Abstract: The system is for passing clear DVD program streams from a CPU (central processing unit) to an MPEG-2 decoder. In the system the CPU is connected to a first bus interface. A system memory is connected to the first bus interface via a memory bus. A second bus interface is connected to the first bus interface via a PCI (peripheral component interconnect) bus and a DVD data source is connected to the second bus interface. A packet data decoder is connected to the memory bus via a buffer. The CPU reads DVD data from the DVD data source across the PCI bus, decrypts the DVD data and creates a packet data, and sends the packet data to the buffer via the memory bus. The MPEG-2 decoder receives the packet data, via the transport bus, from the buffer. In more general terms, the system connects two existing busses in a computer of set-top box.

Abstract: A robotic deburring tool having a housing. Mounted within the housing is a pneumatic motor that includes a backwall and a drive shaft. Secured to the terminal end of the drive shaft is a deburring tool. A pivot-bearing is mounted in the housing adjacent the backwall. A connector extends from the backwall of the pneumatic motor and connects to the pivot bearing, thereby permitting the pneumatic motor to freely articulate radially in any direction while preventing free rotation about the bearing's longitudinal axis. A compliance device extends around the pneumatic motor at a location between the backwall and the deburring tool secured to the drive shaft. The compliance device restricts the movement of the pneumatic motor while applying a compliance force to the pneumatic motor as the pneumatic motor moves with the pivot bearing.

Abstract: A technique for approximating output values of a function based on LaGrange polynomials is provided. Factorization of a LaGrange polynomial results in a simplified representation of the LaGrange polynomial. With this simplified representation, an output value of a function may be determined based on an input value that includes an input mantissa and an input exponent. Based on a first portion of the input mantissa, a point value and at least one slope value are provided. Each of the at least one slope value is based on a LaGrange polynomial approximation of the function. Thereafter, the point value and the at least one slope value are combined with a second portion of the input mantissa to provide an output mantissa. Based on this technique, a single set of relatively simple hardware elements may be used to implement a variety of functions with high precision.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for display of a digital video signal includes a demodulator capable of receiving a major channel of the digital video signal. The major channel of the digital video signal includes one or more minor channels, wherein the minor channels are specific and separate channels of broadcast information. The method and apparatus for display of a digital video signal further includes decoders coupled to the demodulator, wherein the decoders receive the minor channels disposed within the major channel. The decoders thereupon generate minor channel video signals, wherein the minor channel video signal includes the video information for each associated channel. The method and apparatus further includes receiving the incoming video signals and format the video signals for simultaneous display of active video from multiple channels. A display configurator provides the minor channel video signals to an output display, to actively display the minor channels.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the display of electronic program guide information includes receiving a plurality of viewing event indicators indicating a plurality of viewing events. The viewing event indicators may be any suitable data representation of the corresponding viewing event, such as a multi-digit program identifier and a program title, such as the name of the television show. The method and apparatus further includes generating a first list of viewing event indicators based on a viewing start time and a second list of viewing event indicators from the first list of viewing event indicators based on the viewing events having common elements within the viewing event indicators. The method and apparatus further includes providing the second list to a display device so the electronic program guide information includes timely viewing event indicators and excludes redundant viewing event indicators.

Abstract: A differential signal comparator includes an input circuit operative to provide an absolute input current difference value that is associated with the absolute difference of differential input signal levels, and a reference circuit operative to provide an absolute reference current difference value that is associated with the absolute difference of the reference signal levels. Current comparison of the absolute input current difference value with the absolute reference current difference value identify whether an input differential signal is bigger than the reference noise level and should be processed, or an input differential signal is smaller than the reference noise level and should not be processed.

Abstract: A multiple channel diversity receiver includes joint automatic gain control (AGC) signal processing wherein the first and second channels of the multiple channel diversity receiver share at least one joint AGC loop. The maximum difference between the AGC feedback signal in the control loop for the first channel and the AGC feedback control signal in the control loop for the second channel is limited to a selectable maximum differential. The AGC control loop with the stronger first RF signal thus limits the maximum amount that the weaker signal is amplified in the AGC control loop with the weaker second RF signal. By limiting the AGC feedback signal in the control loop of the second channel to a maximum differential with respect to the AGC feedback signal in the control loop of the first channel, the weaker signal is not overly amplified thereby avoiding the undue amplification of noise in the second channel.

Abstract: A method for deinterlacing interlaced video using a graphics processor includes receiving at least one instruction for a 2D/3D engine to facilitate creation of an adaptively deinterlaced frame image from at least a first interlaced field. The method also includes performing, by the 2D/3D engine, at least a portion of adaptive deinterlacing based on at least the first interlaced field, in response to the at least one instruction to produce at least a portion of the adaptively deinterlaced frame image. Once the information is deinterlaced, the method includes retrieving, by a graphics processor display engine, the stored adaptively deinterlaced frame image generated by the 2D/3D engine, for display on one or more display devices. The method also includes issuing 2D/3D instructions to the 2D/3D engine to carry out deinterlacing of lines of video data from interlaced fields. This may be done, for example, by another processing device, such as a host CPU, or any other suitable processing device.

Abstract: A system and method is provided for supporting a multiple display configuration through a single connected display device. The present disclosure allows a system desktop to be expanded across multiple virtual displays without a need for extra hardware to support multiple display devices. A display driver partitions a frame buffer of a video card into portions. Each portion is used to support a different virtual display. The display driver reports a number of virtual displays to an operating system and provides pointers to addresses associated with the portions of the frame buffer. The operating system treats each frame buffer portion as a separate frame buffer and stores video data for each virtual display in an associated frame buffer portion. The display driver selects a virtual display from a set of multiple virtual displays and routes video data from the frame buffer portion associated with the selected display for output on a connected display device.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing graphics primitives that includes a trivial discard guard band. Such a trivial discard guard band is used for comparison operations with the vertices of graphics primitives to determine whether the graphics primitives can be trivially discarded such that no further processing of the primitives is performed. The trivial discard guard band may be based on the specific dimensions of primitives such as one-half of the width of the line primitives or the radial dimension of point primitives such that the rasterization area of such primitives is taken into account when trivial discard decisions are performed.

Abstract: A method of deinterlacing interlaced fields of video for display in a progressive display device includes providing at least one candidate motion vector per scan line and determining, at least one final motion vector per scan line of interlaced video, for use in deinterlacing the interlaced fields, by iteratively changing the at least one candidate motion vector per scan line based on pixel intensities from each of a plurality of same polarity fields at locations along a single dimension.

Abstract: A method apparatus for automated display video programming guide information includes filtering programming information using filtering rules to determine viewing events of interest to a user. The method and apparatus further includes displaying on a first screen portion, the viewing events in a chronological order based on a display time for each of the viewing events. The method and apparatus further includes displaying a selector in the first screen portion such that the selector is operative to select one of the viewing events and displaying on a second screen portion, event information relating to a selected one of the plurality viewing events when the selector is proximate to one of the viewing events. The method and apparatus further includes resolving a scheduling conflict between a first viewing event and second viewing event to generate a list of program guide information.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for single instruction multiple data caching includes a memory access request generator operative to receive a primary access request. The method and apparatus further includes a cache controller coupled to the memory access request generator, wherein the cache controller is operative to execute a memory request. The method and apparatus further includes a memory interface coupled to the cache controller, the memory interface operative to retrieve a plurality of requested data. The method and apparatus further includes a request processor coupled to the cache controller, the memory interface and the memory access request generator. The request processor is operative to receive a plurality of requested data and thereupon generate a plurality of parallel data outputs therefrom.

Abstract: The computer system operates a plurality of display devices 100 and 102. Such a computer system has at least a first video adapter 203 with a first video BIOS and a second video adapter 207 with a second video BIOS. A system BIOS identifies one of the first and second video adapters 203, 207 as a primary video adapter and the other of the first and second video adapters 203, 207 as a secondary video adapter. During POST, the system BIOS stores the first video BIOS in a first memory area 210 in a system memory 212 of the computer. The system BIOS or Video BIOS then copies the first video BIOS to a second memory area 214 in the system memory 212 when the first video adapter 203 is the secondary video adapter. The system BIOS POSTs the second video BIOS when the second video adapter 207 is the primary video adapter, and stores the second video BIOS in the first memory area 210. This then causes the first video BIOS in the first memory area 210 to be overwritten by the second video BIOS.

Abstract: Multi-thread video data processing for use in a computer video display system. The parameters of vertex data are grouped into a plurality of groups. The computation needs of each group are broken down into several arithmetic operations to be performed by corresponding arithmetic units. The units concurrently process the vertex data.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for image rendering includes a first buffer operative to receive first video data. A motion mad updater receives video data from the first buffer and updates a motion map using the first video data. A grain information generator is coupled to the first buffer and receives the first video data to generate slope information based on the first video data. A grain information filter receives the slope information and filters the slope information to generate filtered slope information. A spatially interpolated field generator receives the filtered slope information and generates a spatially interpolated field. A maximum difference value generator generates a maximum difference value based on the update motion map. A base value generator receives the first video data and the spatially interpolated field and generates a base value therefrom. A missing video data generator generates missing first video data.

Abstract: A film mode detector detects film mode of a series of fields of video by comparing pixels in a field adjacent the current field, with corresponding pixels directly above and directly below the pixels in an adjacent field. The number of pixels in the adjacent in time to the current field having (or not having) a value approximately between values of the pixels above and below in the current field is assessed. Film mode for a current field may be detected by monitoring the assessment from field to field. Alternatively or additionally, the detector may detect film mode by assessing for each current field, whether a relatively large or relatively small number of pixels in the immediately previous field have values outside a specified distance of values of a corresponding pixel in the immediately subsequent field, for at least a portion of the immediately previous and subsequent fields. Again, film mode may be detected by monitoring this second assessment from field to field.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for testing a device. A test fixture is provided for interfacing a device with a host system for generating tests to be run on the device. The device is placed in a scan-test mode, according to a built-in self-test of the device. A scan clock signal and scan pattern are provided to allow scan-tests to be run on the device. If the device passes the scan test, the device is placed in a real-time test mode. At-speed tests may then be run on the device to provide a robust test and identify portions of the device that may be faulty.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for encrypting data from a plurality of multimedia devices. A driver initiates authentication for the plurality of multimedia applications. The driver assigns a key registers to each of the applications, based on available key registers. The applications use generated encryption key values to send data to be decrypted by their assigned key registers. The driver notifies video processing hardware of encryption seed keys to determine the generated encryption key values and hardware stores the value of corresponding decryption keys the assigned key registers. Each register can be used to exclusively decrypt data from an application of the plurality of applications. The driver directs the encrypted data from the applications to the video processing hardware. The video processing hardware decrypts the data and processes it into image data accordingly.

Abstract: A memory architecture for use in a graphics processor including a main memory, a level one (L1) cache and a level two (L2) cache, coupled between the main memory and the L1 cache is disclosed. The L2 cache stores overlapping requests to the main memory before the requested information is stored in the L1 cache. In this manner, overlapping requests for previously stored information is retrieved from the faster L2 cache as opposed to the relatively slower main memory.