Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for operating data processing systems. One exemplary method of operating a data processing system which includes a display device includes receiving an input from a user, the input specifying an object to be represented in a user configurable portion of a window which is displayable on a display device, and displaying the window with the user configurable portion wherein the user configurable portion is present in an open interface window or a save interface window. Other methods are also described, and data processing systems are also described.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for operating data processing systems. One exemplary method of operating a data processing system which includes a display device includes receiving an input from a user, the input specifying an object to be represented in a user configurable portion of a window which is displayable on a display device, and displaying the window with the user configurable portion wherein the user configurable portion is present in an open interface window or a save interface window. Other methods are also described, and data processing systems are also described.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for operating data processing systems. One exemplary method of operating a data processing system which includes a display device includes receiving an input from a user, the input specifying an object to be represented in a user configurable portion of a window which is displayable on a display device, and displaying the window with the user configurable portion wherein the user configurable portion is present in an open interface window or a save interface window. Other methods are also described, and data processing systems are also described.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for operating data processing systems. One exemplary method of operating a data processing system which includes a display device includes receiving an input from a user, the input specifying an object to be represented in a user configurable portion of a window which is displayable on a display device, and displaying the window with the user configurable portion wherein the user configurable portion is present in an open interface window or a save interface window. Other methods are also described, and data processing systems are also described.

Abstract: According to embodiments described in the specification, a method and apparatus for controlling a display of a mobile electronic device is provided. The method comprises: maintaining status data and application data in a memory of the mobile electronic device; controlling the display to provide a first interface comprising a representation of the application data; receiving input data representative of a peek command; and, controlling the display to provide a second interface comprising a representation of a portion of the application data, and a representation of the status data.

Abstract: According to embodiments described in the specification, a method and apparatus for controlling a display of a mobile electronic device is provided. The method comprises: maintaining status data and application data in a memory of the mobile electronic device; controlling the display to provide a first interface comprising a representation of the application data; receiving input data representative of a peek command; and, controlling the display to provide a second interface comprising a representation of a portion of the application data, and a representation of the status data.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for speech synthesis in a computer-user interface using random paralinguistic variation is described herein. According to one aspect of the present invention, a method for synthesizing speech comprises generating synthesized speech having certain prosodic features. The synthesized speech is further processed by applying a random paralinguistic variation to the acoustic sequence representing the synthesized speech without altering the linguistic prosodic features. According to one aspect of the present invention, the application of the paralinguistic variation is correlated with a previously applied paralinguistic variation to reflect a gradual change in the computer voice, while still maintaining a random quality.

Abstract: Methods and systems for providing graphical user interfaces are described. To provide greater access and consolidation to frequently used items in the graphical user interface, a userbar is established which includes a plurality of item representations. To permit a greater number of items to reside in the userbar, a magnification function can be provided which magnifies items within the userbar when they are proximate the cursor associated with the graphical user interface.

Abstract: A computer user interface is provided which allows a user to adjust the size of icons based upon a user's preference or based upon a characteristic of the objects that the icons represent. When the icon sizing is performed according to a user preference, a relative sizing scheme or an arbitrary icon sizing scheme can be employed to variably size icons. Providing the ability to size icons in such a manner allows users to represent a user's categorization of object importance, for example.

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.

Abstract: Aspects for changing a reflective highlight on a glass appearance window frame of an application window are described. An illustrative method includes steps of displaying a first reflective highlight on a glass appearance window frame of an application window, calculating a second reflective highlight in response to detection of an event, and changing the displayed first reflective highlight on the glass appearance window frame of the first application window to the second reflective highlight. The event may correspond to a command to move and/or resize the application window, determination of a time of day event, determination of a change in active/inactive status of the application window, or to a command to change a reflective highlight configuration. Reflective highlights may be changed automatically and/or in response to receipt of an input from a user to change one or more portions of a reflective highlight configuration.

Abstract: A computer user interface is provided which allows a user to adjust the size of icons based upon a user's preference or based upon a characteristic of the objects that the icons represent. When the icon sizing is performed according to a user preference, a relative sizing scheme or an arbitrary icon sizing scheme can be employed to variably size icons. Providing the ability to size icons in such a manner allows users to represent a user's categorization of object importance, for example.

Abstract: A method for changing a visual state of an application window representation is described. The method includes steps of displaying an application window representation with a default visual state, and changing the default visual state of the application window representation to one of at least two different visual states. The entirety of the application window representation or a portion of the application window representation may have a change to its visual state. The visual states may be a change in color, pattern, and/or texture. A group of visual states changes may correlate to an animation. Visual states may be defined by a default or user configurable. Visual states may change over time or in response to an event. Visual states may change back to a default state when the application window representation is accessed.

Abstract: A method referred to as x-ray browsing for allowing a user to browse through windows on their desktop is provided. Aspects of the invention include responsive to a command, making a first window the window in focus on the display screen and changing the relative opacities between a content portion of the first window and a content portion of the second window. By controlling the opacities a single window can be made opaque while the remaining windows can be made transparent to allow a user to successively navigate among open windows.

Abstract: A mode of managing windows in a graphical user interface in which the application windows may be presented in a tiled manner is provided. Upon invocation of the mode inactive application windows may be scaled down and organized in a manner so as to set them aside from the currently active application window while the active application window may remain at or near full size and be positioned in a centralized location in the desktop space.

Abstract: A mode of managing windows in a graphical user interface in which the application windows may be presented in a tiled manner is provided. Upon invocation of the mode each inactive application windows may be scaled down and organized in a manner so as to set them aside from the currently active application window while the active application window may remain at or near full size and be positioned in a centralized location in the desktop space.

Abstract: In a computer system, a technique is provided by which audio output (e.g., a notification) from an application associated with an application window is modified in a manner that provides a user with an indication as to the location of the application window. The application window may be partially or wholly obscured by another application window, minimized or otherwise part of a crowded desktop space. In modifying the audio output by affecting the volume, pitch or otherwise manipulating the sound can provide the user with an intuitive sense as to the location of the application window originating the audio output.