International Business Machines Corporation

Paul Anthony Thayer

Mark Daniel Rogalski

David Paul Kuiken

A method, system, apparatus, and computer program product are presented for enabling a hidden port in a computing device. A determination is made as to whether the computing device has a hidden port, which is a port that is externally inaccessible to a user of the computing device and is not dedicated for general input/output (I/O) purposes. If the computing device has a hidden port, then the computing device is configured to use the hidden port for general I/O purposes and possibly also for debugging purposes. The user may optionally specify a data value that can be used to indicate whether the user chooses for the hidden port to be enabled for general I/O purposes and/or for debugging purposes. The hidden port optionally may or may not be enabled based on whether the computing device is a legacy-free device.

Method and apparatus for configuring a port on a legacy-free device for general I/O purposes or debugging purposes

An apparatus for directing light from a light source through a bundle of optic fibers, wherein the optic fibers are so arranged in the bundle such that at the end of the bundle opposite the light source, the optic fibers may expand into a display of an image generated by the light source. The apparatus comprises a bundle of optic fibers having a base end and a viewing end. The base end has a first angle across the bundle and is arranged so that light from the light source may be directed into the base end of each of the optic fibers. The light entering each of the optic fibers is carried to the viewing end. At the viewing end, each of the optic fibers is cut to expose an interior side face as a pixel viewing area having approximately a 1:1 aspect ratio.

Reduced weight oblique view fiber optic taper

A modular connector with an integrated anti-snag feature is provided. The modular connector has a first flexible tab attached at a first end of the connector. The first flexible tab has a first and a second part. The first part is connected to and projected upward and away from the first end of the connector and the second part is angled downward toward a second end of the connector but unattached thereto. The first part meets with the second part at a flexible intersection whereby a force exerted onto either the first part or the second part is enabled to depress the flexible first tab downward. The connector also has a second flexible tab. The second flexible tab is attached at the second end of the connector and is projected at an angle toward the first flexible tab. The first end and second end of the connector are at opposite ends of each other. The second flexible tab is used to prevent the connector from snagging on objects such as cables, components etc. The connector may snag on an object if the object becomes lodged between the first flexible tab and the connector.

Modular connector anti-snag enhancement

The present invention involves a computer based method and system employing an index finger controlled pointing device for manipulation and control of the keyboard. The user employ their index fingers as the pointing device from the home row typing position. All pointing device operations and thumb button operations can proceed without moving either hand from the home row key position. This represents a significant improvement over the current state of the art by keeping the user's hands and fingers in place over the home row of keys on the keyboard. This improved approach is the basis of a major embodiment of this invention.

Method and system for index finger controlled pointing device positioned on home row keys

When using a periodically interrupting timing device to implement software timers, a wide variety of resolutions for such timers can be provided with minimal interrupt overhead. This is achieved by dynamically reprogramming the frequency of the interrupting device to be at a selected low rate necessary to provide the resolution requested by the next, impending timer to expire. This is particularly useful when a periodic timing device is the only device available to implement variable timer resolutions.

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Austin, TX, United States of America

Paul Anthony Thayer