The present invention in the form of a computer software program provides for a method for annotating over static images or annotating over active application programs. In the case of static images, user-created objects can be created, manipulated and placed over static images. In the case of annotating over application programs in a structured system environment such as in a windows environment, an overlay program embodying the present invention provides an overlaying method allowing the user to switch back and forth between the active application programs and the overlay program. When the overlay program has control, a screen-size, transparent window is created and annotations are created in this window. This transparent window allows the user to see the application programs on the screen. Thus, when creating annotations on this window, a visual perception is created that the annotations are on the images displayed by the application programs. When the user finishes annotating, the user can switch back to the active application programs with the option to hide the annotations or to display the annotations over the active application programs.

Method to provide for virtual screen overlay

A bistable electro-optic display has a plurality of pixels, each of which is capable of displaying at least three gray levels. The display is driven by a method comprising: storing a look-up table containing data representing the impulses necessary to convert an initial gray level to a final gray level; storing data representing at least an initial state of each pixel of the display; receiving an input signal representing a desired final state of at least one pixel of the display; and generating an output signal representing the impulse necessary to convert the initial state of said one pixel to the desired final state thereof, as determined from said look-up table. The invention also provides a method for reducing the remnant voltage of an electro-optic display.

Methods for driving bistable electro-optic displays, and apparatus for use therein

A integrated content guide for multiple sources is provided with hyper-text type links to allow for the selection of various programs. The hyper-text links are provided for a transmitted and then stored digital bit stream. This allows for the embedding within the content guide what could be additional commercial information. The embedding may also be as to additional information for other related television or radio shows or the like. Information can be additional television shows, related information or activities on on-line services or automatic telephone ordering of products or services being displayed.

Integrated content guide for interactive selection of content and services on personal computer systems with multiple sources and multiple media presentation

An optical code symbol reading system includes a housing having a light transmission aperture, and at least one sound port formed in the housing. The system includes an optical code symbol reading subsystem for optically reading a code symbol in the field external to the light transmission aperture, and generating symbol character data representative of the read code symbol. An electro-acoustic transducer is disposed in the housing for producing sonic energy. Also, an acoustic-waveguide structure is disposed in the housing, for coupling the sonic energy produced from the electro-acoustic transducer, to the at least sound wave port formed the housing, to audibly signal the reading of a code symbol to the operator of the optical code symbol reading system.

Code symbol reading system

In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, a security sensitive program (100) that operates with a secret (101) is made tamper resistant by distributing the secret in space as well as in time. In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, a security sensitive program is made tamper resistant by obfuscating the program. In accordance with a third aspect of the present invention, a security sensitive application is made tamper resistant by isolating its security sensitive functions, and making the isolated security sensitive functions tamper resistant by distributing the secrets of the security sensitive functions in time as well as in space, and/or obfuscating the security sensitive functions. In one embodiment where obfuscation is employed, the pseudo-randomly selected pattern(s) of mutations is (are) unique for each installation. In accordance with a fourth aspect of the present invention, a security sensitive system with security sensitive applications is made further tamper resistant by deploying an interlocking trust mechanism. In accordance with a fifth aspect of the present invention, a content industry association, in conjunction with content manufacturers, content reader manufacturers, and content player manufacturers of the industry jointly implement a coordinated encryption/decryption scheme, with the player apparatus manufactured by the content player manufacturers employing playing software that include tamper resistant decryption functions.

Tamper resistant methods and apparatus

A DMA controller which responds without operating system intervention to virtual addresses provided by application programs, and a memory management unit for providing translations between physical addresses of input/output devices and addresses on a system input/output bus for data transferred by the DMA controller

DMA controller translates virtual I/O device address received directly from application program command to physical i/o device address of I/O device on device bus

Hardware input/output address translation apparatus adapted for use in a multitasking computer system including hardware responsive to commands from an unprivileged application program addressed to an input/output address for translating the input/output address to a physical address space of an input/output device and transferring the command to the physical address of an input/output device, and additional hardware responsive to commands from an unprivileged application program addressed to an input/output address for selecting from safe translations of input/output addresses to physical address spaces of input/output devices for the hardware for translating the input/output address to a physical address space of an input/output device.

Architecture for providing input/output operations in a computer system

A process of coordinating access to a shared resource by a plurality of execution units is provided. Channel control units are used to coordinate access to a shared resource. Each channel control unit reads semaphore values of a semaphore storage unit. In response to synchronization commands and semaphore values, the channel control unit manages the flow of execution instructions to the execution units in order to manage access to the shared resource.

Semaphore enhancement to improve system performance

A method and apparatus for performing anti-aliasing of rendered lines, text and images displayed by a workstation on a video display. The anti-aliasing is performed by logically dividing each addressable frame buffer pixel into sixteen sub-pixels and generating a gray scale value for the displayed pixel that is a function of the number of sub-pixels crossed by a portion of a rendered image. The invented circuitry is part of the circuitry used for combining source and destination data which forms the displayed image namely, an anti-aliasing mask and filter, adder/subtractor logic, saturation logic and anti-aliasing logic.

Anti-aliasing raster operations utilizing sub-pixel crossing information to control pixel shading

A method of controlling the routing of input/output operations including providing a series of commands expressing connections between sources of data, processing elements, and destinations for data to carry out an input/output operation; compiling a data structure for the input/output operation from the series of commands, the data structure including context defining connections between each of the sources of data, processing elements, and destinations for data; and using the data structure to set connecting context to make connection expressed between each of the sources of data, processing elements, and destinations for data whenever the input/output operation is to be accomplished.

Method of controlling I/O routing by setting connecting context for utilizing I/O processing elements within a computer system to produce multimedia effects

Curtis Priem

Papers

DMA controller translates virtual I/O device address received directly from application program command to physical i/o device address of I/O device on device bus

Architecture for providing input/output operations in a computer system

Semaphore enhancement to improve system performance

Anti-aliasing raster operations utilizing sub-pixel crossing information to control pixel shading

Method of controlling I/O routing by setting connecting context for utilizing I/O processing elements within a computer system to produce multimedia effects