Abstract: Circuit arrangement and method for dispatching computer instructions. In a processor having a plurality of types of execution units, the computer instructions are grouped in bundles, and each bundle includes a plurality of instructions and an associated index code. Template values are stored in a plurality of template registers, and each template value specifies types of execution units for a bundle of instructions and those instructions in a bundle that are executable in parallel. A dispatch logic circuit is coupled to the template registers and is responsive to an input bundle of instructions and associated index value. The dispatch logic circuit reads a code from a selected one of the plurality of template registers referenced by the index value and issues one or more selected instructions in the bundle to at least one execution unit of a selected type responsive to the code read from the selected one of the plurality of template registers.

Abstract: Character recognition with an improved recognition ratio is provided without requiring special operations to be performed before character recognition is performed. A preliminary character recognition operation is performed in which the feature vector of an input character is compared to a recognition dictionary that contains a reference vector for each category. The candidate category to which the input character belongs is determined, and the feature vector and recognition result for each input character is saved. The input characters judged to have been recognized with high reliability are selected with reference to their recognition results. The feature vector of each selected input character is used to predict a writer-specific feature vector of a category different from the candidate category to which the selected input character belongs.

Abstract: A battery support unit, such as a defibrillator battery charger, tests a battery having a memory for an error condition. If the battery support unit finds an error condition with the battery, it transmits error data to a mailbox located in the battery's memory. Other battery support units or electronic devices, or even this battery support unit at a later date, can read the error data in the mailbox and take an appropriate action. For example, the battery support unit can read the mailbox and, if it finds error data placed there by itself, another battery support unit, or an electronic device, enable an indicator, such as an indicator that informs a user that maintenance needs to be performed on the battery. When battery maintenance has been selected, the battery support unit reconditions the battery by charging and discharging the battery a predetermined number of times, and also performs additional testing on the battery.

Abstract: A pen-based computer in which the lines drawn by a user are anti-aliased incrementally by applying a smoothing filter to the relatively high resolution pen sensor image and subsampling the result to provide a relatively low resolution image which is displayed using greyscale.

Abstract: A bi-directionally scannable bar code pattern having a parallel array of alternating lines and spaces, each having selected widths. Each line has a common series of segments and segment spaces of selected lengths. The length of each segment may be the same as the width of a corresponding line, and the length of each segment space may be the same as the width of a corresponding space between lines. The pattern may be printed on a sheet of printer media, or on a strip attached to such a sheet.

Abstract: A computing system includes a storage pool and a system node. The storage pool has a plurality of physical volumes. The physical volumes are grouped into a plurality of physical volume groups. The system node accesses the storage pool. The system node includes a logical volume manager and a resource monitor. The logical volume manager maps the physical volumes into logical volumes. The resource monitor determines which physical volumes in the storage pool have available physical links, and determines a number of copies of data within a first logical volume. The resource monitor also determine whether at least one copy of all data within a logical volume group is available. The resource monitor indicates that at least one copy of all data within the logical volume group is available when physical links to all physical volumes for the logical volume group are up.