Patents Examined by David Wiley
  • Patent number: 7418668
    Abstract: A method for changing a color value and/or level of opacity value of a glass appearance window frame for an application window is described. The method includes steps of determining a defined color value and a defined level of opacity value to apply to a glass appearance window frame and displaying the glass appearance window frame in accordance with the defined color value and the defined level of opacity value. A command may be received to apply the defined color value and the defined level of opacity value to the glass appearance window frame, thereby applying the defined color value and level of opacity value to the glass appearance window frame. Color values and/or level of opacity values may be changed automatically, be application specific, and/or be changed in response to receipt of an input from a user to change one or more portions of a default configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2008
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Donald J. Lindsay, Tjeerd Hoek
  • Patent number: 7415677
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for displaying information to a user on a display device of a computer system. In one general aspect, a first view is displayed on the display device, where the first view has at least a first work area. In response to the receipt of a first input received by the computer system, a second view is displayed on the display device. The second view includes the first work area and a temporary communication area, or “pop-in window,” included within the first work area. The temporary communication area has a defined function associated therewith requiring input from a user. The temporary communication area may close after the user provides the necessary input and the defined function is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2008
    Assignee: SAP Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Udo Arend, Edmund Eberleh, Heinz Willumeit
  • Patent number: 7412651
    Abstract: A method and system for enabling user interaction with computer software running in a computer system. A user is provided with an interface surface containing information relating to the computer software and including coded data indicative of an identity of the interface surface and of at least one reference point of the interface surface. The user places a sensing device into an operative position relative to the interface surface. In this operative position, the sensing device senses indicating data indicative of: the identity of the interface surface; and a position of the sensing device relative to the interface surface, using at least some of the coded data. The computer system receives the indicating data from the sensing device, and uses the indicating data to identify at least one interactive element relating to the computer software. The computer software is then operated in accordance with instructions associated with the at least one interactive element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2008
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Paul Lapstun, Kia Silverbrook
  • Patent number: 7412650
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of representing information on a three-dimensional user interface having multiple portals, in which data is associated with each of the portals. A symbolic marker is associated with each of the portals according to a pre-specified scheme, and displayed in the respective portals. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the symbolic marker is a colored marker. By color-coding the portals, data associated with the portals can be classified into a number of categories to provide the user with a summary of the data on the three-dimensional user interface at a high level of abstraction. The three-dimensional user interface may be adapted to update the colored markers more efficiently, and to display them using less computing resources than would be required if more memory-sensitive visual cues were displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2008
    Assignee: Vizible Corporation
    Inventor: Anthony Carmen Gallo
  • Patent number: 7409647
    Abstract: A virtual object for use in an object oriented environment; the virtual object comprising at least a user-sensible aspect and further comprising at least a functional aspect; the said user-sensible aspect being encapsulated as a user-sensible encapsulation, separately from the functional aspect, which is encapsulated as a functional encapsulation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2008
    Assignee: Technion Research & Development Foundation Ltd.
    Inventors: Gershon Elber, Orit Shaked, Oded Shmueli
  • Patent number: 7403984
    Abstract: A system, computer program product and method for automated tool management in a multi-protocol environment. A user may issue a message in accordance with an object-oriented interapplication communication protocol to a corresponding application interface unit. The message may be a request to perform a particular action on a selected tool. The content of the message may be extracted by the corresponding application interface unit which may comprise data required by the requested action and a pointer to the object representing the tool. The application interface unit may invoke a method of the object pointed to by the pointers in the message. A value may then be procured by an equipment model where the value may be associated with particular information requested in the message about a tool or a notification informing the user that an event occurred. The equipment model may transfer the value to the appropriate user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2008
    Assignee: Asyst Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Raymond Walter Ellis, Mark Theodore Pendleton, Charles Merritt Baylis
  • Patent number: 7404152
    Abstract: A method of displaying messages on handheld devices. The device displays messages in a scrollable viewport of vertically arranged fields. Date separators inserted into the vertically arranged list of messages to enable the user to associate the messages with a date. The date separators have “sticky” operation, meaning that the device ensures a date separator always appears within the viewport, even when the viewport has been scrolled to the middle of a long list of messages all associated with the same date. The device may ensure that the top field of the viewport always contains a date separator associated with the message immediately below.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2008
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Scotte Zinn, David Yach
  • Patent number: 7401299
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for providing a presumptive drafting solution. Input from a cursor control device is received, wherein the input reflects a movement in a computer drawing program of a cursor over a drawing having one or more geometric entities (having one or more geometric attributes). In one or more embodiments, a relevant geometric entity is identified based on how the cursor is moved over the drawing. A presumptive drafting solution is then provided based on the identified relevant geometric entity. In addition, prior drawing solutions (having one or more solution attributes) are obtained and compared to the one or more geometric attributes. A drawing solution having one or more solution attributes similar to the one or more geometric attributes may be provided to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2008
    Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
    Inventor: Daniel Lee Thompson
  • Patent number: 7395513
    Abstract: A system and method are presented for a suite integration toolkit (SIT) allowing for the provision and display of a rich set of installation actions. The user interface (UI) provides a list box interface having pull down menus for the display and selection of component defined installation actions. Preferably the SIT is used to install a suite of applications having multiple components and sub-components. These components and sub-components are displayed with the install action selected and the disk space required displayed. The UI also provides a summation of the required disk space of only those components that will actually be installed, taking into consideration and excluding from the summation required components that are already installed. An interface method is implemented by each of the components to expose a method to allow the SIT to query the component for its available installation actions and results.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2008
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Jeff A. Zimniewicz, Phillip J. Marino, Crista Johnson
  • Patent number: 7395514
    Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for accessing, generating, presenting and manipulating Internet and non-Internet related information, data and content, including information netcast over the Internet. The system is also capable of controlling operatively connected, privately networked devices. A number of graphical user interfaces are utilized to facilitate user access, manipulation and control of information, data and content and networked devices. Some of the graphical user interfaces are time and topic oriented, are customizable by the user, and allow for the manipulation of information, data, content and operatively connected networked devices from the graphical interfaces themselves. The system is preferably enhanced through the use of an intelligent, dynamically updated user profile that is fully integrated with the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2008
    Inventor: Joseph L. Stern
  • Patent number: 7395334
    Abstract: An apparatus, program product and method for determining unreturned standby resource usage. Unreturned standby resource data is monitored and stored separately from other standby resource data for billing and other accounting purposes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2008
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel Charles Birkestrand, Randall Lane Grimm, David Otto Lewis, Terry Lyle Schardt
  • Patent number: 7392481
    Abstract: An apparatus and methods for providing content-owner control in a device is optionally networked. A method for accessing media content has steps of initiating a first view providing access to at least a portion of a first content within the first view, initiating a second view providing access to a second content within the second view and preventing the second content from being accessed with the first content in the first view. Additionally, access to a third content with the first content is allowed in the first view. An apparatus includes a first view configured to provide access to a first content, a second view configured to provide access to a second content, and a graphical subsystem configured to prevent the second content from being access in the first view. In one variation, the first view is a media content view, and the second view is a web view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2008
    Assignee: Sonic Solutions, a California corporation
    Inventors: Greg Gewickey, Todd Collart
  • Patent number: 7392302
    Abstract: A migration framework provides for the automatic migration of services in a cluster. A migratable target list contains a list of servers in the cluster capable of hosting a migratable service. A consensus subsystem can select a host server from the migratable target list. A migration manager can migrate the service from a current host to the host selected by the consensus subsystem, and can activate an instance of the service on the selected host server. The migration manager ensures that only one active instance of the service exists in the cluster. A service stub can serve a user request on servers in the migration target, such as by order of preference, until the user request is served on the server hosting the active instance. A lease manager can assign a lease period to determine how long a server hosts an active instance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2008
    Assignee: BEA Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Eric M. Halpern
  • Patent number: 7392488
    Abstract: Method and system to enable a user to view large collections of hierarchically linked information on a computer based display. A tree structure visualization is created which presents a representation of the complete collection of information on the display. The visualization fits completely within a fixed area of the computer based display, negating the need to scroll information into the display area. The visualization is based on identified focus nodes and through calculation of a Degree of Interest (DOI) for each of the nodes based in the structure. Layout and presentation of the visualization structure is based on the DOI values in combination with considerations of available display space. A user may dynamically manipulate views of the structure by selecting one or more focus nodes, thus causing a recalculation of the degree of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2008
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Stuart K. Card, David A. Nation
  • Patent number: 7386794
    Abstract: A detecting section 21 detects a conceptual meaning of a respective operation performed upon the execution of a plurality of application programs 11, 12, . . . The result of each detection is stored as respective operation history information in a history information level 32.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2008
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Akihiko Fujiwara
  • Patent number: 7380213
    Abstract: User interface for reporting event-based production information in product manufacturing. Some of the disclosed embodiments include a system, method, computer-readable medium, and display device for processing data stored in a database. The data includes automatically collected event-based production information records in a manufacturing system wherein each record represents an event and includes a timestamp, an event code, and a measure of cost or production loss associated with the event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2008
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Roy Pokorny, Douglas Gordon Barron Barber, Winnie Shi Mei Shun Hoo, Jeffrey Dean Lindsay, Charles Earl Markham, Jon Ray Matheus, Jamie Scott Mork, Kurt Sigurd Nygaard, Walter Caswell Reade, Jose Andres Stambuk
  • Patent number: 7380210
    Abstract: A user interface is provided having a display for displaying information about a system, wherein said system is comprised of a plurality of elements. The user interface is provided with a plurality of modes of user operation, including an installment mode which allows the user to configure the user interface to perform in a desired manner while the element is being installed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2008
    Assignee: Siemens Building Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Bruce J. Lontka, Michael Pierce
  • Patent number: 7379964
    Abstract: A method for a first healthcare provider to consult a second healthcare provider regarding at least one of diagnosis of a patient and treatment of a patient includes the first healthcare provider submitting a request for consultation on a machine, and the second healthcare provider submitting a consultation response on a machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2008
    Assignee: Union Hospital, Inc.
    Inventors: James R. Buechler, Evan Farmer, Todd J. Smaka
  • Patent number: 7379987
    Abstract: The present invention provides techniques for creation, operation, management, and access control of network-based storage services. Specific embodiments provide improved efficiency of the service management tasks used for designing, operating and accounting the robust and profitable network services, for example. In representative embodiments, techniques for constructing integrated network and storage services are provided. In a specific embodiment, the service comprises of three major service components: virtual private networks (VPN), application servers and storage area networks (SAN). Each of these service components has its own customer identification information, such as VPN identifier for VPN services, process identifier for application servers and logical unit number (LUN) for storage devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2008
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Ishizaki, Shigeru Miyake
  • Patent number: 7376708
    Abstract: Systems and methods relating to the establishment of EDI trading partner relationships. Sending partners convey a series of data transmissions to a computer system, where they are checked for internal consistency and compliance with applicable trading rules. Data attributes extracted from the transmissions allow the capabilities of the sending system to be ascertained. Differing senders meeting different appropriate qualifications may be issued specific certifications. Receiving partners conveyed a series of EDI transmissions by a third party report the results of receipt and analysis back thereto. From the reported results, the capabilities and accuracy of the receiving system are ascertained. Specific certifications for differing types of receiving partners may then be issued. Trading partners may be matched by capabilities. A directory of trading partner certifications and capabilities may be periodically replicated to selected users.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Claredi Corporation
    Inventors: Pedro Zubeldia, Travis Stockwell, Jeff Compas