Author: claimsbot

What is claimed is:

1. An electrostatically protected circuit comprising:
an internal circuit electrically connected to a pad; and
an ESD protector, including an electrostatic protection circuit in series with an inductor, having a first terminal electrically connected to the pad and internal circuit and a second terminal electrically connected to an exit path for electrostatic discharge pulses appearing at the pad.
2. The electrostatically protected circuit of claim 1, wherein the inductor has an inductance selected to effectively pass signals having frequencies typical of electrostatic discharge pulses and to effectively block signals having frequencies typical of signals desired to be processed by the internal circuit.
3. The electrostatically protected circuit of claim 1, wherein the inductor has an inductance selected to effectively pass signals near a first frequency and to effectively block signals near a second frequency higher than the first frequency.
4. The electrostatically protected circuit of claim 1, wherein the inductor has an inductance selected to compensate for a characteristic capacitance of the electrostatic discharge protection circuit at frequencies typical of signals desired to be processed by the internal circuit.
5. The electrostatically protected circuit of claim 1, further comprising:
an additional ESD protector, including an electrostatic protection circuit in series with an inductor, having a first terminal electrically connected to the pad and internal circuit and a second terminal electrically connected to an additional exit path for electrostatic discharge pulses appearing at the pad.
6. The electrostatically protected circuit of claim 1, further comprising an additional electrostatic protection circuit having a first terminal electrically connected between the electrostatic protection circuit and the inductor of the ESD protector and a second terminal electrically connected to an additional exit path for electrostatic discharge pulses appearing at the pad.
7. The electrostatically protected circuit of claim 1, wherein the inductor is implemented on an integrated circuit chip.
8. The electrostatically protected circuit of claim 1, wherein the inductor is implemented with integrated circuit bonding wire.
9. The electrostatically protected circuit of claim 1, wherein the inductor is electrically connected to the electrostatic protection circuit via an additional pad.
10. The electrostatically protected circuit of claim 9, further comprising an additional internal circuit electrically connected to the second terminal of the inductor, the additional pad and the electrostatic protection circuit.
11. The electrostatically protected circuit of claim 9, wherein the inductor comprises:
a first bonding wire having first and second ends respectively electrically connected to the additional pad and to a package pin; and
a second bonding wire having first and second ends respectively electrically connected to an auxiliary pad and to the package pin;
wherein the electrostatically protected circuit further comprises an on-chip interconnect electrically connecting the first pad and the auxiliary pad.
12. An electrostatically protected circuit comprising:
an internal circuit electrically connected to a pad;
an inductor having a first terminal electrically connected to the pad and internal circuit and a second terminal electrically connected to a source of reference voltage; and
an electrostatic protection circuit having a first terminal electrically connected to the pad and internal circuit and a second terminal electrically connected to an exit path for electrostatic discharge pulses appearing at the pad.
13. The electrostatically protected circuit of claim 12, further comprising an additional electrostatic protection circuit having a first terminal electrically connected to the pad and internal circuit and a second terminal electrically connected to an additional exit path for electrostatic discharge pulses appearing at the pad.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

What is claimed is:

1. In a computer graphics system, a method for calculating a texture-mapping gradient comprising:
calculating constant values for use in a gradient-calculating equation;
passing the constant values to logic configured to calculate the gradient; and
computing the gradient using barycentric coordinates and the calculated constant values.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating constant values comprises using logic in a rasterizer to calculate the constant values.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein passing the constant values to logic comprises passing the constant values to a rational linear interpolator computational logic block.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising using the gradient to select a texture map.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating constant values more specifically comprises calculating constant values that include at least one selected from the group consisting of Csx, Ctx, Crx, and Cqx, wherein Csx is a constant defining an amount of change in s in the x direction, before perspective correction, wherein Ctx is a constant defining an amount of change in t in the x direction, before perspective correction, wherein Crx is a constant defining an amount of change in r in the x direction, before perspective correction, wherein s, t, and r are texture coordinates, and wherein Cqx is an amount that the perspective correction parameter q changes in the x direction.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating constant values more specifically comprises calculating constant values include at least one selected from the group consisting of Csy, Cty, Cry, and Cqy, wherein Csy is a constant defining an amount of change in s in the y direction, before perspective correction, wherein Cty is a constant defining an amount of change in t in the y direction, before perspective correction, wherein Cry is a constant defining an amount of change in r in the y direction, before perspective correction, wherein s, t, and r are texture coordinates, and wherein Cqy is an amount that the perspective correction parameter q changes in the y direction.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the gradient more specifically comprises calculating the gradient according to the following equation: GpxCpxCqx(pnqn)qnCqx, wherein Cpx(dadx)dp1(dbdx)dp2, wherein Cqx(dadx)dq1(dbdx)dq2, and wherein dadx and dbdx are constant values for an entire primitive.
8. In a computer graphics system, a method for calculating a texture-mapping gradient, the improvement comprising calculating the texture-mapping gradient utilizing barycentric coordinates.
9. The method of claim 8, further comprising deriving constant values for an entire primitive, wherein the constant values are used in the calculation of the texture-mapping gradient.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the constant values are used at each pixel location within the primitive to calculate the texture-mapping gradient for that pixel.
11. The method of claim 8, wherein a perspective-corrected texture coordinate and a perspective correction value are used to calculate the texture-mapping gradient for each pixel, wherein the perspective correction is one selected from the group consisting of snqn, tnqn, and rnqn, and the perspective correction value is qn.
12. An apparatus for calculating a texture-mapping gradient comprising:
logic for calculating constant values; and
logic for computing the gradient using barycentric coordinates and the calculated constant values.
13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the logic for calculating the constant values resides in a rasterizer.
14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the logic for computing the gradient-calculating equation resides in a rational linear interpolator computational logic block.
15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the constant values include at least one selected from the group consisting of Csx, Ctx, Crx, and Cqx, wherein Csx is a constant defining an amount of change in s in the x direction, before perspective correction, wherein Ctx is a constant defining an amount of change in t in the x direction, before perspective correction, wherein Crx is a constant defining an amount of change in r in the x direction, before perspective correction and wherein Cqx is an amount that the perspective correction parameter q changes in the x direction.
16. A computer-readable medium comprising program code for calculating a texture-mapping gradient, the computer-readable medium comprising:
a segment for generating logic to calculate constant values; and
a segment for generating logic to compute the gradient using barycentric coordinates and the calculated constant values.

1. A front spoiler for a motor vehicle, comprising: a head strip connected to a front end part of the motor vehicle and extending in a transverse direction of the vehicle; a spoiler element projecting down from the head strip and extending in the transverse direction of the vehicle, the spoiler element having an aerodynamically effective front air impingement surface facing forward on the vehicle; and a reinforced portion in a central region of the front spoiler at both sides of a vehicle longitudinal center line, the reinforced portion having plate-shaped reinforcing ribs projecting down from the head strip less than a downward projection of the spoiler element and extending in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, the reinforcing ribs being spaced rearward of the spoiler element by a gap so that the spoiler element has a reinforced region opposed to the reinforcing ribs with limited rearward deflection and an elastically flexible region adjoining the reinforced region and projecting below the reinforcing ribs.
2. The front spoiler of claim 1, wherein the flexible region of the spoiler element is below a horizontal plane passing through the free ends of the reinforcing ribs and the reinforced region is above the horizontal plane, deflection characteristics of the spoiler element being determined by vertical dimensions of the reinforcing ribs.
3. The front spoiler of claims 1, wherein the reinforced region of the spoiler element is elastically deflectable rearwardly about the transversely extending head strip and into the gap until a rear surface of the spoiler element contacts front edges of the reinforcing ribs.
4. The front spoiler of claim 1, wherein each of the reinforcing ribs has an angular cutout in an upper region, the cutout nesting with a convex angle of the front end part while being held at a distance from front end part in proximity to the convex angle.
5. The front spoiler of claim 4, wherein the angular cutout of each of the reinforcing ribs comprises vertical and horizontal rib edges, the vertical rib edge being formed on a rectangular rib portion connected to the head strip, and the horizontal rib edge being formed on a triangular rib portion adjoining the rectangular rib portion.
6. The front spoiler of claim 5, wherein the angular cutout of the reinforcing rib overlaps the convex angle of the front end part from below and forward, and the rectangular rib portion is arranged in a concave angled front offset of the front end part.
7. The front spoiler of claim 4, wherein the head strip of the spoiler element forms an elastic pivoting axis about which the spoiler element is pivotable toward the reinforcing ribs from an unbiased position into adjusted positions in response to air forces arising counter to a direction of travel, the spoiler element contacting the reinforcing ribs to define a maximum elastic pivoting.
8. The front spoiler of claim 7, wherein the horizontal rib edge of the cutout of each of the reinforcing ribs contacts a bottom surface of the front end part to further limit elastic pivoting of the spoiler element about the head strip.
9. The front spoiler of claim 1, wherein the head strip has fastening hooks for connection to openings in the front end part.
10. The front spoiler of claim 1, further comprising horizontally aligned plates at opposite free lateral ends of the spoiler element and extending rearward across an underside of the front end part, the plates being connectable to the front end part.

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 snap-in electrical connector for helical metal cable and conduit comprising:
a) a body having a leading end engageable in a hole of a junction box, a trailing end, and at least one locking ring chamber having a longitudinal axis,
b) a spring steel locking ring in said chamber, said locking ring including outwardly extending locking tabs engaged in holes in said body, and three inwardly extending tabs including a trailing tab and a leading tab that extend toward each other and a middle tab between said trailing and leading tabs,
c) each of said tabs having a leg extending inwardly of said chamber toward said leading end, a cableconduit engaging tip bent at an angle with respect to said leg, and a tip end, said tip ends being spaced along said longitudinal axis of said chamber and being biased relative to said legs in the same angular direction so as to follow and engage the bottom of the helical groove of the cableconduit when inserted into said body with said chamber.
2. A snap-in electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tip ends are biased at an angle in a range from about 9\xb0-20\xb0.
3. A snap-in electrical connector as claimed in claim 2, wherein said tip end of said leading tab has a biased angle of about 10\xb0, said tip end of said trailing tab has a biased angle of about 20\xb0, and said tip end of said middle tab has a biased angle of about 9\xb0.
4. A snap-in electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tip end of said middle tab is concave so as to provide two points of engagement with the bottom of the helical groove of a cableconduit.
5. A snap-in electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein said middle tab is longer that said trailing and leading tabs.
6. A snap-in electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the leg of said middle tab is concavo-convex along its length.
7. A snap-in electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, including two locking ring chambers, each having one of said locking rings.
8. A snap-in electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein locking ring has a thickness and hardness of about 0.020 gauge and 45-50 Rockwell C., and wherein said legs form included angles with said ring in the range of about 35\xb0-55\xb0.
9. A snap-in electrical connecter as claimed in claim 8, wherein the legs of said trailing and leading tabs form included angles of about 42\xb0, and the leg of said middle tab forms an included angle of about 52\xb0.
10. A snap-in electrical connector as claimed in claim 8, wherein said tips form included angles with said legs of about 135\xb0.
11. A snap-in electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein:
i) the legs of said trailing and leading tabs form included angles with said ring of about 42\xb0,
ii) the leg of said middle tab forms an included angle with said ring of about 52\xb0,
iii) said tips of said tabs form included angles with their legs of about 135\xb0,
iv) the biased angle of said leading tab is about 10\xb0,
v) the biased angle of said trailing tab is about 20\xb0,
vi) the biased angle of the tip end of said middle tab is about 9\xb0.
12. A snap-in electrical connector locking ring having a leading end, a trailing end and a longitudinal axis extending between said ends, said ring comprising outwardly extending, concavo-convex locking tabs and inwardly extending, cableconduit tabs including a leading tab, and a trailing tab that extend toward each other and a middle tab between said leading and trailing tabs, each of said inwardly extending tabs including a leg projecting toward said leading end, a tip formed at an angle to said leg, and a tip end formed at an angle to said tip, said tip ends being biased in the same angular direction corresponding to the helical angle of a cableconduit engage by said connector, and said inwardly extending tabs being spaced from each other along said longitudinal axis by a distance such that said tips can capture the helical groove of a metal cable and conduit with said biased end tips engaging the bottom of the groove.
13. A snap-in electrical connector locking ring as claimed in claim 12, wherein said middle tab is longer than said leading and trailing tabs, and is concavo-convex along its length, and wherein the tip end of said middle tab is concave.