Abstract: A wrench includes a wrench shaft and a wrench head pivotally mounted on the first end of the wrench shaft. The wrench head includes a pair of protrusions with engaging surfaces and a plurality of ratchet teeth arranged radially around a pivot hole. A pawl including a plurality of pawl teeth is mounted in a machined slot in the wrench shaft. A biasing element biases the pawl teeth toward engagement with the ratchet teeth. A reset mechanism is coupled to the pawl. A method of rotating a rotary fastener around a threaded shaft includes rotating a wrench shaft with respect to a wrench head such that the ratchet mechanism ratchets at least one step, where the wrench head is laterally removable from the rotary fastener by way of the slot regardless of the position of the wrench head within the range of motion of the wrench head.

Abstract: A wrench includes a wrench shaft and a wrench head pivotally mounted on the first end of the wrench shaft. The wrench head includes a pair of protrusions with engaging surfaces and a plurality of ratchet teeth arranged radially around a pivot hole. A pawl including a plurality of pawl teeth is mounted in a machined slot in the wrench shaft. A biasing element biases the pawl teeth toward engagement with the ratchet teeth. A reset mechanism is coupled to the pawl. A method of rotating a rotary fastener around a threaded shaft includes rotating a wrench shaft with respect to a wrench head such that the ratchet mechanism ratchets at least one step, where the wrench head is laterally removable from the rotary fastener by way of the slot regardless of the position of the wrench head within the range of motion of the wrench head.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates generating spatialized audio from non-three-dimensional aware applications. The system operates by intercepting parameters associated with audio use from an application. The system then obtains location information of a display window associated with the application within a three-dimensional display. Next, the system calculates an audio source location for the audio and positions the audio at the audio source location in a three-dimensional sound space, wherein the audio source location is associated with a location of the display window in the three-dimensional display.

Abstract: The 3D window system utilizes hardware accelerated window system rendering to eliminate the pixel copy step of 3D window system output redirection. The 3D window system includes a window server that directs the window system device driver graphics routines to render into the texture memory of a graphics device.

Abstract: A system and method for communicating 3D branch graph data and updates to branch graph data between clients and a display server in a 3D window system. A client locally creates a branch graph. When the client ready to make the branch graph live remote, it sends the branch graph to the display server using at least one batch protocol request. The display server builds a copy of the branch graph and attaches it to a centralized scene graph that it manages. The client may subsequently induce detachment of the branch graph from the scene graph. The client may buffer up changes to the local branch graph when its remote counterpart (in the display server) is not attached to the scene graph. The buffered changes may be sent to the display server using at least one batch protocol request when the client is again ready to make the branch graph live remote.

Abstract: A 3D window system allows the contents of conventional windows created by client applications to be painted onto the surfaces of 3D objects which are then displayed in a 3D environment. The 3D window system includes a window system server and a display server. The window system server and the display server access a shared visibility structure which contains information representative of a collection of 3D objects. The window system server determines which 3D object is selected by an input event, determines a window corresponding to the 3D object, and delivers event messages to client applications which have expressed an interest in receiving events relative to the window.

Abstract: In a bit mapped display environment which has n hardware color look-up tables (CLUTs) where n=1 or more, which also has a limited number of Display Attribute Identification Values, and which may operate under various window systems, such as the X Window System protocol, an apparatus and a method for installing and uninstalling hardware colormaps under the constraint of a finite number of Display Attribute Identification Values, whereby the most recently installed (MRI) policy of the X Window System is followed. The invention provides a scheme which gracefully degenerates to some "color flashing" when Display Attribute Identification Values are exhausted; which allows Display Attribute Identification Values to be uncoupled from colormap management and used for more graphics intensive functions when needed; and which dynamically regenerates when display attributes again become available.