Abstract: A display system displays web pages from web sites located on data communications networks such as the Internet network. The display system has display controls and a plurality of non-overlapping display areas. Each display area has independent display area controls and independently displays a web page. The display controls include a sizing control operable by a user to alter a size of all display areas simultaneously with one control action. The display system in an embodiment includes a browser software program to provide communications and display support. The browser software program is executed in only one instance to provide the support for the plurality of display areas. The display controls also include a designator control operable by a user to designate the number of the non-overlapping display areas to be displayed. The display controls also include a drag and drop control for universal reference locators.

Abstract: In a client-server architecture, data transmission performance enhancing features are described, including a color quality approach and a packet shaping approach. A method includes a color quality data transformation including: selecting a quality level to apply to a set of image data having a number of significant color bits defining an initial number of possible colors; applying a pixel mask to the set of image data, the initial number of possible colors reduced to a smaller number of possible colors as a function of the quality level; loading the set of image data into an output buffer; and sending the set of image data from the output buffer to a display engine.

Abstract: A user interface system comprises a server having a scene description converting device for converting scene description containing input user interaction into converted scene description while leaving parts containing the user interaction and a scene description decoding device for decoding converted scene description into decoded scene description, a remote terminal having a scene description decoding device for decoding scene description and converted scene description sent from the server and a display device for displaying decoded scenes and a user input device for receiving user input according to this display, and a display terminal for displaying decoded scenes sent from the server. Thus, decoding can be enabled at terminals having inferior decoding capabilities and display capabilities.

Abstract: Systems and methods for repositioning selectable content. Content that includes selectable items is displayed on a display device through a user interface. When an item is selected, the item is repositioned and sometimes resized so that the selected item is more easily viewed. If the item includes text, the text is more legible because it has been enlarged. Other items included in the content that are not currently selected are not enlarged or modified. When a new item is selected, the new item is repositioned or resized and the previously selected item returns to a previous state.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is described that is related to split editing. An indicia of a first time based stream of information is displayed at a source media. An indicia of a second time based stream of information is displayed at the source media. This is followed by an editing of the first time based stream of information and the second time based stream of information together in an operation that uses no more than six edit points between the source media and a destination media combined. The editing is performed such that the selected amount of time of the first time based stream of information differs from the selected amount of time of the second time based stream of information, and the destination media includes a third time based stream of information.

Abstract: A method and system for storing, navigating and accessing files within an operating system through the use of a graphical thumbnail representing the video display of the active document within the active application, and organized chronologically by the most recent file ‘captured’. Filenames, application names and thumbnail filenames are stored in an indexed file. The indexed file can consist of every document and application used during a session or categorically defined by project or tasks or personal preference. This also stores the application name and path eliminating the need to remember which application last edited the file and where the application is located.

Abstract: A system and process for providing adaptable controls to computing applications to facilitate interaction by an operator with computing application content is provided. The present invention provides a system to update the control parameters remote to the computing application to reflect changes in operator's preferences. In an illustrative implementation, these dynamic controls may take the form of an add-on toolbar having drop down menus that have the form of panes. In operation, the computing application launches and retrieves the parameters of these controls through messaging from a remote server computer. When launched, the computing application will display the add-on toolbar, maintaining Web-in-Web panes, having the latest updated parameters (i.e. content, look, and feel of the toolbar and panes) as found on the remote server computer. These parameters may be changed by the operator to reflect changes in their content or feature preference.

Abstract: Methods and systems for providing graphical user interfaces are described. overlaid, Information-bearing windows whose contents remain unchanged for a predetermined period of time become translucent. The translucency can be graduated so that, over time, if the window's contents remain unchanged, the window becomes more translucent. In addition to visual translucency, windows according to the present invention also have a manipulative translucent quality. Upon reaching a certain level of visual translucency, user input in the region of the window is interpreted as an operation on the underlying objects rather than the contents of the overlaying window.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for certifying a performance of a content server using a content server interface. The method includes requesting, by a test program, an address of the content server and a security key from the content server interface; receiving the address and the security key from the content server interface; writing one or more documents to the address using hyper text transfer protocol (HTTP); recording a first amount of time for the writing; requesting a retrieval of data from the content server using HTTP; receiving the data from the content server; recording a second amount of time for the receiving; and certifying the content server if the first and second amounts of time are less than predetermined thresholds.

Abstract: Methods, systems and computer program products for displaying a set of hierarchical data in a tree diagram are provided. One or more of the elements in the set of hierarchical data may include a set of embedded hierarchical data. The tree diagram includes at least two different parts, where the first part has a plurality of vertically oriented levels, and the second part has a plurality of horizontally oriented levels. The set of hierarchical data may be displayed in the first part of the tree diagram, and the set of embedded hierarchical data may be displayed in the second part of the tree diagram. One or more elements in the set of embedded hierarchical data may also include embedded hierarchical data. This doubly-embedded hierarchical data may be displayed in the first part of the tree diagram.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for gathering system information into a file and transmitting the file to a remote location for presentation as a graphical display. A computerized diagnostic tool, can assist a support person in providing technical support to an end user in connection with the configuration of a remote computer. System information relating to a particular customer's computer can be stored for subsequent reference. Computer program code running on a source computer can direct a source computer to self-survey system information. Program code creates a file containing system information and transmits the system information file to a remote computer separate from the source computer. Transmission may be accomplished via any effective transmission medium such as the Internet. Computer program code on the remote computer then displays a graphical representation of the system information.

Abstract: Systems and methods for displaying and managing data in hierarchies and polyarchies of information are described. In one aspect, an object having first and second intersecting hierarchies is specified. The object is illustrated with respect to the first hierarchy. A second intersecting hierarchy selection option is presented to a user to illustrate the object with respect to the second intersecting hierarchy in response to user selection.

Abstract: A user interface and software for enabling or performing functions on programs contained within program scheduling information. The user selects a program from the program scheduling information, and the system determines if a function can be enabled for the selected program by determining the differences between the recurring periods of the selected program and the function.

Abstract: A data system user interface that can employ different data collection renderers (e.g., views) based on an attribute of the content of a view-set (e.g., list, folder, directory) is provided. In accordance with aspects of the subject invention, views that are suitable to present certain types of content can be automatically selected. This automatic selection can employ the use of more specialized, optimized views based on the content of the view-set. The contents of the view-set can be analyzed and matched against an extensible set of view selection rules. It will be understood that, although the custom view can have a completely different visual appearance from the standard, default and/or generic view, the subject invention enables custom views to run within the same window as the standard view.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product is disclosed that enables a user to customize selection elements of a GUI. For example, menu entries in a GUI can be customized so that the user can specify the font, the language, character sets, color, and other attributes of the text of one menu item (or less than all menu items); to have the ability to selectively activate multimedia options associated with selected menu items (e.g., to play a sound whenever the cursor/pointer passes over a particular menu item); and/or to assign an animation sequence that is unique to selected menu items. The menu item properties are defined by the user, using, for example, a dialog box that allows specification of the attributes. When the application is installed, a default set of menu item properties is defined by the software manufacturer, which can be further customized by the user.

Abstract: A user interface system comprises a server having a scene description converting device for converting scene description containing input user interaction into converted scene description while leaving parts containing the user interaction and a scene description decoding device for decoding converted scene description into decoded scene description, a remote terminal having a scene description decoding device for decoding scene description and converted scene description sent from the server and a display device for displaying decoded scenes and a user input device for receiving user input according to this display, and a display terminal for displaying decoded scenes sent from the server. Thus, decoding can be enabled at terminals having inferior decoding capabilities and display capabilities.

Abstract: A data-driven, hierarchical information search and navigation system and method enable search and navigation of sets of materials by certain common attributes that characterize the materials. A rules engine provides for manipulation of the content displayed to the user based on the query entered by the user. The rules engine includes one or more rules with a trigger and an action. The action of a rule is performed only if the trigger is satisfied. A trigger may be specified in terms of expressions of attribute-value pairs and is evaluated against a given query or navigation state. The actions can include various techniques for content manipulation, such as supplementing content, rendering content in a particular way, and sorting content in a particular way. An action may be specified in terms of navigation states. The rules engine may include a script for processing the rules.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of displaying an Electronic Programming Guide (EPG). In one embodiment, an EPG is displayed in a three dimensional virtual mesh, in which independent objects representing television programs are situated. The simplified nature of the three dimensional EPG reduces the amount of processing necessary to display it. In addition, the virtual mesh may be displayed isometrically, so that hardware requirements are further reduced and it may be possible to use a software only three dimensional graphics pipeline. If a user has a set top box (STB) with a hardware accelerated graphics pipeline, the EPG may be displayed in a full three dimensional perspective view. A user can navigate the mesh to find television programs that they wish to view. A user can assign values to types of television programs that they prefer, and these programs will be displayed more prominently.

Abstract: A user interface system comprises a server having a scene description converting device for converting scene description containing input user interaction into converted scene description while leaving parts containing the user interaction and a scene description decoding device for decoding converted scene description into decoded scene description, a remote terminal having a scene description decoding device for decoding scene description and converted scene description sent from the server and a display device for displaying decoded scenes and a user input device for receiving user input according to this display, and a display terminal for displaying decoded scenes sent from the server. Thus, decoding can be enabled at terminals having inferior decoding capabilities and display capabilities.

Abstract: This document describes a user interface mechanism to relate information from multiple heterogeneous data sources. Data displayed in different regions on a user interface can be related by selection of an element in one region and pinning it. The pinned element acts as a filter for the information in the other regions on the user interface. Successive pinning of elements in other regions allows further filtering of the information in unpinned regions using the context of previously pinned elements.