Abstract: A method and structure for a printing system for a laser printer is provided including a data storage area containing a plurality of separate waveform signals. A controller selects a particular waveform signal to modulate the signal input to the system laser diode switch element to generate a halftone cell or a resolution enhancing cell with desired gray scale pixels. The digital laser signal from the printer controller is passed through a digital-to-analog converter circuit to a comparator circuit. The particular waveform selected from the data storage area is also applied to the comparator circuit to modulate the output signal from the digital-to-analog converter. The analog modulated signal from the comparator circuit has an analog value that maintains the laser diode switch element "on" to provide sub-pixels for the particular pixel gray level that is desired.

Abstract: A system for accelerated data recompression in which uncompressed data need not be swapped in and out of memory at each iterative data recompression step. The data recompression system includes a main memory for storing image data, and a decompression device which receives compressed data from the main memory and decompresses it to produce discrete blocks of uncompressed data. An intermediate compression buffer, separate from the main memory and connected to the decompression device, is used by the decompression device to store one block of uncompressed data at a time. The blocks of data are received one at a time by a data compression device taking input directly from the intermediate compression buffer. There the uncompressed data blocks are compressed and stored back to the main memory one block at a time. Thus, an entire compressed image stored in main memory is decompressed and recompressed one block at a time, and uncompressed data need not be swapped in and out of main memory.

Abstract: A technique for accessing a series of secondary storage devices where a reduced amount of main memory is needed to implement the data transfer is disclosed. The technique operates to share control information stored in the main memory so that most of the main memory allocated to implementing a data transfer is shared by the series of the secondary storage drives.

Abstract: A method for formatting both recognized and unrecognized handwritten words in the same paragraphs of a document prepared on a pen-based computer system is provided. A recognizer analyzes handwritten material input into the computer system and identifies some parts of that material as recognized text words and other parts as unrecognized ink words. The recognized ink words are converted to a standard text format and are usually displayed in a standard font. The ink words remain displayed as handwriting. Both types of words are surrounded by "bounding boxes" which are then included in paragraphs. Paragraphs are formatted by a step of aligning the words of a paragraph between margins and in straight lines separated from one another by defined line separation distances. The words' bounding boxes in each line are separated from one another by defined word separation distances. Handwritten words written over displayed paragraphs are inserted within the paragraphs near words they were written over.

Abstract: A method and apparatus in a computer system for decoding and displaying video frames. An estimated number of intraframes which can be decoded in a current interframe run is determined. Based upon the estimated number of intraframes, determining an adjusted time interval in which to display each intraframe in the current interframe run. The intraframes are then displayed at the adjusted time interval in the current interframe run. The adjusted time interval may include equal time periods for displaying the estimated number of intraframes within the current interframe run. Discontinuities in display of moving video sequences can be avoided.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to systems and methods for compressing image data while at the same time, improving both the compression ratio and the perceptibility of the decompressed image, even when the image data is compressed without segregation into its scanned and non-scanned components. In accordance with exemplary embodiments, color data is encoded in a manner which optimizes the color fidelity of a decompressed image obtained from the encoded color data. As a result, improved perceptibility of decompressed images is achieved regardless of whether scanned images, non-scanned images or any combination thereof are collectively compressed. Exemplary embodiments achieve such improved perceptibility regardless of whether the images are monochrome (having varying grey scale values) or color. In addition, improved perceptibility is realized in a manner which permits image data including scanned and/or unscanned images to be compressed in real-time.

Abstract: The invention relates, in one embodiment, to a method in a computer network having a server computer coupled to a client computer for exchanging a message from the client computer to the server computer. The method includes receiving at the server computer a first data portion associated with the message from the client computer. The method further includes allocating a first memory space in a memory of the server computer for buffering the first data portion. If a second data portion associated with the message is received at the server computer from the client computer, the method also includes writing the first memory space to a nonvolatile memory of the server computer, thereby permitting the first memory space to be unallocated, and allocating a second memory space in the memory of the server computer for buffering the second data portion, the second memory space being larger than the first memory space.

Abstract: The apparatus of the present invention preferably comprises an image sensor, an orientation sensor, a memory and a processing unit. The image sensor is used for generating captured image data. The orientation sensor is coupled to the image sensor, and is used for generating signals relating to the position of the image sensor. The memory, has an auto-rotate unit comprising program instructions for transforming the captured image data into rotated image data in response to the orientation sensor signals. The processing unit, executes program instructions stored in the memory, and is coupled to the image sensor, the orientation sensor and the memory. The method of the present invention preferably comprises the steps of: generating image data representative of an object with an image sensor; identifying an orientation of the image sensor relative to the object during the generating step; and selectively transferring the image data to an image processing unit in response to the identifying step.

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: A system and method for coordinating the transmission and receipt of large data blocks as a series of smaller burst transfers through an intermediate interconnect coupling a pair of devices. A device receiving a transaction request ("initiator") specifies the data block size of the requested transaction to the other device ("target"). The target response will indicate that it is committed to the transaction, that it does not support requested transactions of the specified data block size, or that it currently lacks the buffer capacity to commit to the requested transaction. In the first instance, the initiator and target exchange the data block through the interconnect as a series of burst transfers until all data has been transferred, at which time the initiator (for read transactions) or the target (for write transactions) forwards the transferred data as a data block of the specified size.

Abstract: A graphical user interface comprises aspect and style elements for controlling the type of information associated with objects displayed on a display screen of a computer system when browsing through the objects. The aspect element controls the particular type of information displayed for an object on a portion of a window, called a pane, while the style element controls the types of information displayed for all objects within that pane.

Abstract: A system and method for rapidly displaying text in a graphical user interface or other application. An initialization module accepts character set descriptions and generates executable code for drawing characters in the character set. Common sub-expression elimination is selectively employed to reduce the size of the executable code by replacing pixel-drawing functions with higher-level primitive drawing functions. Anti-aliasing text-drawing executable code is selectively generated. A display module displays text on a screen by calling the functions defined in the executable code generated by the initialization module.

Abstract: An apparatus in a computer for creating a diagram, which may include a plurality of symbols. The apparatus includes a graphical controller, which is associated with a symbol of the aforementioned diagram that is "selected." In one embodiment, the graphical controller includes a connector graphical controller for creating a first connector, which is coupled to the aforementioned selected symbol. Further, the graphical controller includes a symbol graphical controller for creating a new symbol, which new symbol is coupled to the aforementioned selected symbol by a second connector. The symbol graphical controller and the connector graphical controller are visually distinct from one another on the display screen so that the user may easily select either of the two for drawing diagram objects. In another embodiment, the invention further creates a temporary version of the aforementioned new symbol when the symbol graphical controller is held by the pointing device of the computer.