International Business Machines Corporation

John Martin Mullaly

Richard Edmond Berry

Shirley Lynn Martin

Scott Harlan Isensee

Craig Ardner Swearingen

Scott Anthony Morgan

Didier Daniel Bardon

Alan Richard Tannenbaum

David John Roberts

Winslow Scott Burleson

Didier Daniel Claude Bardon

Linda Arnold Lisle

Jianming Dong

Denise Marie Burton

Joel Gerard Goodwin

John A Cook

Anthony Christopher Courtney Temple

David Lu

Richard A Henkler

A method and apparatus in a computer for processing voice messages. A voice message is recorded. Responsive to recording of the voice message, an identifying string is automatically inserted into a text message identifying a presence of a voice message. Responsive to recording the voice message, the voice message is automatically appended to a text message to form an appended voice message. The text message is sent with the appended voice message. When a message is received, the text in the received message is parsed to see if an identifying string is present indicating that the received message is a voice message. Responsive to a determination that the received message is a voice message, a graphical user interface including controls for presenting the voice message is displayed.

Method and apparatus for sending messages in a data processing system

A system for communication with addressable electronically-controllable appliances using a generalized pointing device is provided. The system includes a pointing device that can communicate with dissimilar types of target appliances from a position remote from those appliances and an appliance interface that makes the target appliances compatible with the pointing device. Use of the system is believed to allow the convenience associated with use of a computer's graphical user interface (GUI) to be realized in communication with physical objects, i.e. the target appliances. In an embodiment for one-way communication from a pointing device to a target appliance, the pointing device may comprise an actuator, an input-output interface, and a transmitter. In an embodiment configured for two-way communication between the pointing device and an appliance, the pointing device may further include a receiver. The appliance interface may include a receiver, an input/output interface, and a driver to convert received pointer command signals to corresponding functions of the appliance. In an embodiment configured for two-way communication, the appliance interface may further include a transmitter. The system may be configured for transmission using optical signals, radio-frequency signals, or both.

System for remote communication with an addressable target using a generalized pointing device

A system and method for providing dynamic feedback projection from a hand held pointing device is provided. The system includes a hand held pointing device that is capable of two way communication with appliance interfaces associated with appliances that are controllable by the hand held pointing device. The hand held pointer is capable of transmitting signals to the appliance interfaces and receiving response signals from the appliance interfaces. The hand held pointing device further includes a visible light projection apparatus for projecting light onto a remote surface. The projected light is displaced on the remote surface by a light projection modification apparatus such that the projected light creates images corresponding to the response signals from the appliance interfaces.

System and method for dynamic feedback projection from a hand-held pointing device

A system, method and computer program are provided for an interactive data processor controlled display interface wherein the user may dynamically select a plurality of objects (tools) and combine these tools into a combination tool which simultaneously performs the combined interactive functions of the individual tools. The invention is particularly effective when the combined functions being performed are graphic in nature and the results of the combination are shown on the display.

User interactive display interfaces with means for interactive formation of combination display objects representative of combined interactive functions

A method and apparatus in a computer for processing messages. A message is received. The message is stored. The message is parsed according to a policy. The message is selectively displayed in a graphical user interface based on the policy, wherein messages failing to meet the policy are undisplayed in the graphical user interface.

Method and apparatus for filtering messages in a data processing system

A method for communication with addressable, electronically-controllable appliances using a generalized pointing device is presented. The pointing device can communicate with dissimilar types of target appliance, and each appliance is associated with an appliance interface that makes the target appliance compatible with the pointing device. Use of the method is believed to allow the convenience associated with the use of a computer's graphical user interface to be realized in communication with physical objects, i.e. the target appliances. The method includes orienting the pointing device for reception of its pointer command signals by an appliance interface of the targeted appliance, transmitting a selection signal from the pointing device to the appliance interface, and transmitting a pointer command signal to the appliance interface. In an embodiment involving two-way communication between the pointing device and appliance interface, the method further includes observing appliance response information transmitted from the appliance interface to the pointing device. The method may include establishment of a line-of-sight transmission path between the pointing device and appliance interface for optical signal transmission. Additionally or alternatively, the method may include use of a non-line-of-sight transmission path for radio frequency signal transmission.

Method for remote communication with an addressable target using a generalized pointing device

A method of directing communication between addressable, electronically-controllable appliances using a generalized pointing device is provided. The pointing device can communicate with dissimilar types of target appliance, and each appliance is associated with an appliance interface that makes the target appliance compatible with the pointing device. Use of the method to direct communication between appliances is believed to allow the convenience associated with the use of a computer's graphical user interface (GUI) to be realized in communication with physical objects, i.e., the target appliances. In particular, the &ldquo;drag-and-drop&rdquo; method of using a GUI may be analogous to the pointer-mediated interaction between appliances provided herein. An embodiment of the method includes using the pointing device for: transmitting a selection signal to the first appliance, transmitting a command instructing the first appliance to transmit data, transmitting a selection signal to a second appliance, and transmitting a command instructing the second appliance to receive the transmitted data. The data transmitted between appliances may be sent along a pointer-independent transmission path between the appliances, such as over a network. Additionally or alternatively, data may be transmitted from one appliance to the pointer, and then from the pointer to the other appliance.

Method of directing communication between addressable targets using a generalized pointing device

A method and apparatus for announcing receipt of an electronic message. When a message including text is received, the message is filtered determine what will be announced. Text from the filtered message is selectively combined with announcement text to create modified announcement text in which filtered text is selectively placed into the announcement text. The modified announcement text is then transformed into synthesized speech.

Method and apparatus for announcing receipt of an electronic message

A method, system and program for performing remote automated usability testing of a software application utilizing a data processing system connected within a network. In accordance with the method, system and program of the present invention, a user is provided with an automated usability test for a particular software application, wherein the automated usability test is to be activated while the particular software application is running utilizing a data processing system connected within a network. The user is prompted to perform particular tasks, in response to activation of the automated usability test while the software application is running. Data indicating the usability of the software application is gathered through user responses to the promptings. The gathered data is automatically sent to a data collection location at a remote site within the network, such that usability test data from multiple data processing systems in multiple remote user environments is gathered at a location remote from the multiple data processing systems.

Method, system and program for performing remote usability testing

A computer network such as the internet has servers to deliver pages of data to remote users upon demand, and these pages usually contain links to further pages. The request for data is in the form of a page address sent by the user, identifying a specific page, usually by a &ldquo;URL&rdquo;. The server has the ability to generate context-sensitive information about delivery of this page, including current loading at the server, transmission bandwidth for the server, and size of the data requested. The server can calculate the time needed to transfer the requested data, and send this information to the client. The user can then decide the transfer method desired, based on the information sent by the server. For example, the user may want immediate transfer, or delayed transfer, or may want to abort the request. The requested page may be sent later by email. The server may send this context-sensitive information for all of the links on a page, and the user station may display the information for a link when it is clicked, in one embodiment. In this manner, receipt of information can be selective, based on user's needs and network delays.

Client-controlled link processing in computer network

A computer controlled user interactive display system with an implementation for displaying within a defined display space a plurality of objects having dimensions proportionally representative of physical parameters of elements respectively represented by said objects, but this system is provided with a further implementation for nonlinearly modulating at least one dimension of at least one of said displayed objects so as to conform the object dimension to the dimensional limitations of the defined display space without affecting the dimensional status of the object with said modulated dimension relative to the other objects.

Modulating the dimensions of environmentally related and proportionally sized displayed objects to conform selected object dimensions to limitations of a defined display space

A physical play-in-place case for housing and playing a media disc, such as an audio compact disc (CD). The case comprises a base, a shell attached to the base defining a cavity for receiving a CD, the shell further having a landing portion defining a spine area extending substantially along a common side of the base and the shell, and a cover hinged to the base along the spine area. Playback controls are located at the landing portion of the shell and extend into the spine area. At least one audio output device is located in the shell. A track/time display can also be located at the landing portion of the shell. In a further embodiment, a graphic display panel is attached to the cover, and may be viewed when the cover is in the closed position. A touch screen may be operatively combined with the graphic display panel. The case can be fabricated in the same size as conventional CD jewel cases, i.e., with dimensions no greater than about 14 cm&times;12.5 cm&times;10 cm.

Physical play-in-place audio compact disc jewel case

A system, method and computer program are provided for presenting to a viewer at a display interface, a virtual 3D workspace containing virtual 3D objects and viewer interactive means for navigating in said workspace. Each object in the workspace has a plurality of face views associated with it. Viewer interactive means are provided for selecting one of the face views. A predetermined face view is presented in the absence of a viewer selection.

Viewer interactive object with multiple selectable face views in virtual three-dimensional workplace

In a data processor controlled display system having three-dimensional objects laid out in a three-dimensional virtual workspace, the objects have associated therewith virtual force fields around their peripheries. These force fields are defined by data stored in association with the data defining the objects. User interactive navigation means are provided for moving the viewpoint along a selected path at a velocity input by the viewer. Further, means are provided for exerting on said moving viewpoint, the force component of said field at the coordinate position of the viewpoint.

Navigation in three-dimensional workspace interactive displays having virtual force fields associated with selected objects

The present invention provides a method for allowing a user's reading to dictate the speed and position at which content is converted to audio in an audio reader. The method includes determining a position of a user's eye gaze, identifying a content displayed at the position of the user's eye gaze, determining an audio corresponding to the content, and outputting the audio. The method of the present invention allows the user's reading to drive the text to speech conversion, resulting in the computer reading what the user is currently reading. The user may then read text at a variable rate and at different positions, with the text to speech conversion following the user. The method of the present invention may be used to help raise users' literacy levels, to help users learn to read faster, to help boost reading comprehension, to help users scan documents, and to provide feedback for positioning and control. The present invention is thus flexible and has a range of utilities.

Growing community of inventors

Austin, TX, United States of America

John Martin Mullaly