Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

William T Flora

Steven Nabil Bathiche

Nigel Stuart Keam

Mark R Gibson

John Mark Miller

Bret P O'Rourke

Zachary Lewis Russell

Oliver R Roup

Eric Peter Wilfrid

Mark A Malamud

Jeffrey C Fong

Daniel F Plastina

David A Barnes

Kathryn L Parker

Jon Marcus Randall Whitten

Kevin Timothy Shields

Rodger William Benson

Mark Jeffrey Weinberg

Tandy Woodson Trower, Ii

Joyce A Grauman

Renee Marceau

Chris E Tobey

Kevin Michael Schofield

Mark D Mackenzie

Christopher D Williams

Eric L Van Doren

Virginia E Howlett

Molly Scoville Rhoten

Andrew David Wilson

William Hong Vong

James Morris Alkove

Boyd Cannon Multerer

Bojana Ostojic

Jeffrey Cheng-Yao Fong

David A Bolnick

Christopher Alan Glein

Mark S Newell

Marc Randall Whitten

Robert A Kleewein

Isaac J Heizer

Gregory R Slayden

Benjamin N Alton

Robert Edward Parkin

Issac J Heizer

Rosanne M Lehmann

Christopher R Fox

Roxanne M Lehmann

A system for dynamic content delivery is provided. The system includes a control component to determine location, preferences, and state of a user. A delivery component dynamically selects and provides content to the user as a function of the user's location, preferences, and state.

Dynamic awareness involving location

Switching between an arm's length user interface and a distance user interface is provided. A first user interface optimized to operate a computer from an arm's-length distance is presented on a display. A command is received. It is determined whether the command is from a wired device or a wirelessly-connected device. When the command is from a wired device, then the first user interface continues to be presented. When the command is from a wirelessly-connected device, then the display is toggled from the first user interface to the distance user interface. The distance user interface is optimized for operating the computer from a television-viewing distance. The television-viewing distance measured in feet is approximately half of a diagonal measure of the image displayed on the display device measured in inches.

User interface for operating a computer from a distance

A new user interface, a distance user interface, in a computer system for operating a computer from a television-viewing distance is provided. A centralized display is provided enabling a user to access streaming video and sound as well as music files, video files, and picture files from a single screen. Collaborative sharing of media content is provided by enabling a computer's operations and feedback to be collectively observed from a distance.

A system to facilitate royalty tracking is provided. The system includes at least one tag to identify a portion of a creative work. A distribution component tracks the portion of the creative work and a crediting component reports usage of the creative work when the portion is detected in a larger body of work.

Distribution channels and monetizing

Outputting a user interface having a list of a plurality of representations of media items on a display of a computing device is presented. In one embodiment, a center locking region (CLR) is defined in the user interface and covers a portion of the plurality of representations, wherein navigation from a first representation within the CLR to a second representation outside the CLR causes a scrolling of the second representation into the CLR on one horizontal side and a scrolling of a third representation within the CLR out of the CLR on the other horizontal side while navigation through a portion of the plurality of representations within the CLR causes no scrolling. In another embodiment, a gap indicating a beginning and an end of the list is displayed and a scrolling occurs when the gap is within the CLR and a horizontal navigation within the CLR is performed.

Media user interface gallery control

Remote control device

A graphical user interface (GUI) allows a user to directly access items of visual and/or audio media by passing a cursor over points on an electronic map. Indicators in the form of icons representing media items can be displayed and can be accessed through a media viewer. A determination is made whether a position indicator or pointer, such as a cursor, is located proximate to a GUI location that is associated with supplemental content in the form of a media item. If so, an indicator is presented to advise the user that supplemental content is indeed associated with that location on the interface. For example, a media icon representing one or more media items can be displayed on the output device proximate to the location of the input device indicator. This indicator serves as a prompt or cue for the user to select the indicator if the user desires to review the supplemental content. A determination is made whether the media icon has been selected in response to an input signal issued by an input device. If so, the selected media item, typically video and/or audio information, is presented to the user via the output device.

System and method for displaying media interactively on a video display device

A computer system having a video display runs an operating system that provides a desktop environment to a user and a file system. The desktop environment has associated systems settings that affect the desktop environment. In this method, a first set of values for at least a portion of the system settings are stored in a storage device in a computer network so that the first set of values is visible in the file system. A second set of values, for the same portion of the system settings for which values are stored in the first set of values, is also stored in the storage device such that the second set of values is visible in the file system. In response to a choice by the user between the first set of values and the second set of values, the system settings are updated to have the values specified by the chosen set of values.

Aggregation of system settings into objects

A control panel provides controllers for setting the values of system settings. Each controller controls a subset of related system settings. Scheme objects are provided for encapsulating values of system settings for a controller. The current values of system settings controlled by a controller may be updated by applying the values held within a scheme. Grand schemes are provided for aggregating the system settings for multiple controllers. Thus, the system settings controlled by multiple controllers may be updated in a single transaction by applying a grand scheme to the control panel. Easily practiced approaches to applying schemes and grand schemes to the control panel are provided. Moreover, methods for easily creating and editing the contents of schemes and grand schemes are provided.

A method and system are provided for displaying animations of menus solely in response to a cursor pointing in proximity to a menu marker that is displayed on a video display. Multiple menu markers may be displayed on the video display and each menu marker may be associated with a different menu. The animation may produce the visual effect of the menu sliding out of an associated menu marker. A dynamic control mechanism may be used to control the performance of the animation of the menu to account for different platforms and different processing states. In addition, audio output may accompany the animation of the menu.

Methods and system for providing fly out menus

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Seattle, WA, United States of America

William T Flora