Abstract: An advanced telecommunication system is provided for central control of electronic signs. A display development kit is provided to create binary display programs which create visual activity on one or more electronic signs. These display programs are stored on the disk drive of a system control computer which periodically runs a system control program to upload display programs to the electronic signs using radiopaging signals. The system control program employs a telephone modem to connect through a public switched telephone network (PSTN) to a paging terminal. In accordance with the system control program, the system control computer divides each display program into multiple packets which are transmitted to the paging terminal as alphanumeric radiopages. The paging terminal encodes the packets into radiopaging format, frequency shift key modulates the data, and transmits the pages on a radio frequency channel. Electronic signs decode the radiopages into data packets.

Abstract: This video graphics display system includes an apparatus that allows any portion of the complete image to be displayed independently. Focusing on a specific area of an image, or panning, results in a significant change in the relationship between the data stored in the video memory and the arrangement of the pixels on the monitor. This display system recalculates the timing and location of the multiple data transfers necessary to display any portion of the graphics data held in memory. The required data transfers are performed through a handshake between the SMT02 and the BSR03. This handshake allows data transfers to occur during the monitor blanking period and in spite of restrictions imposed by the video memory specifications.

Abstract: A personal computer, wherein a setup processing is performed to select a display mode, either a normal-display mode or a reverse-display mode, and also to select one of the external devices such as a printer and an external floppy disk drive. Also, a display auto-off mode and a display auto-off period are set during the setup processing. A period is measured during which no data is input from a keyboard. When the measured time value exceeds the display auto-off period, the supplement of power to the back light is stopped automatically.

Abstract: An I/O interface controller is disclosed which can be programmed to interact with a variety of interface protocols. The host side and the peripheral side of the interface controller are independently programmable. All significant operations are performed in a single chip gate array. The gate array includes registers for establishing control with peripheral devices and for transferring data between peripheral devices and the host. An arithmetic logic unit is used for calculation and data manipulation while an I/O operation is occurring. A condition code multiplexer evaluates the contents of registers within the single chip and instructs the sequencer to perform various operations based on these results. Strobe signals from a peripheral device, indicating that valid data is ready to be transferred, are quickly acknowledged by virtue of an asynchronous signal path. The strobe signal is also processed so that it may correspond with the internal clock of the I/O interface.

Abstract: A spooler is shown for a barcode information system. The spooler allows one printer to be assigned to one queue of the spooler, multiple printers to be assigned to a single queue; and a single printer to be assigned to multiple queues. The spooler is flexible in its configuration so as to allow print jobs to be distributed evenly among the various printers of the system. The printers of the system need not be the same and may be incompatible in that they communicate in different languages and/or they do not have the same format options. To minimize processing time, jobs may be terminated while in the process of printing. The jobs can later be restarted at the point in the job at which termination occurred. Further, format and graphic packets previously transmitted to a printer by the spooler for one job are not retransmitted to the same printer for subsequent jobs utilizing those same format and graphic packets so as to increase the efficiency of the system.

Abstract: A siren detection system controls the lights at an intersection to direct traffic and permit an emergency vehicle to travel through the intersection unimpeded. The system determines the frequency of the sound emanating from a siren carried by the emergency vehicle by counting pulses that indicate the frequency of the sound, by determining the elapsed time necessary to count a selected number of pulses, and by utilizing the elapsed time and number of pulses counted to determine the frequency of sound emitted by the siren.

Abstract: An image forming device which perform tone reproduction of a by changing the size of dots according to input image data comprising a plurality of pixels, each of which has an image density. A block partitioning portion partitions the input image data into blocks, each which has a predetermined number of pixels and each of the pixels having a predetermined position within each of the blocks. A tone modulation portion determines priorities corresponding to predetermined positions of the pixels within each of the blocks and changes the size of the dots according to the image densities of the pixels within the block. The tone modulation portion increases the size of the dots corresponding to the pixels in such a manner that the size of one of the dots corresponding to one of the pixels is larger than that of another one of the dots corresponding to another one of the pixels having a lower priority than one of the pixels but having the same image density.

Abstract: The present invention provides a data storage method for storing compressed user data and associated information on magnetic tape. User data from a host computer is organized into a plurality of records. The user data is then compressed according to a compression algorithm. The compressed data and information related to the data compression (DC) algorithm are then stored on magnetic tape. The DC algorithm information pertains to at least one stored record of compressed data and is stored in a record header field. The DC algorithm information may provide for example, an algorithm number and/or an indicator for starting a data dictionary used for data compression and decompression. The user data may further be organized into groups having a group index for incorporating the DC algorithm information. The data records may be further organized into entities having at least one record.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for handling system service requests such as disk change requests in a system containing a primary processor and at least one secondary processor, each of which has one or more processes running thereon. Requests originating from processes running on the primary processor are added directly to a primary queue and the corresponding processes suspended pending the completion of the requested system service, at which time the processes are resumed and the requests are purged from the primary queue. Each secondary processor manages a secondary queue of system service requests originating from processes running on that processor, which are suspended while the requests remain on the secondary queue. When a request is added to an empty secondary queue, a process on the secondary processor issues its own request to the primary processor, which is added to the primary queue, and suspends execution while awaiting a response from the primary processor.

Abstract: An inter-processor synchronization control system in a distributed memory type parallel computer comprises a unit for detecting an establishment of the synchronization of all PEs, a status request register unit provided for each PE for independently issuing a status request through a status request signal, a unit for determining the issues of requests from status request registers of all PEs, a unit for distributing the determination to all PEs and a status detecting register for detecting the status according to the distributed determination and the output of the synchronization establishment detection unit. The inter-processor synchronous control system detects the status of all PEs when the synchronization is established in all PEs.

Abstract: Multiple examples of a vocabulary of known words are recorded. The examples of each word are temporally aligned and supplied to a neural net which identifies unique features of each word which discriminate it from other words in the vocabulary. These unique features are integrated with parameters of a Hidden Semi-Markov model and stored. Speech signals from unknown words are then compared with the stored unique feature information after syntax restriction.

Abstract: In an address multiplexing apparatus for multiplexing address data to be supplied to 64K bit, 256K bit, and 1M bit DRAMs, upon multiplexing of address data, input address data of 20 bits are classified into two groups, i.e., the lower 16 bits and the upper 4 bits. The lower 16-bit group is multiplexed so that the upper 8 bits serve as row address data, and the remaining lower 8 bits serve as column address data. In the upper 4-bit group, adjacent bits are multiplexed. The apparatus can be commonly used for the three memories having different capacities with the simple circuit arrangement, and page mode access can be executed.

Abstract: A multi-channel information item selection apparatus for outputting selected items when requested, has a plurality of frequently-requested information items, such as items of music, moving or still pictures, etc., stored in a first storage apparatus having a relatively high read-out speed, and a plurality of less frequently requested items stored in a second storage apparatus having a relatively low read-out speed, e.g. an appropriate speed for subsequent audio or video reproduction processing of the items. Items that are read out from the first storage apparatus are temporarily loaded into regions of a buffer memory at high speed and thereafter read out at the lower speed via a switch circuit to the respective requesting locations, so that a plurality of frequently-requested items can be simultaneously read out in parallel from the buffer memory. Items read out from the second storage apparatus are transferred directly through the switch circuit to the requesting locations.

Abstract: In a computer I/O system including a plurality of link-level facilities and a dynamic switch having a plurality of ports, each link-level facility being attached to an individual one of the ports, a mechanism and method for assigning a unique link level address to each of the link-level facilities. As each of the link-level facilities comes on line, it sends an acquire link address (ALA) frame and waits for a response (ACK) frame. The ALA frame may be addressed to a general to-whom-it-may-concern address and have a source address of who-am-I. Only a dynamic switch normally assigns link addresses. When receiving an ALA frame, the dynamic switch returns an ACK frame having a unique link address assigned to the sender of the ALA frame. Provision is made for determining if there is a dynamic switch present, or, if the link-level facilities are connected together by a static connection through the dynamic switch, for the link-level facility of a channel to assign the unique link addresses.

Abstract: A control unit includes a first frame buffer and a second frame buffer as the memory area, a microprocessor, a shift circuit, a shift number register and a mask pattern generating circuit. An image data signal is output from the microprocessor. Shifting of respective words of the image data is performed by the shift circuit in compliance with a shift number signal output from the shift number register, for writing the words of the image data into the first and second frame buffers from desired bit positions corresponding to the shift numbers. Mask pattern signals nullifying bits, except the bits corresponding to the image data in output data of the shift circuit, are output from the mask pattern generating circuit. Selection between a high order side portion and a low order side portion of each word of the image data to be written into the frame buffers is performed by the least significant bit of an address signal. The address value input into the first buffer is incremented by "1" in an adder.

Abstract: A memory controller apparatus for controlling access to a memory array from a microprocessor and a plurality of devices is described. The memory controller apparatus interfaces the microprocessor and the plurality of devices. The microprocessor functions asynchronously with the plurality of devices. The memory controller apparatus comprises a delay line circuitry coupled to receive a selected request for accessing the memory array from one of the microprocessor and the plurality of devices, the delay line means further including means for generating a plurality of memory timing control signals. The memory timing control signals are used for accessing the memory array. The delay line circuitry functions independently of any clock signal. The delay line circuitry is only triggered by the selected request. The memory controller apparatus further comprises a memory state circuitry coupled to the delay line circuitry for controlling sequence and timing of the memory timing control signals.

Abstract: An image buffer for use with laser imagers is configured to receive image signals from a raster image processor (RIP). The image buffer comprises a two by two data switch and two memories for storing image data signals as generated by the RIP. The stored image data signals are presented to the laser imager in accordance with command signals provided by an image buffer controller. The image buffer controller utilizes a video interface that includes a SCSI controller and line buffer to reformat the stored image data signals before presentation to the laser imager, thereby allowing for independent operation of the RIP and laser imager.

Abstract: Information bearing signals are recorded in one of a plurality of record formats on one record medium, such as a magnetic tape, magnetic disk, optical disk, and the like. The format selected may be commanded or based upon record lengths, in bytes. When the record length equals or exceeds a predetermined number of bytes, then one record is recorded in each signal block of the record format. When the record length is less than the predetermined number, then a second format is used which inserts several of the records in one of the signal blocks. The signal block and its packets respectively contain indications of formats such that any one of several formats may be used on one record medium and in one signal block having a plurality of variable length packets. Logical indicators, such as format marks, tape marks, and the like, may separate formats used on the storage medium.

Abstract: A combination keyboard and keyboard/mouse controller system is capable of use with different types of personal computers, using either a keyboard input alone or a keyboard/mouse combination. The controller is configured with a hardware transceiver in it, and includes interconnections between an accumulator and a microsequencer portion and a transceiver for effecting the transfer of data to and from the computer and the keyboard or keyboard/mouse combination. The configuration of the controller circuitry is such that logic gates and multiplex transmission gates are employed between various ones of the input terminals to which signals are applied, and output terminals to which signals are provided. These gates interconnect at least some of these terminals in different combinations in different modes of operation of the controller system, depending upon whether a computer uses a keyboard alone as a data input device or is operated with a combination of a keyboard and mouse.

Abstract: The invention discloses a simplified four step process for making an optical disc master or alternatively a WORM disc by first making or obtaining a transparent polymer disc with a tracking groove of desired geometry molded therein, then spin coating an optically active lamina on the grooved side of the disc, then recording data on said polymer disc with groove controlled and tracked laser means by ablating active lamina, forming pits, the shape of which is determined by the groove geometry and finally depositing a conductive and reflective lamina over the pitted active lamina. To change the OD master to an OD WORM, a protective cover is added to the electrically conductive and optically reflective lamina.