Abstract: A method, system, and program product for generating a window scroll-bar. In the preferred embodiment, a controller displays the window scroll-bar on a display screen. The window scroll-bar contains sections associated with respective windows on the display. The window scroll-bar also contains a slider, which moves within a section and between sections. As the slider moves within a particular section, the window associated with that section moves on the display toward the nearest boundary of the display. Thus, by moving the window scroll-bar slider, the user can move overlapping windows out of the way and find the window of interest.

Abstract: A portable phone is equipped with a position detector that detects the geographical position of the portable phone, and the function of the phone can be changed according to its geographical position. One or more “regions” may be defined by the user of the portable phone, and the ring parameters for each region may be set independently of the other regions. In this manner a phone in accordance with the preferred embodiments may ring with one tone at home, ring with a different tone at work, ring with a louder volume when on a job site, not ring at all when in church, and ring with a vibration when at the theater. The preferred embodiments further allow assigning a telephone number to a defined geographical region, and ringing the portable phone only when within the geographical region that corresponds to the phone number.

Abstract: A portable phone is equipped with a position detector that detects the geographical position of the portable phone, and a telephone system may ring one or more land-based phones or portable phones according to the geographical position of the portable phone. One or more geographical regions are defined, with corresponding telephone parameters defined for each region. When a portable phone enters a defined region, exits a defined region, or changes between two defined regions, the function of one or more land-based phones or portable phones may change. The preferred embodiments thus allow changing the function of one or more other phones based on the self-detected geographical position of a portable phone. In this manner the convenience of using portable phones is greatly enhanced.

Abstract: A portable phone is equipped with a position detector that detects the geographical position of the portable phone, and a telephone system may ring one or more land-based phones or portable phones according to the geographical position of the portable phone. One or more geographical regions are defined, with corresponding telephone parameters defined for each region. When a portable phone enters a defined region, exits a defined region, or changes between two defined regions, the function of one or more land-based phones or portable phones may change. The preferred embodiments thus allow changing the function of one or more other phones based on the self-detected geographical position of a portable phone. In this manner the convenience of using portable phones is greatly enhanced.

Abstract: An apparatus, program product, and method that track where particular users are browsing within a multi-user computer environment, and provide such information to one or more users within the environment to permit greater interactivity among the users. By enabling users to identify and interact with other users in a browsing environment, users may be permitted to access lists of favorite documents, home pages, navigational histories, etc. of other users while browsing to facilitate the dynamic location and retrieval of useful information. Also, users may be permitted to directly communicate with one another while browsing, e.g., via electronic messages, real-time discussions, etc.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and program product for facilitating the maintenance of current bookmarks and preventing the loss of information associated with a bookmark. In one aspect, the invention bookmarks a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) associated with one or more HTML documents at a user's request and creates a database table containing each bookmarked URL. The source code of the bookmarked URL is scanned for embedded links which are stored in the table according to the related bookmarked URL. To ensure that the bookmarks are current, a periodic verification of the status of a bookmarked URL is performed. A change in the location or/and contents of the one or more bookmarked HTML documents results in one or more actions to prevent the loss of data to the user. In one embodiment, the database table is refreshed to reflect any changes to the content of the HTML documents.

Abstract: A portable phone is equipped with a position detector that detects the geographical position of the portable phone, and a telephone system may ring one or more land-based phones or portable phones according to the geographical position of the portable phone. One or more geographical regions are defined, with corresponding telephone parameters defined for each region. When a portable phone enters a defined region, exits a defined region, or changes between two defined regions, the function of one or more land-based phones or portable phones may change. The preferred embodiments thus allow changing the function of one or more other phones based on the self-detected geographical position of a portable phone. In this manner the convenience of using portable phones is greatly enhanced.

Abstract: A portable phone is equipped with a position detector that detects the geographical position of the portable phone, and the function of the phone can be changed according to its geographical position. One or more “regions” may be defined by the user of the portable phone, and the ring parameters for each region may be set independently of the other regions. In this manner a phone in accordance with the preferred embodiments may ring with one tone at home, ring with a different tone at work, ring with a louder volume when on a job site, not ring at all when in church, and ring with a vibration when at the theater. In addition, the preferred embodiments include a dialer that allows selecting a contact from a text list, and that dials a number that depends on the geographical position of the portable phone, or that dials a number and sends with the call the geographical position of the portable phone.

Abstract: A playback program for DVDs and CDs enables a user to customize the playback of the disk. Regions that are independent of prerecorded tracks are created and/or played back based on the content of the disk, e.g., visual content or audio content, in those regions. Thus, for instance, certain scenes or certain dialogue of the disk can be skipped over during playback because an attribute to skip or otherwise modify the output was assigned to a particular region during creation of the program. Several start-up modes can be programmed during creation of the program to indicate whether the disk will initially skip to the first region whose output is modified or playback normally until a region with an modified output is encountered. A password may be required to access the playback program.

Abstract: Devices, computer program products, and methods are provided which extend the features of a set top box. In a first aspect, a method is provided for employing a set top box to notify at least one person of a television event. In accordance with the method, a start time of a television event is determined, and a set top box is employed to notify at least one person via a telephone line when a current time is within a predetermined time of the start time. In a second aspect, a method is provided for employing a set top box to record a telephone message. In accordance with the method, a telephone message received via a telephone line coupled to a set top box is recorded by employing the set top box, and at least an indicator of the recorded telephone message is displayed. In a third aspect, a method is provided for controlling a set top box via a telephone line coupled to the set top box.

Abstract: Apparatus, article of manufacture, and method for automatic adjustment of sound reproduction settings on an audio or audio/visual system based on listener preference and/or experience is provided. In one embodiment, an audio system includes an apparatus for adjusting an output parameter of the audio system, the apparatus comprising: a memory for storing a stored output parameter setting associated with an audio program being played on the audio system; and a processor configured to: determine whether a stored output parameter setting is associated with an audio program being processed on the audio system; if the stored output parameter setting is associated with the audio program, compare the stored output parameter setting to a saved output parameter setting; and if the stored output parameter setting is greater than the saved output parameter setting, change the output parameter to the stored output parameter setting.

Abstract: A computer system and method of performing a second chance pointer operation wherein a pointer displayed on a computer display includes at least one alternate hot spot. In response to a pointer event, such as a mouse click, with a default hot spot not overlaying a graphical display element, or graphical user interface (GUI) object (e.g., icon, hypertext link, window tool bar), the object may nonetheless be selected if another hot spot on the pointer overlays the object, e.g., by resignaling the pointer event with the alternate hot spot. Advantageously, the resignaling of the pointer event may include selecting the overlaid GUI object, and/or providing feedback to the user regarding the alternate hot spots.

Abstract: A method, system, and program product for generating a window scroll-bar. In the preferred embodiment, a controller displays the window scroll-bar on a display screen. The window scroll-bar contains sections associated with respective windows on the display. The window scroll-bar also contains a slider, which moves within a section and between sections. As the slider moves within a particular section, the window associated with that section moves on the display toward the nearest boundary of the display. Thus, by moving the window scroll-bar slider, the user can move overlapping windows out of the way and find the window of interest.

Abstract: A method, system, and program product for generating a window scroll-bar. In the preferred embodiment, a controller displays the window scroll-bar on a display screen. The window scroll-bar contains sections associated with respective windows on the display. The window scroll-bar also contains a slider, which moves within a section and between sections. As the slider moves within a particular section, the window associated with that section moves on the display toward the nearest boundary of the display. Thus, by moving the window scroll-bar slider, the user can move overlapping windows out of the way and find the window of interest.

Abstract: A computer system, program product and method that monitor the threads executing within a region of a computer program during debugging. This region may be a plurality of nonadjacent sections of code, each with defined entry and exit addresses identified by control points. Some or all threads may be halted depending on a predetermined criteria related to threads of interest or the number of threads executing in the region. Of special interest is monitoring for a thread count so that timing errors may be analyzed for when some plurality of threads simultaneously execute within the region. Moreover, in the illustrative embodiment, control points are implemented for thread monitoring in a manner similar to a break point, utilizing a break point table to determine whether a system exception is due to a break point or to a thread monitor control point. If the latter, program execution continues after storing the thread identifier in a record for the thread monitor control point in the break point table.

Abstract: An apparatus and method allow dynamically defining exception handlers in a debugger and breaking only when one of the dynamically-defined exception handlers is called. In this manner a programmer can define special exception handlers referred to herein as debugger exception handlers that correspond to exceptions of interest while debugging, and can thus distinguish between exceptions that are expected (and therefore handled) in a computer program and exceptions that signal a bug in the computer program during debugging.

Abstract: A method, system, and program product for generating a window scroll-bar. In the preferred embodiment, a controller displays the window scroll-bar on a display screen. The window scroll-bar contains sections associated with respective windows on the display. The window scroll-bar also contains a slider, which moves within a section and between sections. As the slider moves within a particular section, the window associated with that section moves on the display toward the nearest boundary of the display. Thus, by moving the window scroll-bar slider, the user can move overlapping windows out of the way and find the window of interest.

Abstract: A method and implementing TV system are provided in which, software products, which may be associated with a TV commercial being played, are presented to viewers in connection with the related commercial. In an exemplary embodiment, a menu screen is presented and viewers are enabled to select a “purchase” option associated with a software product. The software product may be downloaded, after purchase, in the “background” to the purchaser while the purchaser views the next segment of a TV program, or the software may be downloaded to the viewer's set prior to the presentation of the commercial for faster delivery and subject to later deletion if the software is not ordered by the viewer within a given time period associated with the presentation of the commercial.

Abstract: A computer system for determining traffic patterns and congestion and using the determined traffic patterns and congestion to determine an appropriate route using a global positioning system and related route map calculator. A vehicle is provided with an onboard computer system adapted to determine travel time of a vehicle in a road segment and calculate a route based on this information. In addition, this information can be distributed to or otherwise shared with other vehicles and similar information can be received from other vehicles to provide a distributed network for generating and sharing experienced traffic patterns. The information can also be used to predict traffic patterns as well.

Abstract: A computer system, program product and method utilize thread synchronization for debugging multi-threaded computer programs. Synchronization control points (“sync points”) are used to conditionally suspend or delay execution of a thread or threads depending on another thread or threads hitting the same or other sync points. A thread hitting a synchronization control point is suspended, reference is made to break point table to determine what synchronization condition must be triggered to release the thread, and if triggered, what delay, if any, will be imposed prior to release.