What is claimed is:
1. An output driver circuit having at least one output driver leg circuit associated therewith, the at least one output driver leg circuit comprising:
at least one drive transistor;
at least one switching transistor coupled to both the at least one drive transistor and at least a first voltage signal line; and
a plurality of compensating circuits coupled to a gate of the at least one drive transistor and to at least a second voltage signal line configured to reference a voltage signal potential other than ground in a corresponding plurality of phases.
2. The output driver circuit of claim 1, wherein the plurality of compensating circuits includes:
a first support element for coupling to the gate of the drive transistor and to the voltage signal potential other than ground, and wherein the first support element responds during a first phase of said corresponding plurality of phases; and
a second support element coupled to the first support element and the at least one switching voltage, the second support element responsive to the voltage signal potential other than ground during a second phase subsequent to said first phase of said corresponding plurality of phases.
3. The output driver circuit of claim 2, wherein the first support element is an n-channel transistor and said second support element is a p-channel transistor.
4. The output driver circuit of claim 1, wherein the at least one output driver leg circuit is a plurality of output driver leg circuits at least a portion of which include a support circuit.
5. The output driver circuit of claim 1, wherein the plurality of compensating circuits includes at least one capacitive element coupled to the gate of the at least one drive transistor and to the at least a second voltage signal line.
6. A support circuit for smoothing a response of a voltage on a gate of a drive transistor of an output driver circuit, comprising:
a first support element for coupling to the gate of the drive transistor and to at least one switching voltage, the first support element responsive to an at least one switching voltage during a first phase; and
a second support element coupled to the first support element and the at least one switching voltage, the second support element responsive to the at least one switching voltage during a second phase subsequent to said first phase.
7. The support circuit of claim 6, wherein the first support element is an n-channel transistor and said second support element is a p-channel transistor.
8. The support circuit of claim 6, further comprising at least one capacitive element coupled to the gate of the at least one drive transistor and to the at least a second voltage signal line.
9. An electronic system comprising:
a processor; and
at least one of an input device, an output device, a memory device and a data storage device associated with the processor;
wherein at least one component of the electronic system comprises an output driver circuit including a drive transistor having a support circuit associated therewith, the support circuit including:
a first support element for coupling to the gate of the drive transistor and to at least one switching voltage, the first support element responsive to an at least one switching voltage during a first phase; and
a second support element coupled to the first support element and the at least one switching voltage, the second support element responsive to the at least one switching voltage during a second phase subsequent to said first phase.
10. The electronic system of claim 9, wherein the first support element is an n-channel transistor and said second support element is a p-channel transistor.
11. The electronic system of claim 9, further comprising at least one capacitive element coupled to the gate of the at least one drive transistor and to the at least a second voltage signal line.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method of operation of a client computer, whereby an application may be obtained for use with a host program on the client computer, the method comprising:
sending an application search request and a list of functions provided by a host program on a client computer;
receiving a list of applications available from the server which can be used, at least in a basic mode of operation, with a said function provided by the host program;
presenting the list of applications;
receiving a selection of an application from the list;
sending the selection;
receiving the selected application; and
activating the received application using the host program.
2. The method of claim 1, and further comprising:
if the host program provides a function which supports an optional feature of the received application, then activating that optional feature.
3. The method of claim 1 and further comprising receiving a manifest for at least the selected application, the manifest containing at least a list of functions required for the selected application to operate in the basic mode of operation.
4. The method of claim 1 and further comprising, after receiving the selected application, activating the selected application when the host program is activated.
5. The method of claim 1 and further comprising:
accepting a request to download a selected one of the usable software applications;
requesting a download of the selected usable software application;
accepting the download of the requested software application.
6. The method of claim 1 and further comprising activating the received software application within the host program.
7. A server whereby applications may be downloaded, the server comprising:
a memory device containing operating instructions, a list of downloadable software applications, and, for each of the downloadable software applications, a list of functions required for the downloadable software application to be used in a basic mode of operation;
a network interface unit;
a processor, communicatively coupled to the memory device and to the network interface unit, the processor executing the operating instructions to:
receive, via the network interface unit, a request for a list of applications which are available on the server and a list of functions provided by a host program on a client computer;
identify applications which can be used, at least in a basic mode of operation, with a said function provided by the host program;
generate a list of the identified applications;
cause the list of identified applications to be sent via the network interface unit;
receive, via the network interface unit, a request for a selected one of the identified applications;
cause the selected software application to be sent via the network interface unit.
8. The server of claim 7 wherein the processor further executes the operating instructions to cause the list of downloadable software applications to be sent via the network interface unit by retrieving from the memory device the list of downloadable software applications and then sending the list of downloadable software applications to the network interface unit.
9. The server of claim 7 wherein the processor further executes the operating instructions to cause the list of downloadable software applications to be sent via the network interface unit by causing the memory device to send the list of downloadable software applications to the network interface unit.
10. The server of claim 7 wherein the processor further executes the operating instructions to:
retrieve from the memory device a list of functions optionally usable by each software application; and
cause the list of the functions optionally usable by the each software application to be sent via the network interface unit.
11. The server of claim 7 wherein the processor further executes the operating instructions to:
retrieve from the memory device a list of functions optionally usable by each software application; and
cause the list of the functions optionally usable along with the list of software applications and the list of functions required by each of the software applications to be sent via the network interface unit.
12. The server of claim 7 wherein the processor further executes the operating instructions to:
retrieve from the memory device a list of functions optionally usable by the selected software application; and
to cause the list of the functions optionally usable by the selected software application to be sent via the network interface unit.
13. The server of claim 7 wherein the processor further executes the operating instructions to:
retrieve from the memory device a list of functions optionally usable by the selected software application; and
cause the list of the functions optionally usable by the selected software application along with the selected software application to be sent via the network interface unit.
14. A computer storage medium having computer readable instructions stored thereupon whereby applications may be activated on a server for use with a host program on a client computer, the computer readable instructions, when executed by a computer, cause the client computer to:
send an application search request and a list of functions provided by a host program on a client computer;
receive a list of applications available from the server which can be used, at least in a basic mode of operation, with a said function provided by the host program;
present the list of applications;
receive a selection of an application from the list;
send the selection;
receive the selected application; and
activate the received application for use with the host program.
15. The computer storage medium of claim 14, further comprising computer readable instructions that, when executed by the client computer, cause the client computer to:
accept a request to download a selected one of the usable software applications;
request a download of the selected usable software application;
accept the download of the requested software application.
16. The computer storage medium of claim 14, further comprising computer readable instructions that, when executed by the client computer, cause the client computer to activate the received software application within the host program on the client computer.
17. The computer storage medium of claim 14, further comprising computer readable instructions that, when executed by the client computer, cause the client computer to receive a list of functions which can optionally be used with the host program.
18. The computer storage medium of claim 14, further comprising computer readable instructions that, when executed by the client computer, cause the client computer to activate an optional feature of the selected application if the host program provides a function which supports the optional feature.
19. The method of claim 14, further comprising computer readable instructions that, when executed by the client computer, cause the client computer to receive a manifest for at least the selected application, the manifest containing at least a list of functions required for the selected application to operate in the basic mode of operation.
20. The method of claim 14, further comprising computer readable instructions that, when executed by the client computer, cause the client computer, after receiving the selected application, to activate the selected application when the host program is activated.