Abstract: Multitouch capabilities can be used to allow a user to set adjust one or more application control parameters at the same time as editing commands are provided via touch input. The control parameters may relate to how/what edit commands are provided, such as allowing for varying brush characteristics, colors, gradients, and the like used in editing graphics or other document content. Additionally or alternatively, the control parameters may relate to a design canvas or other depiction of the document, such as allowing rotation, position, or magnification of the canvas while the document is edited.

Abstract: A instance of a runtime environment at each of a first and second computing device can allow an application at the first computing device to access hardware resources of the second computing device via the runtime environment. For instance, one device can comprise a mobile device and the other device can comprise a desktop computer, a laptop computer, or a home entertainment device. The first and second instance of the runtime environment can be configured to communicate with one another through a common messaging format of the runtime environment. For example, an editing or design application at one device may use a touch-enabled display at the second device to select tools, manipulate 3-D representations, or otherwise provide input data. As another example, a game at a mobile device can use the runtime environment to provide visual and audio output using a television set-top box running the runtime environment.

Abstract: A instance of a runtime environment at each of a first and second computing device can allow an application at the first computing device to access hardware resources of the second computing device via the runtime environment. For instance, one device can comprise a mobile device and the other device can comprise a desktop computer, a laptop computer, or a home entertainment device. The first and second instance of the runtime environment can be configured to communicate with one another through a common messaging format of the runtime environment. For example, an editing or design application at one device may use a touch-enabled display at the second device to select tools, manipulate 3-D representations, or otherwise provide input data. As another example, a game at a mobile device can use the runtime environment to provide visual and audio output using a television set-top box running the runtime environment.

Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed that allow a linked-to web page to be provided using information about a linked-from web page. The linked-to web page, for example, may be provided with enhanced content, additional content, suggestion features, or searching features. Certain of the methods are useful in the context of a user using a search engine web page to search for and link to other web pages. An exemplary method can be performed by a server that provides such a linked-to web page. The server receives a request to provide the linked-to web page and parses the request to identify information, such as, search terms that were entered on the search engine web page. The server can use the search terms or other information associated with the linked-from web page to determine what content should be provided or how it should be provided for the linked-to web page.

Abstract: Multitouch capabilities can be used to allow a user to set adjust one or more application control parameters at the same time as editing commands are provided via touch input. The control parameters may relate to how/what edit commands are provided, such as allowing for varying brush characteristics, colors, gradients, and the like used in editing graphics or other document content. Additionally or alternatively, the control parameters may relate to a design canvas or other depiction of the document, such as allowing rotation, position, or magnification of the canvas while the document is edited.

Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed that allow a linked-to web page to be provided using information about a linked-from web page. The linked-to web page, for example, may be provided with enhanced content, additional content, suggestion features, or searching features. Certain of the methods are useful in the context of a user using a search engine web page to search for and link to other web pages. An exemplary method can be performed by a server that provides such a linked-to web page. The server receives a request to provide the linked-to web page and parses the request to identify information, such as, search terms that were entered on the search engine web page. The server can use the search terms or other information associated with the linked-from web page to determine what content should be provided or how it should be provided for the linked-to web page.

Abstract: Embodiments allow for use of fused files that comprise executable code and content data in a more user-friendly and flexible manner. For example, a fused file can include content data and application logic for editing the content data within the file. Security through the use of digital signatures can be supported, but with at least part of a file recognized as extensible so that the file can be edited without “breaking” the signature. Additionally, a computing device can be configured to utilize a “sandbox” environment so that extensible (and/or other) portions of a fused file do not introduce unacceptable security issues even if the digital signature is valid. In some embodiments, the support of extensibility and sandboxing allows a runtime environment to utilize installer-free operation, which can represent a significant advantage in that fused files can be widely distributed to any device utilizing the runtime environment.

Abstract: Various embodiments of a system for evaluating the usability and interoperability of touch gestures are described. A gesture test system may perform a geometric analysis of a touch gesture to determine a usability level for the gesture. A touch gesture may be represented in a gesture definition language. A touch gesture recognizer may be configured to recognize a particular touch gesture. The gesture test system may independently test the ability of a touch gesture recognizer to recognize the particular touch gesture. The gesture test system may test the interoperability of multiple touch gesture recognizers, which may be used by a software application to interpret touch gestures, to determine whether the independently developed touch gesture recognizers from different sources are likely to have conflicts which may result in misinterpretation of the gestures. Real-time test data recorded in gesture tests and independent recognizer tests may be re-used in the recognizer interoperability tests.

Abstract: Various embodiments of a system and methods for touch gesture recognition are described. A software developer may create a set of custom touch gestures by training a gesture development tool. A new touch gesture may be input to the tool by repeatedly executing the gesture on a touch-enabled device or by depicting parameters of the gesture in a graphical language. A developer may provide a software command associated with the gesture. A unique, software-recognizable gesture descriptor may be created to represent each gesture. The gesture descriptor, a unique identifier of the gesture descriptor and the command associated with the gesture may all be stored as an entry in a configuration file. The file may be embedded in a software application and may be used by a gesture classification module to translate user touch gestures applied to the software application into commands to be executed by the software application.

Abstract: Various embodiments of a system for evaluating gesture usability are described. A gesture evaluator may perform a geometric analysis of the physical characteristics of a gesture to determine a geometry rating for the touch gesture. The gesture evaluator may determine a similarity rating for the gesture by analyzing the similarity of the gesture to other gestures. The gesture evaluator may evaluate repeated user executions of the gesture to determine a repeatability rating for the gesture. Dependent on one or more of the geometry rating, the similarity rating and the repeatability rating, the gesture evaluator may calculate a usability rating for the gesture. The usability rating for the gesture may indicate the probability that a user will execute the gesture correctly. The gesture evaluator may also calculate an accessibility rating, which may indicate the probability that a user with reduced motor skills will execute the gesture correctly.

Abstract: Various embodiments of a system and methods for touch gesture recognition are described. A software developer may create a set of custom touch gestures by training a gesture development tool. A new touch gesture may be input to the tool by repeatedly executing the gesture on a touch-enabled device or by depicting parameters of the gesture in a graphical language. A developer may provide a software command associated with the gesture. A unique, software-recognizable gesture descriptor may be created to represent each gesture. The gesture descriptor, a unique identifier of the gesture descriptor and the command associated with the gesture may all be stored as an entry in a configuration file. The file may be embedded in a software application and may be used by a gesture classification module to translate user touch gestures applied to the software application into commands to be executed by the software application.