Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Microsoft Corporation

James Charles Finger, Ii

Olivier Colle

John Yovin

Khurshed Mazhar

Arthur William James Freeman

David Hendler Sloo

Steven Mark Drucker

Curtis Glenn Wong

Todd E Holmdahl

James E Allard

Nicholas Robert Baker

David Alles

Dawson Yee

Eric Benjamin Watson

Raman Chandrasekar

Jeffrey Alan Davis

Peter J Torr

Praful Chavda

Adam Tipton Berns

Sally K Salas

James Morris Alkove

Mark Daniel VanAntwerp

Andrew Douglas Reddish

Andrew Clinick

Eric Boutin

Richard F Doherty

Robert Kilroy Hughes, Jr

Oliver R Roup

Martin Regen

Kuldeep Karnawat

Thomas Dale White

Blake Edward Anderson

Mark B Mydland

Andrew William Jewsbury

Sean Hayes

Richard W Russell

Brian Douglas King

See-Mong Tan

Cathleen M Guinan

Jennifer J Marsman

Paul M Malolepsy

Pavel Yatsuk

Joel B Deaquero

Oliver Colle

John Andre Yovin

Praful Prataprai Chavda

A multi-tier scheduling approach includes a first tier comprising virtual cluster allocators that receive scheduling requests from processes and aggregate those requests and provide them to a second tier, namely a single resource distributor for the entire set of computing devices. The resource distributor, based on the requests from virtual cluster allocators, and also from information received from the computing devices themselves, generates a flow graph to identify an optimal scheduling of the assignment of resources to specific ones of the virtual clusters. Each virtual cluster allocator then, based on the assignment of resources assigned to it by the resource distributor, solves its own flow graph to identify an optimal scheduling of processes on the resources assigned. The scheduling of processes is performed iteratively by initially assigning resources to those processes having a high priority, and then, in subsequent iterations, assigning opportunistic resources to those processes having a lower priority.

Scalable scheduling for distributed data processing

The claimed subject matter relates to various architectures that can, inter alia, facilitate creation of a synch file as well as facilitate interpretation of the synch file. Both creation and interpretation can be accomplished in conjunction with an original media asset. The synch file can include transformation commands that can operate on a presentation of the asset rather than upon the asset itself. Accordingly, what is actually perceived by a content consumer during a presentation of the asset need not be exactly what the asset creator fixed in a tangible medium. Rather, the content consumer can observe a derivative media presentation based upon interpretation of the synch file.

Non-destructive media presentation derivatives

Software interfaces are configured to enable functionality that is commonly implemented in special-purpose hardware for mixing AV content into a set of 2.5-D graphics planes to be exposed to high level processes executing in a computing environment in a fully portable manner. Illustratively, the interfaces include a planar mixer (named 'IPlanarMixer') that abstracts the mixing hardware, and a graphics plane interface (named 'IPlane') that abstracts individual instances of planes that are retrieved from, and handed off to the planar mixer as the 2.5-D graphics planes are built up and rendered in a computing environment to support interactive graphic experiences for a user.

Time-synchronized graphics composition in a 2.5-dimensional user interface environment

An interactive multimedia presentation has a predetermined presentation play duration, a video content component (which may include video, audio, data, or any combination thereof), and an interactive content component. Methods and systems for playing the presentation include specifying a time when a particular media object is renderable. The time is specifiable using an application instruction that references either a first timing signal having a rate that is based on the play speed of the presentation, or a second timing signal having a continuous rate. One example of an application instruction usable as described above is an element associated with an XML data structure. An attribute of the element, such as the clock attribute, may be used to provide time values for the element that reference either timing signal. The attribute is used to maintain frame-accurate synchronization between the video and the interactive content components of the presentation.

Synchronization aspects of interactive multimedia presentation management

An arrangement is provided where all applications in an interactive media environment run on a single application thread in a media player. Event queues are utilized to schedule the application thread's processing of workitems corresponding to events that occur in the environment. Workitems include methods to be invoked when the workitem is processed and arguments for the method. Workitems further include a begin time and an end time and are ordered in the event queue first by begin time followed by the order in which they were inserted into the queue. The application thread marks workitems whose begin times corresponds to the current or previous time and then processes marked workitems from the queue in order. Such processing is committed so that once the application thread begins processing of a workitem it does not stop. Workitems are dropped from the event queue if their end times have been passed.

Queueing events in an interactive media environment

In an interactive media environment, a model is provided where applications, each comprising zero or more script components and zero or more markup components, are themselves handled as visual elements having a Z order. A resource-efficient rendering order is provided where the application that has focus in an interactive media environment (by virtue of its receipt of user events) is rendered first. The remaining applications are rendered in top down order, i.e., in reverse Z order. Rendering is performed by drawing into one or more graphics buffers associated with respective applications. Frames for applications are composited from the graphics buffers bottoms up, in Z order, to provide the display with the correct appearance.

Rendering and compositing multiple applications in an interactive media environment

In an interactive media environment, input events are distributed to a plurality of applications where each application includes zero or more script components and zero or more markup files and has a Z order which corresponds to the position of the applications' visual elements on a display. An input event processing order is utilized where the application that has focus in an interactive media environment (by virtue of its receipt of user events) is provided with the first opportunity to consume the input event. If the focused application does not consume the input event, it is then delivered to the remaining applications in top down, inverse Z order. Each application is enabled with the ability to consume an input event, pass it on to lower Z ordered applications, hide it from lower Z ordered applications, or otherwise handle it. Input event processing stops when an application consumes the input event.

Distributing input events to multiple applications in an interactive media environment

Provided are arrangements for downloading resources and managing downloaded resources. A file is requested from a HTTP server, the file associated with an original URI. The file is downloaded and assigned a handle. The file is then stored in a storage location such as a file cache or in a persistent storage location. Upon command of an advanced content playlist or sequence, the file is called by calling the handle of the file. The storing of the file may include storing the file in a location where the file is subject to an automatic removal operation. The file may be an image file or any other type of file, especially multimedia files. The automatic removal operation may occur upon a quitting or restarting of the application. If another request is made for another file, the prior downloaded file may be replaced.

Arrangement for anonymous API downloaded resources for advanced content

Techniques and tools for supporting multiple operating systems in consumer electronic devices. For example, techniques and tools are described that allow quickly switching between operating systems in video disc players that support different media types while reducing wait time and mitigating possible negative impacts to user experience.

Supporting multiple operating systems in media devices

The claimed subject matter relates to an architecture that can obtain biometric data from a user as the user interacts with a device. Based upon the obtained biometric data, the architecture can determine an identity of the user and automatically apply settings associated with that particular user to the device. The settings can relate to a physical configuration of the device (or aspects, features, and/or peripherals of the device), as well as to a data set employed by the device (or components of the device). As such, a user of the device can benefit from enhanced efficiency, utility, and/or convenience.

Automatic configuration of devices based on biometric data

Arrangements and methods are provided that allow integration of connected online services within a high-definition interactive framework, and in particular within an advanced content interactivity layer. In this way, the online services may enjoy enhanced features on an advanced content media device. For example, content running on an advanced content media device may be configured to detect an online service's feature and may thus present the user with additional features that interact with the online service. An advanced content media device may detect another user's advanced content media device through a network, and in particular a media service on the network, allowing chat and synchronized playback of content. Advanced content media devices may vary, but may include, e.g., a multimedia player, a media center, a game console, a personal computer, and so on.

Arrangement for connectivity within an advanced multimedia content framework

Timing for execution of certain user inputs and application instructions occurring during play of an interactive multimedia presentation is discussed. A current state is defined by a state of the presentation system at the time a current media sample is being played to a user. A predicted state is defined by a state of the presentation system one or more future play times. Examples of current and predicted states include media retrieval states and media presentation states. An instruction or user input that is based on the current state is identified, and the predicted state is used to determine an effect of the instruction or input. The effect may then be executed at a predetermined time, such as after the next playable media sample is played to the user.

Timing aspects of media content rendering

A search and a browse on a single user query is performed. A refined query is selected from the results of the first user query. Thereafter, a list of concepts from a first directory associated with the refined query is obtained. The concepts are defined in a hierarchical relationship with concepts having broader scope being higher in the hierarchy and concepts having a narrower scope being lower in the hierarchy. Additionally, a list of web sites associated with the search concept is obtained from a second directory.

System and method for performing a search and a browse on a query

Playing an interactive multimedia presentation involves pre-rendering a media object at certain times based on a frame rate of the interactive content, a frame rate of the video content (which may include video, audio, data, or any combination thereof), and a play speed of the presentation. Certain actions taken include calculating a current elapsed play time representing an amount of the presentation's play duration that has passed. Based on the calculated time, a current interactive content presentation time is ascertained from an interactive content timeline. The interactive content timeline represents times at which the media object is presentable. A subsequent interactive content presentation time is selected from the interactive content timeline. The presentation state of the media object is predicted for the subsequent interactive content presentation time. The media object is pre-rendered within a time offset period before the subsequent interactive content presentation time occurs.

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Kirkland, WA, United States of America

James Charles Finger, Ii