摘要:
An entertainment system has a personal computer as the heart of the system with a large screen VGA quality monitor as the display of choice. The system has digital satellite broadcast reception, decompression and display capability with multiple radio frequency remote control devices which transmit self identifying signals and have power adjustment capabilities. These capabilities are used to provide context sensitive groups of keys which may be defined to affect only selected applications running in a windowing environment. In addition, the remote control devices combine television and VCR controls with standard personal computer keyboard controls. A keyboard remote also integrates a touchpad which is food contamination resistant and may also be used for user verification. Included in the system is the ability to recognize verbal communications in video signals and maintain a database of such text which is searchable to help identify desired programming in real time.
摘要:
A computer system having a monitor, disk drive, and central controller is disclosed. The computer manufacturer uses a method for expanding the reserve area of a disk drive to allow computer systems manufacturers to change the storage capacity of the reserve area. The method includes setting up a password with the disk drive manufacturer to enable two commands. One command reads the maximum address or largest track number that the user has access to. The second command allows for setting a new maximum address to which the user has access. The firmware of the disc drive is updated with the new maximum address. Once the two commands have been used to expand the reserve area, the computer system manufacturer can add critical data, and critical program instructions to the expanded or new reserve area. The computer manufacturer may decide to store a portion of a virus scan program in the expanded reserve area, or store a portion of the basic input output system (BIOS) so that a smaller BIOS read only memory (ROM) can be used for the computer system, or the computer manufacturer can store emergency boot up instructions in the reserve area in the event there is damage to the disk.
摘要:
A method and apparatus for controlling access to television programming uses a remote control device. The remote control device contains program control data which limits the viewer's access to television programming. The program control data is created and modified by a user with the master control user id assigned to the remote control device. The remote control device is optionally assigned one or more user ids for creating, maintaining, and in one embodiment activating a user-customizable profile which controls programming access according to the users' preferences. The program control data, user profile data, and related circuitry is stored in the remote control device, or alternatively in the television receiver or a control device attached to the television receiver. Where the circuitry is not in the remote control devices the remote control device has a unique identifying signal which causes the programming control circuitry to employ the program control data and user profile data associated with that particular remote control device.
摘要:
A programmable cellular telephone activates selected functions based on a user modifiable schedule, The user stores schedule information in a schedule table for automatic function activation/deactivation. A controller controls all cellular telephone functions, and comprises a memory and a clock. The controller also comprises an automatic scheduler which activates and deactivates cellular telephone functions according to the entries in the schedule table. Cellular telephone functions are activated and deactivated either manually or when the automatic scheduler is enabled and the real time corresponds with the scheduled time in the schedule table. By using the scheduler, a user can select time periods when calls are receivable without having to remember to turn on the cellular phone, extending battery life and minimizing unwanted interruptions.
摘要:
A polynomial expansion network of a plurality of nodes, each node capable of communicating with the other nodes through a communications system. The network has an originating node that sends a message for ultimate receipt by a subset of nodes in a polynomial expansion manner. The network also has a first and a second receiving node, each of which receives the message from the originating node. The first and second receiving nodes also receive a unique list of other nodes to which the message has not yet been sent. The polynomial expansion manner can be optimized such that each node sends the message to no more than a predetermined number of other nodes to which the message has not yet been sent, or such that, before each node receives the message, the message passes through no more than a predetermined number of other nodes.
摘要:
An entertainment system has a personal computer as the heart of the system with a large screen VGA quality monitor as the display of choice. The system has digital satellite broadcast reception, decompression and display capability with multiple radio frequency remote control devices which transmit self-identifying signals and have power adjustment capabilities. These capabilities are used to provide context sensitive groups of keys which may be defined to affect only selected applications running in a windowing environment. In addition, the remote control devices combine television and VCR controls with standard personal computer keyboard controls. A keyboard remote also integrates a touchpad which is food contamination resistant and may also be used for user verification. Included in the system is the ability to recognize verbal communications in video signals and maintain a database of such text which is searchable to help identify desired programming in real time.
摘要:
A position sensor comprises two curved surfaces concentrically aligned to form a container which is filled with a viscous fluid and a bubble of a lighter-weight fluid and placed between a radiation source and a radiation detector. The bubble changes position within the container when the sensor is moved, transmitting a beam of radiation from the radiation source through the bubble to activate a section of the radiation detector while the remainder of the radiation is blocked by the fluid. Position sensing circuitry translates a signal from the activated section of the radiation detector into position coordinates for point in space corresponding to the position of the bubble in the container. The position sensor is suitable for use in a digital controller that generates display attributes to define a locator symbol on an output device. The digital controller can include an optional button to permit a user to change the size of the locator symbol, making it appear to approach or recede, to provide a simulated three-dimensional display.