Abstract: A person is viewing a display. By evaluating tracked information about the person, the display and/or the content being viewed, a tracking system determines that an opportunity exists to present an advertisement that is relevant to the person in the context of the person currently viewing the display. The tracking system provides advertiser data for the advertisement and instructions for generating the advertisement to a synthesis system local to the viewer and the viewer's display system, which dynamically synthesizes the advertisement and provides it to the display.

Abstract: A person is viewing a display. By evaluating tracked information about the person, the display and/or the content being viewed, a tracking system determines that an opportunity exists to present an advertisement that is relevant to the person in the context of the person currently viewing the display. The tracking system provides advertiser data for the advertisement and instructions for generating the advertisement to a synthesis system local to the viewer and the viewer's display system, which dynamically synthesizes the advertisement and provides it to the display.

Abstract: A person is viewing a display. By evaluating tracked information about the person, the display and/or the content being viewed, a tracking system determines that an opportunity exists to present an advertisement that is relevant to the person in the context of the person currently viewing the display. The tracking system provides advertiser data for the advertisement and instructions for generating the advertisement to a synthesis system local to the viewer and the viewer's display system, which dynamically synthesizes the advertisement and provides it to the display.

Abstract: A prototyping tool is provided to an artistic team, which can use the tool to experiment with, demonstrate, and communicate aspects of the user interface interaction with various user interface elements. These user interface elements can be defined within a layered graphics representation of the user interface artwork, rather than individual flattened graphics files. By setting properties on individual user interface elements through the prototyping tool, the artistic team can review how the elements will appear and behave during typical interaction with a user. Furthermore, a description of the interaction properties and relationships of these user interface elements, as defined by the artistic team, is captured for communication to a programming team. The programming team can then load the layered graphical representation and the interaction description to implement the user interface interactivity developed and proposed by the artistic team.

Abstract: A design application uses metadata-based techniques (e.g., runtime reflection) to examine class metadata of design objects. A key object is provided by a programmer of a graphical design application to generically animate properties of design objects in one or more animation frames. Using runtime reflection or other metadata techniques, the key object finds properties of each design object and updates specified property values for animated display in one or more animation frames. A key set object is provided to group multiple key objects into a sequence of key frames along a timeline. In this manner, a programmer can provide a small amount of support program code (e.g., a key class and a key set class) that can be associated with selected design objects at runtime of the design application in order to allow an animation designer to decide which design objects and which properties to animate.

Abstract: A networked computing environment in which a computing device is configured according to configuration information associated with a detected communication network is presented. As a computer detects a change in the network to which it is connected, the computer obtains configuration information associated with the newly detected network. According to the configuration information, the computer is configured such that some computer functions are presented and/or made available and accessible, while other computer functions are hidden and/or made unavailable and inaccessible.

Abstract: A peer-to-peer wireless instant messaging system is described. A user may establish a wireless instant messaging communication pathway with other users either using a server or directly. In some aspects of the present invention, a user may use an intermediate user's connection to reach another user, who is out of range of the first user.

Abstract: A system and method for providing instructional responses to unstructured user input is presented. In operation, a task is presented to a user. In response to the task, the user inputs unstructured input onto a computing device. In response to the input, a determination is made as to whether an instructional response should be presented to the user. If so, the response is presented to the user. Determining whether a response should be made to the user is made according to the accuracy of the user input in regard to the task. The response may be a visual response, and audio response, or an audio/visual response. The invention may be used in a network configuration that permits a teacher to monitor the progress of individual users/students.

Abstract: User interfaces and methods are described for formatting and handling electronic ink messaging communications.

Abstract: User interfaces and methods are described for managing invitations in instant messaging communication threads. In some aspects, tabs are used to organize instant messaging threads in a condensed structure. In other aspects, a user may send and receive invitations that are then stored pending a receive user's acceptance or decline of the invitation. The status of these pending conversations is continuously displayed to the user so they are not forgotten. These and other aspects to user interfaces for instant messaging applications are described.