Abstract: The present invention provides a solution for users of voice recognition systems who still need visual feedback in order to confirm the accuracy of spoken commands but need to operate in a “hands-off” mode with respect to computer input. In an interactive computer controlled display system with speech command input recognition, the present invention provides a system for confirming the recognition of a command by first predetermining a plurality of speech commands for respectively designating each of a corresponding plurality of system actions and providing means for detecting such speech commands. There also are means responsive to a detected speech command for displaying said command for a predetermined time period, during which time the user may give a spoken command to stop the system action designated by said displayed command. In the event that said system action is not stopped during said predetermined time period, the system action designated by said displayed command will be executed.

Abstract: A dispenser for coasters including a housing for storing coasters. An embodiment is a cylindrical can for receiving a stack of round coasters. The housing includes a dispensing aperture set near the bottom of the housing and large enough to allow a coaster to pass through to the outside of the housing. A pushing aperture is also set near the bottom of the housing, but set opposite to the dispensing aperture. The pushing aperture is large enough to allow access to a coaster in the interior of the housing and to allow the coaster to be pushed towards the dispensing aperture whereupon the coaster is dispensed.

Abstract: A method, program and system for displaying the consequence of an input in a graphical user interface (GUI) are provided. The invention comprises displaying a GUI including a plurality of interaction control mechanisms (controls) having a selected or a deselected state. An input to a first control may cause a change in state to at least one other of the plurality of controls. Responsive to a first input at the first control (e.g., holding down a mouse button with the pointer on the first control), the invention displays a preview of the change in state of the plurality of controls that would occur if a second input is made at the first control (e.g., releasing the mouse button with the pointer still on the first control). If the user does not want the previewed change in state to occur, the user has simply to avoid making the second input (e.g., move the pointer off the first control before releasing the mouse button).

Abstract: An electromechanical keeper is disclosed that includes a base plate adapted for being mounted to a flat surface, a catch member pivotally supported by the base plate, and a solenoid having a solenoid shaft. The catch member is adapted to engage the pawl of a latch when the catch member is the closed position and the catch member is not engageable by the latch pawl when the catch member is in the open position. The solenoid shaft engages a cavity or bore in the catch member to retain the catch member in the closed position. The solenoid shaft disengages from the cavity or bore in the catch member to allow the catch member to rotate to the open position when the solenoid is energized.

Abstract: The present invention is a system and method for creating a real-world object as a bitmap image are provided. Initially, the background pixels in the frame buffer are assigned the same color which is different from any color found in the object. A region is created corresponding to the area that the object will occupy. Next, an application window is created on the desktop having borders, title bar, scroll bar, and the like. The size of the window will correspond to the dimensions of the bitmap image. A clipping function is then implemented to remove all of the areas in the application window which do not correspond to the bitmap image.

Abstract: A computer controlled user interactive display system with an implementation for displaying within a defined display space a plurality of objects having dimensions proportionally representative of physical parameters of elements respectively represented by said objects, but this system is provided with a further implementation for nonlinearly modulating at least one dimension of at least one of said displayed objects so as to conform the object dimension to the dimensional limitations of the defined display space without affecting the dimensional status of the object with said modulated dimension relative to the other objects.

Abstract: A physical play-in-place case for housing and playing a media disc, such as an audio compact disc (CD). The case comprises a base, a shell attached to the base defining a cavity for receiving a CD, the shell further having a landing portion defining a spine area extending substantially along a common side of the base and the shell, and a cover hinged to the base along the spine area. Playback controls are located at the landing portion of the shell and extend into the spine area. At least one audio output device is located in the shell. A track/time display can also be located at the landing portion of the shell. In a further embodiment, a graphic display panel is attached to the cover, and may be viewed when the cover is in the closed position. A touch screen may be operatively combined with the graphic display panel. The case can be fabricated in the same size as conventional CD jewel cases, i.e., with dimensions no greater than about 14 cm×12.5 cm×10 cm.

Abstract: A method and system in a multimedia computer system for automatically retrieving and presenting data associated with an audio recording having unique identifying indicia therein. In response to playing an audio recording in a multimedia computer system, a unique identifying indicia associated with the audio recording is identified. A listing of codes within the multimedia computer system is automatically searched to find a code corresponding to the unique identifying indicia. In response to finding the code corresponding to the unique identifying indicia, multimedia data is retrieved which corresponds to the unique identifying indicia. The multimedia data can be retrieved from local storage or from a remote network site. The multimedia data corresponding to the unique identifying indicia is then presented in the multimedia computer system, while playing the audio recording in the multimedia computer system.

Abstract: A speech recognition system which interprets speech queries such as help queries and presents a list of relevant proposed commands sorted in order based upon relevance of the commands. The system organizes the displayed commands being prompted to the user through probability determining means which for each of a predetermined plurality of speech commands store an associated set of speech terms, each term having relevance to its associated command combined with means responsive to a speech query for determining the probability of speech terms from said set in said query, and means responsive to said probability determining means for prompting the user with a displayed sequence of commands sorted based upon said probability of speech terms associated with said commands. When such a sorted command is selected, the system has means responsive to a speech command for carrying out the system action corresponding to the command.

Abstract: A data processor controlled display system is provided having on-screen graphic control objects which are a composite of portions formed by vector graphics and portions formed by raster graphics. The peripheral regions of the individual objects are formed by vector graphics and preferably have curvilinear portions while the non-peripheral portions of objects formed by raster graphics have higher visual resolutions.

Abstract: A data processing system, software program, and method for operating each are implemented to associate title-specific visuals with unique audio compact discs for display on a graphical user interface. Additionally, the data processing system and software program provide a method of operation to display information associated with each unique compact disc as a separate entry within a compact disc library, such that an external user can then view the collection of libraries on the computer.

Abstract: A data processing system and method is provided for performing "drag and drop" operations of compound objects using system platforms, such as JAVA, which do not support compound objects or nested containment interface designs. In the data processing system and method of operating said system, a container object will include software and logic necessary to call up a contained object in a separate window. The second window is then handled by a window associated with the container object and a modified parent-child relationship. A size and a position of the second window are defined relative to the first window. Therefore, the second window associated with the contained object can be super imposed and precisely positioned over the window associated with the container object. Furthermore, when the window associated with the container object is dragged or resized, the position and size of the second window are modified and moved in unison.

Abstract: A data processing system, software program, and method scale the contents of a window or similar display area in unison and in proportion. During operation, all of the contained control, text, and images included in the window are scaled proportionately so that a user is still able to use the displayed object and the displayed object retains its characteristic image. Composite images of realistically-rendered objects are resized and moved in a manner which is dependent upon a common non-changing representation of a container and a contained object displayed on a display device. When the common non-changing representation is modified by resizing, a scaling operation is performed on the composite image as a whole. However, when the representation of a contained object is modified and the common non-changing representation is no longer displayed, a region of a contained object is "clipped out" from the container before the image is displayed.

Abstract: A computer supported display control system for switching between and tracking of sequences in electronic media presentations having multisequences. During switching, the selected tracks or sequences may be accessed directly and the tracking is persistent and continual through a graphic scale of positions adjacent to and respectively corresponding to each sequence in a list of such sequences. The position of the current sequence is tracked by an indicator which is on the scale.

Abstract: A system and method is provided that causes an animation sequence and underlying background process to be in step such that the motion of the animation is coordinated with the painting of the display by the underlying process. A mechanism is used to adjust the thread priority of the animation thread. When the animation is starting, the priority of the animation threads is set to BELOW.sub.-- NORMAL priority. The animation process is then implemented. Subsequently, the animation threads are set back to NORMAL priority. Because the priority of the animation threads is below normal the other, contending processes will react more quickly (due to their higher priority) during the animation process. This will cause the other processes to update (paint) their client areas more quickly. Each change to another processes client area will cause an update to that area, since that other process will have a higher priority relative to the animation sequence.

Abstract: A generic font request is changed to an operating system specific format font request. A font request is received from an application by a font handler. Both the application and the font handler are typically run by an operating system in a computer memory. Once the font handler determines that the font request is a generic font request, i.e. is in a format different than the operating system specific format expected by the operating system, it translates the generic font request to an operating system specific format font request.

Abstract: An application programmer may choose from several alternative different methods for placing dynamically added icons in a graphical user interface (GUI) environment. The application program can pick the appropriate method depending on the situation, which often may involve reacting to a particular user action. The method is implemented in a graphical user interface environment on a computer. The application program selects one of the alternative choices for the placement of dynamically added icons. The selection by the application program is based on particular circumstances as determined by an application programmer of the application program. The dynamically added icon is placed on the display screen according to a procedure corresponding to a selected one of the alternate choices. The dynamically added icons may represent containers holding objects, such as executable programs, database records, graphic images, word processing files, or another container which itself can hold objects.

Abstract: A microfiche viewer structured for examining new microfiche film. The film is typically still in roll form as it comes from the microfiche camera. Plural magnifications of the microfiche image are selectively available; one, to reproduce a whole fiche upon the viewing screen for general observation of photographic quality, the other, to reproduce perhaps four frames of a whole microfiche for detailed observation of quality. The apparatus is structured for convenience in viewing. The different magnifications are obtained by selectively interposing objective lenses of different focal length in the light path adjacent to the microfiche film on the side opposite to that occupied by a light source. Motor driven film transport means are provided atop the apparatus proper.