Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Robert E Gruhl

Robert D Young

Sabrina Boler

Thomas Walter Getzinger

Karen L Baker

Damon V Danieli

Allen M Han

Thomas W Brooks

Melissa S Jacobson

Drew Calvin Bamford

An original media object, such as an image, is edited without loss of the data comprising the media object. Changes applied to the media object are defined by metadata associated with the media object. For example, metadata define the cropping of an original JPEG image without loss of the original image. The metadata from a previous editing session can be used to further revising a change to the media object. Preferably, the metadata are stored as a stream in a substorage of an object linking and embedding (OLE) file. For display purposes, and for ease of modification, an edited version of the media object is stored as another stream of data in the substorage of the OLE file. The edited version of the media object is preferably compressed and serves as an intermediate object for faster display during editing and as a surrogate if the original media object is unavailable.

Lossless manipulation of media objects

A control device that combines a movable pod, that is sized to comfortably support a user's hand, with control buttons that are easily commanded by the user's fingers and thumb without interfering with pod movement, thereby allowing the user to quickly, simultaneously, and intuitively, command multiple aspects of a user application software, such as a game. Preferably, the pod is movable simultaneously in three different directions: forward-and-backward, side-to-side; and axially about an axis. The device also uses the distance the pod is displaced from a neutral position as an additional control parameter for commanding the application software. In addition, control commands associated with the control buttons and movement of the pod may be programmed by the user either &ldquo;on the fly&rdquo; or by using a graphical user interface. Also, the device provides feedback to the user regarding the programmed status of each button and available pod movement.

Control device with enhanced control aspects and method for programming same

Growing community of inventors

Seattle, WA, United States of America

Robert E Gruhl