Texas Instruments Corporation

Other

Insyde Software Corporation

Smart Technologies Inc.

Kevin D Davis

Timothy Andrew Lewis

Robert R Moore

Gary Joseph Verdun

LaVaughn F Watts, Jr

Larry D Mitcham

John Charles Linn

Thomas R Grimm

Jeremy Wang

Thomas P Leavitt

LaVaughn Watts

Robert E Tonsing

Lawrence Chiu

Tom Grimm

L Kimball Simmons

Donald J Martin

Kenneth A Fuiks

Steven J Wallace

Jon E Freach

Gary R Davis

Carl Christian Lee

Keith L Perrin

Thomas Grimm

Mechanisms for providing enhanced system performance and reliability on multi-core computing devices are discussed. Embodiments use modified hardware and/or software so that when a System Management Interrupt (SMI #) is generated, only a single targeted CPU core enters System Management Mode (SMM) in response to the SMI while the remaining CPU cores continue operating in normal mode. Further, a multi-threaded SMM environment and mutual exclusion objects (mutexes) may allow guarding of key hardware resources and software data structures to enable individual CPU cores among the remaining CPU cores to subsequently also enter SMM in response to a different SMI while the originally selected CPU core is still in SMM.

System performance enhancement with SMI on multi-core systems

A mechanism for allowing a user to prove their identity on touch-based devices employing the use of a touch surface in firmware-controlled environments is discussed. The user may prove his or her identity by entering a series of strokes on the touch-based device to form a word or image. Characteristics of the entered strokes such as stroke order and stroke direction are compared to stored stroke characteristics that were gathered from a drawing of the same word or image during a user enrollment process. If the stroke characteristics comparison is acceptable, the user identity is verified.

System and method for providing gesture-based user identification

This method for securing a cartridge mechanical face seal to a sleeve in a rotating shaft sealing assembly uses one or more plunger locks to secure the rotary face of the seal assembly to the sleeve. Such seal assemblies have been previously secured with set screws. This plunger lock method for securing the rotary face of the cartridge seal avoids the use of set screws altogether. Instead, one or more spring activated plunger locks located in the rotary face seal assembly are mated into precisely located receptacle bores in the sleeve. The resulting attachment will not leak, require additional tightening, or distort the sleeve.

Method for securing a cartridge mechanical face seal to a sleeve

A graphical user interface uses a representation of a polyhedron, such as a cube ( ), having images on each face ( ) for representing multiple desktops used in conjunction with an operating system. By pressing on faces of the cube ( ), the computer switches to the selected desktop ( ). The cube ( ) may be rotated to allow the user to select from an unlimited number of desktops ( ).

Graphical user interface

The described embodiments of the present invention provide a computer docking system and method for connecting a portable computer to a docking station and method for coupling the docking station to an external monitor and an external keyboard and a technique for customizing the hardware configuration in the docking station for optimum performance. In a preferred embodiment, the technique for customizing the program hardware in the docking station is capable of customizing common hardware in various docking stations.

Computer docking system having means for customizing the hardware configuration in a docking station for optimum performance

A composite laminated, generally cylindrical container for over-the-road transportation of liquids by truck is fabricated using a core of cellular thermoplastic expanded foam material, with an encapsulating layer adhered to each of the interior and exterior surfaces. The encapsulating layers of the cylindrical portion each utilize at least one layer of resin-impregnated unidirectional filament material, with the primary filaments extending in the longitudinal direction to provide bending strength, and a plurality of layers of spirally wound, resin-impregnated filaments to resist shear, torsion and external and internal pressure. The core and the encapsulating layers define a bonded sandwich type of construction. The container can be supported only at its forward and rearward ends during over-the-road transportation of liquids, like presently available stainless steel containers.

Composite laminated transport container for liquids

A computer uses an environmental manager (20) to detect and respond to changing environmental conditions, in order to enhance and simplify a users interaction with the computer. Environment changes are detected by a plurality of informants (22), each of which has a specified function. Informants communicate through a CIM (26). The CIM (26) establishes communication channels with each informant regarding which information will be provided by the informant and which information that informant needs from other informants. Informants (22) may receive environmental information from a number of sources, including physical location detectors, hardware configurations, software configurations, and network connections. As environmental conditions change, the informants and applications may respond to the changes. A particular capability to respond is the autolaunch capability which detects user behavior and uses this knowledge to automatically load a program responsive to changing environmental conditions.

Computer system with environmental manager for detecting and responding

A multi-media conferencing system (10) that links desirable conferencing components into an adaptable and functional whole through innovative system approaches to system level controls. Another object of the present invention is to provide a multi-media conferencing system (10) that integrates equipment to present information in the most desirable way as determined by the presenter and allows for system power to be turned on and off by a single system button power button (48) and by a system computer (30).

Method and apparatus for controlling power to a multi-media conferencing

The described embodiments of the present invention provide a computer docking station having connection means for connecting a portable computer to the docking station, the docking station having an internal microprocessor. In preferred embodiments, the microprocessor of the docking station: performs processing to the portable computer and applications across a communications bus between the microprocessor and said portable computer; controls the means by which the portable computer is mechanically connected to the docking station; controls the means by which the portable computer is electrically connected to said docking station; controls the means by which the portable computer is mechanically and electrically connected to said docking station; controls the power to the portable computer, connects the portable computer to the docking station from a software point of view; ejects the portable computer to from the docking station from a software point of view; controls processing across the bus; controls the function of free form switches on the docking station; and controls itself under a first mode of operation and is under at least partial from a central processing unit in said portable computer under a second mode of operation.

Computer ducking station with internal microprocessor

A method (100) is provided for initializing a processing system. The method (100) includes a plurality of steps. Those steps are: loading a primary code block in a flash memory (104); loading an alternate code block in a secondary storage (106); testing the primary code block upon power up of the processing system (134); loading the primary code block from the flash memory into a shadow RAM if the primary code block is not defective (140); and loading the alternate code block from the secondary storage into the shadow RAM if the primary code block is defective (139).

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Belton, TX, United States of America

Kevin D Davis