Abstract: Apparatus and methods are described whereby a projected television image is divided into two horizontally displaced images, and an observer wears glasses to synthesize three-dimensionality from the 2-D image. Switching means are provided so that the components associated with creating the 3-D effect may be made operative or inoperative, either mechanically or electrically. One or more wedge prisms or holographic optical elements are mounted on a frame along with polarizing filters, and a lever is used to transfer these elements into and out of the beam of a projected television image. Alternatively, an electrically or acoustically activated spatial light modulator and liquid-crystal polarizers may be left in the path of the projected beam and made operative and inoperative by way of electrical signals. The invention may be used with both single-source and multi-source projected images, and may be used in conjunction with both frontal and rear projection.

Abstract: A video teleconferencing workstation includes a video teleconference session window displayed on the workstation display. The session window includes a video image area for displaying video information associated with the video teleconferencing session, and a control area for displaying one or more selectable video teleconferencing functions represented as graphical pushbuttons. The user selectable video teleconferencing functions include a connection function, a control function and a monitor function. Selection of the connection function causes a call list window to be displayed on the workstation monitor for establishing video teleconferencing connections. Selection of the control function causes a control window to be displayed on the workstation display for adjusting parameters of the video teleconference. Selection of the monitor function causes a monitor window to be displayed on the workstation display for monitoring the parameters of the video teleconference.

Abstract: A system for providing cross-platform portability of object-oriented structures employs a set of canonical definitions of objects to produce an archive of an object-oriented structure in a standard format. The archive may be provided within object-oriented environments utilizing different operating systems to reproduce the archived structure using native objects specific to the respective operating systems. An archiver is provided for producing portable archives of native object-oriented structures. A de-archiver is provided for constructing native object-oriented structures within an object-oriented environment as specified in a portable archive. The archiver and the de-archiver are adapted to store and to retrieve custom, or operating system-specific, information within canonical object references in the portable archive.

Abstract: A method of transforming an input pixel comprising independent and dependent color components into an output pixel comprising independent colors only or a mixture of independent and dependent colors, is provided. The method comprises the steps of resolving each dependent input color component in independent color components and combining these components with the corresponding independent input components according to a correction model to correct for additivity failure in printing inks. An apparatus for carrying out the method is also provided.

Abstract: An apparatus and method adapted for performing volume rendering is disclosed in which the object space is divided between a plurality of processing units. Each processing unit generates a view of the data which is restricted to a portion of the object space. The view so generated are then combined a plurality of compositing processors to form the view of the object.

Abstract: In a region extraction to be achieved by a concatenated region expansion processing, to improve reliability of extraction results and to reduce loads imposed on the operator, when a region other than an objective region is extracted as a result of the region extraction, a point belonging to the region other than the objective region is specified in a three-dimensional display image to execute deletion of the overflow region.

Abstract: A data processing system is provided. The system includes a window based display for displaying display windows. A processor executes multiple interleaved data processing tasks. The processor is able to trigger execution of a second task by the processor in response to execution of a first task by the processor The first and second tasks are associated with one or more of the display windows. The processor controls display of the associated display windows on the display. If the processor triggers execution of the second task in response to execution of the first task, the processor controls display of the second task's display window(s) to be visually connected to and move with the first task's display window(s) in response to data identifying the first task's display window(s).

Abstract: Nested coordinate systems are used for the display and manipulation of multivariate data in any field including science, engineering, economics, demographics, business, and finance. A first, inner coordinate system contains a display corresponding to a subset of the variables while the other variables are held constant. Each axis of a second, outer coordinate system is associated with an additional variable. The coordinates of a distinguished point in the first coordinate system (e.g., its origin) fix a value for each of the outer coordinate system's variables that is held constant within the inner coordinate system and its descendants for the evaluation of data displayed within them. Analogously, the second coordinate system may be recursively nested in one or more additional coordinate systems to allow the system to handle an arbitrary number of variables. Each coordinate system may be of arbitrary dimension, 1-, 2-, and 3-D coordinate systems being most familiar to a user.

Abstract: A dynamic-image displaying workstation provided with a display device for displaying an image, a video signal processing circuit for outputting dynamic-image data representing a dynamic image corresponding to a video signal, a first dual port memory for receiving and storing the dynamic-image data outputted from the video signal processing circuit, a second dual port memory for storing data representing pixels of an image to be displayed by the display device, and a third dual port memory for storing data representing a window area. The window area is an area of a window, to which the dynamic-image belongs, and is not covered by any other windows.

Abstract: An icon display apparatus includes a display having a screen for displaying at least one window and a plurality of icons, an icon image memory for storing a plurality of icon data corresponding to the plurality of icons displayed on the display, a window image memory for storing a plurality of window picture data corresponding to the plurality of windows selectively displayed on the display, an iconifying circuit for converting a window displayed on a screen of the display into an icon, a mouse for designating a window to be iconified and a display position of the converted icon on the screen of the display, and a display drive circuit for supplying icon data corresponding to the window and coordinate data corresponding to the designated display position so as to display the converted icon at the designated position on the screen.

Abstract: A computer implemented method for designing a form board for manufacturing a wire harness is used to convert a three dimensional computer representation of a wire harness into a two dimensional model of the harness. The method includes modelling the harness as a plurality of segments and iteratively moving each segment into an unfolding plane. A computer generated representation of the two dimensional model is provided.

Abstract: A three dimensional image of a solid form is presented to an operator by means of a stereoscopic display. The operator defines a panel on the surface of the form with a set of bounding seam lines. A polygonal mesh is generated between the seam lines and is manipulated in three dimensions by the operator to achieve a desired surface appearance, including wrinkles, folds, pleats and other details. Manipulation of the mesh is constrained by the mechanical properties of the surface material or fabric being modelled. Surface texture and shading are then mapped onto the mesh to fully render the surface appearance in three dimensions.

Abstract: A display and control system utilizes graphics for providing a clear, concise and intuitive interface between the user and a complex system. Icons are utilized for selectively representing components of the complex system, the components having a configurable relationship with one another. The display and control system further utilizes a predefined array defining locations for the icons to be positioned. In a first embodiment, the interface may be utilized in a network for assisting the user to configure the network and for providing real-time monitoring of the network at the interconnect device. In a second embodiment, a display and control system utilizes graphics for providing a clear, concise interface between the user and a workstation for configuring a file for use with an application software program in accordance with the hardware installed in the server workstation. Each embodiment utilizes a predefined array defining locations for the icons to be positioned.

Abstract: A system and method for controlling a model train system and for defining a finite state machine for implementing control of the system. A computer (32) that is running a graphic user operating system is coupled through its serial port to a master control unit (MCU) (48). The MCU is coupled to slave control units (SCUs) (50, 52) and to a hand control unit (HCU)(152) through a token ring network (69) over which the computer transmits commands to energize selected track sections and to control the speed of locomotives (88, 90) running thereon. The MCU and SCUs are coupled to the sections of tracks and to electromagnetic switches (42, 44, 46) that determine the route of the trains over the sections of track. Furthermore, detector circuits (126) monitor a detector pulse to sense the presence of a locomotive or train on a particular section of track, producing an indicative output signal that is provided to the computer.

Abstract: A method and system for independent control of multiple windows in a graphics display system. Intensity data for a first plurality of pixels is specified for an underlying image within a first window. A first window identifier is associated with each of the first plurality of pixels. Next, intensity data for a second plurality of pixels is specified for an overlying image within a second window. A second window identifier is associated with each of the second plurality of pixels. The intensity data and window identifiers for the overlying and underlying images are then stored in separate locations within a frame buffer. Finally, an overall image is displayed, wherein the overall image contains the underlying image and the overlying image superimposed over at least a portion of the underlying image. The intensity data and the window identifiers are utilized to display the overall image.

Abstract: The system of the present invention provides a mechanism for executing a script sequence containing a plurality of commands and associated time for executing the commands. The system allows a user of the script sequence to specify an arbitrary time, either forward or backward from a current time, and the result of the execution reflects the cumulative effects of executing the script sequence from the beginning up to the arbitrary time. The system provides for a skip ahead mechanism in which commands are executed without waiting for the occurrence of their associated time. The system also provides for rewind and key-frame features.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for graphically accessing of multiple simultaneously active software applications within a data processing system having a video display screen having fixed dimensions. An electronic work space is established having dimensions substantially larger than the dimensions of the video display screen. Electronic representations of multiple software applications within viewports or "windows" are then disposed at selected locations within the electronic work space. A movable viewport, having effective dimensions substantially equal to the dimensions of the video display screen, is then utilized to permit the graphic presentation of selected software applications by selectively relocating the viewport within the electronic work space.

Abstract: A system for supplying input data establishes the location of data points in a model space represented in a view of a two-dimensional display. In one embodiment, the system has a pointing device (such as a mouse) for establishing the location of a cursor on the display, and also an arrangement for establishing in the model space primary and secondary orientation planes of which one is currently active at any given time. The embodiment also has an arrangement for providing an initial value (called the "start point") of a tentative point in the model space. A dynamic arrangement establishes a current point in a construction plane, parallel to the active plane, in which the tentative point is located, in the location attributable to the position of the cursor on the display of the view.

Abstract: A graphics engine is disclosed which can be used in a colour desktop publishing system. The graphics engine accepts 32-bit RGBM data and performs pixel level calculations under computer control to output processed 32-bit RGBM data. The engine comprises a render processor interface, a run controller including a ramp generator, and a control unit. Interpolators are provided for each colour (RGB) and cascaded with corresponding compositors. A transparency interpolator and matte combiner alter the matte plane of the video image. The engine can output data suitable for rendering by a colour laser printer for a full size A3 page at 400 dots per inch.

Abstract: A computer-based information exchange system permits customers to request and receive different types of information from various sources. The operation of the system is controlled by an application created using object oriented techniques. These techniques permit simple and straightforward creation and modification of complex automation tasks involving numerous action-object pairs.