Abstract: A template file defines a video material data, a first still picture material data, a second still picture material data and text data, and a display area for each of the material data. A presentation file defines the template file and a correlation between each of the display areas and each material data. Based on the template file and the presentation file, an information display device combines and displays as a program the video material data, the first still picture material data, the second still picture material data, and the text data in their respective display areas.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for placing and interpreting reference marks on scrollbars are disclosed. A reference mark indicates a portion of document displayed in a window on a display device. To place a reference mark, a selection of a portion of a document is received. A command to mark the selection with a reference mark is then received. A reference mark is then placed in the scrollbar, the reference mark indicating the selected portion of the document. To interpret a reference mark, a selection of a reference mark located on a scrollbar is received from an input device. The scrollbar is associated with a document. The display of the document in the window on the display device is then changed so that at least the beginning of a portion of the document indicated by the reference mark is displayed in the window on the display device.

Abstract: Aspects of the present invention provide a system and method for scrolling or dragging information on a display. A panning tool is provided that may scroll information, such as a web page, on a display in tandem with movement of a cursor. If interactive elements are present on the page or document, an interactive element may be activated as desired. Scrolling may be accomplished with the panning tool either on non-interactive elements or interactive elements that are not required to be activated. Furthermore, inertia of movement of the information on a display is optimized and autoscrolling is provided in which a page or document may be scrolled without dragging.

Abstract: Described herein is a collaborative and Web-based whiteboarding tool for creating, collecting, storing, managing and performing searches on graphical customer information and information related thereto. When implementing the present invention, the company retains possession of and control over the sales-related diagrams generated by its sales force. Participants in a collaborative Web session are provided with one or more palettes of diagram primitives, which reduce the whiteboarding (diagram) task to an easily mastered series of object drag-and-drops, line connections, and text blurbs. The diagrams, as well as the diagram primitives (including, for example, icons, diagrams and portions thereof) are stored in a selectably accessible database. In addition, the diagram primitives may have fully searchable information associated therewith, in the form of metadata or tags, for example.

Abstract: The subject application is directed to a system and method for generating a composite source user interface. A text query corresponding to a text element associated with a graphical element on a display of the associated user interface is first received by a backend component. The received text query data is then directed to a data document on the associated data storage. Text data is then received from the data document of the associated data storage. Thereafter, the received text data is then communicated to the associated user interface so as to generate indicia on the associated user interface. Preferably, the indicia includes a graphical element and the text data, such as, for example and without limitation, an icon and associated text, or the like.

Abstract: A method for generating markup language documents, e.g., XML documents, uses a code generator that creates programs configured to create dynamic XML documents at run time, avoiding many of the complexities arising from the use of conventional “XML GENERATE” statements. In one embodiment, this process involves (1) creating a template document using a markup language, wherein the template document includes a set of tags associated with the markup language documents; (2) parsing the template document to determine a working storage structure corresponding to the tags in the template document; and (3) generating an application program in the programming language (e.g., COBOL), wherein the application program includes a definition of the working storage structure, and is configured to generate, during run-time, a markup language document corresponding to the original template document.

Abstract: Systems and methods for delayed function activation in a responsive environment are described. A responsive environment includes an intermediary system and notification manager to determine when a responsive environment will launch an application triggered by a sensed event. The environment includes sensor components and transparent software components that reside wholly within the environment for providing responsiveness. The environment also includes interactive software components that give users the means to provide input and/or experience output. Since changes to the interaction components may disrupt the user by requiring the user's attention when it is not convenient, the system helps the user manage the responsive environment by using an application/function delay technique. The environment uses an intelligence and notification mechanism to determine what might be useful and primes the apparatus to provide that functionality. However, the user actually initiates the execution of that function.

Abstract: Search results can be viewed and acted upon. Searches may be conducted using a search input in conjunction with a selected category. The search results may be produced from such a search. One or more of the produced search results may be highlighted for previewing. Along with the preview, available actions are presented that are based on the selected category. A user can initiate an action of the available actions. The initiated action is then performed with respect to the highlighted search result(s).

Abstract: A computer implemented method, data processing system, and computer program product for allowing a user to quickly and directly responds to a turn in an instant messaging conversation. One or more instant messaging chat conversations are displayed to a user. User input is received selecting a turn in the one of more instant messaging chat conversations. Responsive to receiving the user input selecting a turn, a user input region is provided to the user, wherein the user input region is used to receive an instant message from the user. Upon the user entering an instant message into the user input region, the message is sent to a set of participants in the instant messaging chat conversation.

Abstract: A display application can be configured to provide a visual indication associating a dialog box (that was not invoked for display by a user) to a user selectable source on a display screen. In such circumstances, because the dialog box was not actually invoked based on actions of by the user, the user may be unaware of how to invoke redisplay of the dialog box. The visual indication (e.g., a highlighting of a path between the dialog box and a user selectable source such as an icon) produced by the display application teaches a user of a location of the selectable source so that the user can select the selectable source at a future point in time and redisplay the window.

Abstract: The subject application is directed to a system and method for generating a dynamic composite source user interface. Text data is received into a data document stored in associated memory. Data representing each of a plurality of graphical elements that correspond to the received text data is then received. A visual indicator, corresponding to each of the graphical elements, is generated on an associated display. Selection data representing a selection of one of the graphical elements on the associated display is then received. Pointer data is then associated with the selected graphical element. The pointer data is further associated with the text data. Next, the selected graphical element is then displayed on the associated display in conjunction with the text data, as referenced by the pointer data.

Abstract: A system and method of windows management. The system and method comprises at least one window having information displayed thereon and a processor for determining an application type associated with the at least one window and rendering the at least one window at a predetermined opacity level based on the application type.

Abstract: An interface apparatus controls at least activation and termination of one or more registered application programs in accordance with user operations. The apparatus includes a first holding section configured to hold information of the application programs; a user operation acceptance section; a second holding section configured to receive and hold status information of each application program; a list presentation section configured to present an application program list window and to indicate at least whether a status of each application program is a running status or a terminated status based on the status information; a selection section configured to select an application program to be controlled from among the application programs in accordance with a predetermined first user operation; and a control section configured to control the status of the selected application program based on the status information when the user operation acceptance section has accepted a predetermined second user operation.

Abstract: A user interface for and method of managing icons on a group-by-group basis using a skin image. The user interface includes an icon room which selectively provides a skin image or a reduced skin image on a desktop background depending on whether the skin image or the reduced skin image is activated, and a plurality of icon images which are included in the icon room and are provided on the skin image when the icon room is activated.

Abstract: The invention provides a method, system, and program product for controlling a display on a computer-aided design (CAD) data editing screen, whereby commands more likely to be utilized are preferentially displayed.

Abstract: There is provided a method for use with a software application. The method includes a step of generating a palette window having a drawing mode and a properties mode. The method includes a step of generating on the palette window in the drawing mode a first thumbnail representative of a first data object having first attributes associated therewith. The first thumbnail is operative to initiate placement on a workspace window a second data object having second attributes derived from the first attributes. The method includes a step of generating on the palette window in the properties mode a first icon representative one of the first attributes. There is also provided a method for using such computer application.

Abstract: A customer support system is provided that integrates with a legacy email system. The customer support system receives customer inquiries via a feedback form, formats the inquiries into emails and routes the emails to selected employees. A dynamic status indicator is incorporated into each email that indicates the status of the customer's inquiry. The value of the status indicator is resolved at the time an employee opens or displays the email for viewing. All customer inquiries and employees responses are individually tracked and maintained in a database for analysis and reporting.

Abstract: The invention provides a method, system, and program product for controlling a display on a computer-aided design (CAD) data editing screen, whereby commands more likely to be utilized are preferentially displayed.

Abstract: A system and related techniques relate to the retrieval of a media object list with associated properties from a media device such as a digital video camcorder, audio player or other source or device. According to embodiments the retrieved list or set of media objects and their attributes or properties, for example a song list along with song length, codec, artist and other information may be retrieved from the source device, along with a representative sample of the media or content of each object. So the title which identifies a song may be accompanied by a short sound clip of a representative sample of that song, or a title identifying a digital video movie may be accompanied by a short video clip of an introductory portion of that movie.

Abstract: If a screen saver with a high load is set, a shift to standby mode cannot be executed without clearing the screen, and clearing of the screen causes problems. The present invention provides an electronic device with a screen to display, including a first screen saver section executing a first screen saver during a first execution period and a second screen saver section executing a second screen saver, of which an execution load on said electronic device is lower than the first screen saver, after said first execution period has elapsed.