Abstract: A user interface system employed in retrieving information from an information repository used in exchanging data between different electronic data systems includes the following method. A first menu is displayed which supports user selection of a bi-directional communication interface from a plurality of interfaces. The bi-directional communication interface is used for communicating data between a particular source and destination. In response to user selection of a bi-directional communication interface, a second menu is disolved which supports user entry of data determining communication characteristic information to be retrieved from the information repository for the selected communication interface.

Abstract: A video skim is assembled by identifying one or more key frames from a video shot. Certain lengths of frames to the left and right of the key frame are measured for visual content variety. Depending upon the measured visual content variety to the left and right of the key frame, the video skim is assembled that has L frames to the left of the key frame and R frames to the right of the key frame. Measuring the visual content variety to the left and right of the key frame, provides a video skim that incorporates the more salient features of a shot.

Abstract: A user selection interface system comprises one or more circular selectors linked to selectable characteristics, and a display linked to the selectors, for display of an image which corresponds to the selected characteristics. The interface is typically linked to a database comprising stored image and other information which corresponds to the selectable characteristics, whereby an image that corresponds to an item which meets a selected characteristic is retrieved and displayed. Information other than the image which corresponds to the selectable characteristics may also be retrieved and displayed. In some embodiments, the stored images comprise a single image, which matches all the selected characteristics. In alternate embodiments, the displayed image comprises a composite image that is based upon stored images which correspond to different selected characteristics. In some embodiments, the user selection interface comprises a graphic user interface.

Abstract: A method and system for making resources available is provided, in which a hierarchy, such as a tree having expandable and collapsible branches, is presented on a user interface. The hierarchy represents a logical arrangement of resources that available to a user. The hierarchy may be organized in a variety of ways, such as by resource category, functional area, project, sub-project, or task grouping. The resources made available may, for example, allow employees of an organization to perform tasks. When a user selects a node on the hierarchy, a group of links that are usable to open files or execute programs is presented. These links may be used to access the available resources and, for example, accomplish tasks of the organization.

Abstract: A system is described for displaying images of a virtual three-dimensional book having a plurality of virtual pages. The system comprises a display system capable of executing a display program wherein images of the virtual three-dimensional book are produced on the display system. Information relating to the virtual three-dimensional book may be displayed on an edge of the virtual three-dimensional book. This information may comprise a table image, meta-data about references in the book, information about the organizational structure of the book, or graphical data. Additionally, several columns or rows of information may be displayed on the virtual book edge, each column or row being selectively expandable and contractible. Moreover, a virtual three-dimensional book may be displayed in a way that bears a metaphorical relationship to the contents of the virtual three-dimensional book.

Abstract: A method and system for providing user assistance in utilizing a computer program is disclosed that provides the capability for combining an active display of the past, current, and future steps in an ongoing process with a series of associated decision panels and forms to be completed in order to carry out the steps. A navigator bar, which is situated adjacent to and can be scrolled independently of information appearing in a client area of a computer screen display, provides a user of the computer program with a map of the steps already executed, the current step being executed, and the most likely steps to be performed based on the current step being executed. If the user selects a different step to be the current step, the display of most likely future steps to be performed changes, if appropriate.

Abstract: A parameter evaluation system comprising a boundary input device for setting boundaries in a variation range of one or more parameters, thereby to define regions within said variation range, a label input device for associating labels with said regions, a rule input device for setting rules to associate at least one of a plurality of output recommendations with each of said regions and with combinations thereof and an output device to present a user with an output recommendation associated with a region or combination thereof corresponding to at least one measured parameter input to said system. The input device is a parameter value region selection and categorization input device for setting boundaries in the variation range of the parameter, defining regions therebetween and categorizing the regions.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a framework for monitoring workflow within an application having multiple levels of functionality, the framework being capable of combining a plurality of components from different sources and comprising a process level for selecting a set of defined process steps to be applied to a data set associated with a set of activities, a sub-process level including an aggregation of selected activities from the set of activities and facilitating navigation between the selected activities, and an activity level wherein an activity's property in the data set is modified as a result of the applied processing of the activity level to produce an output data set.

Abstract: A hypervideo player for playing hypervideos containing both video and hypervideo hyperlinks provides user selectable run-time options for the form of hypervideo hyperlink emphasis region display attributes displayed at the time of viewing. The hypervideo player may reside on a host system. The hypervideo player integrates video file(s) and hypervideo hyperlink data file(s) to form a hypervideo. The hypervideo player decodes a video file, encodes the decoded video file with a corresponding hypervideo hyperlink data file at key frames of the video file to form a hypervideo, displays the hypervideo on a display device and provides the user, at the time of viewing, with at least one user selectable option for the form of hypervideo hyperlink emphasis region display attributes. The hypervideo player preferably employs interpolation between key frames to determine the display position of the hypervideo hyperlink emphasis region(s) in non-key frames of the hypervideo.

Abstract: The invention is a method and apparatus for automatically opening files of particular types in a computer application program using certain attributes, such as window size and position, as dictated by user preferences based on the user's previous habits in opening files of the same type in that particular computer application program or based on properties of the file itself.

Abstract: An avionics system having displays with display configurations pilot selected for a phase of flight of an aircraft and reconfigurable for each phase of flight. A multifunction flight display stores and displays the stored phase of flight display configurations for each phase of flight of the aircraft. A cursor control panel connected to the multifunction display for changes from one stored phase of flight display configuration to another stored phase of flight display configuration when the aircraft changes phase of flight. The cursor control panel also is used for reconfiguring the display configuration for each phase of flight. The cursor control panel has phase of flight quick access pushbuttons for selecting a stored phase of flight configuration and for reconfiguring a stored phase of flight configuration into a new phase of flight configuration by selecting the new configuration and pressing a phase of flight quick access pushbutton for a predetermined time to store the new configuration.

Abstract: A communication terminal having a display; a keypad having a plurality of keys associated with several letters each; a processor for controlling the display in accordance with the operation of the keypad; a selectable predictive editor program for generating an output containing words matching a received string of ambiguous key strokes, the predictive editor program has a number of associated vocabularies including at least one language dependent dictionary and at least one dictionary receiving user defined inputs. An editor application is controlled by the processor which communicates with said predictive editor programs for generating matching words based on an ambiguous string of key strokes. A second memory of the communication terminal for storing user inputted data. The processor automatically searches the second memory for words and copies these words into the dictionary for receiving user defined inputs associated with said predictive editor program.

Abstract: A system and a method for navigating within a display having one or more display sections are disclosed. A section from the one or more display sections is selected. In response to the selection, a navigational symbol is displayed on a border of the selected section, the symbol corresponding to a direction in which a highlight may be moved. In one embodiment, the highlight is moved in the corresponding direction in response to the selection of the symbol. In another embodiment, the symbol indicates an availability of an adjacent section in the corresponding direction.

Abstract: A system is described for displaying images of a virtual three-dimensional book having one or more virtual pages. The system comprises a display system capable of executing a display program wherein images of the virtual three-dimensional book are produced on the display system. A degree of interest (DOI) function is provided for allocating available space on the display system. A page selection function may provide a user-selectable scale along a long axis of the virtual book for selecting virtual pages. Virtual chapter tabs may also be provided for navigating within the virtual book. The display system may also include a page flipping function with several different page flipping speeds and several different page flipping animations for moving between virtual pages in the virtual book. Moreover, a scroll bar function provided to facilitate page navigation wherein space on the scroll bar is allocated using a DOI function.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing and using techniques for determining validity of cached frames of a compositing hierarchy as a composition tree of a digital video composition is edited. The techniques use interval lists associated with nodes in a compositing tree to determine which cached frames of a composition hierarchy are guaranteed to be valid in the face of arbitrary edits to the hierarchy.

Abstract: A method of information personalization is provided, whereby the information has an associated status indication (such as, an image or picture for example). Firstly, information is displayed (via a Web browser for example). Next, a process to determine the presence of one or more attributes associated with the status indication is carried out. If it is determined that one or more attributes exist, each of the attributes is compared against a respective threshold, whereby each of the thresholds determines rendering of the associated status indication. In response to the comparing, if one or more respective thresholds are met, the associated status indication is displayed as an updated status indication (whereby, the status indication is partially visible or non-visible for example). If one or more respective thresholds are not met, the associated status indication is displayed (whereby, the status indication is unchanged for example).

Abstract: A system is described for displaying images of a virtual three-dimensional book having one or more virtual pages. The system comprises a display system capable of executing a display program wherein images of the virtual three-dimensional book are produced on the display system. The display system may include a folding function, whereby a segment of a virtual page is displayed as at least partially folding backward form a surface of the display system. Additionally, based on one or more search terms, the display system may include an indexing function for creating a customized index and/or a table of contents function for creating a customized table of contents. Moreover, a dynamic bookmark function may be provided for displaying one or more dynamic bookmarks to a virtual three-dimensional book. Also disclosed is a computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable code embodied therein for producing images of a virtual three-dimensional book.

Abstract: A digital object is manipulated by way of a physical object. As a digital space on a computer is deeply fused with a physical real space, it becomes possible to input user commands not only by way of native user input devices such as a mouse and a keyboard but also various physical objects that are scattered in the real world and draw out a digital object by way of a physical object. As a result, computers can be operated in a more intuitive and easy way and become attractive to the users.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for processing information, and a program and a program storage medium are disclosed. A content processing routine 152-1 controls the display of a thumbnail and determines whether or not a predetermined time has passed with the thumbnail selected. If the predetermined time is found passed with the thumbnail selected, the content processing routine 152-1 controls the display of the information associated with the thumbnail to a predetermined position corresponding to the display position of the thumbnail.

Abstract: An editing system for producing a resultant clip from a plurality of clips. Information indicating relations between the clips is stored and managed in a database according to a hierarchical structure. The content of a first resultant clip can be updated at any time, and the system automatically updates all other resultant clips that are produced from the first resultant clip.