Abstract: An exemplary embodiment of a method of selecting a portion of an input of a musical instrument within a display window in a graphical user interface for staff-based musical notation and a computer readable medium containing a program code for selecting the portion are summarized here. An octave picker on the input of the musical instrument is displayed within the display window. The octave picker is moved to a desired portion on the input of the musical instrument. An enlarged view of at least the desired portion of the input is displayed. For one embodiment, the octave picker is moved after receiving selection of the desired portion on the input of the musical instrument. For another embodiment, the octave picker is moved to the desired portion after receiving selection and a user manipulation of the octave picker. The octave picker is displayed over the desired portion on the input.

Abstract: A connection system for a mobile device. The connection system configured to couple a cable that is external to the mobile device to an internal portion of the mobile device through a plug of the cable. The connection system includes a collapsible port, in which the collapsible port is configured to receive a plug of a cable only when the collapsible port is in an open position, and the collapsible port cannot receive a plug of a cable when the collapsible port is in a partially closed or closed position.

Abstract: A rate control system is disclosed for video coding applications. The rate controller assigns a quantization parameter for video data in a picture in response to complexity indicators indicative of spatial complexity, motion complexity and/or bits per pel of the picture. A virtual buffer based quantizer parameter is proposed based on a virtual buffer fullness analysis and a target rate estimate, which is derived from the complexity indicators. A second quantizer parameter is proposed from a linear regression analysis of quantizer parameters used to code previously coded pictures of similar type (e.g., I pictures, P pictures or B pictures). A coding policy decision unit defines a final quantizer parameter from a comparison of the two proposed quantizer parameters.

Abstract: A connector system and connector are disclosed. In a first aspect the connector system comprises a first connector having a first electrical connection for a first protocol and having a second electrical connection coupled to the first electrical connection for a second protocol. The connector system further includes a second connector coupled to and integrated with the first connector. The second connector has a third electrical connection for the second protocol wherein there is no cable between the first and second electrical connectors. In a second aspect, the connector comprises a housing; and a first electrical connection having a first protocol within the housing. The connector also includes a second electrical connection coupled to the first electrical connection and having a second protocol within the housing. Finally, the connector includes a screw assembly mechanism internal to the housing and accessible by a user to facilitate assembly or disassembly of the connector from a data source.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for anti-aliasing scan conversion. In one aspect of the invention, an exemplary method to scan convert an image on a data processing system includes: sampling the image in a first direction to generate first signals for points along a second line in a second direction using a closed form solution for a convolution integral with a first kernel; and weighting the first signals for the points according to a second kernel in the second direction to generate a second signal for a pixel. In one example according to this aspect, the closed form solution is tabulated in a look up table. After entries are looked up from the look up table according to the image along a first line in the first direction on a first point of the points, the entries are combined to generate one of the first signals for the first point.

Abstract: An electrical plug and receptacle relying on magnetic force from an electromagnet to maintain contact are disclosed. The plug and receptacle can be used as part of a power adapter for connecting an electronic device, such as a laptop computer, to a power supply. The plug includes electrical contacts, which are preferably biased toward corresponding contacts on the receptacle. The plug and receptacle each have a magnetic element. The magnetic element on one of the plug or receptacle can be a magnet or ferromagnetic material. The magnetic element on the other of the plug or receptacle is an electromagnet. When the plug and receptacle are brought into proximity, the magnetic attraction between the electromagnet magnet and its complement, whether another magnet or a ferromagnetic material, maintains the contacts in an electrically conductive relationship.

Abstract: A docking system is disclosed. The docking system includes a portable electronic device capable of operating in multiple orientations including vertical and horizontal. The docking system also includes a docking station configured to mechanically accept and operatively interface with the portable electronic device in any of its multiple orientations including vertical and horizontal.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that uses an M-bit operating system (OS) kernel to support N-bit user processes. During operation, the system receives an exception. Note that the exception can be any event that needs to be handled by executing OS kernel code. Specifically, the exception can be a hardware interrupt, a software interrupt, an asynchronous interrupt, a synchronous interrupt, a signal, a trap, or a system call. Next, the system handles the exception by first switching the processor to the M-bit mode, and then executing M-bit OS kernel code which is designed to handle the exception. Note that the processor may primarily be designed to operate in the N-bit mode; the M-bit mode may primarily be provided for backward compatibility reasons.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses to manage working states of a data processing system. At least one embodiment of the present invention includes a data processing system with one or more sensors (e.g., physical sensors such as tachometer and thermistors, and logical sensors such as CPU load) for fine grain control of one or more components (e.g., processor, fan, hard drive, optical drive) of the system for working conditions that balance various goals (e.g., user preferences, performance, power consumption, thermal constraints, acoustic noise). In one example, the clock frequency and core voltage for a processor are actively managed to balance performance and power consumption (heat generation) without a significant latency. In one example, the speed of a cooling fan is actively managed to balance cooling effort and noise (and/or power consumption).

Abstract: In a portable FireWire compatible device, a direct memory access (DMA) bus switch coupled by way of a DMA bus to a central processing unit (CPU), a local hard drive (HDD), and a FireWire port, provides a direct connection between the FireWire port and the HDD bypassing a main bus and the CPU when a data transfer request is received and processed by the CPU. Otherwise, until the data transfer request is received and processed, the CPU is directly connected to the HDD. In this way, a high speed data transfer between the FireWire port and the HDD is provided only when an appropriate data transfer request is received and processed.

Abstract: A personal display system with which a user may adjust the configuration of displayed media is provided. The personal display system may include an electronic device operative to provide media to a personal display device operative to display the received media. Using one or more optical and digital components, the personal display device may adjust displayed media to overlay features of a theater, thus giving the user of the personal display device the impression of being in the theater. In some embodiments, the personal display device may receive a user selection of a seat in the theater from which to watch the media, and may adjust the media display accordingly. In some embodiments, the personal display device may detect the user's movements using one or more sensors and may adjust the displayed image based on the user's movements. For example, the device may detect a user's head movement and cause the portion of media displayed to reflect the head movement.

Abstract: Remote control systems that can distinguish predetermined light sources from stray light sources, e.g., environmental light sources and/or reflections are provided. The predetermined light sources can be disposed in asymmetric substantially linear or two-dimensional patterns. The predetermined light sources also can output waveforms modulated in accordance with one or more signature modulation characteristics. The predetermined light sources also can output light at different signature wavelengths.

Abstract: A light guide panel is disclosed. The panel comprises a plate for dispersing light and at least one light-emitting diode (LED) coupled to the plate for providing the dispersed light. When the panel is coupled to a keyboard, the at least one LED is under a portion of the keyboard such that when the at least one LED is illuminated, the light from the LED does not distract a user. Accordingly, by strategically placing LEDs within the panel and providing the LEDs under appropriate portions of the keyboard, the device utilizing the keyboard can be smaller than when a conventional light guide panel is utilized. In addition, a further improvement in illumination is provided when a mechanism is provided which reflects light escaping from the edges of the panel back into the panel.

Abstract: A personal display system with which a user may adjust the configuration of displayed media is provided. The personal display system may include an electronic device operative to provide media to a personal display device operative to display the received media. Using one or more optical and digital components, the personal display device may adjust displayed media to overlay features of a theater, thus giving the user of the personal display device the impression of being in the theater. In some embodiments, the personal display device may receive a user selection of a seat in the theater from which to watch the media, and may adjust the media display accordingly. In some embodiments, the personal display device may detect the user's movements using one or more sensors and may adjust the displayed image based on the user's movements. For example, the device may detect a user's head movement and cause the portion of media displayed to reflect the head movement.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for providing inter-application accessibility. Embodiments of the present invention provide a framework independent, introspective, extensible technique for describing and interacting with interfaces across application processes, in which an accessibility client dynamically discovers aspects of an element (e.g., a User Interface (UI) element) by asking for its lists of actions and attributes. For example, an accessibility client application can have framework independent access to accessibility server applications written in different frameworks, such as Cocoa, Carbon, Java, or others. Since the lists of attributes and actions are introspected at run time, an accessibility client can be dynamically extensible to handle new attributes and actions that are added to the accessibility server after the accessibility client is made.