Abstract: An eyetracker is used to control power to an electrical device such as a computer display screen so that power consumption is reduced when a user's eyes and therefore a user's attention are not directed to the device. A motion detector activates a proximity detector and/or an IR detector to ensure that power is applied only when a user is actually present.

Abstract: Scrolling techniques for computing devices are disclosed which respond to the amount of tilt, measured against a reference, experienced by a control unit. The user set the reference by activating a switch while the control unit is in an orientation selected by the user. Once the reference is set, the direction and rate of scrolling is determined by the direction and amount of tilt. The control unit may be built into a hand held computing device such as the Sun Pad.

Abstract: Advertising displays such as found in mass transit vehicles or stations or in electronic newspapers are provided with user directed search capabilities. Selected text, dragged and dropped onto an image space, serves to initiate a query. If the advertising display is networked, an external search of network resources, such as those of the World Wide Web, can be undertaken and the results utilized to initiate one or more local searches.

Abstract: Rendered wireframe models of objects offered for sale can be downloaded and displayed as virtual objects in the context of the actual environment in which they will be actually used. The rendered models are located, scaled and oriented so that they appear exactly as a real object would appear when placed in the actual environment. A transparent display permits the environment to be viewed concurrently with display of the rendered wireframe model.

Abstract: Information links, such as hypertext links, found in network based documents, such as those found on the World Wide Web, sometimes break, i.e. fail to result in retrieval the desired document. Techniques are described to record information about such broken links and to provide relatively current information to a user whether a link was broken or, if previously broken, has been restored. A centralized broken link service is also described by which information about the status of links on the network can be gathered. A spider can be utilized to periodically check on whether links reported as broken have been restored.

Abstract: An eyetracker is used to control power to an electrical device such as a computer display screen so that power consumption is reduced when a user's eyes and therefore a user's attention are not directed to the device. A motion detector activates a proximity detector and/or an IR detector to ensure that power is applied only when a user is actually present.

Abstract: A large X-Y workspace, such as a table, serves as a support for a viewport flat panel display which moves over the surface of the table. The portion of the viewport display on the table determines the portion of information displayed on the viewport display. When the surface of the table is used as a backlit display, a low resolution image can be projected onto the surface of the table. The viewport display can then show selected information related to the underlying information it covers, such as high resolution views, infrared views and map information. Lifting a viewport off the table surface freezes the portion of the image on the screen. Images on one viewport can be transferred to another viewport.