Patents by Inventor Terrence Theodore Nixa

Terrence Theodore Nixa has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7546545
    Abstract: A method that emphasizes at least one drop destination for a selected entity based upon monitored drop destinations. Drop destinations may be emphasized by generating a plurality of path vectors between the selected entity and at least a portion of the plurality of drop destinations. Generally, by emphasizing drop destinations, the potential drop destinations for the selected entity may be anticipated and emphasized to the user, which may increase the likelihood that the user will drop onto the desired drop destination. Moreover, a user may choose one of the drop destinations by dropping the selected entity along the path vector associated with the desired drop destination. As such, drag and drop operations may be successfully completed with fewer mouse movements and/or less precision, often resulting in fewer accidental drops.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Zachary Adam Garbow, Bryan Mark Logan, Terrence Theodore Nixa, Kevin Glynn Paterson
  • Publication number: 20080229240
    Abstract: A palette is displayed that includes widgets. A specification of a first widget selected from among the widgets in the palette is received along with a first widget location, a keyword, and a keyword location. Pages are found that, when rendered, include a term located at a term location and an element located at a respective element location, where the term matches the keyword and the element matches the first widget. In various embodiments, the identifiers of the pages are sorted based on distances between the first widget location and the element location, distances between the keyword location and the term location, differences between widths and heights of the first widget and the element, and/or based on matches between the visual attribute for the first widget and a visual characteristic for the element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2007
    Publication date: September 18, 2008
    Inventors: Zachary Adam Garbow, Bryan Mark Logan, Terrence Theodore Nixa, Kevin Glynn Paterson
  • Publication number: 20080091717
    Abstract: An apparatus, program product, and method collect musical preference data from a plurality of digital media players and generate therefrom a “collaborative” playlist of media files. The collaborative playlist may be used, for example, to identify and play back media files that most, if not all, of the users of the digital media players would likely find enjoyable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2006
    Publication date: April 17, 2008
    Inventors: Zachary Adam Garbow, Bryan Mark Logan, Terrence Theodore Nixa
  • Publication number: 20080077874
    Abstract: An apparatus, program product and method that emphasize a least one drop destination for a selected entity based upon monitored drop destinations. Drop destinations may be emphasized by generating a plurality of path vectors between the selected entity and at least a portion of the plurality of drop destinations. Generally, by emphasizing drop destinations, the potential drop destinations for the selected entity may be anticipated and emphasized to the user, which may increase the likelihood that the user will drop onto the desired drop destination. Moreover, a user may choose one of the drop destinations by dropping the selected entity along the path vector associated with the desired drop destination. As such, drag and drop operations may be successfully completed with fewer mouse movements and/or less precision, often resulting in fewer accidental drops.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2006
    Publication date: March 27, 2008
    Inventors: Zachary Adam Garbow, Bryan Mark Logan, Terrence Theodore Nixa, Kevin Glynn Paterson