Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Overcast Media Incorporated

Laura Janet Butler

Joyce A Grauman

Peter Kam-Ho Wong

Charles Oppermann

Mark A Malamud

Joseph H Matthews, Iii

Robert George Atkinson

John E Elsbree

Adam M Smith

Richard Wales Stoakley

David A Barnes

Adam Wade Smith

Nathaniel S Brown

Claus T Giloi

Virginia E Howlett

Gregory C Lowney

Deborah L Dubrow

Jane L Dailey

Steven M Donie

A method and system is provided for the creation and playback of multiple independently produced and distributed media intended for synchronized playback. One embodiment of the invention overcomes variances in independently produced and distributed media that make accurate synchronization impossible today. The system utilizes both authoring and playback processes. During authoring, a relative virtual time code profile is generated based on the original source media in a defined associated media set. The system employs an extensible framework of multiple synchronization recognizers that analyze the source media to generate a relative virtual time code profile for the associated media set. During playback, the system's client can access the relative virtual time code profile to coordinate the synchronized playback of an associated media set. The system generates an absolute time code using the available associated media and the original relative virtual time code profile. The system can overcome significant variances between the available associated media and the original associated media such as missing content, added content, resolution differences, format differences, etc.

Method and system for the authoring and playback of independent, synchronized media through the use of a relative virtual time code

A networking conferencing and collaboration tool utilizing an enhanced T.128 application sharing protocol. This enhanced protocol is based on a per-host model command, control, and communication structure. This per-host model reduces network traffic, allows greater scalability through dynamic system resource allocation, allows a single host to establish and maintain a share session with no other members present. The per-host model allows private communication between the host and a remote with periodic broadcasts of updates by the host to the entire share group. This per-host model also allows the host to allow, revoke, pause, and invite control of the shared applications. Subsequent passing of control is provided, also with the hosts acceptance. The model contains no fixed limit on the number of participants, and dynamically allocates resources when needed to share or control a shared application. These resources are then freed when no longer needed.

Scalable multiparty conferencing and collaboration system and method of dynamically allocating system resources in same

A networking conferencing and collaboration tool utilizing an enhanced T.128 application sharing protocol. This enhanced protocol is based on a per-host model command, control, and communication structure. This per-host model reduces network traffic, allows greater scalability through dynamic system resource allocation, allows a single host to establish and maintain a share session with no other members present, and supports true color graphics. The per-host model allows private communication between the host and a remote with periodic broadcasts of updates by the host to the entire share group. This per-host model also allows the host to allow, revoke, pause, and invite control of the shared applications. Subsequent passing of control is provided, also with the hosts acceptance. The model contains no fixed limit on the number of participants, and dynamically allocates resources when needed to share or control a shared application. These resources are then freed when no longer needed. Calculation of minimum capabilities is conducted by the host as the membership of the share changes. The host then transmits these requirements to the share group.

Scalable multiparty conferencing and collaboration system and method of dynamically allocating system resources and providing true color support in same

Multiparty conferencing and collaboration system utilizing a per-host model command, control and communication structure

Systems and methods for repositioning and displaying objects in multiple monitor environments are disclosed. When two or more of the monitors have different color characteristics, images moved between monitors are processed to take advantage of the particular color characteristics of the monitors, while reducing the processing resources that might otherwise be needed to entirely render the image from scratch. For instance, an image positioned within a first monitor space can be repositioned such that a first portion is displayed in the first monitor space and a second portion in the second monitor space. The data representing the first portion of the image is moved from a first location to a second location in a frame buffer in a bit block transfer operation. If the first and second monitors have the same color characteristics, the data representing a second portion is also transferred using a bit block operation. However, if the color characteristics are different, the data representing the second portion of the image is passed through a display engine that adapts the data to the particular color characteristics of the second monitor. Furthermore, cursor image movement operations are placed in a queue if a process at the computer currently relies on the original cursor position, and are executed only when the process no longer relies on the original position.

Repositioning and displaying an object in a multiple monitor environment

User interface for displaying and interacting with images corresponding to applications shared over a computer network in a data conference is described. The described interface provides a user with greater control over the use of a desktop by providing controls for moving and sizing images, including fake windows, corresponding to shared applications by displaying such windows in a frame. The frame is the entity that is manipulated by a user with familiar graphical symbols, or even custom designs, thus avoiding potential complexity in managing control over the images of the shared applications. This user interface facilitates frames that may optionally be semi-transparent or transparent in order to allow a user to keep track of icons and windows covered by the frame. Frames are also useful in reducing network traffic by providing a method for detecting the level of interest of a user in a shared application. Thus, they can be used to modulate the frequency of updating images of shared applications to reflect the need for changes determined by whether the frame is in focus or even closed.

Application sharing in a frame

An architecture is provided that enables an accessibility aid to directly access and manipulate user interface elements of an application program programmatically. Moreover, such access and manipulation occurs in an application-independent manner, so that an accessibility aid utilizing the architecture can access any application program that conforms to the architecture, without the accessibility aid needing any prior knowledge of the application program or its user interface elements. User interface elements typically have both a visual representation displayed on the video display and an implementation, which is the code and data implementing the user interface element. The architecture provides an accessibility aid with direct access to the implementation of user interface elements, thus enabling the accessibility aid to both examine various characteristics of the user interface element and manipulate these characteristics, which may affect its visual representation.

Programmatically providing direct access to user interface elements of an application program

An architecture is provided that enables an accessibility aid to directly access and manipulate user interface elements of an application program programmatically. Moreover, such access and manipulation occurs in an application-independent manner, so that an accessibility aid utilizing the architecture can access the user interface elements of any application program that conforms to the architecture, without the accessibility aid needing any prior knowledge of the application program or its user interface elements. User interface elements typically have both a visual representation displayed on the video display and an implementation, which is the code and data implementing the user interface element. The architecture provides an accessibility aid with direct access to the implementation of user interface elements, thus enabling the accessibility aid to both examine various characteristics of the user interface element and manipulate these characteristics, which may affect its visual representation. Although this architecture provides many benefits to accessibility aids, some application programs predate the preferred architecture and are thus unable to support this architecture. The present system supports the architecture on behalf of such application programs, known as legacy application programs, to retrofit or integrate these application programs into the architecture.

Providing access to user interface elements of legacy application

A computer system includes an operating system with a graphical user interface (GUI), a user subsystem which together with the GUI provides for managing a plurality of applications, a graphical device interface for routing GUI information relating to the applications, such as a cursor or an application window, first and second device drivers for receiving GUI information routed from the graphical device interface and a forking display driver. The forking display driver is used for implementing a method which allocates the display of the graphical user information such as the cursor position or application window on only one monitor, where two or more monitors arc controlled by the operating system in a manner so as to define a virtual monitor space that is formed by the combined monitor space of each of the separate monitors.

Robust display management in a multiple monitor environment

A method for creating a scalable graphic image for display by a pixel-oriented display device. A pixel-based design of the desired graphic image is created and thereafter separated into constituent parts. A geometric descriptor is created for each constituent part. These geometric descriptors are then hinted to ensure that the constituent parts represented by these descriptors can be overlaid or combined to form a display of the desired graphic image for various point sizes. The hinted geometric descriptors for the graphic image are stored in a font file that can be accepted by a rasterizer. In response to a request to display a graphic image, the rasterizer reads the corresponding hinted geometric descriptors from the font file and generates character bitmaps defining the pixels to be illuminated to display the constituent parts. This allows the scaling of the displayed graphic image at different sizes based upon the particular requirements of the user.

Method and system for creating a graphic image with geometric descriptors

A method and system are described for a computer system for retrieving and presenting a set of commands in the form of a pop up context menu for a selected object. The context menu is displayed in the proximity of the selected object and is determined primarily by the class of the selected object and secondarily by the particular container in which the selected object resides at the time of selection. The context menu displays a number of useful features which enable the user to quickly and easily invoke commands upon the selected object.

Context sensitive menu system/menu behavior

Scalable three-dimensional borders are provided in the user interface of an operating system. The borders are scalable in several respects. First, the dimensions of the borders are scalable relative to the resolution of a video display upon which the borders will be drawn. Second, the colors used in the borders are scalable based upon the range of luminances available on the video display. The borders are colored to provide the visual illusion of depth such that the borders appear to be three-dimensional.

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Seattle, WA, United States of America

Laura Janet Butler