Abstract: A movie-based facility for launching applications or services. A launchpad or pallet of icons is provided to a user. The launchpad is part of a graphical user interface. Each icon has a display region. A user can launch an application program by pressing the icon and concurrently therewith display a movie within the display region of the icon during the latency period associated with the launching of the application program.

Abstract: A system and method for antialiasing silhouette edges are described herein. A video interface accesses the frame buffer to retrieve a foreground color of an edge pixel that falls on the silhouette edge. The video interface estimates a background color of the edge pixel based on foreground colors of neighboring pixels that are proximate to the edge pixel. Then, the video interface interpolates between the foreground color and the estimated background color to determine an output color of the edge pixel. Also described herein are a system and method of internal edge antialiasing.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for creating shadowed scenes for interactive image generation. Shadowing is effected by generation of a shadowing coefficient for each pixel, which is then used when the scene is rendered. The present invention utilizes z-buffer and projective texture mapping facilities of an image generation system.

Abstract: A method for providing a web page (26) having an embedded menu (46) to a web browser (24) and for displaying the web page (40) to a user of the web browser (24) are provided. A request for a web page (20) is received from a web browser (24). In response to the request, a web page (26) and an applet (28) associated with the web page (20) are packaged for transmission to the web browser (24). The web page (26) and the applet (28) are then transmitted to and downloaded by the web browser (24). When the web page (26) is displayed and the applet (28) is executed by the web browser (24), the applet (28) creates and manages an embedded menu (46) in the displayed web page (40)under control of the applet (28). This embedded menu (46) provides a user of the web browser (24) with a plurality of links (48) through one action in the displayed web page (40).

Abstract: A conflict resolution system for interleaved memories in processors capable of issuing multiple independent memory operations per cycle. The conflict resolution system includes an address bellow for temporarily storing memory requests, and cross-connect switches to variously route multiple parallel memory requests to multiple memory banks. A control logic block controls the address bellow and the cross-connect switches to reorder the sequence of memory requests to avoid conflicts. The reordering removes conflicts and increases the occurrence of alternating memory requests that can issue simultaneously.

Abstract: A system and computer-based method for permitting a computer system to access a network location using a browser application by activating a desktop icon. The system comprises a first computer readable program code means for causing the computer system to display a desktop icon associated with a file containing a network address corresponding to the network location. When the desktop icon is activated, a second computer usable program code means causes the computer to launch an instance of a browser application or a new window for a currently executing browser application and a third computer usable program code means causes the computer system to pass the network address to the browser application, thereby accessing the network location.

Abstract: A thermally conductive heat sink unit having an integral attachment mechanism. In the present invention, a thermally conductive unit is adapted to thermally contact a heat generating device mounted on a substrate. A flexible connector is integral with the thermally conductive unit. The flexible connector is adapted to couple the thermally conductive unit to the substrate such that the thermally conductive unit thermally contacts the heat generating device.

Abstract: An ultra low drop out power regulator is described. The power regulator may be used, for example, where a dynamically fast, and electrically clean power supply at the point of use is required. The power regulator is provided as a single part with two input voltages. The higher voltage input drive the output stage so that ultra low drop out is achieved. The disclosed regulator is therefore more efficient, resulting in less heat dissipation. The regulator is packaged in a stand up package thereby reducing board space. By use of a stand up package, air flow to other components is not blocked.

Abstract: A method is used to access a sub-region of a two or more dimensional data region, in which said region is composed of a patchwork of individually addressable tiles. A hardware assisted mechanism is used to address, reformat, and composite data from each tile to produce a row-major subregion data stream to the consuming device. This method abstracts information about how the desired region is stored and addressed, so that further processing steps can process the data as a contiguous two or more dimensional space without regard to how the data is composited. This is particularly useful for doing image processing on graphics processing systems where source data is often stored in separately managed and addressed tiles.

Abstract: Techniques for matching the speed of a microprocessor to potentially slower external system components. A master clock signal is communicated to a clock generator on the processor chip. The clock generator provides at least one external clock signal, which is communicated to various portions of the system. The clock generator includes programmable clock division circuitry that allows the external clock signal to be generated at any selected one of a plurality of fractions of the master clock frequency. The data pattern (the particular cycles in a sequence during which the processor outputs a data word as part of a multiple-data-word sequence) is programmable independently of the external clock programming.

Abstract: A system and method for optimizing a source code representation comprising a plurality of basic blocks are described. The optimized source code representation is to be executed in a target machine. The system operates by selecting from the source code representation a basic block pair comprising a source basic block and one or more target basic blocks. An instruction in the source basic block is identified that can be moved from the source basic block to the target basic block(s) while preserving program semantics. Either the instruction or a representation of the instruction is moved from the source basic block to the target basic block(s) as a function of resource utilization of the target machine that would result from this movement.

Abstract: A processor capable of executing prefetching instructions containing hint fields is provided. The hint fields contain a first portion which enables the selection of a destination indicator for refill operations, and a second portion which identifies a destination. The portion of the hint field identifying a destination may be applied to consistently direct streamed and retained data to select portions of a cache. As a result, one type of data (e.g., retained) is lees likely to be replaced by another type of data (e.g., streamed) and vice versa.

Abstract: A compression connector including a cam which securely attaches the compression connector to the backplate hook is disclosed. Specifically, in one embodiment, a backplate hook including pins located inside the receptacle is disclosed. The connector may be securely attached to the backplate hook by engaging the handle of the cam such that the cam and a second cam rotate so as to engage the pins. The movement of the cam handle compresses the connector against the surface to which the backplate hook is mounted, thus achieving a connection which is positive and which locks the connector into a position of uniform compression.

Abstract: A method for generating a pseudo-random numbers Initially, the state of a chaotic system is digitized to form a binary string. This binary string is then hashed to produce a second binary string. It is this second binary string which is used to seed a pseudo-random number generator. The output from the pseudo-random number generator may be used in forming a password or cryptographic key for use in a security system.

Abstract: A system and method for using self-biased circuits to reduce phase jitter and phase offset in phase locked loops and frequency is disclosed. A self-biased apparatus for aligning a reference signal having reference phase with a feedback signal having a feedback phase includes a phase-frequency detector for comparing the reference phase and the feedback phase. The phase-frequency detector produces a phase-frequency detector output proportional to a difference between the reference phase and the feedback phase. A charge pump, coupled to the phase-frequency detector, outputs a charge pump output in response to the phase-frequency detector output. A loop filter, coupled to the charge pump, filters the charge pump output to produce a control voltage. A bias generator is coupled to the loop filter to generate a bias signal to bias the charge pump, causing the charge pump to generate a bias voltage substantially equivalent to the control voltage.

Abstract: A page migration controller is described. The page migration controller determines whether a memory page addressed by a memory access request should be migrated from a local processing node to a requester processing node. The page migration controller accesses an array to obtain a first count associated with the addressed memory page and the requester processing node, and a second count associated with the addressed memory page and the local processing node. The first count is incremented, and then the second count is subtracted from the incremented first count to obtain a difference between the second count and the incremented first count. A comparator determines whether the difference is greater than a migration threshold value. If the difference is greater than the migration threshold value, then a migration interrupt is issued.

Abstract: A programmable, distributed network routing system and method uses routing tables which are distributed throughout the network. Routing tables are programmed to route packets to the target device by the preferred route. When a packet is injected into the network for delivery to a particular node each router along the path taken by the packet consults its local routing table and sends the packet along the preferred route. In one implementation the router tables contained in each router contain hierarchical information about the network. For nodes that are near the subject router, a complete local table entry exists. For nodes which are more distant, several of these distant nodes share a single remote table entry. When a router receives a packet, it reads the egress port ID from the packet header and begins arbitrating for that egress port so that the packet can be sent to the next router. At the same time, the router accesses the router table to determine the egress port ID for the next router.

Abstract: A method of gaining access to multiple signals internal to a semiconductor chip while minimizing the number of pins dedicated for diagnostic and testing purposes. A chip designer determines which internal signals would most likely be helpful in troubleshooting and debugging a new chip design. These signals are input to a selector. A configuration register is loaded with information specifying which ones of these signals is to be routed to the output pin(s) so that they can be monitored externally by a logic analyzer in real-time. The selector only routes the currently designated signals to the appropriate output pin(s). Subsequently, a different set of signals can be selectively routed to the output pin(s) in place of the originally chosen signals.