Abstract: A navigation tool permits a presenter to navigate through a presentation, while easily introducing supplemental material into the presentation. Presentation slides are represented as thumbnails on the screen of the presenter's monitor, and are preferably arranged in rows and columns. The rows may indicate a main narrative sequence, and the columns may include thumbnails of slides representing supplemental or background material. The presenter may proceed from one slide to the next using conventional mouse/cursor technology or a remote control device. To this end, a navigation tool is introduced permitting the presenter to easily proceed along a row or a column simply by simply selecting the correct button. A special button is dedicated to making larger jumps back to the main narrative.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for displaying a complementary, high-level graphical representation of an enterprise information technology system. A primary visualization module displays a primary visualization that is a schematic representation of one or more elements of a selected portion of an enterprise information technology system. A minimap module displays a minimap that is an abstracted, high-level schematic representation of the enterprise information technology system. A navigation module demarks a primary visualization representation within the minimap that corresponds to the primary visualization. In one embodiment, the navigation module modifies the primary visualization representation and the corresponding primary visualization in response to a user input directed to the demarked primary visualization representation within the minimap.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for interacting with multi-attribute managed resources as groups. The apparatus, system and method identify in a repository one or more groups associated with a target attribute. The apparatus system and method further determine a set of managed resources from the repository wherein each managed resource in a set comprises the same value for the target attribute. The apparatus system and method further associate each set of managed resources with a group. The apparatus system and method may subdivide the groups into sub-groups according to additional attributes possessed by members of each group and may display the groups and sub-groups to summarize and highlight the managed resources of each group and sub-group.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for progressively disclosing information in support of information technology system visualization and management. An organization module establishes a plurality of levels of graphical information for an information technology system comprising a plurality of entities and a plurality of connections between entities, wherein each entity represents one or more sub-entities and is assigned to at least one level and at least one entity class. An assignment module assigns an entity graphical representation to each entity for each assigned level. A display module displays the entity graphical representation for a selected entity with the entity information granularity for a level and a context graphical representation of an adjacent entity relationship. A modification module progressively modifies the information environment in response to a user request.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for monitoring computer system components in large or complex systems. The apparatus includes an identifier module for associating at least one visual identifier with a computer system component. A function module associates one or more control functions with the visual identifier. A presentation module selectively displays the at least one identifier for the computer system component within a present view of a user interface. A monitoring module monitors the computer system component associated with the at least one identifier and modifies the identifier in response to a change in operational status for the computer system component.

Abstract: A system and method for visualizing and navigating document content using a condensed representation of a document to provide both a global overview of the distribution of key search terms as well as their immediate context. The invention supports rapid skimming of documents and document collections and enables efficient information finding, in some cases entirely eliminating the need to scroll within a document as with a conventional browser tool. The invention is of particular utility with personal digital assistants, which generally have small displays and limited storage capacity and communication bandwidth in comparison to personal computers. Documents may include conventional text and image files, web pages, audio files, and video files. The invention may also apply to collections of documents.

Abstract: A method, system and apparatus for wrapping objects for liveness in a collaborative environment. In a preferred aspect of the present invention, a method for enabling liveness for a non-live object can include the step of wrapping the non-live object to emulate liveness in a collaborative environment. Preferably, the wrapping step can include selecting at least one attribute of the non-live object, repeatedly updating a status of the at least one attribute for the non-live object, and, providing the repeatedly updated status to the collaborative environment in order to emulate liveness for the non-live object.

Abstract: A method, system and apparatus for creating and managing an activity in a collaborative environment. In a preferred aspect of the present invention, a unified activity manager for use in a collaborative environment can include an activity list including a hierarchical listing of activities. Each of the activities can include at least one task. The unified activity manager further can include an activity view including a rendering of properties associated with a selected activity in the activity view. Finally, the unified activity manager yet further can include a persons and roles view including at least a listing of collaborators available for association with the selected activity in the activity view.

Abstract: A partially collapsing hierarchical display system aids information navigation by providing a dynamic mechanism for labeling items with one or more states. In one embodiment, states comprise “hidden”, “visible” and “unmarked”. An expanded list of items displays all items. A partially expanded list of items displays all visible and unmarked items, removing hidden items from the display. A further collapsed list of items displays all visible items. A completely collapsed list of items hides all items. Users customize the amount of detail displayed in a sub-tree, reducing the display size of the sub-tree. Expansion of a hierarchical structure is combined with filtering, allowing users to partially collapse or partially expand a sub-tree structure. Partially collapsed lists comprise one or more focus points, allowing users to view several relevant sections of a hierarchical structure concurrently.

Abstract: Visual structuring of multivariable data sets provided in records which include fields, and are displayed in tabular form. A method comprising: defining a key field; sorting records by defined key field; finding equivalent field values in fields in records arranged adjacent to each other; defining a block for fields having equivalent field values; displaying one field value of fields of a block having equivalent field values and masking all other fields within the block having equivalent field values like the one field value. Facilitating monitoring or analysis of large multivariable data sets provided in records and displayed in tabular form it is proposed to define blocks of fields having equivalent field values and display only one field value of a block. The visual output is useful to identify patterns indicative of an attack. A service provider monitors records provided by a customer and notifies the customer of the attack.

Abstract: A word processing program uses a number of low-key alarm signals or sound patterns to communicate a variety of situations that arise during data input by a user. A personalized program is used to detect incorrectly formatted or improperly inputted data such as e-mail addresses, phone numbers, template or form entries as well as to recognize stored data, such as a user's complete mailing address or programming codes. When alerted, the user accepts, denies or ignores any given suggestion the program provides. The sound patterns are specific to different types of events and may also indicate the severity of the event. A user also has the option of allowing the software to automatically correct any of the situations to prevent stalling of the input process.

Abstract: A visually impaired user is provided a non-visual, abstract representation of a multi-part information page. The non-visual, abstract representation is provided by auditory and tactile feedback. A touch pad provides tactile feedback for the boundaries between content areas of the page when the user's finger is located at coordinates on the touch pad which map to the boundaries between the content areas of the page. Auditory feedback provides meta-information on the content within a content area when the user's finger is located at coordinates on the touch pad which map to the content area.

Abstract: The creation and maintenance of a website is made easier through automation. The user selects the data (or documents) to put on the web. Information associated with the documents is extracted from the documents and analyzed to determine the contents of the documents. A template is then automatically selected from a library of templates, and this template is used to generate the website. Both the structure and the layout of the data may be determined from the data itself, from user actions, from corporate identity templates, and from authorities that can help improve the website design.

Abstract: A system and method for navigating a computer-based slide show during presentation to an audience. A preferably transparent summary view presents time data for each slide, and depicts each slide as a cell. The contents of each cell visually convey information about the slide. Brushing a cell triggers the display of a thumbnail view of a corresponding slide. Selection of a cell causes a corresponding slide to be displayed; if that slide is not next in a predetermined presentation sequence, then a jump marker is affixed to the cell corresponding to the sequence departure point so the presenter can resume the sequence directly after completing a detour. The summary view can also generate a visual, audible, and vibrational warning of the relative time remaining for a given slide from an initial allotment. The invention can also recompute the allotment for slides not yet displayed, and save time data to a file.

Abstract: A system and method for visualizing and navigating dynamic documents including data from an ongoing process and including instances of specified search terms. A summary view including a condensed abstract representation of a dynamic document provides a global overview of the distribution of search terms. The invention updates the document and aggregates the instances of search terms when the representation includes a nonlinear scale or uses multiple display regions having different resolution levels. The invention supports rapid skimming of dynamic documents and dynamic document collections, including enhancements triggered by cursor brushing, while keeping the user in context. Navigation to a segment of the dynamic document by selecting a corresponding portion of the summary view can replace the use of conventional scrolling techniques.

Abstract: A system and method for visualizing and navigating document content using a condensed representation of a document to provide both a global overview of the distribution of key search terms as well as their immediate context. The invention supports rapid skimming of documents and document collections and enables efficient information finding, in some cases entirely eliminating the need to scroll within a document as with a conventional browser tool. The invention is of particular utility with personal digital assistants, which generally have small displays and limited storage capacity and communication bandwidth in comparison to personal computers. Documents may include conventional text and image files, web pages, audio files, and video files. The invention may also apply to collections of documents.

Abstract: A navigation tool permits a presenter to navigate through a presentation, while easily introducing supplemental material into the presentation. Presentation slides are represented as thumbnails on the screen of the presenter's monitor, and are preferably arranged in rows and columns. The rows may indicate a main narrative sequence, and the columns may include thumbnails of slides representing supplemental or background material. The presenter may proceed from one slide to the next using conventional mouse/cursor technology or a remote control device. To this end, a navigation tool is introduced permitting the presenter to easily proceed along a row or a column simply by simply selecting the correct button. A special button is dedicated to making larger jumps back to the main narrative.

Abstract: According to an embodiment of the present invention, a method is provided for displaying content on a display device. The method includes retrieving a plurality of rules for the display of content, updating a plurality of device parameters, and determining an rule trigger. The method further includes executing a rule corresponding to the rule trigger, and determining a fee according to at least one device parameter upon executing a rule for the display of content. At least one rule is defined by a content provider to dynamically control the display of the content according to the device parameters. Determining a fee further comprises determining a value for each of the device parameters, determining at least one device parameter satisfying the rule, and determining the fee according to value of the device parameters satisfying the rule.

Abstract: A word processing program uses a number of low-key alarm signals or sound patterns to communicate a variety of situations that arise during data input by a user. A personalized program is used to detect incorrectly formatted or improperly inputted data such as e-mail addresses, phone numbers, template or form entries as well as to recognize stored data, such as a user's complete mailing address or programming codes. When alerted, the user accepts, denies or ignores any given suggestion the program provides. The sound patterns are specific to different types of events and may also indicate the severity of the event. A user also has the option of allowing the software to automatically correct any of the situations to prevent stalling of the input process.

Abstract: A visually impaired user is provided a non-visual, abstract representation of a multi-part information page. The non-visual, abstract representation is provided by auditory and tactile feedback. A touch pad provides tactile feedback for the boundaries between content areas of the page when the user's finger is located at coordinates on the touch pad which map to the boundaries between the content areas of the page. Auditory feedback provides meta-information on the content within a content area when the user's finger is located at coordinates on the touch pad which map to the content area.