International Business Machines Corporation

Randall Lee Bertram

Gregory Richard Hintermeister

Michael D Rahn

Herbert S Steelman

A method, apparatus, system, and signal-bearing medium that, in an embodiment, find duplicate resource identifiers that originate from different applications, converge the duplicate resource identifiers into a converged interface object, and present the converged interface object. The duplicate resource identifiers identify the same resource, and the different applications manage the same resource. Duplicate links associated with the duplicate resource identifiers are found, where the duplicate links originate from different applications, and the duplicate links are converged into a converged interface object. The duplicate links provide information regarding the same resource. Duplicate task identifiers are found that are associated with the duplicate resource identifiers and that originate from the different applications. The duplicate task identifiers are converged into a converged interface object. The duplicate task identifiers identify tasks that are performed by the different applications via the same resource. In an embodiment, the duplicate resource identifiers and duplicate task identifiers may be found based on a convergence level. Invocation options are presented for the different applications in response to selection of the converged interface object. A most critical status associated with the duplicate resource identifiers is determined and presented.

Resource presentation convergence

This invention relates to consumer use of what is here called the 'television space'. That is, the use of video/audio signal streams such as in the past have been distributed by broadcast over radio frequency bands or by cable distribution, or made available from video recorder/player devices such as cassette recorders or video disc player, or made available from direct, live sources such as cameras, game systems or computers. A list of previously viewed channels or video signal stream sources is constructed and stored in memory devices by use of a cursor and remote control interface. Listed sources may be selected by cursor positioning on a displayed list of the previously selected sources.

Previous channel listing with cursor controlled user interface for

Television viewers are presented with the opportunity to be diverted during intervals such as display of commercials, delays pending initiation of a near video on demand signal stream, and the like. The diversions take the form of overlaying on a frozen or continuing moving frame of visual images various game playing constructs manipulable by the remote control used to perform other control functions for the display device. The display device may be a television receiver linked to a set top device, an intelligent television receiver, or a personal computer provided with television image reception and display capability. Overlaying occurs over a frozen frame in certain disclosed diversions and over moving images in others. The accompanying audio signal stream may also be modified.

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Raleigh, NC, United States of America

Randall Lee Bertram