Apple Inc.

Mpath Interactive, Inc.

Catapult Entertainment, Inc.

Konstantin Othmer

Shannon A Holland

Shannon Holland

Harold E Cohn

Stephen G Perlman

Ian C Hendry

Bruce A Leak

Steven G Roskowski

Robin D Myers

Keith McGreggor

Robert G Johnson, Jr

Greg Anderson

A method for detecting and recovering from call waiting during an interactive two-way remote gaming session. Gaming information is exchanged in real time during a gaming session between two players using a telecommunications link, such as the internet or modem. When a call waiting tone is detected by one of the players, the game is suspended. The incoming call is answered and the other player is notified that the first player is in the process of answering the incoming call. When the incoming call is finished, communications is automatically re-established between the two players, and the game continues at the point just before it was interrupted.

Method and apparatus for detecting and recovering from call waiting

A color matching system initializes a translator by storing profiles of source and destination color devices which include the coordinates in a calibrated color space of the colorants produced in the source and destination devices and a tonal reproduction curve for each device. Mixing equations and parameters are precomputed to be used in matching calculations of an image including color pixels to be matched. The color gamut is divided into mixing regions in which a given point can be produced by a mixture of two chromatic colorants and the achromatic colorants of the destination device. A technique for selecting a mixing region is included which is based on the slopes of vectors defining the colorants of the destination device, and the sample color to be produced. Colors that are out of the gamut of the destination device are adjusted according to precomputed parameters in order to preserve the lightness, chromaticity, or other selected characteristics of the sample color as suits the need of a particular application. The system is particularly suited for computer systems independent of the source and destination devices to be used, and can be adapted to run with a translation cache to enhance the speed of operation of translating a color image on one device for display on a second device.

Color matching apparatus and method

The present invention is a means and method for synchronizing the execution of multiple video game systems in a networked environment with no external synchronization signals required. Video games and most computer display controllers are closed free-running systems. Because most such systems have the means to switch between an interlaced and non-interlaced operation, and because interlaced and non-interlaced modes have a relative timing variation, the timing between two or more such closed free-running systems can be synchronized. This method allows synchronization with an imprecise timing reference. The vertical display timing is the free-running oscillator and the interlaced/non-interlaced mode transition is used as the timing adjustment means. The actual arrival time of data in a communication medium connecting two systems being synchronized is used in relation to an expected arrival time to provide the clock reference.

Method and apparatus for synchronizing the execution of multiple video

Resolution independent methods for rendering a graphic image on a display device include: a method for re-gridding an image for fast off screen to on screen transfers; and a method for modifying an image to encompass all pixels of the device resolution for both local and global gridding. The method for modifying an image to encompass all pixels of the device resolution for both local and global gridding comprises the steps of: determining the period at which the pixel pattern in the device space repeats; determining the relationship between the origin of the global space and the origin of the local space; mapping the image from source space to device space; determining whether the local origin is at a point with the same period as the origin of the global space; creating a difference table between the local and global space mappings; comparing the upper left point defining the source region to the difference table; increasing the source region on the left and top by the offset in the difference table; comparing the lower right point defining the source region to the difference table; and increasing the source region on the bottom and right by the offset in the difference table.

Resolution independent methods for rendering a graphic image on a

A method and apparatus for detecting and recovering from call waiting interference to data communications is disclosed. In a system wherein a first party communicates with a second party via a telecommunications link, the telecommunications link may be disrupted by a third party's attempt to call the first or second party. The present invention detects such a disturbance on the telecommunications line and allows the first or second party to answer the call from the third party. The invention re-establishes communications after the call with the third party is completed.

An independent windowing system that eliminates gridding comprises a method for performing windowing operations directly in device space for a graphics system which specifies all drawings in coordinate space. The re-sizing effects of rendering an object in different places on the coordinate grid are absorbed in the window borders, allowing the window contents to be moved without re-drawing them. The window can be moved without re-drawing it even when the resolution of the device the window is displayed in differs from the source resolution of the rendering system. Furthermore, window contents are drawn relative to the coordinate of the top left of the window to provide each window with its own device grid independent of the window position on the device. The present invention includes: a method for displaying a window that adjusts the window border to eliminate gridding; a method for rendering multiple, overlapping windows that eliminates gridding; and a method for scrolling a finite coordinate grid independent of resolution of the display device. These methods can be used alone or in combination to greatly enhance the graphic images displayed on a display device.

Windowing system with independent windows of arbitrary resolution for

A system for updating the location of elements in a computer display, upon a change in the size and/or configuration of the display, maintains user preferences regarding the appearance of elements. As a first step, user designated locations for individual elements, such as icons, are stored in a database for each different display configuration. Upon changing the display from one configuration to another, the elements are positioned in accordance with the information stored in the database. In a second aspect of the system, each of the original and new displays are divided into corresponding sectors. All objects located within a sector of the original display are placed in the same position in the corresponding sector of the new display. With this system, the groupings of objects and overall display appearance are maintained upon changing from one display configuration to another.

System for updating the locations of objects in computer displays upon

This invention provides a method for compositing a source image and a destination image using a mask image to produce a result image in a digital image processing system. The method is, on a pixel-by-pixel basis, using the mask image to select between the source and destination images: where a black color value for a mask pixel selects the color value of the corresponding pixel of the source image; and a white color value for a mask pixel selects the color value of the corresponding pixel of the destination image; and where an intermediate color value for a mask pixel selects a weighted average between source and destination pixel color values. The calculations of the weighted average color value are done in color space, such as on a color component by color component basis. The result image can be displayed or stored for further use. This method can be described in boolean expression according to the formula:

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Konstantin Othmer