Abstract: The claimed method and system provides a graphical user interface that illustrates network topology information, including connection paths between devices on the local network and an external network such as the Internet. The claimed method and system may use a three column format for presenting the topology that is more intuitive for a user. Also, the claimed method and system may aggregate context and connection information from multiple different protocols to provide the topology display. Further, the claimed method and system may use a device registry to enable customized and extensible representations of the network devices.

Abstract: A reservation registration apparatus, a method of reservation registration and a program storage medium allow reservation registration to be performed by easy operation. A starting time and an ending time can be set and changed by easy operation by displaying on a display screen reservation subject icons representing reservation subjects and a time base display area for performing reservation registration, and when the reservation subject icons are moved onto the time base display area, displaying a reservation time frame display division representing a starting time and an ending time of the reservation subjects according to positions to which they are moved, and changing a starting time or an ending time according to movement of the entire reservation time frame display division or movement of the first end or the second end of the reservation time frame display division.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method and system for use in a computing environment to present and provide access to information that a user cares about. A scheme is provided for presenting frequently used controls and information in tiles within a sidebar. Tiles are hosted individually or in groups, within a sidebar, for interaction by a user. Tiles can be added or removed from the sidebar automatically or by user request. The present invention is further directed to a method for providing a scaleable and useable preview of tiles within a sidebar. Further still, the present invention is directed to maintaining an overflow area of icons for tiles that would not fit within the sidebar. The sidebar has content that dynamically adjusts in response to the addition, expansion, squishing or removal of tiles. Even Further, a user can customize the sidebar of the present invention.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for selecting a desktop from a plurality of desktops for use upon turning on a computer system are provided. When the computer system is turned on, it is first determined whether there is more than one desktop available in the computer system. If so, the computer system determines whether a network address is associated with some or all of the available desktops by comparing its network address with the network addresses that are associated with the available desktops. If the computer system finds a network address that is the same as its own network address, the computer system then uses the desktop associated with the stored network address.

Abstract: A sequence of cards is stored that graphically represents available options within an information system. In response to a single user action, the sequence of cards is successively displayed within a focus area of the user interface. In response to a subsequent user action, the successive display is discontinued to display a particular card representing a selected option.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for fast text drawing in an enhanced version of the Swing application program interface for Java applications. According to the system and method, two lightweight component peers, JTextFieldPeer and JfastLabelPeer, are created. These peers allow the Swing components, JTextField and JLabel, to define the look and feel of the TextField and Label in the graphical user interface for the application; however, they are not allowed to draw the text. Instead, special fast text drawing code within the peers themselves is used to draw the text. Once the text has been initially drawn, editing functions are handled by the Swing components, as is normal. Furthermore, the special fast text drawing routines are assigned a low event priority, making it possible for text to be updated even after it has been buffered and is waiting to be drawn. These features significantly accelerate text rendering. The enhanced version of Swing is referred to herein as AWTSwing.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed whereby two components within the Swing application program interface (API), JTextField and JPasswordField, are used to emulate the behavior of the TextField component in the abstract windowing toolkit (AWT). This allows legacy Java applications, based on the AWT, to be migrated to the platform-independent Swing API, without modification. In the AWT, a single TextField component could be used for ordinary text entry, as well as for password protected text entry. In the latter case, a prescribed echo character would be displayed as text was entered, to avoid displaying privileged information. According to the system and method disclosed herein, a JPasswordField component may be substituted for a JTextField component, or vice-versa, depending on whether an echo character has been specified. This substitution is performed at runtime, using an enhanced version of the Swing API, as disclosed herein. The enhanced version of Swing is referred to herein as AWTSwing.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed whereby a list-based control (e.g., a Listbox or Choice control) in a graphical user interface may share a single copy of a list with the peer component of the control in the application program interface (API) used to display the control. This overcomes a problem in legacy Java applications, based on the abstract windowing toolkit API, wherein the peer component creates a copy of the list when the corresponding list-based control is displayed. In contrast, peer components within the Swing API reference the original version of the list associated with the control, avoiding this redundancy. According to the system and method disclosed herein, an enhanced version of Swing can be used with legacy application programs, allowing them to benefit from this feature of Swing. No modification of the legacy code is necessary. This extension to Swing is referred to herein as AWTSwing.

Abstract: In a graphical user interface or other similar processing environment, functionality is provided that enables the selecting of multiple portions of non-contiguous content, and enables such functionality within the same application and also across different applications. Further, a “direct save” function is enabled that allows the user to directly save the multiple portions of selected content to a file. In addition, selected content portions can be categorized, and a mechanism is provided to allow the user to conveniently make use of these various categories for effective content viewing.

Abstract: A dynamic collaboration assistant application for use in a computing system including a terminal connected to a server. The dynamic collaboration assistant application includes a collaborative gateway application for generating a collaborative gateway GUI on the terminal. A context listener module located on the terminal is used to continuously monitor a context in which a user is using the terminal. A context translator module analyzes the context message and dynamically adjusts the display of the plurality of collaboration applications in the collaborative gateway GUI as a function of the context in which the user is using the terminal.

Abstract: Importing data from a source document into a destination document that is displayed within an application program associated with the destination document includes displaying a user interface region as part of the user interface of the application program. Importing the data also includes indicating in the user interface region at least a portion of external data within the accessed source document that is available for insertion into the destination document; and inserting a selected portion of external data into the destination document in response to user input selecting the portion of external data.

Abstract: A narrow mode navigation pane is provided that may be selectively displayed as a replacement of a normal mode or full-size navigation pane to allow more display space for other user interface content. The narrow mode navigation pane is divided into sections, each section including selectable controls for providing data or functionality previously displayed in and selectable from the normal mode navigation pane. Selection of a “Navigation Pane” control causes the temporary display of a pop-up version of the normal mode navigation pane for allowing a user to view and/or select the full contents of the normal size navigation pane without toggling to the normal mode navigation pane. Additional sections of the narrow mode navigation pane may include selectable controls representing a subset of controls from the normal mode pane and for launching other software applications and associated user interfaces.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for dynamically provisioning a user interface for a shader. Signals received from a user input device are interpreted to select the shader. Source code including program instructions for the shader is parsed to identify user-controllable parameters and preferred user interface components that are then displayed within a user interface. Additional user input signals are obtained based on user interactions with the user interface components and the shader is executed to display the effect of the user interactions.

Abstract: In order to record content on a hard disk drive to a source, when a source icon corresponding to the hard disk drive is dragged in a source icon section on a control bar in a display window, an arrow is added above an available source icon corresponding to an MD drive to which the content read from the hard disk drive can be supplied and recorded. An unavailable source icon corresponding to a source to which the content cannot be supplied and recorded is displayed in a grayed-out manner. When the dragged source icon is dropped onto the source icon corresponding to the MD drive, the content on the hard disk drive is read, and is recorded to an MD inserted in the MD drive.

Abstract: A method is provided for graphical display of hierarchical hardlinks to files in a file system that includes identifying multiple hardlinks for a file and displaying relationships among the multiple hardlinks and the file. Some embodiments also include a hardlink comprising a link to a file directly mapping the file into a namespace. Graphical display of hierarchical hardlinks to files in a file system also includes providing a list of hardlinks to the file and providing in the file a pointer to the list. Some embodiments also include deleting the file having multiple hardlinks, renaming the hardlinks to the file, and displaying the pathnames of the hardlinks to the file.

Abstract: Various methods and apparatuses are described to generate a list of one or more links related to the content in an active window without a user having to request the query. The text from content in an active window may be analyzed. A query may be executed on the content in the active window without a user having to request the query. A first icon that represents a category of links related to the content may be embedded in an application operating in the active window. A list of links related to the content in the active window may be generated.

Abstract: Methods and systems present commands to a user within a software application program by determining the user's context within the application program and automatically presenting in a user interface commands that pertain to the user's current context. When the user's context changes, the context-sensitive commands are automatically removed from the user interface. In one implementation context blocks and context panes are employed to present the commands.

Abstract: A user interface having a persistent graphical interface element is disclosed. The element may have an appearance of a mechanical structure that traverses one or more displayed tracks. Movement along the tracks may be animated in response to navigation commands. Selectable menu panels may be included in the interface, and may overlay displayed contents of documents being viewed and/or edited to ensure that certain menu options are always available. The menu may be given multiple distinct appearances corresponding to different display sizes.

Abstract: A system and method for switching presentation of media between two or more processes without interruption is described. This system and method can enable a user to enjoy media presented in a process and then switch the presentation of that media to another process without interruption in the media. Further, this system and method can enable a user to switch back and forth between media presentation within one application and another application without interruption.

Abstract: This invention provides a method for registering and enrolling multiple users in a interactive information display systems where the untethered multiple users interact with large information displays using laser pointers coordinated with voice commands. A registration program assigns a unique identification to each user that associates a particular user's voice and a particular laser pointer pattern chosen by that user, with that particular user. Users may speak voice commands. The system will then perform speech recognition of the user's voice command. If the command is recognized, the system performs the speech-recognized command as a window operation.