Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Other

Adapx, Inc.

Michael B Robin

Philipp Heinz Schmid

Edwin W Thorne, Iii

David R McGee

JoGene Kapell

Patrick Michael Volk

Paulo Barthelmess

Phil Cohen

Terence R Spies

Chris E Tobey

Yung-Ho Shih

Wesley O Rupel

Erik M Erikson

Michael D Edwards

R Matthews Wesson

Alex A Arthur

Mark R McCulley

Ira Smith

Robert B Seidensticker, Jr

James C Bovee, Jr

A digital paper-enabled product includes digital paper with a digital pattern that spatially cooperates with one or more features or boundaries printed on the pattern. More specifically, a system cooperating with the product may include spatial information systems that manage the features or boundaries and communicates with a writing instrument that was used to effect changes to the digital paper-enabled product. In one embodiment, the digital paper-enabled product may take the form of a sheet of digital paper bearing a digital pattern and where action icons (e.g. user intended actions) and/or features (e.g. such as map features) or a spatial reference frame are printed onto the digital pattern and where at least one action palette is printed onto the digital pattern, correlated therewith, and usable to effect changes to the product. Other embodiments include a method of making the digital-enabled product, a method of processing information obtained from the digital paper-enabled product, and a method of using the digital paper-enabled product.

Digital paper-enabled products and methods relating to same

A digital palette and a digital pen device are used to create or manipulate a digital document to provide complex information using features, such as graphical features selected from stencils, shapes, and connectors and possibly to apply one or more attributes to the digital document. The digital palette may have a custom layout. The features on the digital palette may be selected from a variety of sources, such as digital stencil libraries. The digital palette and digital document may be arranged on the same or different sheets of digital paper overlying one or more digital patterns. Information communicated from the digital palette to the digital document may be uploaded, processed, reviewed, changed and stored in a computer. Lastly, the digital document may be finalized and printed to incorporate all changes previously made using the digital palette, the digital pen device and the computer.

Systems and methods for using a digital palette to produce a digital document

A method and apparatus for managing controls on the screen of a computer controlled display. The preferred embodiment of the present invention provides for quick and efficient activation and deactivation of controls by designating a number of controls as a control grouping. The preferred embodiment then collectively activates or deactivates the designated number of controls using an identifier for the control grouping. Additionally, after a user terminates cursor movement, the preferred embodiment automatically positions a cursor on an ideal control. The preferred embodiment determines the ideal control (1) by removing from consideration any controls which are (a) not visible to the user, or (b) located at non-optimal positions on the screen, and (2) by calculating a weighted distance for each remaining control. The preferred embodiment calculates the weighted distances by comparing the previous cursor movements made by a user with application specified parameters. After calculating a weighted distance for each remaining control, the preferred embodiment automatically positions the cursor on the control having a smallest associated weighted distance.

Apparatus and method for automatically positioning a cursor on a control

A viewer interface is disclosed for use in an interactive television network operative for providing an animated focus item in association with a control item to indicate that the control item is in a state responsive to commands from a user input device. An 'animation' is any form of highlighting that is non-static, including but not limited to flashing, varying illumination, varying size, varying shape, varying position, varying color, varying display components, a moving and/or changing cartoon type image, a video image, a sound track, or a combination of these elements. Selection of the control item to receive focus and selection of options presented by control items having focus are accomplished by viewer interaction with the remote control unit, and such selections do not require a keyboard or mouse to indicate the viewer's desire to change the focus from one control item to another or to select an option. The user interface is also suitable for use in a general computing environment as well as in an interactive television environment.

Method and system for displaying an animated focus item

An object-oriented system for generating and displaying control items that allow users of an interactive network to recognize and select control functions via a graphical user interface. The manipulation of the control items on a display screen is linked to a set-top terminal associated with the interactive network. The control items, which can be visible or audible, are associated with control objects. Control objects are arranged in a hierarchy, and can contain one or more child control objects. Attributes of a child control object are inherited from an ancestor control object. A control item can be graphically manipulated independently by drawing the control item into its own sprite, or can be manipulated by drawing the control item into the sprite of a parent. The system provides building blocks of control elements that can be composed and customized to produce versatile interfaces for applications and content.

Systems and methods for a customizable sprite-based graphical user

An apparatus and method for navigating through an application program on a computer coupled to a computer-controlled display screen. The user can control the cursor position on the computer-controlled display using simple controls. The invention may use a hand-held controller with a four direction control button and a function select button. The computer accepts the direction input information and moves the cursor or focus according to one of three different navigation functions. The first two navigation functions are selected by the application program, and may change from one navigation to another in different portions of the program or under user control. With the first navigation function, the direction buttons on the controller shift the focus from one hot spot to another hot spot in the selected direction using predefined criteria. With the second navigation function, the focus is shifted from a present position on the computer-controlled display to the adjacent position in the selected direction. If the function select button is depressed while the focus is on a hot spot, the function associated with that particular hot spot are enabled. A third navigation function is enabled if the function select button and the directional control button are both depressed. With the third navigational function, the focus moves from the current position in any direction selected by the directional control button. The focus movement may simultaneously occur in two dimensions using any of the navigational functions if the user selects directions in two dimensions on the four directional control button.

Apparatus and method for controlling cursor movement

Growing community of inventors

Redmond, WA, United States of America

Michael B Robin