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 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.