Abstract: A computing device having an improved enclosure arrangement is disclosed. One aspect of the enclosure pertains to enclosure parts that are structurally bonded together to form a singular composite structure. In one embodiment, structural glue is used to bond at least two unique parts together. Another aspect of the enclosure pertains to enclosure parts that are electrically bonded together to form a singular integrated conductive member. In one embodiment, conductive paste is used to bond at least two unique parts together. The improved enclosure is particularly useful in portable computing devices such as laptop computers.

Abstract: A theft prevention system for protecting portable electronic devices is disclosed. An acceleration sensor detects the acceleration of a portable electronic device, and a controller analyzes this acceleration to determine whether a theft condition is present. If so, an alarm can be initiated. The theft prevention system can include a filter for attenuating irrelevant acceleration frequencies and isolating those representative of theft, and comparison hardware/software for determining whether the detected acceleration matches a known acceleration profile characteristic of theft. Various parameters of the theft prevention system can also be set by a user through mechanisms such as a graphical user interface.

Abstract: The present invention is a computer controlled display device. In one embodiment, the display device includes a flat panel display having an input for receiving display data. Additionally, a moveable assembly may be coupled to the display. The moveable assembly may provide at least three degrees of freedom of movement for the flat panel display device. Additionally, the moveable assembly may have a cross-sectional area, which is substantially less than a cross-sectional area of a display structure of the flat panel display.

Abstract: An electronic device uses separate surfaces for input and output. One of the surfaces (e.g., the bottom) includes a force-sensitive touch-surface through which a user provides input (e.g., cursor manipulation and control element selection). On a second surface (e.g., the top), a display element is used to present information appropriate to the device's function (e.g., video information), one or more control elements and a cursor. The cursor is controlled through manipulation of the back-side touch-surface. The cursor identifies where on the back-side touch-surface the user's finger has made contact. When the cursor is positioned over the desired control element, the user selects or activates the function associated with the control element by applying pressure to the force-sensitive touch-surface with their finger. Accordingly, the electronic device may be operated with a single hand, wherein cursor movement and control element selection may be accomplished without lifting one's finger.

Abstract: Windows in a graphical user interface are automatically repositioned and resized in response to changes in a display configuration. If a window is not capable of being fully displayed within the reconfigured display area, it is constrained to fit the available space. The position of the window is varied so that it conforms to the position it occupied prior to the change in configuration so that, if the user expects to have the window at a particular position, it will remain at that position regardless of changes in the size or resolution of the display device.

Abstract: A graphical user interface for performing color correction and methods for implementing the color correction are disclosed. The graphical user interface allows a user to adjust the colorspace of the pixels in the image. In one embodiment, a color adjustment pad allows the user to push the pixels from a particular luminance level a desired magnitude towards a desired hue. Pixels from other luminance levels are affected proportionally. The graphical user interface further allows a user to adjust the luminance of the pixels in the image. A luminance adjustment slider allows the user to adjust the luminance of pixels from a selected luminance level by a relative amount. Pixels from other luminance levels have their luminance are affected in a manner proportional to a difference between the selected luminance level value and the luminance value of the other pixel.

Abstract: A computer user interface is provided which allows a user to adjust the size of icons based upon a user's preference or based upon a characteristic of the objects that the icons represent. When the icon sizing is performed according to a user preference, a relative sizing scheme or an arbitrary icon sizing scheme can be employed to variably size icons. Providing the ability to size icons in such a manner allows users to represent a user's categorization of object importance, for example.

Abstract: A system which utilizes the processing capabilities of the graphics processing unit (GPU) in the graphics controller. Each frame of each video stream is decoded. After decoding the compressed image is separated into an image representing the luminance and an image representing the chroma. The chroma image is resampled as appropriate using the GPU to provide chroma values corresponding to each luminance value at the proper locations. The resampled chroma image and the luminance image are properly combined to produce a 4:4:4 image, preferably in the RGB color space, and provided to the frame buffer for final display. Each of these operations is done in real time for each frame of the video.

Abstract: A system which utilizes the processing capabilities of the graphics processing unit (GPU) in the graphics controller. Each frame of each video stream is decoded and converted to RGB values. The R and B values are resampled as appropriate using the GPU to provide values corresponding to the proper, slightly displaced locations on the display device. The resampled values for R and B and the original G values are provided to the frame buffer for final display. Each of these operations is done in real time for each frame of the video. Because each frame has had the color values resampled to provide a more appropriate value for the actual subpixel location the final displayed image more accurately reproduces the original color image.

Abstract: A system which utilizes the processing capabilities of the graphics processing unit (GPU) in the graphics controller. Each interlaced video field is resampled to provide full resolution and then displayed at full rate. The field pixel values are resampled as appropriate using the GPU to provide values corresponding to the locations missing from that field. The resampled values and the original values are provided to the frame buffer for final display for each field. Each of these operations is done in real time for each field of the video. Because each field has had the values resampled to provide a value for the missing locations from the other field, the final displayed image is both full resolution and full rate. In an alternate embodiment, the values of the preceding and following fields are included in the resampling operation to improve still object rendition.

Abstract: A cervical biopsy instrument that includes a central shaft defining a longitudinal axis and a stop extending laterally from the shaft. The stop typically is formed in substantially the shape of a circle in a plane disposed at substantially right angles to the central axis of the shaft. The instrument also includes an electrode extending from an endocervical portion of the shaft to the stop. The stop may be formed in the shape of a complete circle, or a partial circle. Any free ends are configured to be rounded and extend inwardly toward the shaft or away from the endocervical portion to prevent the presentation of sharp edges or the like which could be caught on irregularities of the uterine cervix. The stop may be affixed to the central shaft along a tangent, or ends of the stop may be affixed to the central shaft. In another embodiment, the stop encircles or partially encircles the shaft, with the shaft extending substantially through the center of the circle.

Abstract: Some embodiments allow a video editor to spatially and temporally align two or more video sequences into a single video sequence. As used in this application, a video sequence is a set of images (e.g., a set of video frames or fields). A video sequence can be from any media, such as broadcast media or recording media (e.g., camera, film, DVD, etc.). Some embodiments are implemented in a video editing application that has a user selectable alignment operation, which when selected aligns two or more video sequences. In some embodiments, the alignment operation identifies a set of pixels in one image (i.e., a “first” image) of a first video sequence and another image (i.e., a “second” image) of a second video sequence. The alignment operation defines a motion function that describes the motion of the set of pixels between the first and second images. The operation then defines an objective function based on the motion function. The operation finds an optimal solution for the objective function.

Abstract: Improved techniques for accessing data storage systems are disclosed. These techniques detect, correct and prevent undesirable access delays experienced in storage systems. “Slow-access” refers to an access operation that does not successfully complete within a predetermined amount of time. When slow-access is detected, an attempt is made to provide data by other means rather than waiting for the access operation to eventually complete. By way of example, parity information is used to generate data rather than waiting beyond a predetermined amount of time for a “slow-read” operation to complete. In addition, preventative measures can be taken to avoid reoccurrence of a “slow-access” operating once it has been identified. These preventative measures, for example, include rewriting the same data to the same data section that caused the slow-access problem or remapping the section to another section in order to avoid the same section of data to cause another slow access problem.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for the generation of visual effects according to the elapsed time for real time display. One embodiment of the present invention provides an automated mechanism for displaying visual effects (e.g., fade to or from a target color) through adjusting color correction parameters (e.g., the look up table for gamma correction) without disturbing display color calibration settings for the current display device. Time-based adjustments are made in small steps in the beginning and end and large steps in the middle of the transition to provide perceptually smooth transition effect. In one embodiment, a operating system resource is provided to manage, synchronously or asynchronously, the visual effect on behalf of requesting applications, simplifying the coding of the application programs and providing consistency across application programs. In one embodiment, the operating system resource uses a reservation system to prevent conflict and interference between application programs.

Abstract: Systems and methods for returning windows to an original location are described. When springing already open windows to a new location on a display space, it is desired to return that window to its original location for certain situations. A list is provided when the springing operation is initialized which captures information used to return the sprung window. According to exemplary embodiments, the relocation of various windows is tracked to ensure that each window is returned to an original location.