Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Sankar Ramasubramanian

Michael A Schmidt

Sean L Flynn

Edward Jason Anderson

Bryan T Starbuck

Christopher R Jones

Mark H Enomoto

Gayna Williams

Christopher David Brown

Raymond J Chen

Christopher Ralph Brown

Ralph A Lipe

Alan Aitken Ramaley

Richard Wales Stoakley

Piero Sierra

Matthew C Squires

Sam Leventer

John E Schussler

In a graphical desktop environment displaying desktop components, a control is provided to track the position of a pointer on a screen, and when the pointer enters relevant regions with respect to a desktop component, a thin or thick border in displayed around the desktop component to enable a user to resize the desktop component, and/or a caption bar is displayed along an edge of the component to enable a user to move the desktop component on the desktop. The caption bar may additionally be provided with menu and close buttons, to enable the user to bring up a menu of properties and/or actions for the desktop component, and close the desktop component, respectively. When the pointer is outside any region relevant to a desktop component, no borders or caption bars are displayed, thereby resulting in a visually less cluttered appearance.

Managing position and size for a desktop component

The present invention provides a system and method for dynamically populating a list of most used execution points in a graphical user interface of an operating system based upon the utilization behavior of a user. One embodiment provides for depicting a list of execution points to most used programs by determining a list of eligible programs, tracking the usage of the eligible programs in a usage list, taking into account chronological order of the activation of the programs and determining which programs in the usage list have the most usage. These programs then have execution points placed on a displayed most used list in the graphical user interface.

Most used programs list

A system and method of mirroring operations performed on linked files and folders is disclosed. A file and a folder are stored on a computer-readable medium. The file contains at least one reference to at least one image, stylesheet or object stored in the folder. Whenever a file operation is performed on the file, a substantially similar folder operation is performed on the folder and on each image, stylesheet and object contained in the folder. Similarly, whenever a folder operation is performed on the folder and its contents, a substantially similar file operation is performed on the file. By mirroring operations performed on linked files and folders, the system and method of the present invention helps users to manage the linked files and folders as a single entity.

Mirroring operations performed on linked files and folders

A method of creating a composite desktop built from Web content retrieved from one or more Web sites is disclosed. A component on a Web page can be selected and positioned on the composite desktop. The component can be a static image or an active desktop component providing dynamic content. An entire Web page can also be selected and positioned as a component on the composite desktop. Components can be selected for the composite desktop using one of several mechanisms. Selection of a control on a Web page causes the selection of a corresponding component on the Web page. A control panel utility allows the designation of a URL to select the corresponding Web page for inclusion as a component on the composite desktop. Images from Web pages and objects representing URLs can be dragged and dropped onto the composite desktop. Icons on a composite desktop are displayed in front of the composite desktop components. A user can create multiple composite desktops and switch to a different desktop when desired.

Composite Web page built from any web content

An operating system for a computer system having a protection scheme with a plurality of privilege rings provides services for message broadcasting from applications at less privileged rings to virtual drivers at a most privileged ring, and from the virtual drivers to applications. The virtual drivers can perform user mode operations including message broadcasting as an application by synchronizing to a thread of a user mode message server at application time, and setting the thread's user mode context to perform the operations.

Computer system messaging architecture

Growing community of inventors

Redmond, WA, United States of America

Sankar Ramasubramanian