International Business Machines Corporation

Tong C Dougharty

Janki Y Vora

Fang Wang

Edwin J Bruce

Tassanee Kraipon Supakkul

Charlet N Givens

Instructional content is visually presented within a graphical user interface overlay on a display for an application window also presented on the display. Interactive events between a user and the application are dynamically detected. Responsive to the interactive events, state-specific substantive instructions are determined given a current state of the application as determined from the interactive events. The instructional content is dynamically modified to continuously present the state-specific substantive instructions that correspond with the detected interactive events. Presentation characteristics of a graphical user interface overlay are dynamically modified based on the interactive events to make the graphical user interface overlay unobtrusive to user-application interactions while ensuring the graphical user interface overlay is presented in a visually proximate position to a user's current interactive focus as determined from the interactive events, wherein unobtrusiveness of the graphical user interface overlay ensures that user inputs directed at the application are not interfered with.

Dynamic role-based instructional symbiont for software application instructional support

The disclosure provides a computer-based learning system that minimizes the 'distance' between applications (for which instructions are provided) and the instructions themselves. That is, the instructional material provided is dynamically integrated with a 'state' of one or more applications, which constantly change as a user interacts with the application. Further, the instructional information is visually presented within a common screen, window, or focus region as the application, in a minimally intrusive manner. For example, the instruction window can be an overlay that is designed to &#x201c;hide from&#x201d; or to avoid obscuring application content of particular interest to a user. Various techniques can be used to ensure the instructions are provided unobtrusively, including use of transparency settings to make instructions legible, resizing techniques, variable shading, font size/contrast/style adjustments, and the like.

A computer utilizes a matrix code to securely communicate information. To utilize the matrix code, the computer receives a scan of the matrix code, and identifies a first mask within a data region of the matrix code, wherein the first mask includes public user data, and identifies a second mask within the data region of the matrix code, wherein the second mask include private user data. The computer decodes the public user data and the private user data from the matrix code, and decrypts one or both of the public user data and the private user data. The computer also removes a distortion operation from the second mask, wherein removing the distortion operation includes reversing a transformation, rotation, skew, shear, reflection, or projection operation.

Matrix code for encryption, storage, and transmission of data

A computing device utilizes matrix codes to securely communicate information with a variety of servers. The computing device receives public user data, and generates a display of a base matrix code for reading by a scanner associated with a first server, wherein the base matrix code includes the public user data in a first mask. Responsive to the display of the base matrix code to the scanner associated with the first server, the computing device receives first private user data from the first server. The computing device generates a display of a first combined matrix code for reading by a scanner associated with a second server, wherein the first combined matrix code includes the public user data in the first mask and includes the first private user data in a second mask. The computing device can receive the public and first private user data in a matrix code.

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Southlake, TX, United States of America

Tong C Dougharty