Abstract: A method and apparatus for manipulating inked objects in a computer system includes the steps of displaying a first recognized object on a computer screen and displaying a first ink object on the screen which was previously recognized as the first recognized object. The first ink object is edited to create a second ink object, and the second ink object is recognized as a second recognized object. The first recognized object is then replaced with the second recognized object. The method also preferably includes a step of selecting the first recognized object, and the first ink object is displayed in response to the selection step. A preferred method of selecting the first recognized object is to move a stylus within a predetermined distance or bounding box of the first recognized object.

Abstract: From a matrix of elements representing an image, coordinates of each end of lines in a parallel array are generated. The lines in the array join adjacent elements in the same binary state. The coordinates are communicated to a vector graphics device which draws the array of parallel lines to form a graphic representation of the image.

Abstract: The present invention facilitates the Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) refresh function in a less obtrusive manner than in the prior art. The present invention facilitates the refresh function during idle time when the DRAM is not busy handling read or write transactions. If insufficient idle time exists then the present invention will force a refresh operation thus ensuring that all memory cells are maintained in a properly charged state.

Abstract: A system for bit-masked color signal scaling comprises a processing unit, a display device, and a memory wherein a scaling unit, an image memory, a multiplication image memory, an approximation image memory, an approximation multiplication image memory, and a scaled image memory reside. The scaling unit retrieves a color signal having a red channel signal, a green channel signal, and a blue channel signal from the image memory, and performs either an exact or an approximate bit-masked color signal scaling. A method for exact bit-masked color signal scaling comprises the steps of: generating a staggered masking signal; generating a center masking signal; generating a staggered result signal; generating a center result signal; and adding the staggered result signal and the center result signal to produce a scaled color signal.

Abstract: A digitally signed message, protected with a chain of certificates from the sender's immediate certifier up through an ultimate certifier, is transmitted to a recipient together with the entire certificate chain. The entire certificate chain is stored in a single signer file accessible by the sender. Drag-and-drop gestures of a graphical user interface are used by the sender to sign and certify the message, and an icon is provided on the recipient's display to initiate verification.

Abstract: A system for generating and displaying a contrast false color overlay as a focus assist includes a signal divider, an automatic gain control unit, an adder, a signal reducer and a signal combiner. The signal divider receives a signal representing an image and divides the signal into a red channel signal, a green channel signal and a blue channel signal. The red, green and blue channel signals are input to the signal reducer and respectfully reduced by a percentage value. The reduced Green and Blue channel signals are input to the signal combiner and combined with the output of the adder. A luminance signal is also input or generated from the channel signals and is fed to the automatic gain control unit which produces a contrast signal whose brightness is proportional to the contrast in the image. The contrast signal is input to the adder along with a reduced version of the red channel signal where the two signals are added together, and the output of the adder is provided to the combiner.

Abstract: A telecommunications adapter interfaces computing devices to the analog telephone network, achieving a tightly integrated digital telecommunications link with the analog telephone network. The telecommunications adapter takes advantage of certain host resources including, preferably, the computer's signal processor, the computer's power supply and a computer/peripheral serial interface. System cost for digital communications over the analog network is therefore reduced. Furthermore, the telecommunications adapter is able to accept and deliver a digitized representation of the analog (voice) data stream in real time, supporting both existing and future voice-band communications technologies. Finally, the invention facilitates rapid and inexpensive adaptation to the various international telephone standards. Instead of replacing an entire modem, a relatively inexpensive satellite processor (i.e., the telecom adapter) may be replaced instead.

Abstract: Methods and circuitry for arbitrating for control of a serial bus are described. According to one embodiment, one or more nodes of a serial bus are provided with a mechanism for discriminating between data packets and acknowledge packets. If a packet transmitted, repeated, or received by the node is a data packet, the node remains idle for a subaction gap time T.sub.sa to better ensure that the expected acknowledge packet is allowed to successfully propagate throughout the serial bus to the source node. If the packet transmitted by the node is an acknowledge packet, the node is free to begin the arbitration phase of the next subaction if there are no other conditions that prevent further arbitration by that node. To discriminate between data packets and acknowledge packets, a counter is used to determine the length of a transmitted packet, and the length is compared to the expected length of an acknowledge packet.

Abstract: The invention is an instruction for locating the address of a specific character or value within a byte string of variable length. An offset into a portion of the string is specified and the portion of the string is searched for a first occurrence of the specific character beginning at the specified offset. If the specific character is found, then the existence of the specific character is indicated and an address or offset of the specific character is saved or otherwise indicated. If the specific character is not found, then the non-existence of the specific character is indicated and a convenient address or offset for referencing the next character immediately following the portion of the string already examined is saved or otherwise indicated. The specific character can have a length of one or more bytes and can be a pre-defined fixed value or a dynamic arbitrary value. The invention can execute in a time period comparable to performing an arithmetic instruction.

Abstract: A system for shading graphic images for realistic rendering representative of tarnish accumulation has a display device, a central processing unit, an input device, and a memory means. The memory includes image components, shading routines, accessibility routines, display routines, and a texture map. The system modifies each image prior to display to apply shading. The system uses the accessibility routines to produce an accessibility factor for each pixel in the image. The accessibility factor is then used by the display routines to apply the desired shading to each pixel as it is rendered on the display device.

Abstract: A memory architecture including a memory cache which uses a single level of write buffering in combination with page mode writes to attain zero wait state operation for most memory accesses by a microprocessor. By the use of such a memory architecture, the speed advantages of more expensive buffering schemes, such as FIFO buffering, are obtained using less complex designs. The memory architecture utilizes same page detection logic and latching circuitry and takes advantage of a feature built into industry standard dynamic RAMs, namely page mode writes, to perform writes to memory which allow the processor to be freed before the write is completed for the most frequently occurring type of write operations.

Abstract: An interface device for a point-to-point connected serial bus in which bus clock and bus data transmissions on the bus cease between transmissions of packets of data, includes a low latency resynchronizing circuit and an end of packet detector which is independent of control data within the packet. The resynchronizer is based on an interface which receives bus data and bus clock from a transmission of a packet on the bus. A circular input buffer stores bus data received from the bus in data locations indicated by an input pointer in response to the bus clock. An input pointer generator supplies the input pointers to the input buffer in a circular sequence, beginning in a particular location during a first bus clock in a packet. An output selector supplies bus data from one of the N data locations in the input buffer to the selector output in response to an output pointer and in response to the local clock.

Abstract: A bus circuit for implementing a high speed dominant logic bus for a differential signal. The bus circuit is useful in a communication network having a plurality of multi-port nodes that are coupled by point-to-point links that communicate differential signals. Each port in the node includes a bus driver that receives the differential signal received at the port. The bus driver supplies a differential current signal to a first bus. A terminator circuit is coupled to the first differential bus, to receive the differential current signals supplied from the ports. The terminator circuit, responsive to the differential current signal, outputs a differential voltage signal indicative of either a dominant state or a non-dominant state to a second differential bus, which is coupled to the plurality of ports for transmission.

Abstract: An apparatus for inputting and controlling the position of a pointer on a computer screen without permitting any rotation of the apparatus relative to the marker is described. The apparatus comprises a pantagraph device, namely a plate, connect by two arms to a gripable element, and by a separate two arms to a housing, the apparatus being coupled to a position sensing system such as a mouse ball or optical sensing system. This apparatus can be used for easily and accurately controlling a pointer for painting programs and the like.

Abstract: The present invention is a method for determining the optimum angle for displaying a line on raster output devices. The preferred embodiment defines the possible adjustments of a line as it is being displayed at a raster resolution as a penalty which comprises of a weighted sum of a distance variable and an angular variable. The weight permits the user to decide between a trade-off between the fidelity to original angle and the quality of a line being displayed. To determine the optimum angle for displaying a line at a particular raster resolution, the present invention finds the angle with the smallest penalty. The optimum angle is further constrained by a plurality of variables set by the user. Once the user provides the constraints on the minimum penalty, the present invention automatically determines the optimum angle for displaying a line on a raster output devices.

Abstract: A concatenator for a first digital frame with a second digital frame, such as the ending and beginning of adjacent diphone strings being concatenated to form speech is based on determining an optimum blend point for the first and second digital frames in response to the magnitudes of samples in the first and second digital frames. The frames are then blended to generate a digital sequence representing a concatenation of the first and second frames with reference to the optimum blend point. The system operates by first computing an extended frame in response to the first digital frame, and then finding a subset of the extended frame with matches the second digital frame using a minimum average magnitude difference function over the samples in the subset. The blend point is the first sample of the matching subset.

Abstract: Circuit arrangements and methods are disclosed for providing trickle voltages and currents when a main power supply is unavailable or, alternatively, for providing auxiliary power. In one embodiment, a trickle power supply consists of a bilaterally conducting semiconductor diode device such as a SIDAC receiving an unregulated DC input voltage through a resistor. The SIDAC is contemplated to have a specified breakover voltage V.sub.bo and current carrying capability chosen according to designer preference. A first capacitor is coupled between the SIDAC and a primary side of a step-down pulse transformer providing a specified reduction in voltage from a secondary side relative to the voltage applied to the primary side. The resistor, the first capacitor, and the SIDAC together form a modified RC resonant circuit oscillation characteristic. When the unregulated DC input voltage is applied, the first capacitor will charge up to the breakover voltage V.sub.

Abstract: A user interface includes an object oriented graphic user interface having overlapping windows and provides an access window having topics, index and look for button functions for selection by a user. Through the use of the topics, index or look for functions, a help inquiry is defined. The selection of one of the button functions results in the generation and display of entries in a predefined area of the access window. Upon the selection of one of the entries by a user, phrases related to the selected entry are displayed in a working area of the access window. The selection of one of the phrases results in the display of a presentation window containing help instruction data to guide the user in the particular help task specified by the entry and phrase selection. To further assist the user, visual cues in the form of coach marks are generated for identifying features on the display which relate to the information disposed within the presentation window, but may identify any feature on the display.