Abstract: Digital audio data occurs in groups of data samples spaced apart in time. The data rate in the groups is much greater than the audio data sampling rate. The audio data may be embedded in the horizontal blanking interval of a video signal as in SDI. The audio data is extracted (2) from the video signal and the samples stored in a FIFO (3). The FIFO (3) removes the spacing between the groups of samples. Sets of the samples are weighted and summed in a multiplier (4) and accumulator (5). Each set to be weighted and summed is displaced by a preset number of samples relative to the previous set to decimate the audio data.

Abstract: Vehicles, notably heavy duty trucks, equipped with torque reactive suspensions, such as trailing arm air suspensions, are susceptible to driveline vibration and wheel hop due to engine produced torque. According to this invention such driveline vibration and wheel hop can be suppressed by preventing frame rise from occurring. Suppression can be accomplished by providing one of several forms of frame rise control means operative between the vehicle drive axle and the vehicle frame. One form of frame rise control means utilizes rebound control leaf springs on opposite sides of a vehicle. Another form utilizes shock absorbers each of which incorporates a spring mounted on the piston rod. Another form utilizes hydraulic cylinders, each having a source of pressurized hydraulic fluid connected to the chamber of the cylinder on the rebound side of the piston and the chamber on the opposite side of the piston vented to atmosphere.

Abstract: A system manages data transfer between a computer, a data storage disk, and a data buffer which is associated with the disk. Upon receipt of a write request during data read-ahead from the disk to the buffer, the system preempts the read-ahead to write the data to the disk only when the target write track on the disk is different from the track being read ahead into the buffer. Otherwise, the system permits read-ahead to continue until the target write sector is positioned beneath the disk drive head. Also, upon receipt of a read request during cache writing from the buffer to the disk, the system immediately satisfies the read request prior to completing the cache writing when the requested read data is contained in the buffer. Moreover, the system provides for dynamic switching between a data read-ahead preempt policy and a data read-ahead no-preempt policy based upon parallel monitoring and comparison of data request service times under both policies.

Abstract: An application request for off-screen VRAM is satisfied transparently to the application by allocating off-screen VRAM, if available, or system RAM if off-screen VRAM is unavailable. In addition, a list is kept of previous memory requests so that requests which were satisfied by allocating system RAM can be switched to off-screen VRAM, if such off-screen VRAM should later become available. Allocation of off-screen VRAM is controlled by a device driver that responds to various application memory requests and controls the off-screen VRAM resources, among other things. The device driver receives an allocation request for off-screen VRAM and determines whether the request may be honored with available off-screen VRAM resources. If the request can be honored with available off-screen VRAM resources, the device driver allocates a portion of the available off-screen VRAM resources to honor the request and decreases the amount of available off-screen VRAM resources.

Abstract: A display memory manager allocates and deallocates off-screen video memory by dividing the memory space into a plurality of lapping and non-overlapping regions each capable of storing a different amount of digitized display data, and creating a linked list data structure indicative of the allocated and unallocated regions and various combinations of the unallocated regions. Upon receiving a request for off-screen display memory the display memory manager traverses the linked list data structure searching for a region, or combination of regions, large enough to store the requested amount of digitized display data. Once a region or combination of regions has been found and allocated, the linked list data structure is updated to indicate that the new regions are now allocated and hence unavailable to a subsequent requested allocation unless deallocated.

Abstract: A solid formulation which comprises polyvinylpyrrolidone and a pyrethroid insecticide, for example alpha-cypermethrin, is disclosed for use in the treatment of animals, for example cattle. Also disclosed are uses of the solid formulation and methods which use the solid formulation in the treatment of animals.

Abstract: The present invention relates to vessels which are propelled by two or more groups of thrusters and particularly to ships or oil drilling rigs in which it is desired to keep on a particular station. In some circumstances one of the thrusters is found to interfere with the operation of another thruster or to be overloaded when another thruster is not overloaded. The invention provides a method and apparatus for alleviating these problems.

Abstract: For the purpose of controlling the position of an oil rig or other vessel, it is provided with a plurality of steerable thrusters, one pair being located at the bow and one pair at the stern. The two thrusters of each pair are arranged to exert thrust at an angle of 90.degree. so that the net thrust vector may be "steered" merely by controlling the magnitude and direction of thrust of each thruster. By this means it is only necessary to change the directions of the thrust of the thrusters relatively infrequently.