Abstract: User interfaces or input devices are provided with both touch-sensitive (e.g., capacitive) and mechanical hardware input portions. Mechanical switches are overlaid with a touch sensitive pad, providing improved versatility of input. An application programming interface (API) enables different modes of input operation for the mechanical and touch sensitive input portions, whereby various combinations and/or permutations of touch sensitive input portions and/or mechanical input portions are enabled or disabled to provide optimal input characteristics for a set of tasks at hand. Visual or audio indicators may be utilized to reveal the mode of operation to the user. The touch sensitive pad may be a capacitive touchpad, a touch sensitive display screen, a conveyor belt or a push pad. Up to 9 mechanical switches may be placed underneath the touch sensitive input portions.

Abstract: The present invention is directed at making a computer interface easier to use by facilitating the acquisition of a target with a pointer. In this regard, normal pointer movement is altered, when the pointer is scheduled to intersect an adjustment barrier associated with a target. The pointer movement is altered at the adjustment barrier to assist the user in keeping the pointer located on the target. Moreover, while the pointer is located on the target, the user may cause a pointer selection event to occur. Alternatively, the user may generate input for the purpose of “breaking free” from a threshold distance where pointer movement is adjusted.

Abstract: A system and method for facilitating user access to remote content from a current location is presented. The method comprises the following steps. An activation gesture is detected. The activation gesture includes a location. At least one base icon on the display screen located at a distance greater than a predetermined distance from the activation gesture's location is selected. A target icon for each selected base icon is generated. The target icons are output for display in proximity to the activation gesture's location until an action dismissing the target icons is detected.

Abstract: A user defines mutually exclusive inbox and spam folders to which emails are routed based on a rating assigned to each email. A variable user-defined range defines a mapping of the ratings to each folder. Incoming emails are routing to one of the folders according to the range. A reference set of emails is designated, each having a rating and either an inbox label or a spam label. A display indicates the number the reference emails in each folder if the reference emails are routed to one of the folders according to their ratings and according to the user-defined range.

Abstract: Providing axonometric views of layers containing objects while preserving the visual attributes of the objects is disclosed. A group of objects, e.g., overlapping objects, is determined. Layer dimensions are calculated such that each object in the group is encompassed by a layer. Objects are placed in the layers and the layers are displayed in axonometric views. Visual cues to indicate selected layers are provided. Controls to adjust the depth of the layers and to enable moving objects in the selected layer are also provided.

Abstract: Displaying the relative depth of 2D image objects while preserving the visual attributes of the objects is disclosed. After an object group is determined, the members of the object group are temporarily moved away from a center location while preserving the object group members' positions relative to each other in the X-Y plane. A depth well is displayed at the center location and each object group member is connected to a ring-beam in the depth well. In response to a control action indicating a relative depth adjustment of an object group member relative to the remaining object group members, the depth of the object relative to the remaining object group members is changed. In response to a control action indicating the depth adjustment is complete, object group members are returned to their original positions in the X-Y plane with the adjusted object displayed at the object's new relative depth.

Abstract: A “Panoramic Viewfinder” provides an intuitive interactive viewfinder display which operates on a digital camera display screen. This interactive viewfinder provides real-time assistance in capturing images for constructing panoramic image mosaics. The Panoramic Viewfinder “brushes” a panorama from images captured in any order, while providing visual feedback to the user for ensuring that desired scene elements will appear in the final panorama. This visual feedback presents real-time stitched previews of the panorama while capturing images.

Abstract: A volume control may be provided with some integrated graphical indication of the presence and/or level of an audio signal that it controls. For example, a slider-type volume control may be provided with a signal meter within the slider itself. A volume control may be provided with a mechanism for showing the non-mute volume control level of a volume when the volume control is muted. For example, a slider-type volume control may display a ghosted slider tab at the level of volume control in effect before muting while at the same time displaying a regular slider tab at a muted level. A user may be able to glance at a volume control and quickly and intuitively understand aspects of the volume control's state such as the level and condition of the signal that is flowing through or blocked by (if muted) the control.

Abstract: A technique for increasing the capabilities of pen-based or touch-screen interfaces. The capabilities are implemented by using movements at a position above or in a parallel proximity to the display surface, referred to as a tracking or hover state. A gesture or series of gestures in the hover or tracking state can be utilized to activate localized interface widgets, such as marking menus, virtual scroll rings, etc. The gesture(s) can be preceded or followed by an optional authorization that confirms a command, action, or state. Utilization of a tracking state allows the disclosed systems, methodologies and/or devices to create a new command layer distinct from the input layer of a pen or touch display interface. Thus, user commands can be localized around a mouser or pointer maintaining user concentration while eliminating the occurrence of undesired or unintended inking on the display surface.

Abstract: The present subject matter describes a browser for efficiently presenting and browsing a large digital photograph collection. The browser includes a graphical interface—referred to as a time quilt—that combines a wrappable timeline with a space filling layout. Thumbnails representing individual images or clusters of images are laid out chronologically in columns, from top to bottom. When the bottom of a column is reached, a new column is started to the right of the existing column(s). Semantic zooming is used wherein zooming in on a thumbnail image that represents a cluster renders thumbnails of images in the cluster when the thumbnails of the images can be rendered in a legible size. Tiered zooming is also described, which is semantic zooming on multiple levels—representative thumbnails give way to clusters of representative thumbnails that each represent an image or a cluster of images.

Abstract: A list of digital elements is represented by a list of graphical elements where one of the graphical elements is highlighted. The non-highlighted graphical elements are overlapped over one another based on particular overlapping heuristics.

Abstract: A system and process for creating an apparently higher resolution image on a display exhibiting a lower resolution is presented. The basic idea is to make multiple decimated versions of an image at different offsets in a smooth path (all of which will contain different bits of detail), and then animate through the resulting decimated images (i.e., show them in rapid succession). The viewer sees what looks like a higher-resolution image moving in a smooth path. The viewer sees this since the human eye is capable of integrating details over the continuous motion. Thus, images such as text enjoy an enhanced legibility.

Abstract: A user interface method and system for positioning graphical objects in the display area of a free form system. A selected object may operate in a first state where it can be moved to different positions within the display area. The selected object may further operate in a second state where movement of the selected object causes other graphical objects within its path of movement to also move. The state of the selected object is indicated by a visually distinct presentation of the graphical object, for example when in the first state the graphical object is shown to have shadow to provide the visual clue that it is “above” the other graphical objects in the display area. A user may dynamically switch between states based on signals provided to the system.

Abstract: A system and method for facilitating target acquisition is presented. Upon detecting a triggering event to display expanded targets, i.e., icons representing applications, services, folders, and the like, the computer system generates expanded targets and displays them for target acquisition. The expanded targets typically include their source target, and are expanded such that a user may more easily acquire that source target. According to one embodiment, the expanded targets are generated as Voronoi polygons. Alternatively, the expanded targets may be generated as polygons based on a weighted distance based on the area previously assigned to the expanded target.

Abstract: A pen-based user interface (PBUI) that facilitates input of a delimiter to a scope in a substantially uninterrupted stroke for generating a selection-action gesture phrase. Four delimiter techniques are provided, which include a Multi-stroke delimiter, a button delimiter, timeout delimiter and pigtail delimiter. The Pigtail delimiter uses a small loop to delimit the gesture. The delimiter techniques support integrated scope selection, command activation, and direct manipulation all in a single fluid pen gesture. The delimiter techniques can also be employed to terminate a complex scope consisting of a sequence of multiple pen strokes.

Abstract: A method is provided for displaying a page formed of discrete elements, such as a Web page, on different computing devices. The method converts the page into a semantic thumbnail, which preserves the overall appearance of the page and displays readable text segments that enable a user to identify main areas of the page. The semantic thumbnail is adaptable to different screen sizes and target font sizes. The method enlarges unreadable text segments in a miniature version of the page. The method also trims the enlarged text segments to fit the width of the semantic thumbnail by summarizing or cropping text in the enlarged text segments.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a system, method, and computer-readable medium for viewing Web pages on small form factor computing devices. More specifically, the present invention layers Web browsing in a system where a Web page is first displayed in an overview mode at a predetermined magnification. From a Web page displayed in overview mode, the user may issue adaptive viewing commands that cause relevant content to be displayed using additional screen space.

Abstract: A virtual space for displaying the pointer in a visually correct manner on a multi-monitor computer system is presented. The virtual space is kept separate from the internal display surface of the multi-monitor computer system upon which information is written to be displayed on the monitors. The virtual space is established such that the virtual display areas of the virtual space reflect the visual arrangement of the monitors. The virtual space captures all pointer movements, such as by a mouse or other input device, and moves the pointer within the virtual space. On a pointer update frame, the pointer is mapped from the virtual space to the internal display space such that the pointer may be displayed on the monitors.

Abstract: A system and method for determining differences and other conditions on a multi-monitor system is provided. A first line is displayed across two monitors. A user aligns one segment of the line on one monitor with the other segment. A second line is displayed across the monitors, parallel to the first. The user then aligns a segment of the second line with the other segment of the second line. A wedge is displayed across the monitors. The user aligns a portion of the wedge such that the wedge appears as a contiguous wedge partially obscured by the physical separation between monitors. The system then determines the relative physical alignment of the monitors, the relative pixel resolution of the monitors, and the physical separation between the display areas of the monitors. If a monitor is rotated, an additional step to determine the rotation of the rotated monitor is also performed.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system, method, and computer-readable medium that adjusts pointer movement when an input device causes the pointer to intersect one or more alignment areas. Pointer movement is adjusted in the alignment areas to allow users to easily align GUI objects. The adjusted pointer movement is not proportional to input received from an input device. Instead alignment areas have “friction” in that the pointer is less responsive to input compared to other areas of the computer display.