Abstract: Methods and systems for selecting different anti-aliasing filters to be applied to objects of image data rendered with pixel sub-component precision based on the attributes of the objects of the graphics image. For example, when rendering a character traditional anti-aliasing applied in the direction parallel to the striping of the pixel sub-components is adapted to the unique requirements of different character font sizes such that a large amount of anti-aliasing is applied to large font sizes while a small amount of anti-aliasing is provided for characters at small font sizes. Displaced sampling is utilized to determine the alpha values for a plurality of vertical samples for each RGB pixel sub-component. The selected anti-aliasing filter is applied to the alpha values to determine the luminous intensity values of the RGB pixel sub-components.

Abstract: The invention relates to a tubing expansion tool and to a method of expanding tubing. In one embodiment, a tubing expansion tool (10) is disclosed which comprises a body (14) and at least one expansion member (16) radially movably mounted on the body (14) for movement towards an extended configuration describing an expansion diameter for expanding tubing (12) to a predetermined diameter, the expansion member (16) being lockable in the extended configuration. In further embodiments, the expansion member (16) is biased radially inwardly; the expansion member (16) is moveable in response to both an applied mechanical force and an applied fluid pressure force; and the expansion member (16) is pivotably mounted with respect to the body (14).

Abstract: There is disclosed a method of lining a drilled bore (10) and bore-lining tubing (12).

Abstract: Displaying image data with sub-pixel precision on display devices having pixels with separately controllable pixel sub-components, such as those used in liquid crystal display devices. Samples of the image data are obtained, and spatially different sets of one or more of the samples are mapped to individual pixel sub-components as opposed to mapping sets of samples to entire pixels. Luminous intensity values based on the mapped sets of samples are generated and used to control the operation of the separately controllable pixel sub-components. The image is thereby displayed on the display device, with different portions of the image being represented by different pixel sub-components, resulting an image with sub-pixel resolution. The image data can represent a text character, in which case the stem width of a stem of the text character can have a value that is not an integer multiple of the width of a full pixel.

Abstract: An expandable coupling arrangement for coupling first and second tubulars includes a male thread portion on an end of the first tubular and a female thread portion on an end of the second tubular. The thread portions comprise dovetail threads having flanks, roots and crests, wherein the flanks are inclined at an angle of greater than 10°.

Abstract: The present invention relates to dropout control in which one or more samples are added to adjacent samples that fall within an image outline. The samples are used in sub-pixel rendering to compensate for unnaturally thin or faint object stems. Horizontal dropout control operations are provided to add samples to sets of horizontally adjacent samples such that each set of samples comprises a minimum number of samples. Vertical dropout control operations are provided to position samples such that the weighted anti-aliasing filtering will take sufficient account of the samples. In one embodiment, an associative table is utilized to calculate alternative patterns of samples. In another embodiment, the baseline of an object is used in the dropout control operations to reduce artifacts that can be created by the addition of samples in the vertical direction.

Abstract: Methods and systems for selecting different anti-aliasing filters to be applied to objects of image data rendered with pixel sub-component precision based on the attributes of the objects of the graphics image. For example, when rendering a character traditional anti-aliasing applied in the direction parallel to the striping of the pixel sub-components is adapted to the unique requirements of different character font sizes such that a large amount of anti-aliasing is applied to large font sizes while a small amount of anti-aliasing is provided for characters at small font sizes. Displaced sampling is utilized to determine the alpha values for a plurality of vertical samples for each RGB pixel sub-component. The selected anti-aliasing filter is applied to the alpha values to determine the luminous intensity values of the RGB pixel sub-components.

Abstract: Methods and systems for utilizing metadata to preserve semantic information related to an image to allow a static version of the image to be displayed with sub-pixel precision on display devices having pixels with separately controllable pixel sub-components. A static version of an image can be displayed on a display device having a relatively low resolution, such as those associated with handheld devices, while maintaining the sub-pixel precision positioning. The image is displayed on a display device, such as a liquid crystal display device, having separately controllable pixel sub-components. The sub-pixel precision positioning is used to map spatially different sets of samples to individual pixel sub-components rather than to entire pixels, resulting in image features, such as character edges, being displayed at pixel sub-component boundaries, rather than always at boundaries between full pixels.

Abstract: Displaying image data with sub-pixel precision on display devices having pixels with separately controllable pixel sub-components, such as those used in liquid crystal display devices. Samples of the image data are obtained, and spatially different sets of one or more of the samples are mapped to individual pixel sub-components as opposed to mapping sets of samples to entire pixels. Luminous intensity values based on the mapped sets of samples are generated and used to control the operation of the separately controllable pixel sub-components. The image is thereby displayed on the display device, with different portions of the image being represented by different pixel sub-components, resulting an image with sub-pixel resolution. The image data can represent a text character, in which case the stem width of a stem of the text character can have a value that is not an integer multiple of the width of a full pixel.

Abstract: A method of isolating a section of a drilled bore containing a problem zone comprises: providing a section of tubing; locating the tubing in the section of the bore; and expanding the tubing and forming at least an outer portion of the tubing to conform to irregularities in the bore wall, to isolate the problem zone. The tubing may feature a formable outer section, and the expansion of the tubing may be achieved using a compliant rotary expander.

Abstract: Display apparatus, and methods for displaying images, e.g., text, on gray scale and color monitors are described. Gray scale displays implemented in accordance with the present invention include displays having a resolution in a first dimension, e.g., the horizontal dimension, which is several time the resolution in a second dimension, e.g., the vertical dimension. Various other displays of the present invention are capable of operating as both gray scale and color display devices. In one such display, the color filter used to implement a color portion of the display is omitted from another, e.g., gray scale portion of the same display. In such an embodiment, text, e.g., captions, are displayed using the gray scale portion of the display while color images, e.g., graphics, are displayed on the color portion of the display. In another display of the present invention, a color filter with filter cells that can be switched between a color and a clear mode of operation are employed. When images, e.g.

Abstract: Display apparatus, and methods for displaying images, e.g., text, on gray scale and color monitors are described. Gray scale displays implemented in accordance with the present invention include displays having a resolution in a first dimension, e.g., the horizontal dimension, which is several time the resolution in a second dimension, e.g., the vertical dimension. Various other displays of the present invention are capable of operating as both gray scale and color display devices. In one such display, the color filter used to implement a color portion of the display is omitted from another, e.g., gray scale portion of the same display. In such an embodiment, text, e.g., captions, are displayed using the gray scale portion of the display while color images, e.g., graphics, are displayed on the color portion of the display. In another display of the present invention, a color filter with filter cells that can be switched between a color and a clear mode of operation are employed. When images, e.g.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for utilizing pixel sub-components which form a pixel element of an LCD display, e.g., as separate luminous intensity elements, are described. Each pixel of a color LCD display is comprised of three non-overlapping red, green and blue rectangular pixel sub-elements or sub-components. The invention takes advantage of the ability to control individual RGB pixel sub-elements to effectively increase a screen's resolution in the dimension perpendicular to the dimension in which the screen is striped, e.g., the RGB pixel sub-elements are arranged lengthwise. In order to utilize the effective resolution which can be obtained by treating RGB pixel sub-components separately, scaling or super sampling of digital representations of fonts is performed in one dimension at a rate that is greater than the scaling or sampling performed in the other dimension. In some embodiments where weighting is used in determining RGB pixel values, e.g.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for utilizing pixel sub-components which form a pixel element of an LCD display, e.g., as separate luminous intensity elements, are described. Each pixel of a color LCD display is comprised of three non-overlapping red, green and blue rectangular pixel sub-elements or sub-components. The invention takes advantage of the ability to control individual RGB pixel sub-elements to effectively increase a screen's resolution in the dimension perpendicular to the dimension in which the screen is striped, e.g., the RGB pixel sub-elements are arranged lengthwise. In order to utilize the effective resolution which can be obtained by treating RGB pixel sub-components separately, scaling or super sampling of digital representations of fonts is performed in one dimension at a rate that is greater than the scaling or sampling performed in the other dimension. In some embodiments where weighting is used in determining RGB pixel values, e.g.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for displaying an image by uttilizing pixel sub-components which form a pixel element of an LCD display as separate luminous intensity elements. By treating the pixel sub-components independently, increased resolution is achieved in the dimension that is perpendicular to the dimension in which the screen is striped. To take advantage of the increased resolution, the image is processed by first scaling the image data in one dimension at a rate that is greater than the scaling of the image data in another dimension. The pixel sub-components are then independently determined from different portions of the scaled image data though scan conversion, which may involve the use of different weights for each color component. Color distortions such as color fringing is compensated by treating eachi pixel sub-component independently. For horizontally flowing text, applications, screens with vertical striping are preferred.

Abstract: Color processing operations can be used to reduce color artifacts in images displayed on display devices having pixels with separately controllable pixel sub-components. Different regions of image data are mapped to the individual pixel sub-components of the pixels. In the absence of performing the color processing operations, distracting color artifacts can be generated in the displayed image as a result of the pixel sub-components being treated as independent luminous intensity sources. Color artifacts can be reduced by comparing the difference between the luminous intensity values of adjacent red and green pixel sub-components with a threshold value and adjusting the luminous intensity values so as to reduce the difference if it exceeds the threshold value. Color artifacts can also be reduced by performing a gray scaling operation on pixels having an overall luminance that is less than the luminance associated with a foreground color and also less than the luminance associated with a background color.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for sampling image data and mapping the samples to pixel sub-components which form a pixel element of an LCD display so that each pixel sub-component has a different portion of the image mapped thereto and at least one of the pixel sub-components has two or more samples mapped thereto. The methods can be used with conventional color LCD displays that include pixels consisting of three non-overlapping red, green and blue rectangular pixel sub-elements or sub-components. The separately-controllable nature of individual RGB pixel sub-components is used to effectively increase a screen's resolution in one dimension. A scan conversion process maps samples of the image data to individual pixel sub-components, including mapping two or more samples to at least one of the pixel sub-component. As a result, each of the pixel sub-components represents a different portion of the image.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are described for sampling image data that includes foreground/background color information and mapping the samples to pixel sub-components which form a pixel element of an LCD display so that each pixel sub-component has a different portion of the image mapped thereto. The methods can be used with conventional color LCD displays that include pixels consisting of three non-overlapping red, green and blue rectangular pixel sub-elements or sub-components. The separately-controllable nature of individual RGB pixel sub-components is used to effectively increase a screen's resolution in the dimension perpendicular to the dimension in which the screen is striped. A scan conversion process maps samples of the image data to individual pixel sub-components, resulting in each of the pixel sub-components representing a different portion of the image.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for sampling image data and mapping the samples to pixel sub-components which form a pixel element of an LCD display so that each pixel sub-component has a different portion of the image mapped thereto. The methods can be used with conventional color LCD displays that include pixels consisting of three non-overlapping red, green and blue rectangular pixel sub-elements or sub-components. The pixel sub-components can be arranged on the display device to form horizontal or vertical stripes of individual colors. The separately-controllable nature of individual RGB pixel sub-components is used to effectively increase a screen's resolution in the dimension perpendicular to the dimension in which the screen is striped. A scan conversion process maps samples of the image data to individual pixel sub-components, resulting in each of the pixel sub-components representing a different portion of the image.