Abstract: The present embodiments are directed to systems and methods of creating and deploying electronic forms for collecting information from a user using a browser or other application. Various embodiments herein include features for automatically selecting and configuring services for rendering and submitting intelligent forms or other data structures in an automated process environment. The automated process environment may include features which permit an enterprise to blend electronic forms, process management, document security, and document generation capabilities to deliver applications which may reduce paperwork, accelerate decision-making processes, and help ensure regulatory compliance.

Abstract: A method for providing a data binding abstraction. The method includes serving an interactive document via a digital data communications network using a server. The method includes generating, with intelligence in the document, a data binding request to resolve a data value placeholder that has no static data location or source reference. With a data binding web service, the method includes generating a data dictionary request that includes a placeholder identifier. The method includes using the data binding web service to process a data dictionary response which includes placeholder content for the placeholder to determine a source of the data value. The method includes the data binding web service accessing the determined data source to obtain the data value and providing the interactive document with a response including the placeholder identifier and the resolved placeholder data value. The interactive document then replaces the placeholders with the returned data value.

Abstract: Systems and methods (“utility”) for comparing two or more product profiles are described herein. The utility may include a graphical user interface that is operative to compare and display the differences between product profiles so that a user may quickly determine whether to choose one of the profiles. The product profiles that are compared may include profiles representing two different products, or profiles representing different versions of the same product. Further, the product profiles being compared may include a first product profile stored locally on a user's computer and a second (update) product profile stored on a remote computer.

Abstract: A system and method for facilitating recovery from an error occurring during creation or alteration of a target document from a form or template. The method may involve gathering some or all input collateral (e.g., the document template, input data, instructions for creating the document) and adding it to the target document. If the target document is not created, the input collateral may be placed in an error document. The target or error document is dispatched to the user and may also be sent to support personnel (e.g., help desk, technical support personnel) or forward to such personnel by the user. Capturing the document creation conditions and parameters in the target or error document allows the support personnel (or user) to diagnose and/or recover from the error without expending the time and effort that would be required to gather the separate input collateral items, log files, configuration parameters, etc.

Abstract: A method enabling VoIP communication sessions between a VoIP based client application and a non-VoIP standards based client application. The method includes providing a server on a digital communications network that includes runs or provides media proxy. The media proxy receives a media packet from the first communications application formatted according to a first protocol. The method includes performing packet translation on the media packet to generate a media packet that is formatted according to a second protocol that differs from the first protocol but that is used by a second communications application. The method includes transporting the translated media packet to the second communications application over the network. The packet translation includes translating the protocol while simply copying the audio-video data or payload from the original message.

Abstract: Briefly, embodiments of a method, apparatus or article for group access control of a distributed system are described.

Abstract: A system and method allows controlled editing of a document using stored commands and definitions. The author can identify an action: insert, delete or modify, and then select names of behaviors that control the insertion, deletion or modification of text into, from or inside a document. The system and method then performs the insertion, deletion or modification, allowing the author limited control as to the placement of insertions and the insertion or modification of certain parameters.

Abstract: A system and method provides video data and its corresponding alpha channel data using a single stream or file, compressed using the same format and decompression algorithm for each of the video data and the alpha channel data.

Abstract: A computer system executes a host application that generates a graphical user interface for display on a respective user's display screen. In addition to executing the host application, the computer system (or other computer) provides an environment for executing a so-called help agent (e.g., a plug-in module) associated with the host application. The help agent can initiate display of a help window along with a graphical user interface displayed by the host application. Depending on the embodiment, the help agent can provide one or more functions such as retrieval and display of help information links in the help window to different types of help information, application of commands to the graphical user interface application via input with respect to the help window, and viewing of application hint information in the help window.

Abstract: A multi-touch driver handling user inputs or touches on a multi-touch input device. The method includes receiving touch data associated with a touch detected by the multi-touch input device. The multi-touch driver determines a target user interface (UI) component for the touch by processing the touch data and then determines whether the target handles touch events. If so, the driver sends the touch data to the target for handling as a touch event, thereby saving a touch-to-mouse conversion for later touches. The touch may be a first touch received in a particular input region of a GUI displayed on a touch surface. The driver receives touch data for a second touch input later than the first touch but while the first touch is still active. The driver determines a target UI component for the second touch and passes the second touch data to the second target as a mouse event.

Abstract: A system provides for synchronization of configuration settings in a plurality of applications by receiving a global configuration setting to be applied to the plurality of applications and by applying the global configuration setting to the plurality of applications so that operation of each of the plurality of applications conforms to the global configuration setting. The system detects a respective local configuration setting in use by each of the plurality of applications displays a synchronization indicator that indicates if the plurality of applications are operating using a common local configuration setting. The synchronization indicator can be a color settings synchronization indicator that indicates if a color setting used to render color on a display device is synchronized between applications in a graphics suite.

Abstract: A system and method receives a set of data points and identifies one or more Bezier curves corresponding to the set of data points. The system and method uses different techniques for identifying the Bezier curve depending on whether a Bezier point is a sharp point, in which the slope of the lines on either side of the point differ by a threshold amount or another type of point.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for arranging and aligning graphical objects are disclosed. The selection of a first graphical object in a graphical user interface is received, and it is determined if the first graphical object is located at a substantially minimal distance in a reference plane from a related second graphical object on the graphical user interface. If the graphical objects are not located at a substantially minimal distance from each other in the reference plane, the graphical objects are graphically arranged to substantially minimize the distance in the reference plane between them.

Abstract: A system receives a selection of content within the digital composition, and derives conceptual information associated with the content. The conceptual information is used to identify the graphical element associated with the selection of content. The system obtains the graphical element associated with the content, and displays the graphical element within the digital composition.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention allow for cloning texture from one image location to another. The two locations may belong to the same image, or to two different images. Embodiments of the invention use a median filter to filter a source image and a target image. The filtered source image and the original source image are combined to extract texture information. Texture information is then combined with the filtered target image to generate a destination image. Embodiments of the invention may be utilized to retouch photographs, in order to correct, improve or change localized flaws or problems in images. An example is the removal of wrinkles and blemishes on a person's face. Embodiments of the invention allow for cloning the texture from a smooth skin area into a region of wrinkles, while preserving the colors and shadings of the target image.

Abstract: An apparatus for analyzing the broadband noise content of a digital image comprising the following: a means of automatically identifying regions of originally constant color in the image by analysis of the variance of pixel values of regions of the image; a means of automatically detecting and discarding regions deemed to be unrepresentative of the true noise content of an image, including under- and over-exposed regions; a means of allowing the user to manually select some or all required constant color regions if desired; and, a means of analyzing such constant color regions to generate a parametric or non-parametric model of the noise in the image, including frequency characteristic within and between channels and other characteristics such as phase which might describe structured noise.

Abstract: A computer-assisted technique for providing approximate solutions to photogrammetric problems in interactive applications computes an approximate solution to a large, non-linear system by converting the non-linear system into a smaller, linear system where only a subset of the system's parameters are used. The size of the smaller system can be adjusted to different system capabilities and/or model complexities to ensure computation of an approximate solution in a given time. For use in an interactive environment, this time may be adjusted so that redraw rates are within acceptable tolerances, say from 5 to 30 frames per second. The method may allow for drawing a three-dimensional representation of a scene using parameterized primitives having constraints which are updated interactively, so as to minimize error in constrained locations of the primitives. Such drawing may include creating a Jacobian matrix for a predetermined minimum set of parameters of the primitives.

Abstract: A computer-assisted technique for constructing a three-dimensional model on top of one or more images (e.g., photographs) such that the model's parameters automatically match those of the real world object depicted in the photograph(s). Camera parameters such as focal length, position, and orientation in space may be determined from the images such that the projection of a three-dimensional model through the calculated camera parameters matches the projection of the real world object through the camera onto the image surface. Modeling is accomplished using primitives, such as boxes or pyramids, which may be intuitively manipulated to construct the three-dimensional model on a video display or other display screen of a computer system with a two-dimensional input controller (e.g., a mouse, joystick, etc.) such that the, displayed three-dimensional object manipulation emulates physical three-dimensional object manipulation.

Abstract: A raster image processor receives a file of instructions and images in any convenient page description language and blends the images in accordance with the specified blending mode and, possibly, opacity information.