Display screen with animated graphical user interface

A floating command object is provided for offering a set of commonly or frequently used commands in close proximity to a selected text, data or other object in a document. When a given object is selected for editing, the floating object automatically displays near the object to allow easy selection of relevant commands such as formatting property commands. The object remains displayed to allow multiple command selections until it is closed by user action. If a mouse or touchpad pointer is moved away from the displayed object, the displayed object becomes increasingly translucent to visually deemphasize the relevance of the object to the new position of the pointer.

Floating command object

Systems and methods for generating multiple implicit search queries are described. In one described system, a query system receives a user context attribute and generates a plurality of implicit search queries based at least in part on the user context attribute. The query system then receives result sets associated with each of the plurality of implicit search queries and combines the results for display to a user.

Systems and methods for generating multiple implicit search queries

Automatic sorting and grouping of electronic mail items in an electronic mail system is provided. An automatic mail grouping property may be selected for electronic mail received, sent or stored in a variety of storage folders. For a given mail location (e.g., received mail, sent mail, or a given mail storage folder), a selected automatic grouping property causes mail to be displayed to a user in one or more categories that make location of specific mail items easier and more efficient. Visible dividers with optional headings may be provided between mail categories to quickly draw a user's attention to a given mail category and to separate large numbers of mail into logical groupings that make location of specific mail items more manageable.

Automatic Grouping of Electronic Mail

An electronic “To-Do” bar is provided in which displayed upcoming tasks, meetings, appointments and the like. The electronic To-Do bar is displayed in a lightweight menu of tasks, meetings and appointments and is displayed persistently in addition to other software functionality or user interfaces displayed on a user's computer display screen according to other software applications or other software functionality in use. A user is presented with an always-visible list of upcoming tasks, meetings and appointments without the need to launch a separate tasks application or calendar application to view upcoming tasks, meetings or appointments.

User Interface for Providing Task Management and Calendar Information

What began as a quest for artificial general intelligence branched into several pursuits, including intelligent assistants developed by tech companies and task-oriented chatbots that deliver more information or services in specific domains. Progress quickened with the spread of low-latency networking, then accelerated dramatically a few years ago. In 2016, task-focused chatbots became a centerpiece of machine intelligence, promising interfaces that are more engaging than robotic answering systems and that can accommodate our increasingly phone-based information needs. Hundreds of thousands were built. Creating successful non-trivial chatbots proved more difficult than anticipated. Some developers now design for human-chatbot (humbot) teams, with people handling difficult queries. This paper describes the conversational agent space, difficulties in meeting user expectations, potential new design approaches, uses of human-bot hybrids, and implications for the ultimate goal of creating software with general intelligence.

Chatbots, Humbots, and the Quest for Artificial General Intelligence

The present invention allows a user to graphically create a refreshable Web Query by selecting tabular data displayed in a Web page. When the user invokes the refreshable Web Query command, an Internet browser module is launched within a Web Query dialog box open in the spreadsheet program. The user then graphically selects at least one instance of tabular data to import to the spreadsheet program. The invention also makes Web queries more accessible to a user and is embedded in a software utility, known as a Web Query Smart Tag (WQST) utility. The WQST utility allows a user to create Web queries directly from an Internet browser module in one of several methods. The first method, known as a “Copy-Paste Web Query,” begins when a user pastes the tabular data into the spreadsheet program and determines whether the Web Query command should be presented to the user. If the decision is made to present the Web Query command to the user, a Web Query option appears on a special drop-down menu. The second method is embedded in a module known as the “Export to Microsoft Excel” module, which allows a user to create a refreshable Web Query in the MICROSOFT EXCEL 2002 spreadsheet program directly from the MICROSOFT INTERNET EXPLORER browser program. The last method is known as the “Edit with Microsoft Excel” method, which allows a user to open the entire file or choose a portion of the file to import into the MICROSOFT EXCEL 2002 spreadsheet program as a refreshable Web Query.

Integrated method for creating a refreshable Web Query

In the last five years, work on software that interacts with people via typed or spoken natural language, called chatbots, intelligent assistants, social bots, virtual companions, non-human players, and so on, increased dramatically. Chatbots burst into prominence in 2016. Then came a wave of research, more development, and some use. The time is right to assess what we have learned from endeavouring to build conversational user interfaces that simulate quasi-human partners engaged in real conversations with real people. This workshop brings together people who developed or studied various conversational agents, to explore themes that include what works (and hasn't) in home, education, healthcare, and work settings, what we have learned from this about people and their activities, and social or ethical possibilities for good or risk.

Conversational Agents: Acting on the Wave of Research and Development

Importing data from a source document into a destination document that is displayed within an application program associated with the destination document includes displaying a user interface region as part of the user interface of the application program. Importing the data also includes indicating in the user interface region at least a portion of external data within the accessed source document that is available for insertion into the destination document; and inserting a selected portion of external data into the destination document in response to user input selecting the portion of external data.

Importing data from a source document into a destination document

The present invention allows a user to graphically create an updatable network query by selecting table data that is displayed on a web page. When the user calls the "Updatable network query" command, an Internet browser module is started within a network query dialog box that is open in the spreadsheet program. The user then graphically selects at least one copy of table data to import into the spreadsheet program. The invention also makes web queries more accessible to a user and is a software device known as a Network Query Smart Tag (WQST) device. The WQST facility allows a user to create network queries directly from an Internet browser module in one of several ways. The first method, known as "copy-paste network query", begins when a user inserts the table data into the spreadsheet program and determines whether the network query command should be presented to the user. If the decision is made that the network query command is presented to the user, a network query option appears on a special drop-down menu. The second method is embedded in a module known as the "Export to Microsoft Excel" module, which allows a user to create an updatable network query in the MICROSOFT EXCEL 2002 spreadsheet program directly from the MICROSOFT INTERNET EXPLORER browser program. The latter method is known as the "Edit with Microsoft Excel" method, and it allows a user to open the entire file or select part of the file to import into the MICROSOFT EXCEL 2002 spreadsheet program as an updatable network query.

Richard Jacques

Papers

Chatbots, Humbots, and the Quest for Artificial General Intelligence

Integrated method for creating a refreshable Web Query

Conversational Agents: Acting on the Wave of Research and Development

Importing data from a source document into a destination document

Integrated procedure for creating an updatable network query