Abstract: A device includes a processor and memory. The memory has stored thereon a plurality of executable instructions. The executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: receive an access request affecting an operation of the device; facilitate encryption and/or authentication across an interface coupled to the device, wherein the interface is configured to secure the access request; and execute the access request.

Abstract: A slave device communicates with a host system via a host communications bus. The host system includes one processing unit that can act as bus master and send access requests for slave resources on the slave device via the communications bus. The slave device platform includes a memory management unit, a programmable central processing unit and one slave resource. The memory management unit acts as an address translating device, and accepts requests with virtual addresses from a master device on the host system, translates the virtual addresses used in the access request to the “internal” physical addresses of the slave's resources and forwards the accesses to the appropriate physical resource. When an address miss occurs in the memory management unit, it passes the handling of the access request over to the controlling CPU which executes software to then resolve the address miss and handle the access request.

Abstract: An apparatus for browsing the Internet includes a browser module (42) configured to retrieve web pages from the Internet, an analysis module (60) operable to analyse a retrieved web page to identify elements of interest in the web page, and an interaction module (63) operable to perform one or more operations in response to and based on the identification of an element or elements of interest in a web page. This can be used, for example, to access and interact with web pages on behalf of a user, and without the need for direct user interaction with the web page or pages.

Abstract: When rendering a scene that includes a complex object made up of many individual primitives, rather than processing each primitive making up the object in turn, a bounding volume which surrounds the complex object is generated and the scene is then processed using the bounding volume in place of the actual primitives making up the complex object. If it is determined that the bounding volume representation of the object will be completely occluded in the scene (e.g. by a foreground object), then the individual primitives making up the complex object are not processed. This can save significantly on processing time and resources for the scene.

Abstract: A scene to be rendered is divided into plural individual sub-regions or tiles. The individual sub-regions 51 are also grouped into differing groups of sets of plural sub-regions. There is a top level layer comprising a set of 8×8 sub-regions which encompasses the entire scene area. There is then a group of four 4×4 sets of sub-regions, then a group of sixteen 2×2 sets of sub-regions, and finally a layer comprising the 64 single sub-regions. A primitive list building processor takes each primitive in turn, determines a location for that primitive, compares the primitive's location with the locations of the sub-regions and the locations of the sets of sub-regions, and allocates the primitive to respective primitive lists for the sub-regions and sets of sub-regions accordingly.

Abstract: A slave device communicates with a host system via a host communications bus. The host system includes one processing unit that can act as bus master and send access requests for slave resources on the slave device via the communications bus. The slave device platform includes a memory management unit, a programmable central processing unit and one slave resource. The memory management unit acts as an address translating device, and accepts requests with virtual addresses from a master device on the host system, translates the virtual addresses used in the access request to the “internal” physical addresses of the slave's resources and forwards the accesses to the appropriate physical resource. When an address miss occurs in the memory management unit, it passes the handling of the access request over to the controlling CPU which executes software to then resolve the address miss and handle the access request.

Abstract: An apparatus for browsing the Internet includes a browser module (42) configured to retrieve web pages from the Internet, an analysis module (60) operable to analyse a retrieved web page to identify elements of interest in the web page, and an interaction module (63) operable to perform one or more operations in response to and based on the identification of an element or elements of interest in a web page. This can be used, for example, to access and interact with web pages on behalf of a user, and without the need for direct user interaction with the web page or pages.

Abstract: A slave device communicates with a host system via a host communications bus. The host system includes one processing unit that can act as bus master and send access requests for slave resources on the slave device via the communications bus. The slave device platform includes a memory management unit, a programmable central processing unit and one slave resource. The memory management unit acts as an address translating device, and accepts requests with virtual addresses from a master device on the host system, translates the virtual addresses used in the access request to the “internal” physical address of the slave's resources and forwards the access to the appropriate physical resource. When an address miss occurs in the memory management unit, it passes the handling of the access request over to the controlling CPU which executes software to then resolve the address miss and handle the access request.

Abstract: A slave device communicates with a host system via a host communications bus. The host system includes one processor that can act as bus master and send access requests for slave resources on the slave device via the communications bus. The slave device platform includes a memory management unit, a programmable central processor and one slave resource. The memory management unit acts as an address translating device, and accepts requests with virtual addresses from a master device on the host system, translates the virtual addresses used in the access request to the “internal” physical addresses of the slave's resources and forwards the accesses to the appropriate physical resource. When an address miss occurs in the memory management unit, it passes the handling of the access request over to the controlling CPU which executes software to then resolve the address miss and handle the access request.

Abstract: A scene to be rendered is divided into plural individual sub-regions or tiles. The individual sub-regions 51 are also grouped into differing groups of sets of plural sub-regions. There is a top level layer comprising a set of 8×8 sub-regions which encompasses the entire scene area. There is then a group of four 4×4 sets of sub-regions, then a group of sixteen 2×2 sets of sub-regions, and finally a layer comprising the 64 single sub-regions. A primitive list building processor takes each primitive in turn, determines a location for that primitive, compares the primitive's location with the locations of the sub-regions and the locations of the sets of sub-regions, and allocates the primitive to respective primitive lists for the sub-regions and sets of sub-regions accordingly.

Abstract: When rendering a scene that includes a complex object made up of many individual primitives, rather than processing each primitive making up the object in turn, a bounding volume which surrounds the complex object is generated and the scene is then processed using the bounding volume in place of the actual primitives making up the complex object. If it is determined that the bounding volume representation of the object will be completely occluded in the scene (e.g. by a foreground object), then the individual primitives making up the complex object are not processed. This can save significantly on processing time and resources for the scene.

Abstract: A scene to be rendered is divided into plural individual sub-regions or tiles. The individual sub-regions 51 are also grouped into differing groups of sets of plural sub-regions. There is a top level layer comprising a set of 8×8 sub-regions which encompasses the entire scene area. There is then a group of four 4×4 sets of sub-regions, then a group of sixteen 2×2 sets of sub-regions, and finally a layer comprising the 64 single sub-regions. A primitive list building processor takes each primitive in turn, determines a location for that primitive, compares the primitive's location with the locations of the sub-regions and the locations of the sets of sub-regions, and allocates the primitive to respective primitive lists for the sub-regions and sets of sub-regions accordingly.

Abstract: A graphics processor includes a graphics object list building unit that determines the location of each draw call in a scene to be rendered and generates a list of draw calls for each sub-region (tile) that the scene to be rendered is divided into. The draw call lists are stored in a memory. A graphics object selection unit of a renderer of the graphics processor then determines which draw call is to be rendered next by considering the draw call list stored in the memory for the sub-region (tile) of the scene that is currently being rendered.

Abstract: When rendering a scene that includes a complex object made up of many individual primitives, rather than processing each primitive making up the object in turn, a bounding volume which surrounds the complex object is generated and the scene is then processed using the bounding volume in place of the actual primitives making up the complex object. If it is determined that the bounding volume representation of the object will be completely occluded in the scene (e.g. by a foreground object), then the individual primitives making up the complex object are not processed. This can save significantly on processing time and resources for the scene.

Abstract: A storage device is operable to be coupled to a host electronic device. The storage device includes a memory operable to store an operating system, applications and to provide mass storage functionality, a processor operable to run the operating system and execute the applications on the storage device and an interface is operable to couple the storage device to the host electronic device. The interface provides a data communication path and a power communication path between the storage device and the host electronic device. The storage device has a master storage device mode in which the storage device is operable to control at least one slave function of the host electronic device and a slave storage device mode in which at least one slave function of the storage device is controlled by the host electronic device.

Abstract: A storage device is operable to be coupled to a host electronic device. The storage device includes a memory operable to store an operating system, applications and to provide mass storage functionality, a processor operable to run the operating system and execute the applications on the storage device and an interface is operable to couple the storage device to the host electronic device. The interface provides a data communication path and a power communication path between the storage device and the host electronic device. The storage device has a master storage device mode in which the storage device is operable to control at least one slave function of the host electronic device and a slave storage device mode in which at least one slave function of the storage device is controlled by the host electronic device.

Abstract: A storage device 3, such as an SD card, that is coupled to a host device 2, such as a mobile phone, includes a computing environment 8. The computing environment 8 comprises an application processing part 6, an interface processing part 7, and a shared memory 9, and is operable to execute one or more applications on the storage device 3, and a set of software components that together provide a server module on the storage device 3. There is a corresponding set of client software components on the host device 2 that together provide a client module on the host device 2 that can cooperate with the server module on the storage device 3 to allow an application that is being executed in the computing environment 8 of the storage device 3 to access and use input and output functions of the host device 2.

Abstract: A device includes a processor and memory. The memory has stored thereon a plurality of executable instructions. The executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: receive an access request affecting an operation of the device; facilitate encryption and/or authentication across an interface coupled to the device, wherein the interface is configured to secure the access request; and execute the access request.

Abstract: A storage device 3, such as an SD card, that is coupled to a host device 2, such as a mobile phone, includes a computing environment 8. The computing environment 8 includes an application processing part 6, and a separate interface processing part 7. The application processing part 6 of the computing environment 8 is operable to execute one or more applications on the storage device 3. The interface processing part 7 of the computing environment 8 includes an interface processor that interfaces between a communications protocol used between the host device 2 and the storage device 3, and a communications protocol used by the application processor in the application processing part 6 of the storage device 3. The interface processor communicates with the application processor via interrupts and a shared memory 9.

Abstract: When rendering a scene that includes a complex object made up of many individual primitives, rather than processing each primitive making up the object in turn, a bounding volume which surrounds the complex object is generated and the scene is then processed using the bounding volume in place of the actual primitives making up the complex object. If it is determined that the bounding volume representation of the object will be completely occluded in the scene (e.g. by a foreground object), then the individual primitives making up the complex object are not processed. This can save significantly on processing time and resources for the scene.