Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are generally directed to a multi-view display system. An embodiment of an apparatus includes a display screen to display multiple views simultaneously, and a controller to control the views presented on the display screen. The apparatus is configurable by the controller to provide multiple view settings, the view settings including a first setting in which the apparatus provides a single view to each viewer of the display screen and a second setting in which the apparatus provides a first view to a first viewer of the display screen and a second view to a second viewer of the display screen. A first filtering element filters views presented to viewers of the display screen such that an intended view is displayed to one or more viewers.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are generally directed to a multi-view display system. An embodiment of an apparatus includes a display screen to display multiple views simultaneously, and a controller to control the views presented on the display screen. The apparatus is configurable by the controller to provide multiple view settings, the view settings including a first setting in which the apparatus provides a single view to each viewer of the display screen and a second setting in which the apparatus provides a first view to a first viewer of the display screen and a second view to a second viewer of the display screen. A first filtering element filters views presented to viewers of the display screen such that an intended view is displayed to one or more viewers.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are generally directed to a multi-view display system. An embodiment of an apparatus includes a display screen to display multiple views simultaneously, and a controller to control the views presented on the display screen. The apparatus is configurable by the controller to provide multiple view settings, the view settings including a first setting in which the apparatus provides a single view to each viewer of the display screen and a second setting in which the apparatus provides a first view to a first viewer of the display screen and a second view to a second viewer of the display screen. A first filtering element filters views presented to viewers of the display screen such that an intended view is displayed to one or more viewers.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are generally directed to de-encapsulation of data streams into multiple links. An embodiment of a method includes receiving a data stream including multiple data frames, the data stream being in a first mode having a multiple channels of content data including a first channel sent in a first position in each data frame and a second channel sent in a second position in each data frame following the first position, with each data frame including a synchronization signal to indicate a start of the content data. The method further includes transforming the data stream into data sub-streams in a second mode, the data sub-streams including a first data sub-stream to carry data for the first channel in the second mode and a second data sub-stream to carry data for the second channel in the second mode.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are generally directed to a multi-view display system. An embodiment of an apparatus includes a display screen to display multiple views simultaneously, and a controller to control the views presented on the display screen. The apparatus is configurable by the controller to provide multiple view settings, the view settings including a first setting in which the apparatus provides a single view to each viewer of the display screen and a second setting in which the apparatus provides a first view to a first viewer of the display screen and a second view to a second viewer of the display screen. A first filtering element filters views presented to viewers of the display screen such that an intended view is displayed to one or more viewers.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are generally directed to de-encapsulation of data streams into multiple links. An embodiment of a method includes receiving a data stream including multiple data frames, the data stream being in a first mode having a multiple channels of content data including a first channel sent in a first position in each data frame and a second channel sent in a second position in each data frame following the first position, with each data frame including a synchronization signal to indicate a start of the content data. The method further includes transforming the data stream into data sub-streams in a second mode, the data sub-streams including a first data sub-stream to carry data for the first channel in the second mode and a second data sub-stream to carry data for the second channel in the second mode.

Abstract: The invention provides a central office metaphor to computing, where features and functions are provided by a one or more servers and communicated to an appliance terminal through a network. Data providers are defined as “services” and are provided by one or more processing resources. The services communicate to display terminals through a network, such as Ethernet. The terminals are configured to display data, and to send keyboard, cursor, audio, and video data through the network to the processing server. Functionality is partitioned so that databases, server and graphical user interface functions are provided by the services, and human interface functionality is provided by the terminal. Communication with the terminals from various services is accomplished by converting disparate output to a common protocol. Appropriate drivers are provided for each service to allow protocol conversion. Multiple terminals are coupled to the network.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a method and apparatus for hardware acceleration of display data clipping. In one embodiment, all display data is presented to the display system. The display system uses its hardware to clip the undesired data and display the desired data. In one embodiment, the display system has one or more clipping registers. As display data arrives from each source, the information's display location is classified by all the clipping registers. Only pixels which are calculated to be visible by the clipping registers is written to memory for later display. In one embodiment, the display system has an extra amount of memory, termed “display mask memory.” In one embodiment, there is a corresponding data location in the display mask memory for each pixel in the display memory. In one embodiment, the display system has another set of memory, termed “low-resolution display mask memory.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for decoding signals received from a network and distributing the decoded signals to multiple users. A bulk decoder coupled to a network decodes data received from the network and transmits the decoded data to an interconnect for distribution to a plurality of users. The number and type of bulk decoders may be adjusted in accordance with system load.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a method and apparatus for hardware acceleration of clipping and graphical fill in display systems. In one embodiment, all display data is presented to the display system. The display system uses its hardware to clip the undesired data, if necessary, and display the desired data. If a sufficient amount of display data has the same value, the display system uses its hardware to fill the appropriate areas using the shared value. In one embodiment, the display system has one or more accelerating registers. In one embodiment, one or more accelerating registers are fill registers. As display data is read from memory, some of the information's color data is classified by the fill registers. In another embodiment, one or more accelerating registers are clipping registers. As display data arrives from each source, the information's display location is classified by the clipping registers.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a method and apparatus for hardware acceleration of graphical fill in display systems. In one embodiment, a bit-mask is maintained. The bit-mask, termed the “filled color bitmap”, has one bit for each pixel of the display data. A register, termed the “filled color register”, capable of storing a single color value is maintained. When a write command is executed to fill a portion of the display memory with the same value that is stored in the filled color register, the bits in the filled color bitmap corresponding to the portion of display memory are set equal to 1. In executing other writes, the value is written to display memory and the bits in the filled color bitmap corresponding to the portion of display memory are set equal to 0. In one embodiment, the bitmap is located in a dynamic random access memory (DRAM).

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a method and apparatus for hardware acceleration of clipping and graphical fill in display systems. In one embodiment, all display data is presented to the display system. The display system uses its hardware to clip the undesired data, if necessary, and display the desired data. If a sufficient amount of display data has the same value, the display system uses its hardware to fill the appropriate areas using the shared value. In one embodiment, the display system has one or more accelerating registers. In one embodiment, one or more accelerating registers are fill registers. As display data is read from memory, some of the information's color data is classified by the fill registers. In another embodiment, one or more accelerating registers are clipping registers. As display data arrives from each source, the information's display location is classified by the clipping registers.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a method and apparatus for hardware acceleration of graphical fill in display systems. In one embodiment, a bit-mask is maintained. The bit-mask, termed the “filled color bitmap”, has one bit for each pixel of the display data. A register, termed the “filled color register”, capable of storing a single color value is maintained. When a write command is executed to fill a portion of the display memory with the same value that is stored in the filled color register, the bits in the filled color bitmap corresponding to the portion of display memory are set equal to 1. In executing other writes, the value is written to display memory and the bits in the filled color bitmap corresponding to the portion of display memory are set equal to 0. In one embodiment, the bitmap is located in a dynamic random access memory (DRAM).

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a method and apparatus for hardware acceleration of display data clipping. In one embodiment, all display data is presented to the display system. The display system uses its hardware to clip the undesired data and display the desired data. In one embodiment, the display system has one or more clipping registers. As display data arrives from each source, the information's display location is classified by all the clipping registers. Only pixels which are calculated to be visible by the clipping registers is written to memory for later display. In one embodiment, the display system has an extra amount of memory, termed “display mask memory.” In one embodiment, there is a corresponding data location in the display mask memory for each pixel in the display memory. In one embodiment, the display system has another set of memory, termed “low-resolution display mask memory.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a method and apparatus for detection motion in video in which frames from an incoming video stream are digitized. The pixels of each incoming digitized frame are compared to the corresponding pixels of a reference frame, and differences between incoming pixels and reference pixels are determined. If the pixel difference for a pixel exceeds an applicable pixel difference threshold, the pixel is considered to be “different”. If the number of “different” pixels for a frame exceeds an applicable frame difference threshold, motion is considered to have occurred, and a motion detection signal is emitted. In one or more other embodiments, the applicable frame difference threshold is adjusted depending upon the current average motion being exhibited by the most recent frames, thereby taking into account “ambient” motion and minimizing the effects of phase lag.

Abstract: Authentication and session management can be used with a system architecture that partitions functionality between a human interface device (HID) and a computational service provider such as a server. An authentication manager executing on a server interacts with the HID to validate the user when the user connects to the system via the HID. A session manager executing on a server manages services running on computers providing computational services on behalf of the user. The session manager notifies each service in a session that the user is attached to the system using a given HID. A service can direct display output to the HID while the user is attached to the system. When a user detaches from the system, each of the service's executing for the user is notified via the authentication manager and the session manager. Upon notification that the user is detached from the system, a service can continue to execute while stopping its display to the HID.

Abstract: Authentication and session management can be used with a system architecture that partitions functionality between a human interface device (HID) and a computational service provider such as a server. An authentication manager executing on a server interacts with the HID to validate the user when the user connects to the system via the HID. A session manager executing on a server manages services running on computers providing computational services on behalf of the user. The session manager notifies each service in a session that the user is attached to the system using a given HID. A service can direct display output to the HID while the user is attached to the system. When a user detaches from the system, each of the service's executing for the user is notified via the authentication manager and the session manager. Upon notification that the user is detached from the system, a service can continue to execute while stopping its display to the HID.

Abstract: The present invention is a media interface unit that couples media input (e.g. cameras, microphones) to a network and can receive media input from a network and provide it to playback devices (e.g. monitors, speakers). The interface unit eliminates the need for a computer system when transmitting and receiving media data to and from the internet and other networks. The unit comprises analog audio and video inputs and outputs on one side, and a computer communications network interface on the other side. By coupling sources/sinks of audio/video to one side and by coupling the other side to a network, it is possible to send and receive audio and video data as though the digital communications network were the same as the cables typically used to transport analog audio and video. The invention functions as a multi-media network appliance.

Abstract: During burst write transactions, a memory accepts data over an address bus after an address has been received. In order to accept data over the address bus, the memory temporarily stores the data received over the address bus in an internal data buffer. The internal data buffer then transfers the data to an array upon completion of the write transaction. During burst read transactions, the memory transmits data over the address bus during one of the four clock cycles after the address is received. In this way a burst write transaction is completed in three clock cycles instead of four. Burst read transactions are completed in four clock cycles instead of five.

Abstract: Write transactions are conducted by transmitting a first write address from a source device over a first bus on a first clock cycle and transmitting a first data word corresponding to the first write address from the source device over a second bus commencing on a later clock cycle. In order to execute write transactions in this manner, a memory unit is modified to contain a pending write buffer and a memory array. During a write transaction, the address and corresponding data is first stored in the pending write buffer and the data is later transferred into the memory array upon subsequent write transactions. During a read transaction, the read address is compared to the address stored in the pending write buffer. If the read address matches the address stored in the pending write buffer, the corresponding data stored in the pending write buffer is transmitted in response to the read request. If there is no match, corresponding data from the memory array is transmitted.