displaying a plurality of records such that values associated with the same field of the plurality of records are displayed adjacent to one another. Attribute values corresponding to at least some of the attributes associated with the plurality of fields are then copied from the first layout to the second layout. The second layout is then displayed.

Abstract: An apparatus and methods to contain radio frequency energy within the housing of an electronic device are provided. The apparatus includes a flexible covering attached to the housing of the electronic device to cover an opening in the housing. The flexible covering is substantially impermeable to radio frequency energy and has a slot formed therein to allow objects to be inserted into and removed from the interior of the electronic device. In one embodiment, the flexible covering is an electrically conductive cloth. The cloth may be supported by a frame and attached to the housing, or be simply attached to the housing, using an electrically conductive adhesive. The edges of the slot are substantially coterminous along the length of the slot to trap radio frequency energy within the housing of the electronic device. A colored dust cover may be attached to the flexible material to provide a desired aesthetic appearance.

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 users 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: Apparatus and methods for rendering 3D graphics images. The apparatus include a port for receiving commands from a graphics application, an output for sending a rendered image to a display and a fragment-operations pipeline, coupled to the port and to the output, the pipeline including a stage for performing a fragment operation on a fragment on a per-pixel basis, as well as a stage for performing a fragment operation on the fragment on a per-sample basis. The stage for performing on a per-pixel basis is one of the following: a scissor-test stage, a stipple-test stage, an alpha-test stage or a colorest stage, and the stage for performing on a per-sample basis is one of the following: a Z-test stage, a blending stage or a dithering stage. The apparatus programmatically selects whether to perform a stencil test on a per-pixel or a per-sample basis and performs the stencil test on the selected basis.

Abstract: A system for viewing and manipulating information of various data types within a single document in an integrated computer system environment is disclosed. Each data type is maintained within a dataset. Datasets comprise logical information of a common data type along with the functions or processing logic to view and manipulate that data type. The logical types of information managed by datasets in the preferred embodiment include graphical objects, blocks of text, spreadsheet cells, and database records. Datasets also manage frames. Frames provide a means by which datasets are viewed and manipulated. Each dataset is responsible for managing the display of information inside one of its frames. Significantly, the present invention provides a logical independence between the information contained in a dataset and the manner in which the information is viewed and manipulated (i.e. frames). This independence provides a significant improvement in the ability to manipulate various types of information.