Abstract: Audio data processing apparatus connectable to a telephone network, the apparatus comprising a device (50) to receive from the network and record an audio signal comprising a sequence of audio segments separated by audio delimiters, characterised by a device (90) for scanning the recorded signal (65) to detect the audio delimiters (80) and generate a data structure in which a set of predefined field identifiers are each linked to a corresponding one of the recorded audio segments.

Abstract: A video signal is received from an asynchronous link (15) at an irregular frame rate for display on a computer monitor 9 at a regular frame rate. Frames are transferred to the monitor via first and second buffers (23, 25). A control process (27) manages the transfer of frames between the first and second buffers and is responsible for deciding if, when and how many frames to transfer, in order to minimise the delay between the incoming image and the displayed image.

Abstract: A flexible dynamic memory controller that is operable with dynamic RAMS having a wide range of operating characteristics. These characteristics include different operating speeds for various memory functions, and the usage of memories. In a state machine, a special register is utilized to control where in the sequence of operation, and for how long various delays must be inserted. The delays are dynamically determined by the memory controller in accordance with the type of memory being accessed at a given time and the source of the request.

Abstract: The specification describes a method of storing alphanumeric characters in a graphics display terminal comprising a raster-scan display device and a refresh buffer including a plurality of bit planes each having a respective bit storage location corresponding to each addressable pel position on the screen of the display device. In the method, a first bit plane stores high resolution luminance data defining alphanumeric characters each as a selection of "on" bits within a respective n.times.m array where n is the width of the character box in the scan line direction, and at least one further bit plane stores low resolution color data for the characters. The attribute plane comprises a respective n-bit set of storage locations which corresponds to each n-bit wide by one pel deep portion of a character box in the luminance plane and defines at least the color and/or intensity of the foreground and background of the character for the width of the character box in respect of a single scan line.

Abstract: In a method of storing characters in a display system having a display device with an orthogonal matrix of addressable points, each character is represented as a succession of strokes each constrained to lie in one of the eight fundamental directions of the matrix and, except for the first stroke, each starting at the end of the previous stroke. Each such stroke is stored in a binary coded form which includes a first binary number (direction code) defining the angular direction of the stroke, a second binary number (length code) defining a number of matrix steps from one addressable point to the next along the stroke in that direction, and a third binary number (move/draw code) defining the visibility of the stroke. In order to facilitate character rotation by any multiple of 45.degree. the direction code defining each fundamental direction corresponds to the addition modulo 2.sup.n of a binary constant to the direction code which defines the fundamental direction of 45.degree.