Abstract: Techniques for automatically approving transactions are described herein. These techniques may include determining whether a user who requested to conduct a transaction is the same user as a user that approves the transaction. If so, then the transaction may be approved. If not, then the approving user may be asked to provide authentication information in order to finish the approval process.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of enabling a first user and a second user to obtain collaborative content. The method comprises steps of obtaining a plurality of content preference data comprising a first content preference data (121) of the first user and a second content preference data (131) of the second user, obtaining dependency data (114, 114a) indicating dependency of the first content preference data on the second content preference data, and using the plurality of content preference data for a selection of the collaborative content under control of the dependency data. The invention also relates to a collaborative device for enabling a first user and a second user to obtain collaborative content.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method and system for designing a web portal or enterprise portal comprising a hierarchical structure of portal pages and portlets for accessing web content or enterprise content accessible via the portal. A method for modifying a given hierarchical navigation topology including nodes and edges connected between the nodes in a web application environment, in which topology a web page corresponds to a predetermined topology level and displays one or more applets, includes: providing a user interface for defining a user-specific topology, the defining including promoting a node within the topology to a higher level; demoting a node within the topology to a lower level; and moving a node within a page level; storing information for recovering a user-modified topology in a database; and displaying the user-modified topology to the user in response to the user specifying a predetermined node.

Abstract: A system for personalized navigation of computer screens. The system can comprise one or more electronic data processors. The system can also include a module configured to execute on the more or more electronic data processors, where the module can be configured to display a plurality of icons retained in a file associated with a particular user on a computer screen. The icons can comprise one or more assigned icons from an assigned icons list and candidate icons from a candidate icons list, where both the assigned and candidate icons are derived from a pool of icons. Also, the module can be configured to assign an icon to a currently displayed screen by utilizing a selection tool and placing the icon in the assigned icons list, where the icon is selected from the candidate icons list. The module can be further configured to return to the assigned screen when the assigned icon is selected.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of managing functions for objects associated with an interactive application presented on a display begins by providing a plurality of images that represent different selectable objects. The method also provides a drag-and-drop graphical user interface (GUI) element to accommodate drag-and-drop selection from the plurality of images, the drag-and-drop GUI element having a control element to initiate a function. The method continues by populating the drag-and-drop GUI element with a first image that represents a first selectable object, and thereafter receiving a command in response to activation of the control element. In response to receiving the command, the method performs the function on the first selectable object.

Abstract: A technique for selectable variable speed for controlled object movement receives a selection of a point on an object being moved, using a selector, to form a selected point, calculates a displacement of the selected point from a center of the object being moved to form a displacement value, calculates a sensitivity value using the displacement value, calculates a movement speed using the sensitivity value, wherein a ratio of movement speed to displacement is configurable as a ratio that is inversely proportional to the distance from the center of the object being moved and provides movement speed information for object movement.

Abstract: A graphical user interface has a back surface disposed from viewing surface to define a depth, and one or more one or more side surfaces extend from the back surface to the viewing surface. An icon receptacle is disposed on one or more of the side surfaces, and one or more icons are disposed within the icon receptacle. The one or more icons correspond to one or more desktop items.

Abstract: An information retrieval device includes an area splitting unit that splits the input information into a plurality of subareas by each information attribute, an extracting unit that extracts a retrieval key from the input information in each of the subareas, a display control unit that displays the input information in the subareas on a first screen, and receives an instruction for specifying any of the subareas displayed on the first screen to be moved to a second screen on a display unit, and a retrieving unit that retrieves information via the network based on a retrieval key corresponding to the subarea that is moved to the second screen. The display control unit displays retrieved information on the second screen.

Abstract: A user interface for a virtual world includes a circular area forming a display for an item in the virtual world, and controls surrounding only a portion of the display for controlling that item.

Abstract: A computer method and system for interactive visualization and modification of a user interest model via an interactive graphical user interface is described. The method and system comprise displaying at least one keyword in a circular sector on a ring on the interactive graphical user interface, wherein the keyword represents an interest of the user interest model, wherein a radial position of the keyword on the ring represents a degree of interest stored as part of the user interest model, and wherein the circular sector represents a semantic type of the user interest model. The method and system further enable a user to actively influence the modeling server and graphically modify/change the degree of interest via an interaction component of the interactive graphical user interface.

Abstract: A method of customizing the branding of utility software associated with a customized computer peripheral device. The customized peripheral device includes brand data stored in memory. The utility software includes a branding module that reads the brand data from the peripheral device during installation upon a computer and customizes the utility software based upon the brand data. The brand data may include the custom branding information or may provide a brand identifier that permits the branding module to obtain the correct custom branding information from a remote server.

Abstract: Alignment guides configured for velocity-sensitive behavior are disclosed. In one embodiment, during a user interface element move gesture, the gesture velocity is determined, and while moving the user interface element during the gesture, the user interface operates in a first or a second state with respect to displaying alignment guides. When the velocity of the user gesture exceeds a predefined velocity threshold, the display of the user interface is maintained in the first state, which does not include visibly displaying alignment guides. When the velocity of the user gesture is less than the predefined velocity threshold, the user interface is displayed in a second state that includes visibly displaying one or more alignment guides. In some embodiments, gesture velocity is used to set alignment guide attraction strength.

Abstract: An application program capable of operating on a prescribed operating system includes a plurality of functional processing units, a window processing unit allowing a window corresponding to any of the functional processing units operated in a case where any of the plural functional processing units is operated, a minimization unit minimizing the window, and a setting selection unit selecting setting information for the minimization. The minimization unit minimizes the window based on the setting information selected by the setting selection unit, and the setting selection unit is capable of selecting the setting information with respect to each of the plural functional processing units.

Abstract: A user interface to an application processing complex data of multiple data view abstractions allows selection, placement, size and other configurable characteristics of interface components to be controlled by a user and then associated with the data abstraction and processing task. Multiple configurations may be created to simplify the interface to include only necessary controls given an abstraction level of the data view and the task on that data. The configurations may be stored using symbolic references and subsequently loaded on demand into the interface. Mechanisms may be applied to ensure that similarly referenced configurations in storage are resolved and only the desired configuration is applied.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to methods and devices for displaying information in a handheld device, comprising displaying information in a dynamically sizable cell in the display of the handheld device, wherein the cell comprises a portion of the display and the size of the cell is adjusted in response to the amount of information it contains. Embodiments of the present invention are enabled to display the information in plurality of dynamically sizable cells which display different categories of information. Embodiments are also enabled to adjust cell size in response to the size of other cells in the display.

Abstract: Functionality is implemented to determine that a first content presented by a first graphical user interface container is related to a second content presented by a second graphical user interface container. The first graphical user interface container and the second graphical user interface container are merged to generate a merged container that presents a merged content. The merged content comprises a first constituent content of the merged container that corresponds to the first content and a second constituent content of the merged container that corresponds to the second content. It is determined that a first action associated with the first constituent content can operate upon the second constituent content. The first action operates on the first constituent content when invoked. Computer program code that implements the first action is reconfigured to operate upon the first and the second constituent content of the merged container.

Abstract: A technique for presenting display screens of a plurality terminals connected to a network on a multi-window screen of a display screen of a display device. A communication unit receives image data captured and then sent by each terminal having a screen capture function. A display control unit controls an image synthesizer to synthesize the captured image data into single screen multi-window format data. A multi-window screen is thus presented.

Abstract: Methods and systems, including computer program products, implementing a preview cursor for image editing. One method includes displaying an image, receiving user input moving a cursor representing an editing tool to a position on the image, and in response, displaying a cursor icon representing the cursor at the position. The editing tool is operable to have an effect when applied. The cursor icon shows the effect of applying the editing tool at the position while and only while the cursor is at the position.

Abstract: A unified greeting system scans social media for content. The content can be any type of post to a social media site. If content is directed to a user of the unified greeting system and if the user is currently unavailable, the unified greeting system determines if the content requires a reply. If a reply is warranted, the unified greeting system determines the characteristics of the content to determine the type of reply. Then, the unified greeting system provides the reply, which can be an “out-of-office message.” The out-of-office message is the posted to the social media site to alert the poster that the person is currently unavailable.

Abstract: A computer readable storage medium includes executable instructions to provide a Graphical User Interface with a plurality of visualization types and a semi-structured workspace. A drag-and-drop of a visualization type into a drop zone in the semi-structured workspace is received. The drop zone corresponds to a location in the semi-structured workspace where an associated visualization is displayed. A link is created between the associated visualization and a query to a data source.