Abstract: Recent debate has centered on the relative promise of focusing user-interface research on developing new metaphors and tools that enhance users abilities to directly manipulate objects versus directing effort toward developing interface agents that provide automation. In this paper, we review principles that show promise for allowing engineers to enhance human-computer interaction through an elegant coupling of automated services with direct manipulation. Key ideas will be highlighted in terms of the Lookout system for scheduling and meeting management.

Abstract: User errors cause or contribute to most computer security failures, yet user interfaces for security still tend to be clumsy, confusing, or near-nonexistent. Is this simply due to a failure to apply standard user interface design techniques to security? We argue that, on the contrary, effective security requires a different usability standard, and that it will not be achieved through the user interface design techniques appropriate to other types of consumer software. To test this hypothesis, we performed a case study of a security program which does have a good user interface by general standards: PGP 5.0. Our case study used a cognitive walkthrough analysis together with a laboratory user test to evaluate whether PGP 5.0 can be successfully used by cryptography novices to achieve effective electronic mail security. The analysis found a number of user interface design flaws that may contribute to security failures, and the user test demonstrated that when our test participants were given 90 minutes in which to sign and encrypt a message using PGP 5.0, the majority of them were unable to do so successfully. We conclude that PGP 5.0 is not usable enough to provide effective security for most computer users, despite its attractive graphical user interface, supporting our hypothesis that user interface design for effective security remains an open problem. We close with a brief description of our continuing work on the development and application of user interface design principles and techniques for security.

Abstract: Instantiation of tiered software applications running on an Internet or Intranet computer system, including a method of instantiation and a program product for instantiation. The method, and program product are particularly useful in instantiation of multi-tiered applications having a user interface tier on the client, browser, or remote computer, from a meta data repository containing attributes and values of the attributes.

Abstract: The present invention is provided for utilizing various types of user indicia such as search requests, products purchased, products looked at but not purchased, products purchased and returned, reasons for returning products, customers stated profile including income level, education level, stated profession, etc. for the purpose of customizing a user interface.

Abstract: For anyone who designs applications or Web pages professionally, Software for Use provides an appealingly written guide to user interface design. This book delivers many valuable insights on improving interfaces for both desktop applications and Web sites. A software design process is first presented that's centered on usability (with terms like "user roles," "use cases," and "interaction contexts"). Early sections have much to say about inadequate interfaces (using a number of Windows examples) and how to improve them. The book presents an argument for creating innovative and intuitable interfaces (often by rethinking time-honored Windows conventions). The most provocative material here is the coverage of the Internet--the book argues that many Web sites sacrifice usability for visual razzle-dazzle, and it offers ways to organize Web sites for better usability. (A section on embedded devices looks at UI issues for these systems too.) A full case study of a user interface design for a corporate address book is included. Software for Use makes a good case that there is room for improvement in today's user interfaces. This book is sure to be a valuable resource for anyone serious about improving the user's experience of software or Web sites. --Richard Dragan Topics covered: Design processes; help systems and error messages; and interface creation for novice, intermediate, and advanced users.

Abstract: From the Publisher: If you are interested in understanding how the systematic use of task models in the design, development, and usability evaluation of interactive software applications can open new opportunities and possibilities then this book will help you do just that. Fabio Paterno also discusses related issues relevant to designing user interfaces and provides a state-of-the-art review of the field, including recently developed methods, current results and problems and trends." "Software Engineers will also find Model-Based Design and Evaluation of Interactive Applications a great help when developing projects.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for interactively viewing a real-world environment. The viewer includes a user interface having a first window for displaying a two-dimensional representation of a three-dimensional model of the real world environment. The viewer further includes a plurality of other viewing areas for displaying and querying for views of the real-world environment. The viewer includes a content-based event timeline that graphically depicts multi-media events satisfying user queries. Several methods can be used to select an event for display. For example, the user can select an event by selecting the event representation from the timeline. Alternatively, the user can select an event by querying the system for selected objects, viewing angles, input devices, etc. The viewer synchronizes and links together all of the multi-media data types associated with a selected event. Thus, when the user selects an event, the viewer displays all of the multi-media information (such as audio/video and textual information) that is associated with the selected event.

Abstract: A system for controlling presentation of information to a user based on the user's current condition. In particular, the system monitors the user and the user's environment, and creates and maintains an updated model of the current condition of the user. The user condition can include a variety of condition variables, including abstract concepts such as the user's current cognitive load, desired level of privacy for output information, and desired scope of audience for output information. Upon receiving output information to be presented to the user (e.g., from an application program), the system determines an appropriate output device and an appropriate format with which to present the information to the user, and then presents the output information. The system can also receive description information about the output information that describes relevant factors for determining when and how to present the output information (e.g., the importance and urgency of the output information, the consequences of the user not receiving or ignoring the output information, etc.). Some versions of the system execute on a wearable computer having a variety of available output display devices.

Abstract: A system and method for provisioning a two-way mobile communications device having a display screen and user interface that is initiated from the device to be provisioned. The device to be provisioned establishes a secure communications session with a provisioning server device. The subject communications path may utilize an intermediate server device. The user of the device is then presented with a plurality of input and choice screens, which may be used in conjunction with the user interface to provide user information, select device features and services. The user information and selected feature and service requests are then forwarded to the provisioning server device. The provisioning server device processes the received information and generates provisioning packages, registration requests, and notifications for the subject mobile device and for any associated server device providing services. The provisioning packages may comprise software modules, parameters and any required security information.

Abstract: Existing audio tools handle the increasing amount of computer audio data inadequately. The typical tape-recorder paradigm for audio interfaces is inflexible and time consuming, especially for large data sets. On the other hand, completely automatic audio analysis and annotation is impossible using current techniques. Alternative solutions are semi-automatic user interfaces that let users interact with sound in flexible ways based on content. This approach offers significant advantages over manual browsing, annotation and retrieval. Furthermore, it can be implemented using existing techniques for audio content analysis in restricted domains. This paper describes MARSYAS, a framework for experimenting, evaluating and integrating such techniques. As a test for the architecture, some recently proposed techniques have been implemented and tested. In addition, a new method for temporal segmentation based on audio texture is described. This method is combined with audio analysis techniques and used for hierarchical browsing, classification and annotation of audio files.

Abstract: Method and system for performing a service on a home network having a plurality of home devices connected thereto, by: connecting a client device to the home network for displaying a user interface; executing a software agent on the client device for obtaining selection information for the network devices and displaying the selection information on a user interface displayed on the client device; selecting a first home device connected to the network from the user interface being displayed on the client device; reading first capabilities data for the first home device, where the first capabilities data includes information in a structured format for identifying the capabilities of the first home device; reading second capabilities data for a second home device connected to the network, where the second capabilities data includes information in the structured format for identifying the capabilities of the second home device; comparing the first and second capabilities data of the first and second home devices, respectively; selecting the second home device from the user interface displayed on the client device; and sending control and command data from the client device to the first and second home devices to cause the first and second home devices to communicate with each other to perform the service.

Abstract: A storage device configuration manager implemented in software for a computer system including a processor, a memory coupled to the processor, and at least one storage device coupled to the processor, can advantageously allow a user having relatively limited knowledge to configure storage devices for use with specific applications. The storage device configuration manager includes a user interface allowing for selecting, editing, deleting, and/or activating storage polices. The storage policies include information useful for configuring the storage device to operate efficiently with a particular application, or within a particular user environment. The information is used by a policy engine to configure the storage device, thereby reducing the knowledge and effort required by a user.

Abstract: A system, method and article of manufacture are provided for implementing presentation services patterns. Non-presentation logic executed on a client is assigned to an activity for allowing reuse of the non-presentation logic across multiple, volatile user interfaces. A view is assigned to the activity. Validation rules are also structured for validating user data across the multiple user interfaces.

Abstract: A parser-translator technology allows a user to specify complex test and/or transformation statements in a high-level user language, to ensure that such test and/or transformation statements are well-formed in accordance with a grammar defining legal statements in the user language, and to translate statements defined by the user into logically and syntactically correct directives for performing the desired data transformations or operations. Using the parser-translator technology, a user can focus on the semantics of the desired operations and need not be concerned with the proper syntax of a language for a particular system. Instead, grammars (i.e., data) define the behavior of a parser-translator implementation by encoding the universe of statements (e.g., legal test and/or transformation statements) and by encoding translations appropriate to a particular data processing application (e.g., a data conversion program, etc.). Some parser-translator implementations described herein interface dynamically with other systems and/or repositories to query for information about objects, systems and states represented therein, and/or their respective interfaces. Some grammars described herein encode sensitivity to an external context. In this way, context-sensitive prompting and validation of correct specification of statements is provided. A combination of parser technology and dynamic querying of external system state allows users to build complex statements (e.g., using natural languages within a user interface environment) and to translate those complex statements into statements or directives appropriate to a particular data processing application.

Abstract: The present invention provides a Unified Messaging system with an emphasis on ubiquitous access and dynamic presentation of the information and services supported by an agent community. The present invention allows queries across dynamically changing, complex information; shared context and reference resolution among applications; and flexible translation of multimedia data. Utilizing an Open Agent Architecture, the present invention allows a user to receive multiple information types, such as email, voicemail, and multimedia data, utilizing a single user interface, such as a phone. Communication and cooperation between agents are brokered by one or more facilitators, which are responsible for matching requests, from users and agents, with descriptions of the capabilities of other agents. It is not generally required that a user or agent know the identities, locations, or number of other agents involved in satisfying a request, and relatively minimal effort is involved in incorporating new agents and “wrapping” legacy applications. Extreme flexibility is achieved through an architecture organized around the declaration of capabilities by service-providing agents, the construction of arbitrarily complex goals by users and service-requesting agents, and the role of facilitators in delegating and coordinating the satisfaction of these goals, subject to advice and constraints that may accompany them.

Abstract: A system for multi-protocol communication in the computer network has a user interface layer with a common data structure to permit instant messaging communication with multiple service providers that each have different communication protocols. Message data and commands are transferred to a conversion platform layer using an application programming interface (API). Within the conversion platform layer, the data and commands transformed to conform with the messaging requirements and communication protocol of the different service providers. The conversion process is transparent to the user and permits instant messaging to recipients regardless of the recipient's service provider. Incoming messages received from a recipient are received by the conversion platform layer and converted from the messaging requirements and communication protocol of the recipient's service provider to the common data structure of the user interface. The system also permits a user to establish and display a contact list even though the individuals in the contact list may be subscribers to different service providers. When the user logs on to the various service providers, the contact list data for each service provider is provided to the user interface and converted for display to the user.

Abstract: The present invention is a navigational user input device (13) interface for interactive television (11). The invention uses an intuitive interactive interface for navigating through service options preferably offered by a cable television service. Services offered such as video on demand, purchasing delivery foods, restaurant selection, banking and community events is all navigated using the present invention.

Abstract: A communication system includes mobile units, a network switching center, and service centers to provide a variety of enhanced services to the mobile units. In one embodiment, a service center communicates menu data to a mobile unit using a voice network. The mobile unit displays at a user interface menu options generated in response to the menu data communicated by the service center. Selecting a menu option at the user interface enables a function associated with traditional or enhanced services.

Abstract: The assembly and communication of multimedia information from a variety of modalities to remote users with improved control is provided for by the combined use of a browser enhancement module, such as a plug-in or ActiveX control, and a server. The server includes a data interface for acquiring the multimedia data and a storage unit for receiving and storing the data. An assembly unit in the server gathers selected data to form an e-mail package in response to instructions from a remote user unit. The server further includes a processing unit to encode and compress the data prior to packaging and an e-mail server to send the package to the remote user unit or another designated user unit. Transfer instructions for the server may be provided by the remote user unit through a browser and the browser enhancement module. The browser enhancement module is therefore configured to request a file from the server, to decompress and decode received files and to transfer such files along with a user interface to a display associated with the remote user unit. The browser enhancement module is further adapted to send instructions to the server to assemble and to e-mail selected data from a file to another user unit.

Abstract: This invention relates to an object-oriented system and method for easily and rapidly distributing medical images from existing picture and report storage systems to a plurality of heterogeneous client workstations. The system includes one or more interface engines, for providing image objects with uniform structure regardless of the type of existing system on which they are stored, and image server middleware, for managing the distribution of image objects. The system also includes a security object server, for authorizing user access to the image distribution system and to particular objects, a personalization object server, for providing user interface preferences and client workstation capabilities, and a web server, for downloading initial access pages and user interface components. The system implements a method for medical image distribution according to which image data stored in existing picture storage systems is first converted into uniformly structured image objects before being composed for downloading to client workstations for user viewing. The system and method of this invention are easily extensible both for added function and for added performance. The system and method of this invention are preferably implemented according to CORBA standards.

Abstract: An interactive television program guide system for determining user input values for demographic categories is provided. The system includes user television equipment having a receiver for receiving program guide information for the interactive television program guide, a user input receiver for receiving user input from user interface, such as a remote control, a microprocessor which utilizes the user input received to determine user values for demographic categories, and memory for storing the user values determined. In one illustrative use of the system for targeting advertisements to a user of the interactive television program guide, the receiver also receives advertisements, where the advertisements have preselected values for specified demographic categories. The user television equipment, preferably using microprocessor, compares the preselected values for the specified demographic categories associated with the advertisements with values of corresponding demographic categories stored in memory to determine which advertisements should be displayed. Those advertisements determined to be displayable based upon the comparison are then displayed.

Abstract: An entertainment head-end provides broadcast programming, video-on-demand services, and HTML-based interactive programming through a distribution network to client terminals in subscribers' homes. A number of different features are provided, including novel user interfaces, enhanced video-on-demand controls, a variety of interactive services (personalized news, jukebox, games, celebrity chat), and techniques that combine to provide user experiences evocative of conventional television.

Abstract: SMILE (Structural Modeling, Inference, and Learning Engine) is a fully portable library of C++ classes implementing graphical decision-theoretic methods, such as Bayesian networks and influence diagrams, directly amenable to inclusion in intelligent systems. Its Windows user interface, GeNIe is a versatile and user-friendly development environment for graphical decision-theoretic models. Both modules, developed at the Decision Systems Laboratory, University of Pittsburgh, have been made available to the community in July 1998 at http://www2.sis.pitt.edu/~genie and have over 1,200 users worldwide (as of April 1999). This document summarizes the basic features of GeNIe and SMILE

Abstract: A program and graphical user interface is provided for facilitating user interactions with an online message board system. The interface provides multiple levels of filtering and screening capability with query parameters presented within a first portion of the interface to permit comprehensive and flexible selection of message entries of interest to a user. The message entries are compiled into intelligent sets corresponding to logical constructs tailored for the community of users for the online message board system, so that the need for reviewing messages to locate relevant subject matter is substantially eliminated. After the user specified message entries are retrieved, they can be displayed in list form in a second portion of the interface, and then reviewed in depth in yet a third portion of the interface. The query and reviewing operations by the user can all take place therefore, within a single screen, providing the user with a simplified but powerful tool for perusing subject matter of interest from a large collection of message postings. Collections of messages can be pre-compiled and downloaded to the user in advance, based on predictive logic, resulting in faster perceived response times from the user's viewpoint. In a preferred embodiment, the present interface is used in connection with a financial information based message board system, where it is used by members of an online electronic community to capture and share individual user rationales and logic for purchasing or selling financial instruments such as securities, options, etc.

Abstract: A testing tool automatically records a series of user steps taken during a user session with a transactional server and generates a test for testing the functionality of server. Through a user interface of the testing tool, the user can define verification steps to automatically test for expected server responses during test execution. The testing tool displays the test to the user as a tree having nodes (displayed as icons) which represent steps of the test. Via the user interface, the user can modify node properties and perform other types of tree edit operations to edit the test, without the need to know a scripting or other programming language. When the user selects a node that corresponds to a particular field or other object of the server screen, the testing tool automatically displays the screen with the object highlighted. The testing tool also allows the test author to use a spreadsheet to conveniently specify data sets for running multiple iterations of a test; thus, the user can record a single transaction and then automatically test the transaction with other data sets.

Abstract: A data carrier reader includes an RFID tag reading section and a machine-readable symbol reading section, which can contain some common components. The reader is operable in an RFID tag reading mode and/or a symbol reading mode. The reader provides a consistent and intuitive user interface within, and between, the operating modes. The user interface can include visual, aural and tactile indicators. The visual indicators can include a pattern displayed by indicators on the reader, or projected onto or near the data carrier.

Abstract: A system for tracking client contacts for a host organization utilizes a multimedia database and a user interface at a connected computer device. The database stores client communications as full content, and relates contacts by issue, and the user interface displays client contact communications as objects, such as icons, in issue related chronological strings. In a preferred embodiment the interface also provides an input facility for a host agent to select appropriate responses to client communications, to make commitments for response, to assign responsibility for commitments, and to notify personnel effected by entered commitments in various ways, such as reminders. Other notifications include fulfilled and unfulfilled commitments.

Abstract: A system is provided in which an interactive television program guide application and non-program-guide applications are at least partially implemented on user television equipment. A program guide program application interface is provided that is used to maintain a consistent user interface between the program guide application and the non-program-guide applications. Non-program-guide applications may be launched by the program guide application. The user may select certain non-program-guide applications as favorites and may set parental controls for certain non-program-guide applications. The program guide application may run in the background while a non-program-guide application operates. While the non-program-guide application operates, the program guide may check for events that require immediate attention. When such an event is detected, operation of the non-program-guide application may be suspended and the user may be asked whether the detected event should take place or whether operation of the non-program-guide application should be resumed. The applications may be located at a remote location such as on a server at a cable system headend or on a server on the Internet. The program application interface may perform authentication and access rights determination functions. Reminders may be set for the content of non-program-guide applications.

Abstract: Retrieving multidimensional data from a data source and displaying the data in a familiar and pre-existing user interface automatically propagates user-created formulas thereby eliminating the need for users to re-enter formulas. A data representation of the multidimensional data is sent to a query processor which creates row and column structures. These structures are manipulated based on a user action, such as zoom-in, and a multidimensional data output tree showing a hierarchy of the multidimensional data. Also created is a blueprint containing instructions on insertions and deletions to be carried out by the program associated with the pre-existing user interface, such as a spreadsheet program. Once the blueprint is interpreted by the program, typically through a data representation manipulator or common spreadsheet layer, the user interface is configured to accommodate the returned multidimensional data. Once the user interface is populated with the data, the program, such as the spreadsheet program, adjusts the user-created formula cell designations to reflect the new configuration.