Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Ciba-geigy Corporation

Patrick Michael Volk

Edwin W Thorne, Iii

Michael B Robin

JoGene Kapell

Maxwell G Maginness

A method that enables focus to be given to a displayed control item when a cursor is positioned within a predetermining activating area outside of the outer edges of the displayed control item. More particularly, the computer-implemented method for selecting a displayed control item on a display screen which includes the steps of: displaying a cursor on the display screen; displaying a control item on the display screen; providing an area extending around the control menu item; and providing focus to the control item when the cursor is positioned within the area extending around the control item. Preferably, the area extending around the control item is not visible on the display screen. With respect to the dimensions of the area extending around the control item, the dimensions preferably are (height H+constant C1) by (length L+constant C2), where H is the dimension defining the height of the control item and L is the dimension defining the length of the control item. If control items have overlapping activation zones, a weighting scheme is used to select the appropriate control item.

Method of selecting a displayed control item

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

A method and apparatus (30) for packaging processed film in a photographic print-processing system. The method includes the steps of reading a dealer identifier from the customer envelope (10) and, after processing, determining the number of photographic prints in the order, determining the number of wallets (43) needed to hold the prints, retrieving the correct number of wallets having a predetermined imprint thereon as determined by the dealer code, and packaging the prints in the wallets. The wallets may be retrieved from a wallet storage (44) that contains wallets having different imprints thereon or can be selected as blank wallets on which the desired imprint is printed after retrieval and before the photographic prints are packaged therein.

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Kirkland, WA, United States of America

Patrick Michael Volk