Abstract: Notification data is received and stored at a client device. A notice represented by the notification data is then displayed to the television viewer when a channel change event is detected. The notification data may also include data that indicates how the notice is to be displayed.

Abstract: A method and computer-executable instructions for performing a method of providing and selecting two or more objects on a display. The method utilizes a computer system having a graphical user interface including the display and a user interface selection device. The method displays a first of the two or more objects on the display, displays a second of the two or more objects on the display such that the second object overlaps and underlays the first object, blends the first and second object such that the portion of the second object which overlaps the first object is at least partially visible to a user, receives a user selection signal indicative of the user interface selection pointing device pointing to the overlapping portion of the first and second object, and processes the user selection as indicative of a selection of the underlying portion of the second object.

Abstract: Entertainment devices often display interfaces that are perceived from a distance. To render the interface intelligible at a distance, a limited interface is used. However, often the user is presented with a large number of choices, which can be tedious and time-consuming to review using such a limited interface. The selection from among multiple sorting mechanisms, all from within a single screen, can enable the user to quickly sort, in the manner most appropriate for that user, the available choices. If the sorting order results in the relevant choices being listed last, a reverse sort option can be used, again from within the same screen.

Abstract: A method and computer-executable instructions for performing a method of providing and selecting two or more objects on a display. The method utilizes a computer system having a graphical user interface including the display and a user interface selection device. The method displays a first of the two or more objects on the display, displays a second of the two or more objects on the display such that the second object overlaps and underlays the first object, blends the first and second object such that the portion of the second object which overlaps the first object is at least partially visible to a user, receives a user selection signal indicative of the user interface selection pointing device pointing to the overlapping portion of the first and second object, and processes the user selection as indicative of a selection of the underlying portion of the second object.

Abstract: A display window is attributed a layering attribute such that underlying display windows are blended with the layered display window and displayed on the display screen. In a first embodiment, the layered window and the underlying window are represented as bitmaps. Any overlapping portions of the underlying window bitmap are redirected to an underlay buffer and composited with the layered window bitmap according to a display order and an opacity level. In a second embodiment, the layered window and the underlying window are represented as hardware sprites. Graphics device hardware stores copies of each sprite and composites each sprite according to a display order and an opacity level. In either embodiment or in a combination of both, as the layered window is moved or resized, the stored data allows for updating the composite display without requiring system expensive display regenerations.

Abstract: Techniques for presenting notifications to a television viewer in response to a channel change are described. Notification data is received and stored at a client device. A notice represented by the notification data is then displayed to the television viewer when a channel change event is detected. The notification data may also include data that indicates how the notice is to be displayed.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for managing application programs with non-responsive user interfaces, possibly due to a bottleneck in handling events/messages. The method and system make an apparently frozen application user interface responsive so as to permit alternative tasks be executed or close the hung application. This is enabled by implementing routines to (a) detect if an application is hung, (b) replace the user interface for the hung application with a ghost interface, implemented by a separate thread, that permits system functionality such as sizing, minimization and closing of the application, and (c) destroying the ghost interface if the hung application becomes responsive again along with restoring the application's user interface along with updated event queues. Furthermore, creation of the ghost user interface is accompanied by placing a high priority special event in the hung application's queue to detect renewed responsiveness without requiring explicit monitoring.

Abstract: Output from an application or other program running in a windowing environment is redirected from the application to a bit map where it can be further manipulated prior to being displayed on the screen. A style bit is associated with each window from applications which are to be so redirected. Further parameters are associated with display of the window to provide position and size information and to provide special effects. Some special effects, such as transparency are identified by an alpha value, which enables further programs to manipulate the window in its associated bit map to make it appear transparent. One or more application program interfaces (APIs) provide the ability to specify the transparency, positioning, color key, size and other attributes as well as whether or not the window is redirected. This API may be utilized by the application to apply special effects to its windows., It may be used via a user interface to allow the user to select a desired window to redirect.

Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for repainting the image uncovered by a character of an animated sequence on a desktop in a windows-based operating system. Before a character in a frame of an animated sequence is displayed, a boundary box is specified. Then, a bitmap of the image within the area enclosed by the boundary box is stored and the character in the frame of the animated character is displayed. Next, the area within the boundary box that is exposed by the next frame of the character's animated sequence is determined, the image area from the stored bitmap that corresponds to the area exposed within the boundary box is copied, the display is painted with the copied image area, and character in the next frame of the animated sequence is displayed.