Author: claimsbot

1. A processor-implemented method of compositing a plurality of planes comprising at least a first plane and a second plane onto a target surface, said method comprising, at least one processor:
i) dividing said surface into strips, each of said strips bounded by a first set of edges corresponding to a first set of boundaries of each of said plurality of planes;
ii) dividing said strips into partitions by subdividing each of said strips along a second set of edges corresponding to a second set of boundaries of each of said plurality of planes, each partition made up of connected pixels to be composited from the same subset of said plurality of planes associated with said each partition; said partitions comprising at least a first partition to be composited from at least both said first and second planes; a second partition to be composited from at least said first plane but not said second plane; and a third partition to be composited from at least said second plane but not said first plane;
iii) merging those adjacent partitions that have identical associated subsets of said plurality of planes;
iv) compositing pixels for each of said partitions from corresponding pixels of said associated subset of planes to render an image on said target surface.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing said processor with partition coordinates and an identifier of said associated subset of planes for each of said partitions after said dividing.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein said plurality of planes is composited in a single pass by said processor.
4. The method of claim 1, comprising providing processor instructions to said processor for execution for said dividing and said compositing pixels for each of said partitions.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein said surface and each of said partitions are in the shape of one of: a triangle, a rectangle and another shape formed from at least two triangles.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein
each of said first set of edges corresponds to top and bottom boundaries of said each of said plurality of planes and each of said second set of edges corresponds to left and right boundaries of each of said plurality of planes.
7. The method of claim 5, wherein
each of said first set of edges corresponds to left and right boundaries of each of said plurality of planes and each of said second set of edges corresponds to top and bottom boundaries of each of said plurality of planes.
8. The method of claim 3, wherein at least two of said partitions are to be composited from at least one common plane, and said at least two of said partitions are composited immediately after one another by said processor.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein at least two of said partitions are to be composited from a first subset of said plurality of planes, and wherein said at least two of said partitions are both composited from said first subset of said plurality of planes immediately after one another by said processor.
10. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing processor executable instructions for forming an image on a surface by compositing a plurality of planes, said instructions comprising:
i) instructions for dividing said surface into strips, each of said strips bounded by a first set of edges corresponding to a first set of boundaries of each of said plurality of planes;
ii) instructions for dividing said strips into partitions by subdividing each of said strips along a second set of edges corresponding to a second set of boundaries of each of said plurality of planes, each partition made up of connected pixels to be composited from the same subset of said plurality of planes associated with said each partition, said partitions comprising at least a first partition to be composited from at least both said first and second planes, a second partition to be composited from at least said first plane but not said second plane, and a third partition to be composited from at least said second plane but not said first plane; and
iii) instructions for merging those adjacent partitions that have identical associated subsets of said plurality of planes;
iv) instructions for compositing pixels for each of said partitions from corresponding pixels of said associated subset of planes to render said image on said target surface using said graphics processor.
11. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein said processor executable instructions further comprise instructions for providing partition coordinates and an identifier of said associated subset of planes for each of said partitions to a processor.
12. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein said processor executable instructions further comprise an application programming interface for use by an application software to execute said instructions.
13. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein said application programming interface comprises data structures representative of said plurality of said planes, said processor executable instructions further comprising instructions for receiving said data structures representative of said planes from said application software.
14. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein said processor executable instructions further comprise at least one of:
instructions for selectively tagging a surface to be used for passing said planes using a defined surface format;
instructions for making a de-interlacing and sub-stream compositing call with a private globally unique identifier;
instructions for passing a compressed buffer of planes to a decoding routine defined in a first standard software interface for using hardware-acceleration to speed up video processing, along with another private globally unique identifier; or
instructions for using a second standard software interface, containing standalone APIs for decoding, processing, and capturing video, defined for using hardware-acceleration to speed up video processing.
15. A device comprising a processor in communication with memory, said memory storing processor executable instructions comprising:
instructions causing said processor to receive a plurality of planes to be composited to form an image on a target surface, divide said surface into strips bounded by a first set of edges corresponding to a first set of boundaries of each of said plurality of planes, and divide said strips into partitions by subdividing each of said strips along a second set of edges corresponding to a second set of boundaries of each of said plurality of planes, each partition made up of connected pixels to be composited from the same subset of said plurality of planes associated with said each partition, said partitions comprising at least a first partition to be composited from at least both said first and second planes; a second partition to be composited from at least said first plane but not said second plane; and a third partition to be composited from at least said second plane but not said first plane;
instructions to merge those adjacent partitions that have identical associated subsets of said plurality of planes;
instructions to composite pixels for each of said partitions from corresponding pixels of said associated subset of planes thereby rendering said image on said target surface.
16. The device of claim 15, wherein said processor executable instructions provide said processor with partition coordinates and an identifier of said associated subset of planes of said each partition, for each of said partitions.
17. The device of claim 15, wherein said processor executable instructions further comprise:
instructions for providing a programming interface to an application software executing on said processor, said programming interface comprising data structures representative of said plurality of planes; and
instructions for receiving said data structures representative of said planes from said application software.
18. The device of claim 15, wherein said processor comprises a central processing unit in communication with a graphics processor.
19. The device of claim 15, wherein said processor comprises a graphics pipeline having a plurality of stages.
20. The device of claim 19, wherein a plurality of buffers comprising an index buffer, a vertex buffer, a texture buffer and a constant buffer are formed inside said memory; and said stages comprise at least one of a vertex shader, a rasterizer, a pixel shader or an output merger.
21. The device of claim 20, and said processor renders said image in a single pass.
22. The device of claim 21, wherein said processor executable instructions further comprise:
a first software component; a second software component; and a programming interface from said first component to said second component;
said programming interface operable to communicate all required data for rendering said image in said single pass from said first component to said second component.
23. The device of claim 22, wherein said required data comprise at least one of:
a de-interlacing method; scaling factor; color format of said plurality of planes; color format of said image or luma keying data.
24. The device of claim 15, further comprising a drive in communication with said processor for reading a video stream stored on a disc wherein each of said plurality of planes is formed by decoding said video stream.
25. The device of claim 24, wherein said disc is one of a DVD, Blu-ray Disc, HD DVD and VCD.
26. The device of claim 15, wherein said plurality of planes are received from a broadcast source via one of a digital television, Internet TV, satellite receiver and set-top box.
27. The device of claim 15, wherein said plurality of planes is obtained from a video stream received via one of a network, video cable and an optical cable.
28. A processor-implemented method of compositing a plurality of planes comprising at least a first plane and a second plane onto a target surface, said method comprising, at least one processor:
i) dividing said surface into polygonal partitions, each partition made up of connected pixels to be composited from the same subset of said plurality of planes associated with said each partition, at least one of said partitions having a height and a width of more than one pixel; said partitions comprising at least a first partition to be composited from at least both said first and second planes; a second partition to be composited from at least said first plane but not said second plane; and a third partition to be composited from at least said second plane but not said first plane;
ii) compositing pixels for each of said partitions on a partition-by-partition basis from corresponding pixels of said associated subset of planes to render an image on said target surface.
29. The method of claim 28, further comprising providing said processor with partition coordinates and an identifier of said associated subset of planes for each of said partitions after said dividing.
30. The method of claim 29, wherein said plurality of planes is composited in a single pass by said processor.
31. The method of claim 28, comprising providing processor instructions to said processor for execution for said dividing and said compositing pixels for each of said partitions.
32. The method of claim 28, wherein said surface and each of said partitions are in the shape of one of: a triangle, a rectangle and another shape formed from at least two triangles.
33. The method of claim 32, wherein said dividing comprises:
forming horizontal strips bounded by horizontal edges on said surface, each of said edges corresponding to top and bottom boundaries of said each of said plurality of planes; and
forming said partitions by subdividing each of said horizontal strips vertically along left and right boundaries of each of said plurality of planes.
34. The method of claim 32, wherein said dividing comprises:
forming vertical strips bounded by vertical edges on said surface, each of said edges corresponding to left and right boundaries of each of said plurality of planes; and
forming said partitions by subdividing each of said vertical strips horizontally along top and bottom boundaries of each of said plurality of planes.
35. The method of claim 33, further comprising merging adjacent ones of said partitions that have identical associated subsets of said plurality of planes prior to said providing said partition coordinates.
36. The method of claim 34, further comprising merging adjacent ones of said partitions that have identical associated subsets of said plurality of planes prior to said compositing pixels for each of said partitions.

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. An arm-rest, adjustable in inclination, for a vehicle, the arm-rest comprising:
a fixed part, intended to be connected to a frame of the vehicle;
a movable part, hinged to said fixed part around a rotation axis X by a hinging means to move between a lowered angular position and a raised angular position; and
a system for adjusting an inclination of said movable part between said lowered angular position and said raised angular position;
wherein said system for adjusting the inclination comprises:
at least one freewheeling bearing, chosen from those of rolling-contact type and those of cam type, associated with said hinging means so as to allow said movable part to rotate around said rotation axis X only in the direction of rotation which from said lowered angular position leads to said raised angular position; and
a releasing means acting on said hinging means and able to liberate the rotation of said movable part from said raised angular position to said lowered angular position;
said hinging means comprises a rotation shaft aligned along said rotation axis X;
said freewheeling bearing is connected in rotation to said fixed part so as to freely rotate around said rotating axis X;
said shaft is joined to said movable part and is connected in rotation to said freewheeling bearing; and
said releasing means being able to alternately assume;
a first operative position in which said releasing means prevent said freewheeling bearing from rotating around said rotation axis X in relation to said fixed part; and
a second operative position in which said freewheeling bearing is freely allowed to rotate around said rotation axis X in relation to said fixed part.
2. The arm-rest according to claim 1, wherein said freewheeling bearing of the rolling-contact type is of a casing type.
3. The arm-rest according to claim 1, wherein said releasing means comprise a toothed annular portion concentrically joined to said bearing and at least one movable pawl, connected to said fixed part and kept engaged to said toothed portion by elastic means.
4. The arm-rest according to claim 3, wherein said toothed annular portion is made on a bush, such that said freewheeling bearing being connected in rotation to said fixed part by means of said bush.
5. The arm-rest according to claim 1, wherein said releasing means comprise a manually operated mechanism for moving said at least one pawl, able to contrast said elastic means and thus cause said releasing means to take said second operative position.
6. The arm-rest according to claim 3, wherein said releasing means comprise at least one portion protruding from said movable pawl and able to engage a cam element joined concentrically to said shaft, said cam element being shaped so that when said movable part reaches andor passes beyond said raised position, said cam element acts on said pawl at the height of said protruding portion in contrast with said elastic means disengaging said pawl from said toothed portion.
7. The arm-rest according to claim 6, wherein said cam element is shaped so that when said movable part moves in rotation from said lowered position to said raised position, said cam element does not act in contrast with said elastic means letting said pawl engage said toothed portion.
8. The arm-rest according to claim 7, wherein said cam element is made on an annular body, concentrically joined to said shaft.
9. An arm-rest, adjustable in inclination, for a vehicle, the arm-rest comprising:
a fixed part connected to a frame of the vehicle;
a movable part having an adjustable inclination being hinged to the fixed part around a rotation axis X by a hinging means so as to adjust the inclination of the movable part between a lowered angular position and a raised angular position; and
a system for adjusting the inclination of the movable part comprising:
at least one freewheeling bearing associated with the hinging means so as to allow the movable part to rotate around the rotation axis X; and
a releasing means, acting on the hinging means, for alternately assuming one of:
a first operative position in which the releasing means prevent the freewheeling bearing from rotating around the rotation axis X in relation to the fixed part, and
a second operative position in which the releasing means liberates the rotation of the movable part, from the raised angular position to the lowered angular position, so that the freewheeling bearing is freely allowed to rotate around the rotation axis X in relation to the fixed part.
10. An arm-rest, adjustable in inclination, for a vehicle, the arm-rest comprising:
a fixed part, intended to be connected to a frame of the vehicle;
a movable part, hinged to said fixed part around a rotation axis X by a hinging means to move between a lowered angular position and a raised angular position; and
a system for adjusting an inclination of said movable part between said lowered angular position and said raised angular position;
wherein said system for adjusting the inclination comprises:
at least one freewheeling bearing, chosen from those of rolling-contact type and those of cam type, associated with said hinging means so as to allow said movable part to rotate around the rotation axis X only in the direction of rotation which from said lowered angular position leads to said raised angular position;
a releasing means acting on said hinging means and able to liberate the rotation of said movable part from said raised angular position to said lowered angular position;
said freewheeling bearing is connected in rotation to said fixed part to freely rotate around said rotation axis X;
said hinging means is joined to said movable part and is connected in rotation to said freewheeling bearing;
said releasing means being able to alternately assume:
a first operative position, in which the releasing means prevents said freewheeling bearing from rotating around said rotation axis X in relation to said fixed part; and
a second operative position in which the releasing means allows said freewheeling bearing to rotate freely in relation to said fixed part.

1. A vehicle comprising:
a two-part frame comprising a first frame and a second frame, wherein the first frame and the second frame are separated by at least one swivel that allows for a side-to-side motion with respect to the longitudinal axis of the two-part frame, wherein the second frame comprises a member movable between a non-extended orientation and an extended orientation on the second frame or a member movable between a non-extended orientation and an extended orientation in a cavity or a guide on the first frame;
at least one wheel each rotably mounted on at least one axle on the first frame;
at least one wheel each rotably mounted on at least one axle on the second frame;
a riding seat reversibly attached to the second frame;
a drive mechanism coupled to the at least one wheel each rotably mounted on the at least one axle on the first frame or to the at least one wheel each rotably mounted on the at least one axle on the second frame for driving the vehicle;
at least one handlebar post attached to the first frame; and
a carrier attachable to the first frame for carrying at least one human, at least one package, or a combination thereof therein,
wherein the vehicle is in a tricycle orientation when the member is in the extended orientation and is drivable by a rider sitting on the seat and steering the vehicle with the at least one handlebar post,
wherein the vehicle is in a stroller orientation when the member is in the non-extended orientation and is drivable by a walker steering the vehicle with the at least one handlebar post.
2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the carrier is movable between a forward-facing orientation and a rear-facing orientation with respect to the longitudinal axis of the first frame.
3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the vehicle in the tricycle orientation is steered by turning the first frame on the swivel.
4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the vehicle in the stroller orientation is steered by depressing on the handlebar, lifting the front wheel, and turning the vehicle in the desired direction.
5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the drive mechanism is a chainless shaft comprising a variable speed transmission.
6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the drive mechanism is coupled to the at least one wheel each rotably mounted on the at least one axle on the second frame for driving the vehicle.
7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the at least one handlebar post attached to the first frame comprises a single handlebar with two individual mounting posts separated by a space, wherein at least a portion of the carrier is disposed in the space between the two individual mounting posts.
8. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the at least one handlebar post comprises two individual mounting posts separated by a space, wherein at least a portion of the carrier is disposed in the space between the two individual mounting posts.
9. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the vehicle in the tricycle orientation comprises two front wheels each rotably mounted on the at least one axle on the first frame and one wheel each rotably mounted on the at least one axle on the second frame.
10. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the at least one swivel that allows for a side-to-side motion with respect to the longitudinal axis of the two-part frame does not allow for an up-or-down motion with respect to the longitudinal axis of the two-part frame when moving from extended orientation to the non-extended orientation.
11. A convertible cycling-stroller apparatus comprising:
a two-part frame comprising a first frame and a second frame, wherein the first frame and the second frame are separated by at least one swivel that allows for a side-to-side motion with respect to the longitudinal axis of the two-part frame, wherein the second frame comprises a member movable between a non-extended orientation and an extended orientation on the second frame or a member movable between a non-extended orientation and an extended orientation in a cavity or a guide on the first frame;
at least one wheel each ratably mounted on at least one axle on the first frame;
at least one wheel each rotably mounted on at least one axle on the second frame;
a riding seat reversibly attached to the second frame;
a drive mechanism coupled to the at least one wheel each rotably mounted on the at least one axle on the second frame for driving the convertible cycling-stroller apparatus, wherein the drive mechanism is a chainless shaft comprising a variable speed transmission;
at least one handlebar post attached to the first frame; and
a carrier attachable to the first frame for carrying at least one human, at least one package, or a combination thereof therein,
wherein the convertible cycling-stroller apparatus is in a tricycle orientation when the member is in the extended orientation and is drivable by a rider sitting on the seat, powering the drive mechanism, and steering the convertible cycling-stroller apparatus with the at least one handlebar post,
wherein the convertible cycling-stroller apparatus is in a stroller orientation when the member is in the non-extended orientation and is drivable by a walker steering the convertible cycling-stroller apparatus with the at least one handlebar post.
12. The convertible cycling-stroller apparatus of claim 11, wherein the convertible cycling-stroller apparatus in the tricycle orientation is steered by turning the first frame on the at least one swivel.
13. The convertible cycling-stroller apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one handlebar post attached to the first frame comprises a single handlebar with two individual mounting posts separated by a space, wherein at least a portion of the carrier is disposed in the space between the two individual mounting posts.
14. The convertible cycling-stroller apparatus of claim 11, wherein the convertible cycling-stroller apparatus comprises two front wheels each rotably mounted on the at least one axle on the first frame and one wheel rotably mounted on the at least one axle on the second frame.
15. The convertible cycling-stroller apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one handlebar post spatially translates with respect to the longitudinal axis of the first frame between the tricycle orientation and the stroller orientation.
16. The convertible cycling-stroller apparatus of claim 11, wherein the member is movable between the non-extended orientation and the extended orientation on the second frame by hand or with the assistance of a mechanical device.
17. The convertible cycling-stroller apparatus of claim 11, wherein the member is movable between the non-extended orientation and the extended orientation in the cavity or the guide on the first frame by hand or with the assistance of a mechanical device.
18. The convertible cycling-stroller apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one swivel that allows for a side-to-side motion with respect to the longitudinal axis of the two-part frame does not allow for an up-or-down motion with respect to the longitudinal axis of the two-part frame when moving from extended orientation to the non-extended orientation.
19. A convertible tricycle-stroller apparatus comprising:
a two-part frame comprising a first frame and a second frame, wherein the first frame and the second frame are separated by at least one swivel that allows for a side-to-side motion with respect to the longitudinal axis of the two-part frame, wherein the second frame comprises a member movable between a non-extended orientation and an extended orientation on the second frame or a member movable between a non-extended orientation and an extended orientation in a cavity or a guide on the first frame;
at least one wheel each rotably mounted on at least one axle on the first frame;
at least one wheel each rotably mounted on at least one axle on the second frame;
a riding seat reversibly attached to the second frame;
a drive mechanism coupled to the at least one wheel each rotably mounted on the at least one axle on the second frame for driving the convertible tricycle-stroller apparatus, wherein the drive mechanism is a chainless shaft comprising a variable speed transmission;
at least one handlebar post attached to the first frame; and
a carrier attachable to the first frame for carrying at least one human, at least one package, or a combination thereof therein,
wherein the convertible tricycle-stroller apparatus is in a tricycle orientation when the member is in the extended orientation and is drivable by a rider sitting on the seat, powering the drive mechanism, and steering the convertible tricycle-stroller apparatus with the at least one handlebar post,
wherein the convertible tricycle-stroller apparatus is in a stroller orientation when the member is in the non-extended orientation and is drivable by a walker steering the convertible tricycle-stroller apparatus with the at least one handlebar post,
wherein the convertible tricycle-stroller apparatus in the tricycle orientation is steered by turning the first frame on the at least one swivel,
wherein the at least one handlebar post attached to the first frame comprises a single handlebar with two individual mounting posts separated by a space, wherein at least a portion of the carrier is disposed in the space between the two individual mounting posts,
wherein the convertible tricycle-stroller apparatus comprises two front wheels each rotably mounted on the at least one axle on the first frame and one wheel rotably mounted on the at least one axle on the second frame,
wherein the at least one swivel that allows for a side-to-side motion with respect to the longitudinal axis of the two-part frame does not allow for an up-or-down motion with respect to the longitudinal axis of the two-part frame when moving from extended orientation to the non-extended orientation.
20. The convertible tricycle-stroller apparatus of claim 19, wherein the member is movable between the non-extended orientation and the extended orientation in the cavity or the guide on the first frame by hand or with the assistance of a mechanical device.

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 camera shutter, comprising:
a base plate having a shutter opening;
a shutter blade for opening and closing the shutter opening; and
a driving means for driving the shutter blade,
wherein the driving means comprises a swingably journaled swinging lever having arm portions on both sides of a rotating shaft as well as a portion connected to the shutter blade, permanent magnets provided on both ends of the arm portions, a magnet coil wound around an iron core that is fixed so as to face the permanent magnets of the both ends, and an electromagnetic drive circuit for controlling electricity conduction to the magnet coil; and
the swinging lever is operated by attractive force toward or repelling force against the permanent magnet that is generated by conduction of electricity to the magnet coil to drive the shutter blade.
2. The camera shutter according to claim 1, wherein the iron core having the magnet coil wound therearound faces inner sides of the permanent magnets of the both ends.
3. The camera shutter according to claim 1, wherein the swinging lever is operated while the permanent magnet is moved in a direction along a surface of the iron core, thereby driving the shutter blade.