Abstract: Starting and ending caps of smooth line segments may be drawn on a computer display without complicated calculations and avoiding the use of inverse square root calculations by drawing the caps using rectangles. The direction of the line segment may be determined, and using the direction certain pixels in a four-pixel grouping may be selectively illuminated. The normalized intensity values of the illuminated pixels may be determined by computing an x-fraction and a y-fraction, representing the distance in the x-direction and y-direction between a sample origin point in a corner of the four-pixel grouping and the closest corner of a region covered by the mathematical origin or endpoint corrected for the thickness of the line segment. It is generally preferable for only two pixels to be illuminated for each cap, the pixels chosen according to a formula ensuring that there are no perception problems when two smooth line segments share a common mathematical origin or endpoint.

Abstract: A method for performing electrical acceptance tests on a sub-system including a test substrate, a microprocessor and one or more associated computer components, such as SRAM, DRAM and ROM. A pin grid array, ball grid array, line grid array or equivalent test connector system is provided that allows direct addressing of selected circuits of the microprocessor and of each associated component. The microprocessor plus substrate are first tested together. If this test is successful, the associated components are then added, preferably one at a time, and the new sub-system is tested. If a particular sub-system fails a test, the cause(s) of failure can be isolated and removed, where possible, and the modified sub-system can be retested.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that performs content screening on a message that is protected by end-to-end encryption. The system operates by receiving an encrypted message and an encrypted message key at a destination from a source; the encrypted message having been formed by encrypting the message with a message key; the encrypted message key having been formed by encrypting the message key. The destination forwards the message to a content screener in a secure manner, and allows the content screener to screen the message to determine whether the message satisfies a screening criterion. If the message satisfies the screening criterion, the destination receives a communication from the content screener that enables the destination to process the message. In one embodiment of the present invention, the system decrypts the encrypted message key at the destination to restore the message key, and forwards the message key along with the encrypted message to the content screener.

Abstract: In one embodiment of the present invention, a carrier plate assembly for use in an electrical system is disclosed, comprising a carrier plate capable of securing at least one system board. Each system board is capable of being inserted and removed from the carrier plate assembly without disturbing another system board connected to the carrier plate assembly. The carrier plate assembly is capable of releasable attachment to the electronic system and is capable of being inserted and removed from the electronic system without disturbing another assembly connected to the electronic system.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for developing, distributing, and executing workers (e.g., objects) of an application in a client computer and over a network of computers in a manner that is hidden to a user or programmer. The workers may be distributed to any computer (e.g., server computer) in the network and can be located by a requesting computer (e.g., client computer). The distributed workers may be executed locally or remotely to produce an output value for use in a requesting computer application. Interprocess communications between the requesting computer and other network computers are hidden to a client computer user.

Abstract: According to the invention, systems, apparatus and methods are disclosed for throttling commands to a storage device is disclosed. This method comprises sending a write request to a disk, receiving a queue full signal from the disk if the disk queue is full, and responsive to receiving the queue full signal setting a throttle value.

Abstract: Starting and ending caps of smooth line segments may be drawn on a computer display without complicated calculations and avoiding the use of inverse square root calculations by drawing the caps using rectangles. The direction of the line segment may be determined, and using the direction certain pixels in a four-pixel grouping may be selectively illuminated. The normalized intensity values of the illuminated pixels may be determined by computing an x-fraction and a y-fraction, representing the distance in the x-direction and y-direction between a sample origin point in a corner of the four-pixel grouping and the closest corner of a region covered by the mathematical origin or endpoint corrected for the thickness of the line segment. It is generally preferable for only two pixels to be illuminated for each cap, the pixels chosen according to a formula ensuring that there are no perception problems when two smooth line segments share a common mathematical origin or endpoint.

Abstract: Various systems and methods for reducing the power consumption of CSRs (Control and Status Registers) within an integrated circuit (IC) are disclosed. In one embodiment, an IC includes a plurality of CSRs. Each CSR includes one or more flip-flops that are used to store one or more bits of control and/or status information for an associated device on the IC. The IC also includes one or more clock gates. Each clock gate is coupled to provide a gated clock signal to one or more of the flip-flops in a respective one of the CSRs. Each clock gate is configured to output a clock signal as the gated clock signal if a clock enable signal that corresponds to the respective CSR is asserted. The IC also includes one or more clock gating units that are each configured to generate the clock enable signal for a respective one of the CSRs.

Abstract: In a computer-aided design environment, a technique for automating design rule check error corrections in a CAD environment contemplates the use of an automation program, such as a SKILL program, to automatically and continuously run a design rule check utility program to generate intermediate results which are processed by the automation program and then supplied back to the design rule check utility program again for execution. The whole process is repeated, in an iterative manner, as many times as needed until a final result is achieved.

Abstract: A mechanism for replicating and maintaining files in a space-efficient manner is disclosed. In one embodiment, a current file is replicated by associating the data blocks of the current file with both the current file and a new file. The new file and the current files are separate and distinct from each other. Data blocks remain shared until the content of one file is modified. Only the data blocks affected by the modification are duplicated. The two files share the unchanged data blocks, but both files are each associated with additional data blocks that reflect the modification. Reference values are used to track how many files are associated with each data block. In another embodiment, a file descriptor is linked to a filename at the request of a user or application. The present invention avoids needless duplication of the same data blocks among copies of a file.

Abstract: An automobile equipped with a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver and an on-board computer is configured to transmit the automobile's location and direction of motion to a central server. The central server is configured to identify the automobile, the route taken by the automobile. The central server obtains location information or geo-related information pertinent to the route taken by the automobile, filters the data according to certain criteria, and then delivers an audible version of the filtered data to an audio output device such as a radio receiver located in the automobile.

Abstract: Data clusters are added between functional blocks in a higher-level hierarchical circuit model. The data clusters account for inter-level parasitic values without flattening the circuit model to a lower hierarchical level and operate as an information graph or network between nodes, which can be used with the standard, or default, information graph between nodes. The data clusters also allow the use of standard functional blocks without introducing artificial nodes into the circuit at a lower level that could create a coupling point at a higher level. The use of data clusters allows rapid and accurate modeling of the circuit without flattening the circuit to the lowest level.

Abstract: A method of performing a blending operation between a first pixel having a first pixel alpha value and a first pixel color data value and a second pixel having a second pixel alpha value and a second pixel color data value using a pre-defined set of logical operations and an associated set of pre-computed constant that includes calculating a first pixel blending factor and a second pixel blending factor based upon a selected Porter-Duff compositing equation, the first pixel alpha value, and the second pixel alpha value, such that there are no decisions to be made in an innermost calculation loop.

Abstract: An invention is provided for an application manager testing interface that provides a public API usable by testing software. The application manager testing interface allows testing software to issue commands to an application manager to test the life cycle and state management abilities of the application manager. A testing program capable of providing commands to test a life cycle of a dependent program controlled by an application manager is provided. In addition, an application manager testing interface is included that is in communication with the testing program and the application manager. The application manager testing interface is capable of receiving the commands from the testing program and providing the commands to the application manager. In this manner, the application manager can control the dependent program based on the commands. In one aspect, the testing program can be controlled by the application manager.

Abstract: A decoupling capacitor suitable for use with 0.11 micron or less, for example 0.09 micron, CMOS technology is provided herein. The decoupling capacitor includes a decoupling structure that minimizes leakage current associated with the decoupling capacitor.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods and apparatus for facilitating communication among a plurality of devices during a process being performed on a remotely located server. A broker is provided that is adapted for receiving and storing information associated with the process and capable of sending at least some of the information to selected ones of the devices.

Abstract: A replay attack prevention technique uses a secret algorithm exchanged between client and servers computers. The algorithm is used to periodically alter a special replay key. The replay key may then be used to alter the message sent or alter the digest appended to the message such that the message and or its digest varies as time progresses. An unscrupulous third party who replays a stolen operation message would be unaware of the replay key and its variation. Any stolen message that is replayed by the third party would not include the time varying aspect as expected by the server computer. The server computer would thus be able to detect the attempted fraud. The secret replay key may be exchanged during the communication session in an encrypted form, or may be exchanged earlier.

Abstract: A novel N×N Crossbar Packet Switch is disclosed, which crossbar switch is based on a distributed port architecture, asynchronous output port arbitration, support of non fixed-size packets (cells), support for virtual channels (VC) and/or priority, and which only requires 2*N*N control lines for the arbitration.

Abstract: An apparatus is described comprising: a switch for providing a plurality of communication channels between a plurality of nodes; and a crossbar switch communicatively coupled between the switch and the nodes for allocating one or more of a plurality of links to each of the nodes. Additionally, in a system including a switch for providing a plurality of communication channels between a plurality of nodes, a method is disclosed comprising the steps of: determining bandwidth requirements of each node in the system; and allocating links to the nodes based on the bandwidth requirements.