Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Cascade Basic Research Corp.

Eric H Michelman

Juha P Niemisto

Ryan Yonghee Kim

Timothy T Brewer

Todd G Roshak

Carl T Hellings

Carl J Ledbetter

Aditha May Adams

Steven T Kaneko

Kabir Siddiqui

Todd E Holmdahl

Scott M Isaacs

Glade B Bacon

Patrick Moulhaud

Paul A Hagger

Michael Christopher Connolly

Alan W McRobert

Daniel L Tripp

Jonathan E Lange

Anil Bhansali

Jo Anne Mowery

Devin E Ben-Hur

Wyatt T Riley

Rohit V Wad

Joseph David Barnett

Jo Anne M Mowery

Enhanced presentation techniques for modeling a connectivity universe associated with a particular user or device are provided. Example embodiments provide a WorldView Display System (a 'WVDS'), which automatically organizes a user's online relationships with entities, such as devices, data collections, services, and people, and provides a user interface for accessing and interacting with these entities. The WVDS automatically determines the universe of objects that the user has relationships with, automatically groups objects having similar measures of access proximity, displays a multi-dimensional representation of these groups of objects on a display device, and provides a uniform user interface for initiating an interaction with any represented object. This abstract is provided to comply with rules requiring an abstract, and it is submitted with the intention that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.

Manipulation of objects in a multi-dimensional representation of an on-line connectivity universe

Modelling relationships within an on-line connectivity universe

A moveable displayed user interface element can be used to select an item displayed on a user interface. Once the proper item or items are selected, an area of the moveable displayed user interface element can be activated to perform an operation on the selected item or items. The moveable displayed user interface element can additionally display information about a selected item, and, in some cases, the displayed information can be edited to modify the selected item. A versatile lightweight system can be used to determine when a moveable object is over any of a number of regions associated with specified targets. The lightweight system can be used to implement moveable displayed user interface elements.

Selection paradigm for displayed user interface

Methods and systems for a reciprocal backup of data, including files, directories, and application data are provided. Example embodiments provide a Reciprocal Backup System ('RBS'), which enables users of two or more computer systems connected over a network to engage each other for automated reciprocal backup needs using peer-to-peer computing techniques. The peer computer systems negotiate a reciprocal backup relationship where each provides the other with backup storage in a secure fashion. The intermittent nature of some partners is handled automatically by the RBS, which supports fully automated and scheduled backups as well as immediate backup and restoration of data objects. In one embodiment, the RBS comprises reciprocal backup system partner support and one or more storage repositories. The RBS partner support includes a reciprocal backup manager and scheduler and a reciprocal backup agent. These components cooperate to provide the backup and restoration operations of the RBS.

Method and system for reciprocal data backup

An ergonomic pointing device, such as a mouse, is coupled to a computer having a visual display device. As a user rotates a roller associated with the mouse, the mouse generates computer signals that are interpreted by an operating system and software applications running on the computer. The signals generated by the roller, together with a given software application, can be used for spatial navigation. In spatial navigation, a user rotates the roller to cause the computer and the visual display to increase or decrease magnification levels of the document on the display. Other models of spatial navigation allow the user to activate a roller switch, depress special function keys on a keyboard and/or move the mouse to pant, automatically scroll or manually scroll through the document.

System and method of adjusting display characteristics of a displayable data file using an ergonomic computer input device

An ergonomic pointing device, such as a mouse, includes a wheel to provide an input signal in addition to X and Y position signals provided by a rotatable ball of a standard mouse. The wheel extends from an upper surface of the pointing device and may be rotated and depressed by the finger of the user, the wheel being positioned and configured to allow a user to activate the wheel while maintaining a finger in a biomechanically neutral position. The mouse is coupled to a computer having a visual display device capable of displaying a data file having adjustable display characteristics. As a user rotates the roller, the mouse generates computer signals that are interpreted by an operating system and software applications running on the computer. The signals generated by the roller, together with a given software application, can be used in spatial navigation. In spatial navigation, a user rotates the roller to cause the computer and the visual display to zoom into and out of the document and thereby display increasing or decreasing magnification levels of the document on the display.

A system for manipulating page-breaks in an electronic document. A User Interface Process provides a graphical user interface allowing a user to select a page-break within an electronic document and then identify a new location for the page-break. A System Process performs the steps of moving the selected page-break to the new location and adjusting the scaling and the automatic page-breaks for the remainder of the document to accommodate the page-break at the new location.

Method and system for manipulating page-breaks in an electronic document

An ergonomic pointing device, such as a mouse, includes a wheel to provide an input signal in addition to X and Y position signals provided by a rotatable ball of a standard mouse. The wheel extends from an upper surface of the pointing device and may be rotated and depressed by the finger of the user, the wheel being positioned and configured to allow a user to activate the wheel while maintaining a finger in a biomechanically neutral position. The wheel and associated structure, as well as the forces required to rotate and depress the wheel, are configured to reduce inadvertent actuation and to provide a user with tactile feedback, thereby allowing the user to accurately and intuitively activate the pointing device without exceeding an acceptable extension and range of motion for the user's finger and wrist. The mouse is coupled to a computer having a visual display device. The computer is capable of displaying a data file such as a word processing or spreadsheet document, where the data file has adjustable display characteristics such as size (zoom) or data structure (content). As a user rotates the roller, the mouse generates computer signals that are interpreted by an operating system and software applications running on the computer. The signals generated by the roller, together with a given software application, can be used in at least two ways: spatial navigation and data navigation. In spatial navigation, a user rotates the roller to cause the computer and the visual display to zoom into and out of the document and thereby display increasing or decreasing magnification levels of the document on the display. Other modes of spatial navigation allow the user to activate a roller switch, depress special function keys on a keyboard and/or move the mouse to pan, automatically scroll or manually scroll through the document. In data navigation, the user rotates the roller to view differing levels of content or detail with respect to the document.

System and method of adjusting display characteristics of a displayable

In association with a computer system, a method and system for allowing multiple users to simultaneously edit a spreadsheet. Multiple users access a spreadsheet stored in a disk file and make independent changes to the spreadsheet. Changes are stored in respective memory change logs on each user's computer. When a user performs a save operation, the contents of the memory change log are appended to a disk change log in the disk file. When each user performs a save operation, each user's changes, as maintained in each respective memory change log, are appended to the disk change log. Conflicting changes that cannot simultaneously exist in the spreadsheet in the disk file are identified and resolved by allowing the user to select the winning action or automatically selecting the most recent action as the winning action. Losing actions in the memory change log are deleted and losing actions in the disk change log are effectively canceled by applying an inverse action to the losing action. Each inverse action is stored in a disk undo log stored in the disk file.

Method and system for allowing multiple users to simultaneously edit a

A system for referencing a range of cells in a spreadsheet formula by using label references. The label references are used to identify labels within the spreadsheet which, in turn, refer to a range of cells. First, a formula is parsed in order to identify any label references within the formula. Second, the cells of the spreadsheet are searched in order to generate a list of labels within the spreadsheet that match the label references identified in the formula. Third, each of the labels are examined and a preferred label set is selected. The preferred label set represents the actual labels that were intended by the formula references. Finally, the range of cells referenced by the preferred label set is determined. Thus, a user is able to reference a cell within a spreadsheet table by entering column and row labels that intersect at that cell.

Method and apparatus for using label references in spreadsheet formulas

A computer input device uses a standard mouse design and includes at least one thumb wheel or roller to provide three-dimensional cursor positioning. Left and right rollers, for use by left- and right-handed users, protrude from left and right sides of a standard mouse. The left and right rollers are axially mounted on left and right drive shafts that extend axially through left and right encoder wheels, respectively. Each encoder wheel forms part of a transducer for producing signals indicating movement or rotation of the wheel. These signals can be used for calculating cursor movement or for various other purposes in computer software applications. Alternatively, the rollers are coupled to switches or a single roller protrudes from the top of the mouse.

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Bellevue, WA, United States of America

Eric H Michelman