Abstract: Traditionally, meetings are widely utilized in business and personal communications, whether in-person and/or virtual. Organizing such meetings typically involves multiple exchanges of content and messages between users before, during, and after the meeting. In some cases, meetings may occur impromptu and may result in inefficient and unproductive collaboration. A collaboration object configured to enable users to dynamically collaborate before, during, and after a meeting is provided. In aspects, the collaboration object links content generated before, during, and after the meeting in a single location and provides functionality for concurrent multi-user interaction and synchronization of the content across applications. The collaboration object may be available from a variety of application platforms, enabling and persisting real-time editing and collaboration before, during and after the meeting.

Abstract: Traditionally, meetings are widely utilized in business and personal communications, whether in-person and/or virtual. Organizing such meetings typically involves multiple exchanges of content and messages between users before, during, and after the meeting. In some cases, meetings may occur impromptu and may result in inefficient and unproductive collaboration. A collaboration object configured to enable users to dynamically collaborate before, during, and after a meeting is provided. In aspects, the collaboration object links content generated before, during, and after the meeting in a single location and provides functionality for concurrent multi-user interaction and synchronization of the content across applications. The collaboration object may be available from a variety of application platforms, enabling and persisting real-time editing and collaboration before, during and after the meeting.

Abstract: Data related to information displayed on a local display unit is formed into a data transfer protocol format (e.g., Internet Protocol (IP)). Typically, the data is captured before it is formed into the data transfer protocol format. The formed data is transmitted through a network. The transmitted data is received at a remote computer station. The received data is converted to a visual display (pixel) format (e.g., Digital Visual Interface (DVI)). Typically, the converted data is stored in a frame buffer of the remote computer station. The converted data is displayed on a remote display unit of the remote computer station.

Abstract: Volume rendering and tomographic reconstruction center around solving two related integral equations: a volume rendering integral (a generalized Radon transform) and a filtered backprojection integral (the inverse Radon transform). Both of these equations are of the same mathematical form and can be dimensionally decomposed and approximated using Riemann sums over a series of resampled images. When viewed as a form of texture mapping and frame buffer accumulation, enormous hardware enabled performance acceleration is possible.

Abstract: In a computer system for creating images of three-dimensional objects, an apparatus and method for processing depth values representing the relative depths of the objects. The depth values are transformed according to projections in order to give the appearance of depth when the objects are displayed on a two-dimensional computer screen. These transformed depth values are then interpolated using N bits of precision. Next, the depth values are encoded into a format whereby the depth values have less than N bits. These encoded depth values are stored into memory. In displaying the objects, the encoded depth values are read from memory and compared to determine the relative depths of the objects.

Abstract: An apparatus for generating a reflection from a three-dimensional environment map. The apparatus includes a reflection vector generator which receives an eye vector and a normal vector neither of which need be normalized. This reflection vector generator generates a reflection vector without vector normalization. The reflection vector generator then couples to a decoder to supply the generated reflection vector. The decoder, in turn, determines a location where the reflection vector indexes the selected 2-dimensional map which forms part of the environment map.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling the storage of display information into a frame buffer is disclosed. A memory means is provided for storing information for controlling the storage of display information into the frame buffer where the memory means contains a plurality of locations each of which corresponds to and controls the storing of display information in one location of the frame buffer. A pass/fail ALU is coupled to the memory means to obtain a value for a particular pixel; this ALU provides a signal indicative of one of a first or second state which state indicates whether storage of display information to the frame buffer will occur. A first function is stored in a register, which function specifies the first signal. A first storage register and a second storage register store a second function and a third function respectively and provide a second value and a third respectively.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling the storage of display information into a frame buffer is disclosed. A memory means is provided for storing information for controlling the storage of display information into the frame buffer where the memory means contains a plurality of locations each of which corresponds to and controls the storing of display information in one location of the frame buffer. A pass/fail ALU is coupled to the memory means to obtain a value for a particular pixel; this ALU provides a signal indicative of one of a first or second state which state indicates whether storage of display information to the frame buffer will occur. A first function is stored in a register, which function specifies the first signal. A first storage register and a second storage register store a second function and a third function respectively and provide a second value and a third respectively.