Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC

Christopher A Zimmerman

Christopher Lee Fraley

John E Elsbree

C Douglas Hodges

Gary Steven Burd

David S Stutz

Scott Michael Wiltamuth

Alan W Carter

Michael Halcoussis

Jerry Jay Dunietz

Andrew Layman

Gunnar Mein

Methods and apparatus for selection of a target for attachment. In one implementation, a method of selecting a target for attachment by a moving character in a video game, wherein the character has a position and a velocity, includes: selecting one of a plurality of attachable objects as a candidate object, wherein each attachable object is of an object type from among one or more object types; determining if the candidate object is available according to the current position of the character and the object type of the candidate object; and if the candidate object is available, determining a cost for the candidate object according to the position and velocity of the character and the object type of the candidate object, wherein the cost represents an acceleration to attach the character to the candidate object.

Selection of targets for attachment

A method and system for dynamically generating object connections is provided. In a preferred embodiment, a connection can be generated between a source object and a sink object using a connection point object. A source object has connection point objects where each connection point object corresponds to a particular interface. A sink object implements one or more notification interfaces for connecting to a source object. A connection point object of a source object can connect to multiple notification interfaces, which belong to one or more sink objects. A connection point object keeps track of pointers to the notification interfaces to which it has been connected. In order to generate a connection, a sink object requests from a sauce object a connection point object corresponding to a particular interface. The source object determines whether it supports such a connection point object, and if so returns a pointer to the connection point interface of the determined connection point object. The sink object then requests to be connected to the connection point object using the returned connection point interface pointer and passes a reference to a notification interface of the sink object corresponding to the particular interface. The connection point object then stores the reference to the notification interface of the sink object, creating a connection between the sink object and the source object. At some later time, the source object can utilize the connection to notify the sink object through the connected notification interfaces.

Method and system for dynamically generating object connections

A method and system for adding application defined properties and application defined property sheet pages are provided. The application defined properties may be added to a list of system defined properties. Once added, the application defined properties may be displayed and edited. In addition, a user may select several objects, display the properties common to all of the objects in a list, and edit the common properties. Moreover, application defined property sheet pages may be added to a set of system defined property sheet pages. A user may then display and edit the application defined property sheet pages. Also, a user may select several objects, display the properties common to all of the objects on a per-property browsing list, and edit the common properties. In addition, a user may select several objects, display the property sheet pages common to all of the objects, and edit the properties on these property sheet pages. Furthermore a user may switch between viewing a property in a list of properties and viewing a property on a property sheet page.

Per-property browser having property browsing list with drop list button

A method and system for adding application defined properties and application defined property sheet pages are provided. The application defined properties may be added to a list of system defined properties. Once added, the application defined properties may be displayed and edited. In addition, a user may select several object, display the properties common to all of the objects in a list, and edit the common properties. Moreover, application defined property sheet pages may be added to a set of system defined property sheet pages. A user may then display and edit the application defined property sheet pages. Also, a user may select several objects, display the properties common to all of the objects on a per-property browsing list, and edit the common properties. In addition, a user may select several objects, display the property sheet pages common to all of the objects, and edit the properties on these property sheet pages. Furthermore a user may switch between viewing a property in a list of properties and viewing a property on a property sheet page.

Method and system for adding application defined properties and application defined property sheet pages

An object interface control system that provides a mechanism for identifying the functionality available at an interface separately from the interface itself. A COM implementation provides a new function call named QueryService which is similar to the existing QueryInterface function call. Services are defined which include a set of functionality. The set of functionality for a service is expressed through a family of interfaces. When requesting a pointer to a function using the QueryService call, one specifies the service name and the interface name. Different services may utilize the same interface. Different services may utilize the same interface through which each service provides different functionality. A QueryService function call may return a pointer to an interface on the same object to which the call was placed or it may return a pointer to an interface on a different object. Object identity is not assumed with the QueryService function call and hence queries for services can be easily delegated.

Object interface control system

A componentizing object designer is used to define a componentization of visual forms and other object-oriented technologies. The componentized object designer includes a set of tightly integrated protocols enabling Component Object Model (COM) objects to replace standard built-in visual form and other objects. The componentized object designer allows the design-time object and the run-time object to differ in implementation. The componentized object designer allows class identifiers for the run-time objects which are different than design-time objects. With a different class identifier, the run-time object can be saved as an object which is radically different from the design-time object. This enables the run-time object to be stored in a different object library than the design-time object. The componentized object designer allows for different persistence formats to be saved for run-time objects. The persistence formats for the run-time objects can be significantly smaller in size compared to the original design-time objects. This is important when the run-time object needs to be downloaded over a computer network like the Internet or an intranet.

Run time object layout model with object type that differs from the derived object type in the class structure at design time and the ability to store the optimized run time object layout model

The present invention provides a control architecture that enables the sharing of controls between many containers. That is, the present invention provides for developing a control in such a manner that it may be used on dissimilar containers without modification. Thus, the control architecture of the present invention is a container independent control architecture that allows for the sharing of code. Since the container independent control architecture of the present invention provides for code sharing, the time required for developing controls and containers is reduced by the present invention. The present invention is utilized by splitting the functionality performed by a control into container dependent functionality and container independent functionality. After splitting the functionality, the present invention embodies the container independent functionality into a control and the container dependent functionality into an extended control. The present invention then combines the extended control and the control so as to appear as a single entity to the container.

Container independent control architecture

A componentizing object designer is used to define a componentization of visual forms and other object-oriented technologies. The componentized object designer includes a set of tightly integrated protocols enabling Component Object Model (COM) objects to replace standard built-in visual form and other objects. The componentized object designer allows the design-time object and the run-time object to differ in implementation. The componentized object designer allows class identifiers for the run-time objects which are different than design-time objects. With a different class identifier, the run-time object can be saved as an object which is radically different from the design-time object. This enables the run-time object to be stored in a different object library than the design-time object. The componentized object designer allows for different persistence formats to be saved for run-time objects. The persistence formats for the run-time objects can be significantly smaller in size compared to the original the design-time objects. This is important when the run-time object needs to be downloaded over a computer network like the Internet or an intranet. Licensing is aided by checking the object designer for licensing data, and embedding a licensing key into the run-time object.

Method and system for licensed design and use of software objects

An improved method and system for binding data is provided. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, bound controls transfer data to cursors through a binding manager. The binding manager is also responsible for transferring data from a cursor to a bound control. In addition, a preferred embodiment of the present invention provides for a notification mechanism as part of the cursor. The notification mechanism of the cursor of the preferred embodiment provides synchronization amongst all binding managers utilizing the cursor. The notification mechanism of the preferred embodiment provides synchronization amongst all binding managers by invoking event handlers registered by the binding managers. The event handlers are invoked by the cursor both before and after an operation is performed by the cursor.

Method and system for binding data in a computer system

Method and system for adding application defined properties and

A method and system for dynamically generating object connections is provided. In a preferred embodiment, a connection can be generated between a source object and a sink object using a connection point object. A source object has connection point objects where each connection point object corresponds to a particular interface. A sink object implements one or more notification interfaces for connecting to a source object. A connection point object of a source object can connect to multiple notification interfaces, which belong to one or more sink objects. A connection point object keeps track of pointers to the notification interfaces to which it has been connected. In order to generate a connection, a sink object requests from a source object a connection point object corresponding to a particular interface. The source object determines whether it supports such a connection point object, and if so returns a pointer to the connection point interface of the determined connection point object. The sink object then requests to be connected to the connection point object using the returned connection point interface pointer and passes a reference to a notification interface of the sink object corresponding to the particular interface. The connection point object then stores the reference to the notification interface of the sink object, creating a connection between the sink object and the source object. At some later time, the source object can utilize the connection to notify the sink object through the connected notification interfaces.

Growing community of inventors

Bellevue, WA, United States of America

Christopher A Zimmerman