Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Thamer A Abanami

Jeffrey C Fong

Julian Selman

Craig R Maitlen

Rowland Lee Brown

Megan Lesley Tedesco

Michael Van Robb Johnson, Jr

Russell E Glaser

Jeffrey Cheng-Yao Fong

Jordan Naftolin

Dennis Edward Flanagan

Brett A Bentsen

Anton Oguzhan Alford Andrews

David Walter Proctor

David C Franklin

Gregory Sean Cox

Yasser Baseer Asmi

Patrick Markus Baudisch

Ivan J Leichtling

Matthew Aaron Jubelirer

Marc S Doll

Jeremy P Robinson

Craig Lichtenstein

Mark D Zuber

Michael Van Robb Johnson Jr

A programmable effects system for graphical user interfaces is disclosed. One embodiment comprises adjusting a graphical user interface in response to a tilt of a device. In this way, a graphical user interface may display a parallax effect in response to the device tilt.

Tiltable user interface

A flexible, scalable hardware input device for interacting with a variety of devices ranging from a phone, to a media playback device to a steering wheel or a tablet PC is provided. The input device includes a set of mechanical input controls, each mapping to one or more independent functions and a set of touch sensitive input control areas (e.g., capacitive), where each touch sensitive input control area receives touch input independently. In addition, one or more of the touch sensitive input control areas interchangeably overlay one or more of the mechanical input controls, whereby interaction with the touch sensitive input control areas is processed together to determine a corresponding function for controlling the application, service or computing device.

Universal user interface device

By adjusting visual settings on a display behind a section of a background to emphasize menu options, a user can determine the status in the series of menus and sub-menus and can better read the menu options.

Adaptable transparency

A method to indicate that a first device is in communication with a second device is disclosed. The first device may receive an indication activity from the second device. The indication activity may change the display and the illumination object on the first device and the displays on the illumination object and the display are similar.

Activity illumination

A media player is adapted to organize and display nearby media device information between communicating media devices before a complete connection is established. A nearby media device receives a message that is either generally or specifically sent from another media device. The nearby device determines whether the sending media device is blocked and whether to accept the message. The nearby device accepts the message if it originates from a compatible source. If the message is accepted, the nearby device sends an acknowledgement message containing a unique device name and a device status to the sending device. The sending device then displays the unique device name and status.

Nearby media device tracking

Each of one or more songs in a song list is analyzed to determine whether the song satisfies a set of criteria at its current location. For each of the one or more songs that satisfies the set of criteria, the song is kept at its current location in the song list. For each of the one or more songs that does not satisfy the set of criteria, an attempt is made to select (e.g., randomly) another song in an unprocessed portion of the song list that satisfies the set of criteria. If a selected song satisfies the set of criteria then the song and the selected song are swapped. However, if greater than a threshold number of attempts to select a song that satisfies the set of criteria are made, then the song is kept at its current location in the song list.

Shuffling playback content based on multiple criteria

A programmable effects system for graphical user interfaces is disclosed. One embodiment comprises adjusting a graphical user interface in response to a tilt of a device. In this way, a graphical user interface may have viewable content not shown in a first view, where the viewable content may be displayed in a tilted view in response to the device tilt.

A media object being played by a user may be marked by creating a mark object comprising the playback time when the mark was created. The time may be used to reference metadata with information about the media object at the time referenced. The metadata may be used to launch web searches corresponding to elements of the media at the time in question, for example, a back up singer at a point in a music track or the name of a resort in a movie. The searches may be performed from media player or the mark object may be transferred to a networked computer for performing the searches. The technique is equally applicable to portable media players, software or firmware media players on computers, or set top boxes.

Earmarking media documents

A media system is described including a graphical display that presents an iconic menu and a textual menu. The iconic menu includes a plurality of icons arranged in a two-dimensional collection, where each icon provides access to media content. The textual menu includes a structured textual list that provides access to a media library including the media content. The iconic menu may be unlocked responsive to a first user input received at the user input device and may be locked responsive to a second user input received at the user input device. The plurality of icons of the iconic menu may be shuffled relative to each other without shuffling the structured textual list responsive to motion of the media system. The plurality of icons may be maintained in a fixed relative arrangement even if motion of the media system occurs if the iconic menu is locked.

Motion activated content control for media system

Media devices that transfer content to other devices may man age a user's received media files by creating a media device inbox. Shared content may be stored in an inbox cache that is separate from the device's main content library to exclude limited-access inbox content from interaction with the device's main library. Further, inbox content may be altered upon expiration to reduce resource consumption and inbox clutter.

Growing community of inventors

Seattle, WA, United States of America

Thamer A Abanami