Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit including circuit groups and driving the circuit groups with respective power supply voltages, digital-to-analog converters that supply the power supply voltages to the circuit groups, and delay measurement circuits that measure delays of circuit element of the circuit groups. This semiconductor integrated circuit includes a central processing unit that establishes settings of registers based on measurements by the delay measurement circuits to control each of the power supply voltages.

Abstract: A remote boot wrapper receives boot parameters from a basic input-output system (BIOS) of an electronic system. The boot parameters are received during a system boot of the electronic system. Based at least in part on the boot parameters, the remote boot wrapper determines if a quick remote boot is enabled. If the quick remote boot is enabled, a remote boot configuration interface is bypassed. If the quick remote boot is not enabled, the remote boot configuration interface is performed.

Abstract: Frame based streaming data is controlled through a reconfigurable graph of processing modules. A client specifies overall goals for the graph. A graph manager constructs the graph as a sequence of interconnected modules for processing the data, in response to the capabilities of modules within the graph and the overall goals, and divides the graph into time domains each having one or more modules, pipes each having one or more modules, and a control mechanism is used that eliminates components unnecessary to the overall operation of the graph and that provides synchronization between time domains using time translation tables or timing correlation tables. The graph manager adaptively controls graphs that have a low latency requirement.

Abstract: A system and method are presented for restricting a compact disk containing boot software to work only on computer systems for which the boot software has been authorized to operate. The disclosure allows the boot software to run on a particular computer system only if predetermined computer identification criteria are met. An advantage is that, by replacing the boot software stored on the computer system hardware, it provides the flexibility to produce new boot software when required by the introduction of a revised or new operating system. Another advantage is that the verification software's identification criteria can be tailored to the needs of the hardware and software vendors over the product life of the computer system hardware without requiring changes to the identification data stored in the computer system hardware.

Abstract: A programmable logic controller with enhanced and extended the capabilities. A digital input filter implement filters with considerable less logic by simulating the action of a capacitor being driven by a constant current source whose output voltage is sensed by a comparator with a large amount of hysterisis. A pulse catch circuit captures the input pulse even though the update occurs between scan cycles. A pulse output controller includes a hardware pipeline mechanism to allow for smooth, hardware-controlled transitions from wave-form to wave-form. A free port link allows the user to control the port either manually or by operation of a user program. In order to provide higher performance for communication using PPI protocol, the PLC includes a built-in protocol. An n-bit modem protocol ensures data integrity without use of a parity type data integrity system.

Abstract: A CPU activity monitoring circuit is electrically connected to a CPU. This circuit monitors the state of a bus signal line on the CPU, as there is a strong correlation between the state of this line and the processing load of the CPU. This circuit can interrupt the processor to force an interrupt service call to a BIOS routine. This BIOS routine will adjust the internal clock frequency, or internal operating voltage, of the CPU based upon the perceived processing load of the CPU.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a system for transparent local and distributed memory management. The invention overcomes the prior art's requirement of keeping track of whether a memory space allocated to a new object or a new program or data structure can be reclaimed. According to the present invention an autorelease pool is created at the beginning of a new duty cycle. The autorelease pool retains the newly allocated memory space during the duty cycle. The autorelease pool is automatically disposed of at the end of the duty cycle. As a result of disposing the autorelease pool, the newly allocated memory space is reclaimed (i.e., deallocated). The present invention is useful in distributed networks where different programming conventions on remote and local machines made the prior art's memory management task particularly difficult. The present invention is also useful in an object-oriented programming environment.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for robust initialization of a digital control apparatus that is coupled to a plurality of devices (e.g., 112, 114, and 116) having a plurality of boot routines (118) in memory (e.g., 108) with each of the boot routines being associated with one of the devices. A boot marker (120) in memory (e.g., 108) that is capable of selectively associating a boot routine with a device (e.g., 112, 114, or 116) and a controller (104) that initializes the devices based on which of the boot routines is associated with the boot marker.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a method of transferring data across a semiconductor chip comprises transmitting data from a first Rambus asic cell to a second Rambus asic cell using clock pulses generated at a first clock generator and sampling the data at the second Rambus asic cell using clock pulses generated at a second clock generator.

Abstract: An alternate boot record is stored on a hard disk drive in a data processing system at the opposite end of the hard disk from a master boot record. Extended boot records stored before each logical partition are employed for that partition when the master boot record or alternate boot record is utilized for system initialization. The alternate boot record is utilized to initialize the data processing system when attempts to initialize the data processing system utilizing the master boot record are unsuccessful. The alternate boot record thus forms part of an automatic recovery mechanism in the data processing system.

Abstract: A computer implemented method and a system for providing a redundant, updatable, self-booting firmware program. A sectored, non-volatile memory, having separately erasable sectors, stores at least two copies of operational code, each in at least one of the sectors separate from other of the copy sectors. Each operational code copy has information indicating the relative update level of the operational code copy, so that the copies may be separately updated and have different update levels. A boot program stored in at least one of the sectors of the non-volatile memory, separate from the operational code sectors, operates a processor to read the information from each of the copies to determine the most recent update level of the operational code copies, and executes the operational code copy having the most recent update level.

Abstract: A channel-to-channel skew compensation apparatus is provided with N number of frame synchronization circuits 11 for generating frame signals to indicate data position of parallel data on a common time axis for each data transmission channel; a reference timing determination circuit 16 for determining a reference timing based on N frame signals output from the frame synchronization circuit 11; a skewing amount detection section 15 for generating N skewing amount signals according to the reference timing determined by the reference timing determination circuit 16; and a timing compensation section 13 for adjusting output timing of parallel data for each transmission channel according to the skewing amount signal generated by the skewing amount detection section 15.

Abstract: Methods for realizing advanced graphical user interface (GUI) in panel subunit. The present invention provides, in one embodiment, a button GUI element descriptor that defines a bitmap to be displayed when a button is out of focus and another bitmap to be displayed when the button is in focus. In another embodiment, the present invention provides a table GUI element descriptor that defines a table-like on screen display to be displayed on the contoller device. Another embodiment of the present invention provides a panel GUI element descriptor that includes a focused identifier attribute indicating a pre-determined element of the on-screen display as default focus. In this way, the target device would be able to control the default focus of the controller device when displaying an on-screen display.

Abstract: A system method and computer program for smart card with memory is disclosed. A very low cost approach two embodiment is disclosed, making use of a microcontroller with a FLASH memory or a WORM memory. An approach two programming a flash memory under the control of instructions within that memory itself is disclosed. Utilizing the invention it is possible to build smart cards at a low cost them heretofore.

Abstract: Computer system information prompting a reconfiguration of a target device that is part of the system is received, and in response to the information, the target device is reconfigured using configuration data for the target device that has been stored in non-volatile memory of a second self-configuring device that is part of the system.

Abstract: A method comprises reading a remote boot signal and a program type signal from a memory of a computer system. The remote boot signal and program type signal are written by way of an external channel. A program identified by the program type signal is booted.

Abstract: A system and method for managing power consumption on a network interface card involves connecting constantly running clocks to a small amount of logic on the network interface card. The logic is used to monitor activity on the network interface card, and in response to events enable the clocks for functional blocks within the chip, on an as needed basis. Through dynamically controlled clocks, power consumption can be reduced significantly, and the network interface card remains in a state that is able to react efficiently to external events related to transmission of packets, reception of packets and functions related to the management of the network interface.

Abstract: A device configuration method and apparatus initializes a device such as at least one graphics processor, by detecting whether the at least one graphics processor requires a dedicated address space. If the device requires a dedicated address space, boot up code, such as the system bios, maps the dedicated address space to another address space prior to running of an operating system. This is done based on, for example, using at least one subclass code bit in a class code register in configuration space memory as both a device function identifier and as control data to control mapping of the dedicated address space to another address space. The method and apparatus provides a type of universal method and apparatus for relocating or disabling, for example, VGA resources, through PCI registers or other suitable registers while maintaining legacy processing for graphics and video applications.

Abstract: An apparatus provides power to a device over a network transmission medium. The apparatus includes a controller which determines if the device can accept power over the network transmission medium, and which outputs a signal if the device can accept power over the network transmission medium. A circuit provides power to the device over the network transmission medium in response to the signal.

Abstract: A hybrid compiler-interpreter comprising a compiler for “compiling” source program code, and an interpreter for interpreting the “compiled” code, is provided to a computer system. The compiler comprises a code generator that generates code in intermediate form with data references made on a symbolic basis. The interpreter comprises a main interpretation routine, and two data reference handling routines, a dynamic field reference routine for handling symbolic references, and a static field reference routine for handling numeric references. The dynamic field reference routine, when invoked, resolves a symbolic reference and rewrites the symbolic reference into a numeric reference. After re-writing, the dynamic field reference routine returns to the main interpretation routine without advancing program execution to the next instruction, thereby allowing the rewritten instruction with numeric reference to be reexecuted.