Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Mark S Newell

Bojana Ostojic

William Hong Vong

Mark R Gibson

Christopher Alan Glein

Benjamin N Alton

Jeffrey Neil Margolis

John E Elsbree

Louis Amadio

Mark Jeffrey Weinberg

William T Flora

David R Fulmer

Frederic Azera

Christen E Coomer

Mark D Mackenzie

Michelle Verena Niethammer

Colby D Boles

Charles H Shoemaker

Kristina M Voros

Will Vong

Bill Flora

A method of overlaying layers of a user interface on a display of a computing device is presented herein. In a preferred embodiment, while a media item is displayed within the user interface, an overlay having features associated with the media item being displayed on the user interface is layered on top of the user interface such that the media item beneath the overlay layer is at least partially viewable through the overlay layer.

Media user interface layers and overlays

Described herein is technology for, among other things, performing navigation in a media environment. The technology involves the presenting a user with only a portion of the previously visited pages or areas as he or she moves to previously visited pages or areas. As the user moves around the media environment, the movements are recorded for use when requests are received for previously visited areas or pages. As the user moves to previously visited areas redundant pages or areas are skipped. Thus, the user's forward and backward navigation are different and the user moves backward more easily, quickly and efficiently.

Enhanced user navigation to previously visited areas in a media environment

Embodiments of a media user interface are presented herein. In one embodiment, a plurality of representations of media items is arranged into a plurality of groups such that the plurality of groups of representations are horizontally navigated like a carousel. In another embodiment, the plurality of representations of media items is presented based on user selection of data associated with features of the media items. Yet in another embodiment where a plurality of representations is vertically aligned, navigating a representation causes vertical space between the representation and another representation next to it to be increased and causes representations of a sub-category of the representation to be displayed within the increased space.

Media user interface left/right navigation

Outputting a user interface having a list of a plurality of representations of media items on a display of a computing device is presented. In one embodiment, a center locking region (CLR) is defined in the user interface and covers a portion of the plurality of representations, wherein navigation from a first representation within the CLR to a second representation outside the CLR causes a scrolling of the second representation into the CLR on one horizontal side and a scrolling of a third representation within the CLR out of the CLR on the other horizontal side while navigation through a portion of the plurality of representations within the CLR causes no scrolling. In another embodiment, a gap indicating a beginning and an end of the list is displayed and a scrolling occurs when the gap is within the CLR and a horizontal navigation within the CLR is performed.

Media user interface gallery control

Upon authentication via a required multi-function hardware component, coupled to a computer system with one or more computer-readable media, having a software product embodied thereon, one implementation, described herein, conditionally blocks or grants access to the software functionality of that software product on that computer system.

Hardware-based software authenticator

A system and method for presenting images to a user. A set of available animations to be performed when presenting digital images to a user is defined. A digital image and an available animation are selected. The selection of the available animation may include consideration of a previously performed animation and/or consideration of attributes of the selected digital image. The selected digital image is then presented to the user, and the selected animation is performed with respect to the image. The invention further includes methods for providing a slide show of digital images to a user.

Slideshow animation algorithms

Growing community of inventors

Seattle, WA, United States of America

Mark S Newell