Abstract: A printer is provided with a small scanner located upstream along a paper path from a printing device such as a print head. A form is loaded into the printer and is advanced incrementally along the paper path. A segment of the form is scanned by the scanner. The scanned segment is displayed on a user interface. A user may provide information in selected blank spaces of the displayed segment with a keyboard. The user may then command the printer to print, wherein the information is printed in the selected blank spaces of the segment by the print head. The next segment of the form is scanned and displayed to the user.

Abstract: A method and system for validating access to a computer system in an unobtrusive manner. A finite ordered series of substantive activities, such as icon manipulations, application invocations or file manipulations is specified and stored for future reference. Thereafter, each time access to the computer system is attempted, the initial activities of a prospective user are identified and compared to the stored finite ordered series of substantive activities. Access is validated and continued access permitted in response to a match between the prospective user's initial activities and the stored finite ordered series of substantive activities. In this manner, access to a computer system may be validated without the necessity of utilizing an explicit access/password screen which may be compromised. In one embodiment of the present invention, a selected application may be automatically invoked or a particular activity automatically executed in response to a validation of access.

Abstract: A security enhancement for laptop computers comprises the use of a moving visible area and an obscured area for the laptop screen. The visible area may be defined by the user to comprise a single word, a single line, or a plurality of lines of data. The obscured area may comprise all remaining space on the laptop screen not defined as the visible area, A user may specify that the obscured area be completely hidden from view (i.e.., such as by blackening or whiting out the area) or difficult to view by others. The present invention is particularly useful with a laptop computer in a crowded environment such as while travelling on an airplane. The present invention will reduce the likelihood of unauthorized viewing of possibly sensitive computer data by others.

Abstract: Automatic detection and processing of an empty multimedia data object is used to determine the data type of a multimedia data object. The system also detects whether the multimedia data object, or a component thereof, is empty based upon its data type. The system also appropriately processes a detected empty multimedia data object, or a component thereof. The appropriate processing may include no action, informing a user, program, or device of a detected empty multimedia data object, or a component thereof, inhibiting further processing of a detected empty multimedia data object, or a component thereof, or deleting a detected empty multimedia data object, or a component thereof.

Abstract: A method and system utilizing a data processing system for the efficient designation and retrieval of particular segments within a multimedia presentation. Operation of the multimedia presentation may be controlled by operation of a plurality of data processing system user interface commands. A digital counter is established for multimedia presentations which do not have an existing digital counter, or for multimedia presentations which have an existing digital counter whose output may not be accessed by the data processing system. Thereafter, a particular rate of change for the digital counter is correlated with each user interface command which has been registered within the data processing system, enabling a user to thereafter access and automatically position particular segments within the multimedia presentation in a random order utilizing the user interface commands.

Abstract: An object having several components, such as functions, is located on a data processing system. Every time a user uses any of the components, the use of the component is measured. Information about the use of the components is provided to a user of the system. Selected components and constituents of these components are deleted from the system based on the user's command. Each component may have one or more constituents, which are either used exclusively by the component or are shared by several components. These constituents that are related to the deleted components are either deleted or updated to reflect deletion of the components from the system.

Abstract: Method of, and apparatus for, providing a group query. An Interrogator Process provides an interface to a requesting user and formulates appropriate queries. Queries may be of the form of a single user query, a multiple user query, a group query, or a physical area query. A group is a collection of users who share a common characteristic. This common characteristic may be the same department, the same surname, the same job title, using the same device, executing the same process or application, etc.

Abstract: Method of, and apparatus for, providing automatic detection of the physical presence of a user of a data processing system. The present invention comprises an Event Detection Process, a Presence Detection Process, and an Interrogator Process. The Event Detection Process detects presence indicating events. The Presence Detection Process evaluates the presence indicating events to determine the physical presence of a user or someone else other than a user. The Interrogator Process provides an interface to a requesting user and formulates appropriate queries to be sent to one or more Presence Detection Processes.

Abstract: The present invention improves the comprehensibility of a document being read on a computer system. Rather than requiring a reader to stop and look up the meaning of a word, either on-line or with a printed copy, the present invention will automatically translate unknown words into words known to the reader. By checking each word in a document against a known word list maintained on the computer, the present invention improves the readers comprehension of a document as well as simplifies the reading thereof.

Abstract: Automatic detection of the activities of a user of a data processing system is provided by the use of an Activity Event Detection Process, an Activity Detection Process, and an Interrogator Process. The Activity Event Detection Process detects events indicating user activity. The Activity Detection Process evaluates the user activity indicating events to determine the activity of a user. The Interrogator Process provides an interface to a requesting user and formulates appropriate queries to be sent to one or more Activity Detection Processes.