Abstract: A first embodiment of the present invention comprises a fully functional portable computer with central processing unit, hard disk drive data storage, and liquid crystal display and a docking station having at least a floppy disk drive, video random access memory and video controller. A motorized docking/undocking mechanism automatically docks and undocks the portable computer and docking station after the user has inserted the portable computer into the docking station or after the user has requested that the units be undocked. Numerous mechanical and electrical safeguards prevent the docking or undocking of the units if such docking or undocking is likely to lead to the loss of data or damage to the components of either unit. The internal mechanical construction of the docking station allows the user to place a large cathode ray tube display monitor directly atop the docking station without hindering the docking or undocking of the portable computer.

Abstract: A method for defining and identifying valid patterns for used in a pattern recognition system. The method is particularly well suited for defining and recognizing patterns comprised of subpatterns which have multi-dimensional relationships. The definition portion is embodied in a constrained attribute grammar. The constrained attribute grammar includes nonterminal, keyword and non-keyword symbols, attribute definitions corresponding to each symbol, a set of production rules, and a relevance measure for each of the key symbols. Each of the symbols represents a subpattern. The production rules includes syntactic, semantic, constraints and action portions. It is the production rules which define the dimensional relationships between the various subpatterns. An instantiation of a constrained attribute grammar is called a language. The verification portion is comprised of a parsing scheme that determines validity of a pattern.

Abstract: This invention provides a thin, light assembly for a LCD, light guide and circuitry by using an internal frame with a central opening, above which is mounted a LCD and below which is mounted a light guide for directing light through the opening into the display. To one side of the light guide is mounted a light bulb for introducing light into the light guide. The internal frame also supports mounting of circuitry adjacent and coupled to the LCD.

Abstract: A three degrees of freedom interactive display controller device is disclosed, comprising a hand manipulable housing unit having an opening for the passage of a mouse ball, two motion detectors for detecting the movement of the mouse ball and converting that motion to output signals controlling the translational movement of an object on the display of a computer and at least one finger operated wheel or roller for controlling the translational motion of the object with respect to a third translational axis. All translation controls are operable to be physically moved in a direction which corresponds to the desired simulated direction of movement of the object on the display. The physical motion of each control is unbounded and the actual physical position of the housing unit is independent of the simulated position of the object on the display.

Abstract: A window structure has a door which slides substantially parallel to a wall to open and close a window therein and hides parallel to and behind the wall when the window is opened. Guide pins protrude upward and downward from the door, and elongated slots are formed in guide plates attached to the wall so as to serve as passageways for the guide pins to travel therein and therealong as the door is slidably moved between open and closed positions. A biasing member such as a cantilevered plate spring is provided to keep the window closed with its biasing force once it is closed and to prevent it from closing when the door is in open position.

Abstract: A circuit for use in a peripheral interface unit of a microprocessor-based system that actively drives a tri-state data strobe acknowledge (DSACK*) signal to a logical low state after a delay following assertion of an address strobe by the microprocessor. The DSACK* signal is then actively driven to a logical high state in response to deassertion of the address strobe. The DSACK* signal is then returned to a high impedance state. A Schmitt trigger feedback circuit guarantees that the resulting digital "high" level in the high impedance state will exceed a defined, minimum voltage level, regardless of the circuit's capacitance load.

Abstract: Graphical data are generated and manipulated for display on computer display devices. In the method of the present invention, all graphical images are maintained as a set of base geometries to which all geometrical operations will be applied. The encapsulation of the geometry is referred as a shape and shapes may be aggregated into objects called pictures. Geometrical operations will be performed at all times on the geometries in a local space, while further in the hierarchy the results of these operations will be rendered for whatever display device is being used in a hierarchical output method. Caches are maintained for geometry calculations such that regardless of the resolution of the output display, calculations need only be done once and geometric information is not lost as a result of bitmap processing.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for simultaneously rendering multiple scanlines. Using a scanline approach to rendering, multiple scanlines may be rendered simultaneously through the use of parallel rendering means. The rendering of multiple scanlines in parallel is enabled by creating scanline independence. Scanline independence is achieved by interpolation through direct evaluation of object information. During the rendering process each of the rendering means vertically interpolates to identify a span corresponding to the scanline being rendered. A span is identified by it's X, Y coordinates on a scanline. The scanline being rendered provides the Y-coordinate.

Abstract: Storage and access of compressed data via separately compressed and stored variable size logical blocks. Portions of an uncompressed data file are compressed until they reach a logical block size which matches a given sector size or block of storage space. Then that compressed logical block (portion of compressed data) is stored into a sector allocated to it and a table is built correlating the range of original compressed data to the sector storing the compressed data. In this way, data is compressed into a block size which matches the characteristics of the particular storage medium used. Thus the present invention efficiently stores compressed data by filling allocated sectors. When it is desired to read a given portion of data within a stored compressed data file, it is first determined where within the original data file the desired portion resided. Then, the table created as part of the compression and storage sequence is used to determine which sector contains the desired data.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for instruction prefixing selectively reconfigures certain of the instructions in the microprocessor's instruction set so as to alter the nature of the operation performed by the instruction and/or the designation of operand or result locations accessed by the operation. A prefix instruction is inserted ahead of a "using" instruction and an operational parameter of the using instruction is modified in accordance with the contents of the prefix instruction. In one application, the prefix instruction may be used to specify a register location for storage of a result of the using instruction's operation or retrieval of an operand. In other applications, the prefix instruction may be used to modify other aspects of instruction execution.

Abstract: A manipulable icon is displayed with multiple faces having particular application to computer displays and systems. The icon, which represents information about an object available within the computer, can be manipulated by the user to display different faces or views which provide additional information about the object represented by the icon. The user has the ability to manipulate the icon to see additional views of the icon on the computer display device, either by a mouse stroke selection command, keyboard command or menu selection. This selection causes the icon to move from one view or face of the icon to another view or face of the icon. These additional views thus provide additional space in which the icon can supply additional information to the user. Iconic movement from one face or view to another is also typically accompanied by some sound which indicates execution of the movement.

Abstract: A digital phase lock loop circuit for synchronizing the phase of clock signals delivered to devices through clock tree circuitry with the phase of input clock signals including a first delay line, a second delay line, a phase detector circuit, apparatus for transferring the input clock signals through the first delay line to the phase detector circuit, apparatus for transferring the input clock signals through the second delay line and the clock tree circuitry to the phase detector circuit, apparatus responsive to the difference in phase detected between the clock signals transferred through the first and second delay lines for varying the delay of one of the delay lines to bring the clock signals transferred through the first and second delay lines into phase with one another.

Abstract: A mechanism for exchanging information between SCSI devices which allows for specifying multiple source or destination buffers. The mechanism includes a first apparatus for generating at least one move instruction which when executed by the SCSI manager either writes or reads the specified number of bytes to or from that buffer address and subsequently adds the offset field value to the buffer address to create a current buffer address. The current buffer address and the buffer address may be non-contiguous. The mechanism also has a second apparatus for generating at least one looping instruction by which the SCSI manager branches the offset number of instructions until the number is exhausted. This allows the SCSI manager to repeat instructions. During each repetition of the move instruction, the buffer address location gets incremented by the value in the offset field.

Abstract: A direct memory access controller including apparatus for storing an address to which information is to be written or from which information is to be read, apparatus for storing data related to the address, apparatus for storing a value indicative of a width of a block of data to be transferred, apparatus for storing a value indicative of a total amount of information to be transferred, apparatus for storing a value indicating a number of addresses to be bypassed during a transfer, apparatus for incrementing the address while decrementing the value indicative of the width of the block and the value indicative of the total amount of information to be transferred until the width of the block has been crossed, and apparatus for changing the address by the value indicating a number of addresses to be bypassed during a transfer when the width of the block has been crossed, and apparatus for resetting the value indicative of a width of a block of data to be transferred to the original value when the width of the bl

Abstract: A method for presenting help messages to a user in an interactive computer environment in which a help mode operates concurrently with other programs operating in the computer system. The user receives information about an icon by positioning a pointer on the computer's video display over the icon about which more information is desired. The computer then retrieves an appropriate help message based upon user sophistication from a database of help messages stored in its memory and displays it in a graphic bubble on the video display. The graphic bubble is placed so as to not overlap the object about which more help is requested. The graphic bubble is removed as soon as the pointer is moved away from the object.