Abstract: The present invention is directed to a sorber cooling device suitable for use in an electromagnetic wave activated sorption system. One embodiment of the sorber cooling device has a metallic tubular enclosure extending coaxially into the sorber, a plurality of fins connected to a portion of the tubular enclosure extending outside of the sorber, a reservoir in fluid communication with the tubular enclosure, and a wick located within the portion of the tubular enclosure extending into the sorber. A refrigerant which is placed in the cooling device is drawn by the wick into the portion of the tubular enclosure extending into the sorber. The refrigerant absorbs heat from the sorber and evaporates. The evaporated refrigerant is condensed in the portion of the tubular enclosure extending outside of the sorber and the heat of condensation is dissipated by the fins. The condensed refrigerant is collected in the reservoir. This cycle repeats automatically.

Abstract: The present invention includes a computer bus rack having a circuit board for accommodating a plurality of stand-alone computers. The circuit board has a front side and a back side, and the rack comprises a first plurality of slots coupled to the front side, and a second plurality of slots coupled to the back side. The first and second plurality of slots are arranged such that corresponding ones of the first and second plurality of slots are in alignment together.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for enabling a user/driver of a vehicle to interact with and manipulate a pointer on a display screen of a computer is presented. The interface device is generally mounted in a steering wheel of the vehicle. The device typically includes at least one user input mechanism in the form of a thumb input pad positioned on a modified grip portion of the steering wheel, and at least one input button positioned on a back side of the steering wheel grip. The thumb input pad is reachable by a thumb of a vehicle driver, and the at least one input button is reachable by a finger of the vehicle driver when the driver has positioned his or her hand in a common driving position. The pointer that is being controlled by the various forms of interface device, scrolls across the particular display screen provided in the particular vehicle, and is utilized in making selections and carrying out computer functions.

Abstract: The present invention relates to computer systems and methods for providing a memory buffer for use with native and platform-independent software code.

Abstract: Provided is a method, system, and program for enabling a client to access a service, wherein the client is capable of communicating with a server. The client accesses an object from the server that includes code to enable the client to access the service. The accessed object includes a request rate indicating a rate at which the client transmits requests for the service. The client generates requests for the service using code included in the object accessed from the server. The client then transmits the generated requests for the service at the request rate included in the object.

Abstract: A method and computer graphics system capable of implementing multiple pipelines for the parallel processing of graphics data. For certain data, a requirement may exist that the data be processed in order. The graphics system may use a set of tokens to reliably switch between ordered and unordered data modes. Furthermore, the graphics system may be capable of super-sampling and performing real-time convolution. In one embodiment, the computer graphics system may comprise a graphics processor, a sample buffer, and a sample-to-pixel calculation unit. The graphics processor may be configured to receive graphics data and to generate a plurality of samples for each of a plurality of frames. The sample buffer, which is coupled to the graphics processor, may be configured to store the samples. The sample-to-pixel calculation unit is programmable to generate a plurality of output pixels by filtering the rendered samples using a filter.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for executing a method to enable memory associated with objects not referenced external to the executed method to be reclaimed upon completion of execution of the method. Methods include obtaining a data structure including one or more addresses of source code that creates local objects, obtaining next source code in the method, and determining whether an address of the obtained next source code is in the data structure. When the address of the obtained next source code is in the data structure including one or more addresses of source code that creates local objects, a local object is created on a local heap of memory using the source code associated with the address such that local objects are stored in memory separately from non-local objects.

Abstract: A computer system includes a visual display device for displaying information to an operator, a common buffer such as the Microsoft Window™ clipboard, and a processor for processing an application program, the processor performing predetermined processing operations under control of the applications program. If selected conditions are detected during processing, the processor will enable generation of a message box including a message text item, an actuable copy enable facility, and an actuable message box removal facility, and enable the message box to be displayed by the visual display device. The processor, in response to actuation of the copy enable facility by the operator, will copy the message text item to the common buffer, thereby preserving it for future examination through, for example, a clipboard viewer or text editor, which may be enabled after the message box has been removed from the visual display device in response to actuation of the message box removal facility by the operator.

Abstract: A garbage collector collects a generation of a collected heap in accordance with the train algorithm. It employs remembered sets associated with respective car sections to keep track of references into the associated car sections. Each remembered set contains entries that identify respective regions in the generation that contain references into the associated car section. When the collector collects a car section, it reclaims the car section's objects for which there are no references, looking only in regions that the car section's remembered set specifies. Additionally, the collector treats the generation as divided into segments, for each of which it maintains a farthest-forward-car value that identifies which, among the car sections into which the respective segment contains a reference, is closest to collection.

Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed for viewing computer generated images and for tracking the positions of the user's head and hand. One alternative of the apparatus includes a frame element, versatilely mountable, with sensors for the head tracking of a user whose bodily movement is constrained to a small area. Short range and inexpensive sensors are deployed for tracking the position of the user's head; these sensors are deployed partly on a on the user's head and partly on the tracking frame. All the electronics for tracking and user input are enclosed in a mobile pack. In another alternative of the tracking invention natural forces such as gravity, the Earth's magnetic field, and inertia are used, so additional references. The display allows for interchangeable optical elements so that it may be tailored to suit the needs of a particular user or application.

Abstract: The present invention involves a system and method for optimizing video encoding. For each candidate motion vector, encoding distortion is determined between a macroblock and a reconstructed macroblock by determining discrete cosine transform coefficients of the macroblock and quantizing the discrete cosine transform coefficients. An estimate unit estimates the length of the bit stream that would be required to encode the quantized discrete cosine transform coefficients along with the mode information bits including mode and motion vector information. The reconstructed macroblock is determined based on the quantized discrete cosine transform coefficients. A bit-rate term based on the length of the bit-rate stream is determined and included in the encoding distortion. The candidate motion vector which minimizes the encoding distortion of the macroblock is chosen to be the motion vector for the macroblock.

Abstract: A memory expansion module including multiple memory banks and a bank control circuit is disclosed. In one embodiment, a memory module includes a printed circuit board with a connector edge adapted for insertion in an expansion socket of a computer system. Mounted upon the circuit board is a plurality of memory chips, typically Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) chips, which make up an upper bank and a lower bank of memory. A buffer circuit is mounted upon the printed circuit board, for the purpose of driving address signals, Column Address Strobe (CAS) signals, and write enable signals to each of the memory chips. Also mounted upon the printed circuit board is a bank control circuit, which is coupled to the memory chips. An address signal is used as a bank selection input to the bank control circuit, which will drive Row Address Strobe (RAS) signals to the memory chips of the selected memory bank.

Abstract: A low-pass filter to filter the internal bias voltages. It is connected locally at the bias voltage input of each bias current source the low-pass filter reduces the AC overshoot oscillations of a local bias voltage generated by the bias voltage generator upon a changing in the amount of current sourced by other current sources. A single bias voltage generator is connected to a bias voltage input of a number of bias current sources. Each current source has a low pass filter to filter the bias voltage.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that prefetches from memory by using an assist processor that executes in advance of a primary processor. The system operates by executing executable code on the primary processor, and simultaneously executing a reduced version of the executable code on the assist processor. This reduced version runs more quickly than the executable code, and generates the same pattern of memory references as the executable code. This allows the assist processor to generate the same pattern of memory references that the primary processor generates in advance of when the primary processor generates the memory references. The system stores results of memory references generated by the assist processor in a store that is shared with the primary processor so that the primary processor can access the results of the memory references. In one embodiment of the present invention, this store is a cache memory.

Abstract: Systems and methods for implementing an execution stack which stores frames for functions written in multiple programming languages are provided. The frames for functions written in different programming languages may be interleaved on the same execution stack. A data block on the execution stack may be utilized to traverse the execution stack around a frame by storing a stack pointer and frame pointer to a previous frame. Additionally, exceptions may be propagated, with conversion if necessary, through frames on the execution stack that are written in different programming languages.

Abstract: Network browsing is facilitated by receiving a document from the network containing content; extracting conceptual information from the content of the document; analyzing the extracted conceptual information semantically; and assimilating the extracted conceptual information into an index based on structural relationships among the extracted conceptual information and semantic data in a stored lexicon.

Abstract: Systems and methods for automatically providing an adapter or a stub in a runtime environment are provided. An adapter generator is provided with input parameters that are in turn processed and input to a compiler. The compiler, in turn, is coupled to an adapter library used to store the generated adapters. The adapter library, in turn, provides adapters, on demand to a runtime system when executing a bytecode, or a series of bytecodes.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and products provided for facilitating the reuse of data blocks. In one implementation, a registration server receives request data objects from programs that request use of a data block. When the data block is not already registered with the registration server, the registration server registers the data block, for example in a list of registration data objects. A registration handle object is returned to the requesting program and provides a reference to the resources for accessing the data block. The present invention facilitates efficient use of resources in connection with multiple requests for a data block because resources needed for handling the binary data block are not duplicated.

Abstract: A processing unit is connectable to a communications network. The processing unit has a data carrier reader operable to read a network identity from a portable data carrier. The processing unit is operable on being powered up to check for the presence of a said data carrier, and when a data carrier is present to use the network identity from the data carrier for communicating via the network. The data carrier can be in the form of a card having readable storage, for example a portable storage device having a readable semiconductor memory of a type know, for example, as a smart card, or memory card. The processing unit may be arranged to use only the network address read from the data carrier, and, in the absence of such a data carrier to prevent access to the network. Access to the network can be achieved by aborting the power up of the processing unit. The processing unit may therefore access the network only when the network address is present in the carrier reader when the processing unit is powered up.

Abstract: A receiver is provided which quickly and efficiently recognizes signals by including with the receiver a resolving circuit which is coupled to a signal generation circuit which provides a differential current. The resolving circuit is coupled to a latching circuit. The resolving circuit can operate with supply voltage levels as low as one threshold voltage. Also, the signal setup and hold times are inherently vary small due to the high intrinsic bandwidth of the receiver. Other advantages include reduced power consumption, high speed operation, good rejection of input noise and power supply noise, ability to resolve small (e.g., 1.0 mVolt) voltage differences, reduced capacitive loading, and the ability to function with a variety of types of drivers, including HSTL, DTL and PECL.