Abstract: A system and method supports multiple alternative graphical user interfaces in computer-moderated electronic commerce. A single database system provides information necessary for standard graphical user interface display by different display engines. The information which is supplied to generate user interface objects is formatted to support low bandwidth graphical user interfaces. In particular, formatting is selected so that low bandwidth HTML engines render a user interface similar to that displayed by higher bandwidth engines.

Abstract: A system and method for transferring information a data processing network. A client device suitable for connecting to the network includes a client application configured to receive information from the network and to present the received information to a user as audio information. The server is configured to provide information to the client data processing device responsive to the client request. The system is configured to determine when at least a portion of the information provided by the server is unsuitable for presentation by the client and to respond to the determination by storing the information for later access by the user, presenting a visually enhanced version of the information to the user, or providing portions of the information suitable for audio presentation to the user.

Abstract: The present invention is a media player and media player interface. The media player includes a storage unit for various types of media, media related data, and media selection logic. The media player interface is either built into the media player or a separate component such as a remote control. Either way, the media player interface includes a single point interface. When the single point interface is triggered by a user, the media selection logic selects an item of media by reference to the media related data. The media related data includes information that determines the probability of a particular item of media being selected by the media selection logic. The act of triggering the single point interface provides the media selection logic with information to update the media related data. The media selection logic may also consider the current sequence of selections, so that a single item is not likely to be selected back-to-back.

Abstract: A method, system and program for selectively adjusting transparency of windows within a user interface are provided. An n-level is determined within a z-order of at least one displayable object from among multiple displayable objects distributed within the z-order. A transparency level is selectively adjusted of the at least one displayable object within a user interface positioned at the n-level within the z-order, such that the transparency level of the at least one displayable object is selectively adjusted without adjusting the z-order of the displayable objects.

Abstract: A feature-rich transport multiplexer and a number of associated methods, systems, subsystems, software features, graphical user interfaces and control systems are disclosed. The disclosure includes GUI's that enable operators to easily monitor and manipulate content streams flowing through a transport multiplexer in real-time. The disclosed interfaces include screens that supply operators with identity, structure, configuration, bandwidth utilization and/or status information for system hardware and software. The disclosed features also provide computer assisted routing configuration for present and future routing events through simple manipulation, such as drag and drop operations, of graphical objects. Routing control is further simplified by permitting operators to configure routing control of individual content stream components as well as groups of such components simultaneously.

Abstract: Collaboration space object model provides for a place consisting of rooms created by users interacting with a client browser. A skin (i.e., theme) may be used as template for creating places. PlaceBots (i.e., agents) provide for accessing, processing and managing data in a place. HTML may be dragged and dropped into a place, where it is parsed and corresponding place fields created. A place type comprising a template of an entire place, or collaboration space, may be used to create new places. Changes made to a place may be reported, subject to security controls, by selecting what's new.

Abstract: A system, method and program are provided for listing activities in a graphical user interface in a collaborative work tool framework. An activity window having activity description data, activity start data, activity duration data, and an activity status data is displayed. Then, an activity is defined in response to user selection of a defined activity button and the defined activity is displayed in the activity window. Next, status for the defined activity is determined based on the start time and the duration for the defined activity. Finally, background information relevant to the defined activity is automatically acquired, including automatically obtaining the activity description when the start time is within a predetermined period, parsing and pattern matching the activity description to identify searchable components thereof, querying a plurality of sources across a network to obtain the background information, and receiving the background information in response to querying the plurality of sources.

Abstract: Software may be provided for indicating the difference between an earlier cached version and a current version of a web page. This saves the user the trouble of comparing the two pages to determine whether there are changes that would be of interest. For example, in one embodiment of the present invention, the navigation bar of a web browser may include a button to allow the user to select a subtract or differencing feature. Once selected, the current version of a display web page is compared to a cached version of the web page and any differences are either highlighted or displayed.

Abstract: A graphical user interface displays a unique graphical indexing element such as a tab for each engaged and non-engaged messaging session. The user chooses which messaging session to make engaged by selecting its graphical indexing element. The graphical indexing elements have various distinctive characteristics to indicate the status of their respective messaging sessions, such as engaged, non-engaged with no unread messages, or non-engaged with at least one unread message. The messaging sessions may all be docked, in which event the engaged messaging session is displayed in a window pane set and the other messaging sessions are not displayed, or may be selectively undocked, in which event the engaged messaging session and the undocked messaging sessions are displayed in respective window pane sets. The engaged window pane set supports the communication of original or predefined messages between the user's digital device and the pal's messaging-enabled digital device, regardless of capability.

Abstract: In a method for delivering information to a person accessing a banner website from a terminal located remote from the source of the banner website the terminal has an associated display upon which the content of the website is visually perceived by a person using the terminal and a cursor whose position is controllable by the person. The method includes providing initial signals from the source of the website or from another remote source when the website is accessed by the person to establish a banner area on the display, the banner area including banner information that is visually perceivable by the person when the website is accessed and plural sub-areas of the banner area having respective associations with additional visually perceivable information.

Abstract: An apparatus for displaying three-dimensional graphics, is disclosed, which comprises: a reader for reading coordinate data of objects to be displayed; another reader for reading coordinate data of a complete floor to be displayed; a generator for generating coordinate data of each partial floor disposed under a lower surface of each object; an input device for inputting viewpoint position data; and a generator for generating display data to which a hidden surface process have been applied on the basis of the coordinate data of the objects, the complete floor, and the partial floors and the viewpoint position data.

Abstract: A system and method for enabling remote conferencing between conference participants involves the use of one or more forms that support interaction with a computer system or network. Each form is printed on sheet material such as paper and includes coded data that allows it to be used to interact with the computer system via a sensing device operated by a user. The system and method can be employed by geographically distributed participants to communicate graphical ideas via a shared ‘whiteboard’ using interactive surface media while engaged in a telephone conference. Every time a participant adds a modification or a new diagram to the whiteboard, the other participants can be provided with a printed copy of the updated page.

Abstract: An architectural software framework is provided for creating Web-style application software incorporating protocols and means for expansion and interfacing with other Web-style programs, as well as a reusable basic programming structure, including abstract and concrete data types, that assist in building Web-style applications. The architectural software framework includes a page function and frame. Each Web-style application includes one or more page functions which communicate via the frame.

Abstract: A system and method for integrating multiple refresh functions inline with a visible refresh button control is provided. When a user wants to change a type of refresh mode due to the type of work being performed, a user selects the refresh setup drop down arrow key. A user has a refresh mode selection of manual, manual override, or auto mode. A user also has a preferences area to set screen refresh trigger thresholds for manual override and auto mode. For example, a user can set a trigger to wait until a task is completed before performing a screen refresh. A user is able to manually perform a screen refresh in override and auto mode by pressing the refresh button. Further disclosed are an information handling system and a computer program product each providing multiple refresh mode functionality.

Abstract: Methods, systems and articles of manufacture for enhanced control over the positioning of dialog boxes in relation to hyperlinks within electronic documents. The controlled positioning is implemented to mitigate any undesirable placement of dialog boxes that might limit to user access to hyperlinks contained within the electronic document. Accordingly, embodiments are provided for determining a location within a displayed electronic document at which a dialog box may be positioned without obscuring any hyperlinks. In the event that such positioning is not possible, steps are taken to position the dialog box in a location that will result in the least interference between the user and a displayed document.

Abstract: In a control and management system for automobiles, a central processor in the system connects traditionally unrelated vehicle subsystems together to realize synergistic functions such as smart driving, automatic parking, etc. A master interface having a display is employed in the system to help a user control and manage the vehicle functions.

Abstract: A system and method which employ one or more portable hand held computers and one or more servers, allows a field engineer to complete the entire design, deployment, test, optimization, and maintenance cycle required to implement successful communications networks. The engineer may take the portable hand held computer into the field, and make alterations to the components, position of the components, orientation of the components, etc. based on on-site inspection. As these alterations to the computerized model are made, predictions for the effects these changes will have on the communications network are displayed to the engineer. Measurements may also be made using equipment connected to or contained in the portable hand held computer, and these measurements may be used to optimize performance criteria. Information can be transmitted to and from the portable hand held computer and the server to allow for complex processing to be performed.

Abstract: A system and various methods for simplifying or automating the task of configuring a graphical program to exchange data with a data source and/or data target. In response to receiving user input specifying a data source, the graphical program may be automatically, i.e., programmatically, configured to receive data from the data source. In response to receiving user input specifying a data target, the graphical program may be automatically, i.e., programmatically, configured to provide or write data to the data target. The data source or data target may be any of various types. For example, the data source or data target may be a file, a server, etc., and may be located on the host computer system of the graphical program or on a remote computer system. In the preferred embodiment, the data source or data target is specified by a uniform resource locator (URL).

Abstract: A system for composing an audio-visual presentation over a communications network includes a composer system having a computer processor and associated memory and a telephone device, the composer system having a presentation containing at least one visual slide stored in the memory, and a host system including a computer processor and associated memory. The composer system: A. establishes a connection between the computer processor and the host system over a communications network and uploads the presentation to the host system over the communications network; and B. establishes a connection between the telephone device and the host system and records an audio narration clip for each of the at least one visual slide. The host system synchronizes each audio narration clip with its associated visual slide and stores the resulting audio-visual presentation in the memory of the host system.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a user interface, data structure and method to facilitate management and/or access to data, such as by grouping graphical representations of the data in an image space relative to cluster indicators. A given graphical representation for selected data (e.g., a graphical object) can be associated with a corresponding cluster indicator based on its proximity to the cluster indicator. Thus, cluster membership can be changed, in accordance with an aspect of the present invention, by moving graphical objects relative to the cluster indicators.