Abstract: A musical toy shaped like a rainbow or a banjo which generates musical sounds in response to interruption of one or more radiation beams is disclosed. In one embodiment, the musical toy is provided with a frame member (202) having a substantially unobstructed aperture (206) disposed therein, a photoemitter (212) for generating a radiation beam across the aperture (206), a photodetector (216) positioned to receive the radiation beam, an audio generator for generating a plurality of temporally successive portions of a predetermined musical song, and a play mechanism for causing the audio generator to generate one of the temporally successive musical song portions in response to each interruption of the radiation beam so that repeated interruption of the radiation beam causes the predetermined musical song to be played.

Abstract: Apparatus for displaying a reduced-size image in a window of the display of a host computer, the reduced-size image based upon subsampled digital image data. The apparatus includes a host computer and a peripheral controller. The peripheral controller includes a subsampler that receives digital source image data and outputs subsampled image data, and window display circuit. The window display circuit receives a directive from the host computer indicating a window location on the host's display, and the subsampled image data. The window display circuit autonomously (independently of the host CPU) writes the subsampled data through the host's system bus into the display memory at addresses corresponding to the specified window. The apparatus allows video to be displayed on the display screen while avoiding intensive involvement or supervision by the host CPU during display of the video image data.

Abstract: Apparatus for displaying a reduced-size image in a window of the display of a host computer, the reduced-size image based upon subsampled digital image data. The apparatus includes a host computer and a peripheral controller. The peripheral controller includes a subsampler that receives digital source image data and outputs subsampled image data, and window display circuit. The window display circuit receives a directive from the host computer indicating a window location on the host's display, and the subsampled image data. The window display circuit autonomously (independently of the host CPU) writes the subsampled data through the host's system bus into the display memory at addresses corresponding to the specified window. The apparatus allows video to be displayed on the display screen while avoiding intensive involvement or supervision by the host CPU during display of the video image data.