Abstract: Systems and methods in accordance with the present invention provide freeform annotation techniques designed to make freeform annotations on a digital document more flexible, reliable and presentable on a screen of a computing device. They allow users to markup the document, add comments, and link between annotations, while maintaining the freeform nature of these annotations without constraining the kinds of annotations allowed. These freeform annotations are then unequivocally recognized via a state machine into three groups of annotation marks: anchor, comment, and link, each of which is associated with either part of the digital document or with another annotation mark. In addition, these annotation marks can be repositioned and resized to fit within the display area available on the screen based on the display properties of the screen, thus supporting the natural flow of annotating the document in a freeform manner.

Abstract: Systems and methods for filtering and viewing collaborative indexes of annotations of multimedia or video streams can include obtaining a multimedia or video stream, obtaining user indexes of annotations of the multimedia or video stream, merging the indexes, associating portions of the multimedia or video stream with the annotations, determining high-value annotations and displaying the high value annotations. Systems and methods for providing useful visualizations of the indexes of annotations and high value annotations are also provided.

Abstract: A Graphical User Interface (“GUI”) that provides a user with the ability to manipulate display objects in a non-uniform manner on a display surface is provided. For example, a user can manipulate an object so that it appears, torn, bent, folded, angled, etc. Additionally, a method and system for digitally attaching display objects to a display surface is described. The attachments include digital staples, digital push-pins, digital tape, etc. In still another aspect of the present invention a technique for transmitting and updating the display of non-uniform objects is described.

Abstract: An element, such as a plug on a VGA cable, can communicate with a media storage unit to enable or disable media storage.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention combine the flexibility of the computer in segmenting, indexing, and retrieving data with the strengths of people in analyzing scenes. They provide a mechanism that allows a group of analyzers at distributed locations to collaborate in generating pieces of semantic information of a data stream, integrates these pieces into a summary representation that can be used for subsequent computation, and allows related hypotheses and information requests to be presented back to the analyzers. This description is not intended to be a complete description of, or limit the scope of, the invention. Other features, aspects, and objects of the invention can be obtained from a review of the specification, the figures, and the claims.

Abstract: A multi-function device that prints information images onto sheets of photo-addressable media is described. The multi-function device is comprised of an image acquisition component, an image generation component, optional image transformation components and an image projector to illuminate the photo-addressable medium with the optionally transformed information images. The effects of ambient light on the photo-addressable medium are reduced by tuning the response characteristics of the photo-addressable medium to respond to the wavelength of the projected light and/or to interpose band-pass filters that reduce non-projected light incident on the photo-addressable medium. Programmable characteristics of the photo-addressable medium are adjustable to compensate for ambient light. Registration marks on the photo-addressable medium allow the alignment of the projected image with the photo-addressable medium.

Abstract: A user-machine interface is disclosed that uses a line to connect and/or to intersect various objects displayed on a screen. A start of the line may identify a source, an end of the line may identify a sink, and line shapes and/or objects intersected by the line may identify commands.

Abstract: A method of classifying images as slide images or non-slide images can be done by capturing a video stream, analyzing an image of the video stream and determining whether the image is a slide image. The analyzing can be based on text height and/or edge region(s) of the image.

Abstract: Systems and methods for creating and updating interactive 3D visualizations of media indices wherein separate indices are located above and below a ground plane. The indices are organized in table structure defined by two axes and provide links to the media that is indexed. Various visual characteristics of the indices communicate characteristics of the media that is indexed as well as various user defined or group defined information relating to the indexed media.

Abstract: A possible portion providing method involving receiving a pattern provided using a movable member, the pattern corresponding to a traveling path of the movable member, and the provided pattern corresponding to a portion of an intended sequence, determining at least one possible sequence which includes the received pattern, and displaying a remaining portion of the at least one possible sequence using a predefined font set for a plurality of components, the predefined font set including a record of a pattern corresponding to the traveling path of the movable member or another movable member for each of the plurality of components.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention include a video server that can detect and track the image of a pointing indicator in an input video stream representation of a computer display. The video server checks ordered frames of the video signal and determines movements for a pointing indicator such as a mouse arrow. Certain motions by the pointing indicator, such as lingering over a button or menu item or circling a button or menu item can provoke a control action on the server.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention enable the extraction, classification, storage, and supplementation of presentation video. A media system receives a video signal carrying presentation video. The media system processes the video signal and generates images for slides of the presentation. The media system then extracts text from the images and uses the text and other characteristics to classify the images and store them in a database. Additionally, the system enables viewers of the presentation to provide feedback on the presentation, which can be used to supplement the presentation.

Abstract: A system and method for repurposing and augmenting document content by clipping, annotating, and reassembling portions of documents, and which may be used in an online or collaborative environment. As used herein the term “repurposing” includes packaging the online information in a manner so that it can be re-used by subsequent users for subsequent applications. An input device or menu referred to herein as a “clipbar” may be provided within a software application or in a kiosk environment that allows users to clip and annotate portions of online or other documents, while retaining both the document fragment's rendered image and its underlying structure. The clips thus created may be stored as collections (together with their associated user-specified and system-specified meta-data) in a form compatible with the other input documents. The collections can be immediately made available to other users in a collaborative fashion, and re-clipped as desired.

Abstract: This invention relates to a force-feedback apparatus which includes a stylus that is equipped with an electromagnetic device or a freely rotating ball. The stylus is functionally coupled to a controller which is capable of exerting a magnetic field to the electromagnetic device or to the rotating ball, which results in a force being created between the stylus and a surface. This invention also relates to a method of using a force-feedback stylus including moving a force-feedback stylus over a surface, controlling a force-feedback device via a controller coupled to the force-feedback stylus and applying a force to the force-feedback stylus via the force-feedback device, the force being determined for at least features on the surface.

Abstract: The present invention includes systems, methods, and computer readable media for locating, sorting, and modifying images for future use. A conversion engine submits search requests to an image search engine and accepts the received results. The conversion engine arranges the search results according to selected visual characteristics of the image. Editing tools can then convert the results of the image search into vector based images which can be easily manipulated and enable users to modify the re-ranked images for future use.

Abstract: Systems and methods in accordance with the present invention provide freeform annotation techniques designed to make freeform annotations on a digital document more flexible, reliable and presentable on a screen of a computing device. They allow users to markup the document, add comments, and link between annotations, while maintaining the freeform nature of these annotations without constraining the kinds of annotations allowed. These freeform annotations are then unequivocally recognized via a state machine into three groups of annotation marks: anchor, comment, and link, each of which is associated with either part of the digital document or with another annotation mark. In addition, these annotation marks can be repositioned and resized to fit within the display area available on the screen based on the display properties of the screen, thus supporting the natural flow of annotating the document in a freeform manner.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for determining collaborative notes and automatically recognizing speech, handwriting and other type of information. Domain and optional actor/speaker information associated with the support information is determined. An initial automatic speech recognition model is determined based on the domain and/or actor information. The domain and/or actor/speaker language model is used to recognize text in the speech information associated with the support information. Presentation support information such as slides, speaker notes and the like are determined. The semantic overlap between the support information and the salient non-function words in the recognized text and collaborative user feedback information are used to determine relevancy scores for the recognized text. Grammaticality, well formedness, self referential integrity and other features are used to determine correctness scores.

Abstract: Systems and methods for creating and updating interactive 3D visualizations of media indices wherein separate indices are located above and below a ground plane. The indices are organized in table structure defined by two axes and provide links to the media that is indexed. Various visual characteristics of the indices communicate characteristics of the media that is indexed as well as various user defined or group defined information relating to the indexed media.

Abstract: A medium, system and method of generating an information digest document. In various exemplary embodiments, the medium, system and/or method may include determining associated previously accessed content information in response to a user-defined digest specification, and generating a digest document of the associated previously accessed content information.

Abstract: A medium, system and method of processing content information. In one exemplary embodiment, the medium, system and method include determining associated previously accessed content information in response to an action performed on a document containing information and based on a context of the information, and indicating to a user the determined associated content information.