Abstract: A subscriber to a chat service is provided with at least one announcement by the chat service provider about product and/or service offerings available to the subscriber from the chat service provider. The announcement typically takes the form of a menu of choices, thereby prompting the subscriber to respond. Following the announcement, the chat service provider listens for the subscriber's response. If the subscriber elects to accept the offer, then the chat service provider undertakes the necessary action to provide the offered product and/or service. The announcement may be made to the subscriber prior to bridging of the subscriber's call to facilitate entry of the subscriber into a chat session. Alternatively, or in addition, the announcement may be made after the subscriber has entered the chat session, but before (or after) the subscriber has requested an enhanced chat service feature, such as a private conversation or information access.

Abstract: A parallel polygon/pixel rendering engine for a digital map capable of producing real-time linear shaded, three dimensional, raster graphics for video generation. The apparatus is suitable for use with avionic display systems, particularly digital map displays which include an instruction and interpreter unit and an image scanner. The apparatus comprises a raster engine, a memory interface and a bit mapped memory. The raster engine further includes a raster engine control and generic interpolation polygon processor interface, an edge interpolator, a line interpolator and a controller for the edge and line interpolators. The raster engine control is electrically connected to receive data from the instruction interface unit and is further electrically connected to the edge interpolator and interpolator controller. The edge interpolator is adapted to receive data from the raster engine control and the line interpolator is electrically connected to receive data from the edge interpolator.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing a texture mapped perspective view for digital map systems. The system includes apparatus for storing elevation data, apparatus for storing texture data, apparatus for scanning a projected view volume from the elevation data storing apparatus, apparatus for processing, apparatus for generating a plurality of planar polygons and apparatus for rendering images. The processing apparatus further includes apparatus for receiving the scanned projected view volume from the scanning apparatus, transforming the scanned projected view volume from object space to screen space, and computing surface normals at each vertex of each polygon so as to modulate texture space pixel intensity. The generating apparatus generates the plurality of planar polygons from the transformed vertices and supplies them to the rendering apparatus which then shades each of the planar polygons.

Abstract: A memory interface controller apparatus for use in a digital system, such as a graphics display system. The apparatus comprises apparatus for receiving incoming pixel data and apparatus for detecting pixel address collision. In an alternate embodiment, apparatus for performing hidden surface removal on the incoming pixel data is included. The memory interface controller apparatus further may include apparatus for construction of images with transparent objects.