An adaptive interface for a programmable system, for predicting a desired user function, based on user history, as well as machine internal status and context. The apparatus receives an input from the user and other data. A predicted input is presented for confirmation by the user, and the predictive mechanism is updated based on this feedback. Also provided is a pattern recognition system for a multimedia device, wherein a user input is matched to a video stream on a conceptual basis, allowing inexact programming of a multimedia device. The system analyzes a data stream for correspondence with a data pattern for processing and storage. The data stream is subjected to adaptive pattern recognition to extract features of interest to provide a highly compressed representation that may be efficiently processed to determine correspondence. Applications of the interface and system include a video cassette recorder (VCR), medical device, vehicle control system, audio device, environmental control system, securities trading terminal, and smart house. The system optionally includes an actuator for effecting the environment of operation, allowing closed-loop feedback operation and automated learning.

Adaptive pattern recognition based control system and method

An Internet appliance, comprising, within a single housing, packet data network interfaces, adapted for communicating with the Internet and a local area network, at least one data interface selected from the group consisting of a universal serial bus, an IEEE-1394 interface, a voice telephony interface, an audio program interface, a video program interface, an audiovisual program interface, a camera interface, a physical security system interface, a wireless networking interface; a device control interface, smart home interface, an environmental sensing interface, and an environmental control interface, and a processor, for controlling a data transfer between the local area network and the Internet, and defining a markup language interface communicated through a packet data network interface, to control a data transfer or control a remote device.

Internet appliance system and method

An electronic device with a touch-sensitive surface, a display, and one or more sensors to detect intensity of contacts: displays a plurality of user interface objects in a first user interface; detects a contact while a focus selector is at a location of a first user interface object; and, while the focus selector is at the location of the first user interface object: detects an increase in a characteristic intensity of the contact to a first intensity threshold; in response, visually obscures the plurality of user interface objects, other than the first user interface object, while maintaining display of the first user interface object; detects that the characteristic intensity of the contact continues to increase above the first intensity threshold; and, in response, dynamically increases the amount of visual obscuring of the plurality of user interface objects, other than the first user interface object.

Devices, Methods, and Graphical User Interfaces for Manipulating User Interface Objects with Visual and/or Haptic Feedback

Icon for a portion of a display screen

The invention is a digital library system that includes: 1) a data capture mechanism that includes data transfer and cataloguing mechanisms, 2) an asset management system for access and storage management of data, and 3) a distribution system for distributing the data and system functionality. A data capture system includes a transfer system and a cataloguing system. The transfer system converts multimedia material that exists in analog form to a digital format. The cataloguing system catalogues data. The cataloguing system creates a catalogue that can be used to perform content-based searches. A content-based search retrieves data based on the ideas or concepts contained in the data. An asset management system is used to access the data using the catalogue created by the cataloguing system. A distribution facility can be used to transmit the data thus giving a user access to all of the data contained in the digital library system despite the user's location.

Digital library system

A multimedia system includes a multimedia device control program having a plurality of application program selectable controls for controlling operation of a like plurality of different classes of multimedia devices. Each class has a different set of controllable device functions or attributes. In response to selection of a class by an application program, a unique control panel is created in a user interface for controlling operation of a device. The selected control performs all of the processing actions necessary to control the device in response to user selections on the interface, without involvement of the application program in such actions. The multimedia control program includes a plurality of panel templates from which control panels are created in a control screen. Each panel has a plurality of controllers that can manipulated by a user to control a corresponding function of a multimedia device. The templates provide a consistent interfaces having a common look and feel. The multimedia control program also includes a plurality of class control programs one or more of which are selected by an application program to be attached to a like number of multimedia devices for controlling operation of the devices in response to user selections on the user interface, thereby relieving the application program of performing the necessary control functions.

Randolph S. Baker

Papers

Multimedia system having software mechanism providing standardized interfaces and controls for the operation of multimedia devices