Abstract: A method and computer program product for reducing colormap flashing on a display system where the display system has a single hardware colormap. The method includes the steps of intercepting a request from an application program for an allocation of a private colormap, and transparently simulating the allocation of the private colormap using the default colormap. In this manner, colormap flashing is reduced as the default colormap is used to satisfy private colormap requests.

Abstract: A foot operated mouse control system for controlling a computer mouse having at least one mouse button and a scroll wheel. The control system includes a foot operated mouse controller having a foot support platform. The foot support platform has an upper surface and a lower surface. A retaining device extends from the platform's lower surface, and is sized to receive and capture the mouse. A control wheel is rotationally mounted to a through hole of the platform such that a portion of the control wheel protrudes simultaneously above the platform's upper surface and below the platform's lower surface. When the retaining device captures the mouse the control wheel engages the scroll wheel.

Abstract: An improved method effectively uses colors to graphically represent objects having multiple attributes in computers. Objects having multiple attributes in computer programs involving objects having multiple attributes, such as a computer program automating an RFQ (Request for Quote) process, are represented in a structured way that assigns a color to an object by taking into account attribute values of the object.

Abstract: A character display device and method therefor are adapted to obtain a proximal reference point of each character comprising a character series and calculate display coordinates of each character from said proximal reference point and the display angle and display reference position of the character series.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and signal-bearing medium that selects an object displayed on a display screen when a cursor controlled by a pointing device pauses at the object for a time period longer than a dwell-time threshold. The dwell-time threshold is adjusted based on the density of the objects displayed on the screen. Thus, when the density of displayed objects is higher, the dwell-time threshold is longer and the user must hold the cursor at the desired object for a longer time in order to select the object. Similarly, when the density of displayed objects is lower, the dwell-time threshold is lower, and the user must hold the cursor at the desired object for a shorter time in order to select the object.

Abstract: It is an objective to provide a image generating system and program capable of performing an environment mapping which can accurately represent the reflection of light source and the like. An environment texture to be viewed in an upward direction from an object is mapped onto the object in a direction toward the object from above the object without depending on the position or rotational angle of a virtual camera. A rotation matrix obtained from the rotational angle of the object about an axis in the world coordinate system is used to rotate the normal vector of the object. The coordinates NXW and NZW of the rotated normal vector are then used to obtain coordinates U and V. Another rotation matrix for transforming the local coordinate system to a coordinate system (XW, ZW, YW) may be used.

Abstract: A display characteristics recognition apparatus has a color chart data output unit outputting a color chart data representative of a predetermined color chart to a display unit, a color name input unit for entering a name of a color of the color chart, and a display characteristics identification unit for determining display characteristics of the display unit in accordance with the color chart data outputted from the color chart output unit and the name of the color entered through the color name input unit.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for flattening the illumination intensity over an optical sensor is disclosed. The intensity of light off the axis from a lens is less than the light on axis by a factor of cos4&thgr;, where &thgr; is the angle from the lens exit pupil to the off-axis point. Light from the lens incident upon the optical sensor therefore will not be uniform in intensity. Light-blocking patches are placed over the areas of the optical sensor where light intensity needs to be reduced to achieve uniform illumination intensity across the entire optical sensor. Areas of the optical sensor that fall closest to the axis of the lens receive the greatest intensity of light due to the rule of cos4&thgr;, and therefore will require more light-blocking patches than areas of the optical sensor further away from the lens axis.

Abstract: A system for counting a key-in operation has a keyboard, input key judging unit for judging an input key keyed-in by the keyboard to be an effective key, an ineffective key or a command key, input key counting unit for counting the number of inputs of each input key, count result storing unit for storing the number of inputs of each input key, count result detecting unit for detecting the number of inputs of each input key, character display control unit for generating a prescribed character according to a count result of each input key which is employed in displaying the count result, display for displaying the prescribed character generated by character display control unit, and mouse for controlling a movement of a pointer on a screen and for inputting a click signal.

Abstract: In one embodiment, selecting a pixel in a screen region on a screen of a monitor of a computer graphics display system to activate in rendering a straight line segment by a rasterizer assigned to the screen region. Steps of aligning a rectangular grid to pixel boundaries, wherein the screen comprises a screen space divided into at least one screen region, wherein the screen region comprises multiple pixels, identifying each pixel in the screen region through which the straight line segment passes, and selecting each identified pixel to activate for rendering the straight line segment on the screen when the straight line segment passes through a diamond shaped area of the pixel whose boundary is defined by the lower, upper, left, and right pixel grid mid-points are disclosed.

Abstract: A safety device for a printer has a first switch and a second switch that separately determines whether a door of the printer is open or closed. When the door is open (in the state that causes danger), the safety device stops driving systems of the printer with software when the second determining device determines that the door is open and stops the driving systems with hardware when the first determining device determines that door is open. Therefore, the safety device can completely stop the driving systems.

Abstract: Image processing apparatus (60) for rendering (i.e. coloring, texturing or shading) an image includes a tiling device (66) which divides the image into sub-regions or tiles. Two rendering devices (70A, 70B) are provided, and the tiles are allocated so that some are processed by one rendering device and some by the other. Polygons representing surfaces of objects to be displayed are tested against the tiles. If the surface falls into one sub-region only, the data is sent to one rendering device only. On the other hand, if the surface falls into two sub-regions being handled by the different rendering devices, then the data is sent to both rendering devices. The result is that a substantial proportion of the data need only be supplied to and processed by one rendering device, thereby speeding the operation of the apparatus. The outputs of the two rendering devices (70A, 70B) are subsequently combined by tile interleaving and image display circuitry (72).

Abstract: An immersive video system is provided which enables a user to interact with immersive video on a variety of platforms. To accommodate different types of platform components, the resolution of the immersive video may be changed. In one embodiment, a pair of immersive videos, one of the immersive videos having a 360° field of view, are simultaneously played in a standard display software program. In another embodiment, a single immersive video mapping an environment greater than 360° is played in a standard display software program. The display software program can be chosen such that it is supported by a variety of platforms. A view window associated with the standard display software program defines the portion of the immersive video shown to the viewer. A control adjusted by the viewer pans the view window around one of the pair of immersive videos.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for configuration using a portable electronic configuration device. The portable device is attached to an unconfigured electronic device. The portable device causes the unconfigured device to send configuration data to a coupled device. The coupled device uses the data to configure the unconfigured device.

Abstract: A method for displaying a compacted data signal, comprising the steps of acquiring a data signal comprising a plurality of data values; computing a compaction table based upon said acquired data signal; generating a min/max pair for all data values of said data signal associated with each of a plurality of vertical pixel columns of a display device; drawing a single vertical line for each min/max pair; and repeating said acquiring, computing, generating and drawing steps for each data signal acquisition.

Abstract: A design interface tool for designing force sensations for use with a host computer and force feedback interface device. A force feedback device is connected to a host computer that displays the interface tool. Input from a user is received in the interface to select a type of force sensation to be commanded by a host computer and output by a force feedback interface device. Input, such as parameters, is then received from the user which designs and defines physical characteristics of the selected force sensation. A graphical representation of the characterized force sensation is displayed on the host computer which provides a visual demonstration of a feel of the characterized force sensation so that the user can view an effect of parameters on said force sensation.

Abstract: A system and method for increasing the performance of a compositing system when compositing images represented as a directed acyclic graph. The method comprises identifying at least one critical path, determining a set of input nodes to each critical path, and caching the images at each of the input nodes to each critical path. The critical paths may comprise all nodes between and including the edit nodes on one end and the view node at another end. The method may also include receiving a user designation of at least one view node and at least one edit node, receiving a request to view the video presentation at a view node, processing data at the view node responsive to the request, and displaying the video presentation at the view node. Caching may be implemented when processing nodes such that when processing a node, a determination is made whether the node is an input node to one of the critical paths.

Abstract: A method and system of operating a remote terminal by a terminal server caches representation data of glyphs to be displayed on the remote terminal to reduce the amount of glyph data that have to be transmitted to the remote terminal through a network connection. The glyph caching is performed on a level of text fragments each of which includes a plurality of glyphs. The remote terminal stores a fragment cache for caching fragments and glyph caches for caching individual glyphs. Each entry in the fragment cache contains data indicating where the glyph data for the glyphs of the fragment are stored in the glyph caches. When the terminal server receives a request to display a text fragment on the remote terminal, it checks whether that fragment is cached at the remote terminal. If so, the terminal server sends a fragment index to the client identifying the entry in the fragment cache for that fragment.

Abstract: A fully programmable, graphics microprocessor is disclosed which is designed to be embodied in a removable external memory unit for connection with a host information processing system. In an exemplary embodiment, a video game system is described including a host video game system and a pluggable video game cartridge housing the graphics microprocessor. The game cartridge also includes a read-only program memory (ROM) and a random-access memory (RAM). The graphics coprocessor operates in conjunction with a three bus architecture embodied on the game cartridge. The graphics processor using this bus architecture may execute programs from either the program ROM, external RAM or its own internal cache RAM.

Abstract: A method for displaying color values in a plurality of images on a display screen in a computer graphics system, wherein the images correspond to a plurality of applications. The graphics system includes a primary frame buffer for pixel values to be displayed in the images, and a plurality of colormap tables related to the images for providing color values to be displayed in the images. A pseudo frame buffer is provided for the applications to store source pixel values for display in the corresponding images. To display the source pixel values in the pseudo frame buffer, for each source pixel the graphics system performs the steps of: identifying the image corresponding to the source pixel value; selecting a colormap table corresponding to the identified image; using the source pixel value as an index to select a color value from the selected colormap table; and storing the selected color value as a pixel value in the primary frame buffer to be displayed.