Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Kenneth R Robertson

Timothy T Brewer

Steven T Kaneko

William Hong Vong

Manolito E Adan

Kenneth V Fry

Lora K McCambridge

Anthony R Claflin

Teresa L Kelsey

Daniel S Hoeger

Paul E Henderson, Jr

Michael W Van Flandern

Carl T Hellings

Samuel H Smith

James A Andrews

Eric W Hanson

Carl J Ledbetter

Steven W Fisher

Gregory G Jones

Damon V Danieli

Gregory R Lee

John P Pennock

John Graham Pierce

Jon B Kimmich

Timothy E Wood

Alan W McRobert

Jeffrey S Hanson

Brenda L Diaz

Cheryl Jenkins

Miles Richardson

Clark R Cyr

A host computer is provided with a main display unit and an auxiliary display unit. The host computer can free up screen space on the main display screen by routing certain types of display information to the auxiliary display unit for display. Display information can range from notification of events such as receipt of email, appointments, system messages, and information from separate applications. The auxiliary display panel may function as a user interface for audio, video, 'push information', MP3 player or become the hardware equivalent of a multimedia player. The auxiliary display panel may be integrated together with the host computer in the same physical structure or may be part of a standalone display unit that is wired or wirelessly coupled to the host computer.

Auxiliary display unit for a computer system

A computer system has a keyboard storage portion and carrier. The computer system may be a personal computer capable of generating a control signal. A keyboard holding carrier slides in and out of a processing housing. This enables selective positioning of a keyboard within the processing housing. A drive mechanism imparts reciprocal movement to the carrier and a drive control system is responsive to the control signal from the personal computer. Also included is a sensor connected to the drive mechanism that determines a position of the carrier relative to the personal computer.

Computer with a hidden keyboard

An educational computer system includes a computer, a display device, a remote control character, and a wireless modem for communication between the computer and the remote control character. The remote control character can move and speak in response to signals from the computer, thereby allowing the remote control character to interact with the user and with characters displayed on the display device. When a program is run, the computer determines whether the remote control character is available. If it is not, the computer substitutes an animated character that is displayed on the display device. The computer periodically checks for the remote control characters while displaying the animated character. If the remote control character becomes available, the animated character is discontinued and the computer begins sending voice and movement information to the remote control character. Similarly, if the remote control character becomes unavailable while the program is running, the program will automatically revert to the animated character and the program will continue.

System and method for substituting an animated character when a remote

A system for preventing inadvertent wrapping of a cursor generated on a computer display detects the location of the cursor in proximity with a border of the display and determines whether a user actually intends the cursor to wrap to the opposite side of the display. The system considers a variety of factors to determine whether the user actually intends to wrap the cursor. The time for which the user moves the cursor against the border, the distance that the cursor would have moved but for the border, and the velocity or acceleration with which the cursor approaches the border can all be considered by the system in determining whether or not to permit the wrapping of the cursor. The system automatically generates an indicator signal to permit the cursor to wrap from one side of the display to the opposite side. The user can select the size of the border and determine whether the border will have a color different from the normal display background color to visually indicate the location of the border to the user. The system can selectively enable and disable the border in response to a variety of factors. The user can manually generate the indicator signal by activating a command signal input. The system can operate in a graphical environment where a plurality of display windows are shown on the computer display. The system defines a border for each window to prevent the inadvertent wrapping of the cursor.

System and method for computer cursor control

A system and method for minimizing clicks in the operation of a graphical user interface such as the WINDOWS operating environment is disclosed. Provided for minimizing the need for clicking to operate a graphical user interface is a 'Focus' feature, which essentially eliminates the need to click. In particular, the Focus feature eliminates the need to single click on predetermined windows and applications in order to establish a 'focus'. That is, as a user moves a pointer around the screen in Windows, the Focus feature essentially follows the pointer and the equivalent of a single click is sent to objects such as icons or system menus for the desktop environment, such as file manager and program manager in the explorer window of version 3.1, or such as to system menus when the pointer passes over them.

Method and system for activating focus

A cursor is displayed with one of several different cursor orientations depending on the current position to which the cursor points on a display screen. The 'cursor orientation' refers to the alignment of the cursor relative to an edge of the display screen. When the cursor points to a position that is within a predetermined distance from one of the edges of the display screen, the cursor is not visible on the display screen. Upon detecting that the cursor is not visible on the display screen, the cursor is displayed with a different cursor orientation such that the cursor is visible on the display screen. Preferably, the cursor orientation is selected so that when the cursor is displayed with the new cursor orientation, the entire cursor is visible on the display screen.

Distance control for displaying a cursor

A system and method for minimizing clicks in the operation of a graphical user interface such as the WINDOWS operating environment is disclosed. The invention emulates a double click (referred to as the 'ClickSaver' feature) which virtually eliminates the need to double click thereby making Windows easier for both the novice and experienced Windows user. A ClickSaver process determines the type of window on which a single click has occurred and, if ClickSaver is enabled and the window has been deemed eligible for a double click such as an icon or control menu, the ClickSaver process sends a double click signal in order to activate the application.

Method and system for activating double click applications with a single

A system determining an intended cursor location on the computer display screen and automatically repositions the cursor at the intended location. If the user selects a command that alters the contents of the display, such as opening a new window, the system analyzes the new screen display to determine whether there are user selectable options associated with the new screen display. The system determines if one of the user selectable options is a default option and automatically positions the cursor at the default option. If the new screen display is an application program, the system attempts to locate a user selectable option and repositions the cursor at the user selectable option. When the new window is closed, the system returns the cursor to the position it was at before the new window was opened. The system also predicts an intended location for a screen display that has not been altered, and automatically positions the cursor at the intended location. This feature can be selectively enabled to prevent the inadvertent repositioning of the cursor in the display.

A method and computer system present a user with a target icon on a computer screen and instruct the user to place a cursor thereon and twice actuate a mouse switch. The method measures the positions of the cursor on the screen during, and the time between, the two actuations by the user, and uses these measurements to customize, for the given user, the dual actuation speed and cursor movement area used to determine a double-click input command.

Method and apparatus customizing a dual actuation setting of a computer

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Redmond, WA, United States of America

Kenneth R Robertson