International Business Machines Corporation

Powertv, Inc.

Other

Scientific-atlanta, Inc.

Alexander G MacInnis

Jiann-Tsuen Chen

Bruce D Lucas

John Fred Spannaus

Ragunathan Rajkumar

William Burrell Nunnery

Paul S Yosim

David E Conner

Larry A Blue

Inderpal S Bhandari

Bruce T Freedman

Jose F Gonzalez-Heres

Vernon T Powell

Michael S Brady

A system for downloading different versions of software or data modules into a plurality of terminals having different compatibility interfaces includes an authoring component for generating the different module versions, a downloading source including a descriptor table which associates each module version with a list of compatibility requirements needed to download the module, and a plurality of terminals coupled to the downloading source. The downloading source transmits the descriptor table to each terminal and also continuously transmits the modules over the network. Each terminal extracts the descriptor table and, based on a match between an entry in the descriptor table and an internally stored table, determines which version of a particular module should be downloaded. The system avoids the need for two-way communication between each terminal and the downloading source.

Multicast downloading of software and data modules and their compatibility requirements

A graphics blending feature for a terminal such as a home communication terminal (HCT) allows an overlay image to be selectively blended with a background image through the use of a chroma key function and one or more alpha control bits. The chroma key function is used to determine whether the overlay will be completely transparent or not, and the one or more alpha control bits are used to look up a larger alpha value used to blend the overlay and background images. By using a small number of alpha control bits to retrieve a larger alpha value for blending, memory requirements per pixel are reduced. The chroma key function may be implemented by comparing each overlay pixel value to a chroma value and, responsive to a match, making the overlay pixel transparent (i.e., no blending occurs). A dithering function is included in various embodiments to smooth out the resulting image.

Blending of video images in a home communications terminal

A system for downloading different versions of software or data modules into a plurality of terminals having different compatibility interfaces includes an authoring component for generating the different module versions, a downloading source including a descriptor table which associates each module version with a list of compatibility requirements needed to download the module, and a plurality of terminals coupled to the downloading source. The downloading source transmits the descriptor table to each terminal and also continuously transmits the modules over the network. Each terminal extracts the descriptor table and, based on a match between an entry in the descriptor table and an internally stored table determines which version of a particular module should be downloaded. The system avoids the need for two-way communication between each terminal and the downloading source.

Multicast downloading of software and data modules and their

Interpolating a low or medium resolution image to a higher resolution image using a pixel replication and averaging technique. An overlay image having pixels of a first display resolution and a plurality of alpha blending values each indicating the degree of blending with a background image is interpolated to the resolution of the background image. In addition to interpolating pixel values, alpha blending values are themselves interpolated and multiplied by corresponding overlay pixel values prior to being blended with the background image.

Interpolation of pixel values and alpha values in a computer graphics

A method for enabling data paths including the steps of receiving a request to enable a data path on a remote bus between a first processing apparatus and a second processing apparatus, determining whether the remote bus can handle the requested data path, and enabling the data path on the remote bus if the remote bus can handle the requested data path. In addition, an apparatus for enabling data paths including an apparatus for receiving a request to enable a data path on a remote bus between a first processing apparatus and a second processing apparatus, apparatus for determining whether the remote bus can handle the requested data path, and apparatus for enabling the data path on the remote bus if the remote bus can handle the requested data path.

Method and apparatus for enabling data paths on a remote bus

The integration of Video and Graphics Rasterization along with associated functional blocks provides a balanced MultiMedia/Graphics solution to the technology/bandwidth problem of today's higher density memories. Video rasterization, graphic rasterization, and window identifier functionality are contained on the same chip, fast Random Access Memory for each is provided for each, and the wide bus and high speed accesses to within the chip are shared and contained. The problem is therefore solved in a manner beneficial to both rasterization and video components of Multi-Media and Graphics. Window identification and control functions are added into the memory module, thus permitting both video and graphics rasterization functionality to be closely coupled to an independent high speed SRAM within the Memory Module, and thus applying the full internal wide bus bandwidth of the Frame Buffer memory to both real time video Multi-Media and graphics rasterization functions.

Block mode, multiple access multi-media/graphics memory

This invention is an arbitration scheme for a token-based communications medium which is intended for use when there are timing deadlines for transactions on the medium. Initially knowledge of the expected workload is used to determine for each module its priority as well as the limit on the duration of time lower priority modules can be permitted to use the medium between request and completion of a transaction for this module. A count is maintained for each module of the number of data units that has been transferred on the medium by lower priority modules since the time this module last requested the medium. A module can transmit a selected number of data units if it has the token and the count of none of its higher priority modules has reached a corresponding limit.

Priority-based arbitrator on a token-based communication medium

A method of a processor communicating data across a bus bridge to a processing apparatus on a bus including the steps of storing the data into a processor memory, notifying the bus bridge, coupled to the processor and a bus, that the data is in the processor memory, reading the data from the processor memory upon request of the bus bridge, and forwarding the data from the bus bridge to the processing apparatus across the bus. In addition, an apparatus for a processor to communicate data across a bus bridge to a processing means on a bus including an apparatus for storing the data into a processor memory, an apparatus for notifying the bus bridge, coupled to the processor and a bus, that the data is in the processor memory, an apparatus for reading the data from the processor memory upon request of the bus bridge, and an apparatus for forwarding the data from the bus bridge to the processing apparatus across the bus.

Method and apparatus for communicating data across a bus bridge upon

This invention provides a method of and apparatus for compressing digital video color signals derived from a natural image and generating display signals for a color image composed of pixels derived from the compressed signals in which digital color signals representative of color depth intensities of three colors for each pixel to be displayed, each color signal having at least four bits representing the color intensity of a corresponding color for a corresponding pixel and arranged from most to least significant bits, are received; a digital dither signal for each pixel to be displayed is generated; a selected number of the most significant bits of each received color signal are summed with the corresponding generated dither signal; a selected number of the least significant bits of the summed color and dither signals are discarded to compress the corresponding received color signal; the compressed color signals related to a common pixel are concatenated to generate a digital output signal having a predetermined bit length less than the summed bit lengths of the received digital color signals and representative of the depth intensities of three colors for the common pixel; and analog display driver signals representative of the color intensities of pixels to be displayed are generated by selecting from a color lookup table stored in a digital to analog converter analog signals corresponding to the stored output signals.

Digital signal video color compression method and apparatus

A method of transmitting frames of video data to be displayed including the steps of receiving at least a portion of a frame of video data, determining whether the received video data can be stored in a buffer, storing the received video data in a buffer if the received video data can be stored in the buffer, and erasing any video data of the frame of video data if the received video data cannot be stored in the buffer. In addition, an apparatus for transmitting frames of video data to be displayed including an apparatus for receiving at least a portion of a frame of video data, an apparatus for determining whether the received video data can be stored in a buffer, an apparatus for storing the received video data in the buffer if the received video data can be stored in the buffer, and an apparatus for erasing any video data of the frame of video data if the received video data cannot be stored in the buffer.

Method and apparatus for gradually degrading video data

A method and apparatus that distinguish a valid touch from an optical aberration caused by unwanted objects and/or scratches in the light plane of an optical touch panel device is disclosed. During a training mode the device learns the relative position of 'aberration dropouts' caused by the unwanted objects. During normal operating mode the relative positions of 'touch and aberration dropouts' are generated and compared with the relative position of aberration dropouts to distinguish between aberration dropout signals and touch dropout signals. The touch dropout signals are subjected to further processing to determine the precise location of a touch while the aberration dropout signals are discarded.

Laser touch panel reflective surface aberration cancelling

Described is an electro/optical system for transmitting video information. The system includes a transmitter assembly interconnected via a fiber optic assembly to a receiver assembly. The transmitter assembly includes a circuit arrangement which generates a data stream of analog signals interspersed with control pulses. The data stream is transmitted through the fiber optic assembly. Changes in the control pulses are detected at the receiver and are used to adjust the gain of a video amplifier.

Analog video fiber optic link

A method and apparatus for controlling a power supply which includes a power transformer having primary and secondary windings and switching transistors for switching current through the windings. The apparatus includes circuitry for generating a composite signal representative of the flux and magnetizing current (I.sub.m) in the power transformer. The composite signal is correlated with a multiphase clocking signal to generate a pulsewidth modulated (PWM) signal which is used to drive the switching transistors.

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San Carlos, CA, United States of America

Alexander G MacInnis