Systems and methods are provided for scheduling the processing of a coprocessor whereby applications can submit tasks to a scheduler, and the scheduler can determine how much processing each application is entitled to as well as an order for processing. In connection with this process, tasks that require processing can be stored in physical memory or in virtual memory that is managed by a memory manager. The invention also provides various techniques of determining whether a particular task is ready for processing. A ?run list? may be employed to ensure that the coprocessor does not waste time between tasks or after an interruption. The invention also provides techniques for ensuring the security of a computer system, by not allowing applications to modify portions of memory that are integral to maintaining the proper functioning of system operations.

 The present invention provides a method for protecting a character entered at a graphical interface. The method comprises the steps of: generating a set of images that form a complete image of a keypad having a button-to-character assignment; displaying the graphical keypad using said image set; and, obtaining the character of a selected button using the button-to-character assignment. The inventive method can be repeated with a different button-to-character assignment in each repetition to obtain a sequence of characters. In consequence of the inventive method, the entered character is protected as monitoring software can capture merely unreadable portions of the complete keypad image. In furtherance of this purpose, the present invention also provides a method for generating a set of images from a complete image of a character belonging to a character set.

 Systems and methods for a dimmable user interface. A user interface is simultaneously displayed with video content or other data in the same window of a display device. The user interface has a level of transparency that is user adjustable. The user can thus make the user interface either more or less visible with respect to the video content. At the same time, the video content is correspondingly made less or more visible. Each item included in the user interface may also have a level of transparency that can be adjusted independently of the level of transparency of the user interface.

 A method and system for description of synthetic audiovisual content makes it easier for humans, software components or devices to identify, manage, categorize, search, browse and retrieve such content. For instance, a user may wish to search for specific synthetic audiovisual objects in digital libraries, Internet web sites or broadcast media; such a search is enabled by the invention. Key characteristics of synthetic audiovisual content itself such as the underlying 2d or 3d models and parameters for animation of these models are used to describe it. More precisely, to represent features of synthetic audiovisual content, depending on the description scheme to be used, a number of descriptors are selected and assigned values. The description scheme instantiated with descriptor values is used to generate the description, which is then stored for actual use during query/search. Typically, a user, to search for a needed synthetic audiovisual content initiates a query that is passed on to a search engine that then retrieves the candidate content from one or more databases whose description closely matches the query criteria specified by the user.

 A method and system in accordance with the present invention provides a system that allows a portable media player to control settings of the portable media player when receiving video from an accessory, to control playback of the portable media player, and to provide for navigation between video tracks in a hierarchical fashion. In so doing, a portable media player can then utilize this information to provide for the maximum functionality of the accessory when connected to the portable media player.

 A coefficient-data generating apparatus generates coefficient data of an estimating equation used to convert a first information signal including pieces of information data into a second information signal including pieces of information data. The coefficient-data generating apparatus includes a determining unit determining whether a subject point in a second learning signal corresponding to the second information signal is a feature point having a predetermined feature; a data selector selecting pieces of information data at adjacent points of the subject point in the second learning signal, based on a first learning signal corresponding to the first information signal; and a calculator calculating the coefficient data using information data at the subject point in the second learning signal, the subject point being determined as the feature point by the determining unit, and the pieces of information data selected in association with the subject point by the data selector.

 A point-of-purchase (?POP?) display employing RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) technology for inventory control is provided. The POP is preferably fabricated from paper, paperboard and/or corrugated paperboard material, and incorporates one or more shelves and/or cover layers. An RF antenna structure is applied to the surfaces of, or built into, the one or more shelves and/or cover layers. Suitable RF transmitter/receiver circuitry may also be built into the POP, or the POP may simply have suitable connections built in, to permit such transceiver apparatus to be plugged into the POP. The transceiver circuitry is connected in any suitable manner to an inventory control computer, such as the retail store's computer. Each article that is to be displayed in the POP is provided with an RFID tag. Removal of an article from the POP, results in a signal being transmitted to the inventory control computer, corresponding to the removal of the article from the POP, and corresponding adjustment of the inventory records in the inventory control computer.

 Computer-implemented method and apparatus for processing data representing a three-dimensional object model includes generating an image of a modeled object. The modeled object is formed from a number of different components that can be arranged in different positions, and the generated image depicts a change in a position of a first one of the components with respect to a second one of the components.

 Finite element methods are unsuitable for a dispersed system. Particle methods suitable for a dispersed system are limited in their particle shapes of only spheres that require many particles to model a complicated shape especially in 3D. Proposed procedures for a particle method are roughly as follows. 1): Judging the existence of the contact between particles as that between mathematically-smooth closed surfaces representing particle shape and size. 2): Assuming an imaginary contact point and an imaginary contact plane the same as when both closed surfaces are reduced with the same scale to touch at one point. 3): Calculating imaginary contact area and imaginary contact stiffness using the above point and plane. Based on these procedures, particle shapes are not limited but smooth. Therefore, a more complicated shaped problem in a dispersed system can be analyzed with a smaller number of particles. Additionally, combined use with finite elements enlarges usability.