Abstract: A method for running a software application on a computer having an operating system that provides a local database containing consistent configuration data to be accessed by programs running on the computer. The method includes providing a file containing further configuration data required by the application, which further data are not stored in the local database. A request by the application to access the local database is intercepted, and an item of the further configuration data is returned from the file to the application, responsive to the request.

Abstract: A method for running a software application on a computer having an operating system that provides a local database containing consistent configuration data to be accessed by programs running on the computer. The method includes providing a file containing further configuration data required by the application, which further data are not stored in the local database. A request by the application to access the local database is intercepted, and an item of the further configuration data is returned from the file to the application, responsive to the request.

Abstract: A technique is described herein for dynamically enhancing and measuring a software application without having to change and recompile the original application code. A system includes a staging environment that monitors the application and indexes items of graphical and/or audio information into a first database. A second database is then populated with business rules that are associated with the objects indexed. The system further includes a run-time environment that identifies items of graphics and/or audio information generated during run-time, and upon determining that an identified item is associated with a business rule, applies the business rule, measures the object and its related attributes and optionally report the data back to a third database.

Abstract: Systems and method for remotely controlling applications executing on devices that do not have touch-based user input capabilities even when such applications were programmed to rely exclusively on touch-based control are described. In accordance with certain embodiments, user input events produced when a user interacts with a user input component of a remote control device are captured and transmitted to a display or processing device that is executing a target application. On the display/processing device, software components that are not part of the original source code of the target application convert the received user input events into commands that are recognizable to the target application and inject those commands into the target application. The software components also cause a visually-perceptible hotspot indicator or other content to be overlaid on graphical content rendered to a display by the target application, thereby facilitating targeted control of the application by the user.

Abstract: A system and method for displaying graphics content associated with a software application process executing on a computing device in a display area managed by another process executing on the computing device are described. The system includes a processing unit and a memory. The memory contains instructions, which, when executed by the processing unit, cause the graphics content associated with the software application process being executed by the processing unit to be displayed within a display area managed by another process being executed by the processing unit by performing a number of steps. The steps include intercepting one or more function calls issued from the software application process. The steps also include capturing an image stored in a first portion of memory in response to intercepting the one or more function calls. The steps further include displaying the captured image in the display area managed by the other process.

Abstract: A system, method and computer program product for dynamically measuring attributes of objects rendered and/or referenced by an executing software application without having to change and recompile the original application code. The system includes a staging environment that monitors the execution of the application and indexes items of graphical and/or audio information generated by the application into a first database. A second database is populated with one or more business rules, wherein each business rule is associated with one or more of the indexed objects. The system further includes a run-time environment that identifies items of graphics and/or audio information as they are generated by the application during run-time, uses the second database to determine if an identified item is associated with a business rule, and, responsive to a determination that an identified item is associated with a business rule, measures the object and its related attributes.

Abstract: Systems and method for remotely controlling applications executing on display devices that do not have touch-based user input capabilities even when such applications were programmed to rely exclusively on touch-based control are described. In accordance with certain embodiments, user input events produced when a user interacts with a touch-based user input component of a remote control device are captured and transmitted to a display device that is executing a target application. On the display device, software components that are not part of the original source code of the target application convert the received user input events into commands that are recognizable to the target application and inject those commands into the target application. The software components also cause a visually-perceptible hotspot indicator to be overlaid on graphical content rendered to a display of the display device by the target application, thereby facilitating targeted control of the application by the user.

Abstract: A system is described that dynamically enhances a software application executing on a computing device without having to change and recompile the original application code. The system includes a staging environment that monitors the execution of the application and indexes each item of graphical and/or audio information generated by the application into a first database. A second database is then populated by manual or automated means with one or more business rules, wherein each business rule is associated with one or more of the objects indexed in the first database. The system further includes a run-time environment that identifies items of graphics and/or audio information as they are generated by the application during run-time, uses the second database to determine if an identified item is associated with a business rule, and, responsive to a determination that an identified item is associated with a business rule, applies the business rule.

Abstract: A system is described that dynamically enhances a software application executing on a computing device without having to change and recompile the original application code. The system includes a staging environment that monitors the execution of the application and indexes each item of graphical and/or audio information generated by the application into a first database. A second database is then populated by manual or automated means with one or more business rules, wherein each business rule is associated with one or more of the objects indexed in the first database. The system further includes a run-time environment that identifies items of graphics and/or audio information as they are generated by the application during run-time, uses the second database to determine if an identified item is associated with a business rule, and, responsive to a determination that an identified item is associated with a business rule, applies the business rule.

Abstract: A system, method and computer program product for dynamically measuring attributes of objects rendered and/or referenced by an executing software application without having to change and recompile the original application code. The system includes a staging environment that monitors the execution of the application and indexes items of graphical and/or audio information generated by the application into a first database. A second database is populated with one or more business rules, wherein each business rule is associated with one or more of the indexed objects. The system further includes a run-time environment that identifies items of graphics and/or audio information as they are generated by the application during run-time, uses the second database to determine if an identified item is associated with a business rule, and, responsive to a determination that an identified item is associated with a business rule, measures the object and its related attributes.

Abstract: Features are described herein that may be used to implement a system that enables a user to execute, operate and interact with a software application, such as a video game, on a client wherein the software application is executing on a remote server. The features enable the system to be implemented in an optimized fashion. For example, one feature entails intercepting graphics commands generated by the software application that are directed to a graphics application programming interface (API), manipulating the intercepted graphics commands to produce manipulated graphics commands that are reduced in size as compared to the intercepted graphics commands, and transferring the manipulated graphics commands from the server to the client for rendering thereon.

Abstract: Techniques are described herein for performing multi-player augmented reality combat. Each player wears (or is otherwise associated with) an indicator (e.g., an object that has a designated pattern, a visual tag, etc.) that identifies the player or a team thereof. Each player has a mobile communication device that is capable of identifying the players' indicators. A user may point a camera of the user's mobile communication device at another player (e.g., an opponent). The image that is captured by the camera includes the indicator that is associated with the opponent. The user may choose to fire a virtual bullet at the opponent using an audio and/or tactile command, which is processed by the user's mobile communication device. The mobile communication device determines the time that the virtual bullet takes to travel from the mobile communication device to the opponent based on the distance between the user and the opponent.

Abstract: A system and method for providing a remote user interface for an application, such as a video game, executing on a computing device. The system includes a computing device configured to execute a software application and at least one remote user interface (UI) communicatively coupled to the computing device via a data communication network. The remote UI includes at least one hardware device such as a video, audio or user input/output (I/O) device. The computing device is further configured to emulate the hardware device locally and to redirect function calls generated by the software application for the emulated local hardware device to the remote UI for processing by the hardware device.

Abstract: A system that includes a computing device configured to execute a software application and at least one remote user interface (UI) communicatively coupled to the computing device via a data communication network. The remote UI includes at least one hardware device such as a video, audio or user input/output (I/O) device. The computing device is further configured to emulate the hardware device locally and to redirect function calls generated by the software application for the emulated local hardware device to the remote UI for processing by the hardware device.

Abstract: A method for running a software application on a computer having an operating system that provides a local database containing consistent configuration data to be accessed by programs running on the computer. The method includes providing a file containing further configuration data required by the application, which further data are not stored in the local database. A request by the application to access the local database is intercepted, and an item of the further configuration data is returned from the file to the application, responsive to the request.

Abstract: A system, method and computer program product for dynamically measuring attributes of objects rendered and/or referenced by an executing software application without having to change and recompile the original application code. The system includes a staging environment that monitors the execution of the application and indexes items of graphical and/or audio information generated by the application into a first database. A second database is populated with one or more business rules, wherein each business rule is associated with one or more of the indexed objects. The system further includes a run-time environment that identifies items of graphics and/or audio information as they are generated by the application during run-time, uses the second database to determine if an identified item is associated with a business rule, and, responsive to a determination that an identified item is associated with a business rule, measures the object and its related attributes.

Abstract: A system is described that dynamically enhances a software application executing on a computing device without having to change and recompile the original application code. The system includes a staging environment that monitors the execution of the application and indexes each item of graphical and/or audio information generated by the application into a first database. A second database is then populated by manual or automated means with one or more business rules, wherein each business rule is associated with one or more of the objects indexed in the first database. The system further includes a run-time environment that identifies items of graphics and/or audio information as they are generated by the application during run-time, uses the second database to determine if an identified item is associated with a business rule, and, responsive to a determination that an identified item is associated with a business rule, applies the business rule.

Abstract: A method for running a software application on a computer having an operating system that provides a local database containing consistent configuration data to be accessed by programs running on the computer. The method includes providing a file containing further configuration data required by the application, which further data are not stored in the local database. A request by the application to access the local database is intercepted, and an item of the further configuration data is returned from the file to the application, responsive to the request.

Abstract: A system, method and computer program product for dynamically enhancing and measuring a software application, such as a video game, executing on a computing device, without having to change and recompile the original application code. The system includes a staging environment that monitors the execution of the application and indexes items of graphical and/or audio information generated by the application into a first database. A system administrator or other entity then populates a second database by manual or automated means with one or more business rules, wherein each business rule is associated with one or more of the objects indexed in the first database.

Abstract: A system, method and computer program product for dynamically enhancing a software application, such as a video game, executing on a computing device, without having to change and recompile the original application code. The system includes a staging environment that monitors the execution of the application and indexes each item of graphical and/or audio information generated by the application into a first database. A system administrator or other entity then populates a second database by manual or automated means with one or more business rules, wherein each business rule is associated with one or more of the objects indexed in the first database.