Webtv Networks, Inc.

Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Mark H Krueger

Jeffrey D Yaksick

Jay Dare Logue

Michael Andrew Cleron

David R Anderson

Sean M Callahan

Lennart Lovstrand

Christopher M White

Joe Freeman Britt, Jr

Kevin Daniel Neeson

Bharath Siravara

Neil A Brench

Arthur William James Freeman

Joerg Raymond Brown

Various embodiments enable a device to create a pool of at least one empty application. An empty application can be configured to contain resources that are common across one or more other applications and initialize the resources for the one or more other applications effective to reduce startup time of the other applications. In one or more embodiments, an empty application can further be populated with the one or more other applications effective to cause the one or more other applications to execute. Alternately or additionally, a device can be monitored for an idle state, and, upon determining the device is in the idle state, at least one empty application can be created.

Process pool of empty application hosts to improve user perceived launch time of applications

A browser-based email system has a thin client connected to a host mail server. The thin client implements a browser. The host mail server provides pages to the thin client, which can be rendered by the browser to present an email service to a user. The thin client is equipped to receive audio and video data and supports a user interface to facilitate capture of the audio or video data for inclusion in an email message. After a data stream is captured and stored locally at the client, the browser submits a request to the host mail server that contains a token in lieu of the data stream. The host mail server returns a response specifying a new page that contains the email message. The response also includes the token and indicates a location in the new page at which the audio or video data is to be rendered. Upon receiving the response, the browser inserts the data stream into the new page at the location and renders the new page. After the user has reviewed the email message, the user can send the email message, causing the browser to submit another request to the host mail server that contains both the email message and the audio or video data. Upon receiving this second request, the host mail server converts the email message and the audio or video data to a MIME message and forwards the MIME message to the intended recipient.

Browser-based email system with user interface for audio/video capture

A proxy server transcodes audio data on behalf of a client computer prior to transmitting the audio data to the client computer. In response to a request from the client computer, the proxy server obtains the audio data from a remote server. If the proxy server determines that transcoding is appropriate, the proxy server transcodes the audio data and transmits the transcoded audio data to the client computer. Transcoding can include changing the type of the audio file, compressing the audio data, reducing the number of audio channels, or reducing the data sampling rate. The proxy server determines the extent and type of transcoding based on file formats that the client computer can process, the size of the requested audio file, the memory capacity of the client computer, the bandwidth of the connection between the proxy server and the client computer, and the desired level of audio quality.

Transcoding audio data by a proxy computer on behalf of a client computer

Web browser software is implemented in a processing system housed in a set-top box connected to a television and communicating over a wide-area network with one or more servers. The browser allows a user to use a remote control device to navigate between hypertex, anchors in World-Wide Web pages displayed on the television. User inputs are entered from the remote control device using an infrared IR link in order to move a selection between hypertext anchors or various control buttons displayed on the television display. The browser is capable of downloading audio files from Web sites and generating sound through a speaker of the television set based on the audio files. Background music is generated during Web browsing based on audio files downloaded from one of the servers or audio files stored in memory in the set-top box. A background music audio file from a server can be downloaded while another background music audio file is played. An audio panel can be displayed when an audio file from a Web site is downloaded and played to form a user interface by which the user to play, stop, pause, rewind, or fast-forward the audio file.

User interface for controlling audio functions in a web browser

A proxy server has a connection to a client computer and to a remote server over the Internet. The proxy server receives a request for an audio file from the client computer and, in response, transmits a requests for the audio file to the remote server. Upon receiving the audio file, the proxy server determines whether transcoding of the audio file is appropriate. If appropriate, the proxy server transcodes the audio file received from the remote server and then transmits the transcoded audio file to the client. Transcoding may include changing the audio file type, compressing the audio file, reducing the number of audio channels, or reducing the sampling rate of the data. The proxy server determines the extent and type of transcoding to be performed on the audio file as the audio file is downloaded from the remote server. The extent and type of transcoding are based on the file formats which the client is capable of handling, the size of the requested audio file, the memory capacity of the client, the bandwidth of the connection between the local server and the client, and the desired level of audio quality. Transcoding may be performed on-the-fly while the requested audio file is being downloaded to the proxy server from the remote server and while the modified audio file is being downloaded from the proxy server to the client.

Transcoding of audio data

A Japanese character processing system containing a roman character keyboard containing a plurality of keys arranged in one or more rows. A first set of roman character consonants is provided in one row, a second set of roman character consonants is provided in a second row, and a set of roman character vowels is provided in a third row. The processing system converts a valid consonant-vowel combination into a corresponding Japanese character upon the entry of a valid consonant vowel combination and displays the Japanese character on a display device coupled to the processing system.

Japanese text input method using a limited roman character set

Web browser software is implemented in a processing system housed in a set-top box connected to a television and communicating over a wide-area network with one or more servers. The browser allows a user to use a remote control device to navigate between hypertext anchors in World-Wide Web pages displayed on the television. User inputs are entered from the remote control device using an infrared IR link in order to move a selection between hypertext anchors or various control buttons displayed on the television display. The browser is capable of downloading audio files from Web sites and generating sound through a speaker of the television set based on the audio files. Background music is generated during Web browsing based on audio files downloaded from one of the servers or audio files stored in memory in the set-top box. A background music audio file from a server can be downloaded while another background music audio file is played. An audio panel can be displayed when an audio file from a Web site is downloaded and played to form a user interface by which the user to play, stop, pause, rewind, or fast-forward the audio file.

A Japanese character processing system containing an on-screen keyboard which includes an array of base Japanese kana characters of a first kana character set. The first selection of a character key causes the display of the character in base kana form. A second consecutive selection of the same key causes the display of the character in a first variant form. Subsequent consecutive selections of the character cause the display of the character in further variant forms. Variant forms may include voiced, aspirated, or subscripted versions of the base character. A further variant form may include the display of the character in an alternate kana character set.

Japanese text input method using a keyboard with only base kana

A local server has a connection to a client and to a remote server over the Internet. The local server receives a request for an audio file from the client and, in response, transmits a requests for the audio file to the remote server. Upon receiving the audio file, the local server transcodes the audio file received from the remote server and then transmits the transcoded audio file to the client. Transcoding may include changing the audio file type, compressing the audio file, reducing the number of audio channels, or reducing the sampling rate of the data. The local server determines the extent and type of transcoding to be performed on the audio file as the audio file is downloaded from the remote server. The extent and type of transcoding are based on the file formats which the client is capable of handling, the size of the requested audio file, the memory capacity of the client, the bandwidth of the connection between the local server and the client, and the desired level of audio quality. Transcoding may be performed on-the-fly while the requested audio file is being downloaded to the local server from the remote server and while the modified audio file is being downloaded from the local server to the client.

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Fukuoka, Japan

Mark H Krueger