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WO2002039266A2 - Procede et systeme de controle d'une interface utilisateur complementaire sur une surface d'affichage - Google Patents

Procede et systeme de controle d'une interface utilisateur complementaire sur une surface d'affichage Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2002039266A2
WO2002039266A2 PCT/US2001/047737 US0147737W WO0239266A2 WO 2002039266 A2 WO2002039266 A2 WO 2002039266A2 US 0147737 W US0147737 W US 0147737W WO 0239266 A2 WO0239266 A2 WO 0239266A2
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
display
display area
area
video
operating system
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Ceased
Application number
PCT/US2001/047737
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English (en)
Other versions
WO2002039266A9 (fr
WO2002039266A3 (fr
Inventor
D. David Nason
Mahyar Ghadiali
Carson Kaan
Volodymyr Syedach
Andrew Bereson
John E. Easton
William S. Hughey
John R. Kennedy
Craig H. HAGERMAN
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Ritchie Janine
xSides Corp
Original Assignee
Ritchie Janine
xSides Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from US09/724,978 external-priority patent/US6892359B1/en
Application filed by Ritchie Janine, xSides Corp filed Critical Ritchie Janine
Priority to AU2002232542A priority Critical patent/AU2002232542A1/en
Publication of WO2002039266A2 publication Critical patent/WO2002039266A2/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Publication of WO2002039266A9 publication Critical patent/WO2002039266A9/fr
Publication of WO2002039266A3 publication Critical patent/WO2002039266A3/fr
Ceased legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
    • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F3/00—Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
    • G06F3/01—Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer
    • G06F3/03—Arrangements for converting the position or the displacement of a member into a coded form
    • G06F3/033—Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user, e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor
    • G06F3/038—Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
    • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F3/00—Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
    • G06F3/01—Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer
    • G06F3/048—Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
    • G06F3/0481—Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI] based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
    • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F3/00—Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
    • G06F3/14—Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G09—EDUCATION; CRYPTOGRAPHY; DISPLAY; ADVERTISING; SEALS
    • G09G—ARRANGEMENTS OR CIRCUITS FOR CONTROL OF INDICATING DEVICES USING STATIC MEANS TO PRESENT VARIABLE INFORMATION
    • G09G5/00—Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators
    • G09G5/14—Display of multiple viewports
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
    • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F2203/00—Indexing scheme relating to G06F3/00 - G06F3/048
    • G06F2203/048—Indexing scheme relating to G06F3/048
    • G06F2203/04802—3D-info-object: information is displayed on the internal or external surface of a three dimensional manipulable object, e.g. on the faces of a cube that can be rotated by the user

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a method and system for controlling the display of information on a display surface and, in particular, to computer software that displays one or more user interfaces that can coexist with a native user interface provided by the computer system.
  • DOS personal computers
  • GUIs graphical user interfaces
  • desktop the primary interface between a human user and the functionality ofthe operating system.
  • the desktop often assumes that it "owns” the entire display and can write to any area of the display at any time. In such environments, it is difficult to support a secondary interface that isn't subject to being obscured by the desktop.
  • GUI is the Microsoft Windows environment in its many incarnations, including Windows95TM. Since other applications are typically run from within the Windows environment, it is difficult for a non-Microsoft vendor to write an application in the Windows environment that can provide an alternative interface to the underlying system or other resources. In addition, due to the design of the Windows environment, such an alternative interface cannot prevent being obscured by other activities within the Windows environment. In addition, it is not presently possible for an outside vendor to present a GUI that provides continuous access to the system, even if the Windows desktop becomes unavailable due to error or otherwise.
  • standard personal computers which use VGA or Super VGA or XGA video display systems, operate in standardized graphics modes such as 640 x 480 pixels, 800 x 600 pixels, 1024 x 768 pixels, and 1280 x 1024 pixels. When one of these display modes is selected, it defines the entire area available for display.
  • the Windows operating system when the user instructs the Windows operating system to select one of these standard display modes, the Windows operating system then presents all of the applications and their icons within the selected display area. There is no way at present to cause the Windows "desktop" to use less than the entire display area and still function as intended and allow another program from another vendor to control the remainder.
  • Embodiments of the present invention provide computer-based methods and systems for displaying information on a display surface.
  • a native (resident) operating system When a native (resident) operating system is present, these embodiments display information in a manner that is complementary to the native operating system. The information displayed may be coexistent with a user interface provided by the native operating system.
  • embodiments may be embedded into a native operating system and provide a primary interface to a display surface.
  • Embodiments also provide a technique for controlling allocation and content of display space among one or more user interfaces, operating systems or applications permitting an application or parallel graphical user interface (GUI) to operate outside the desktop, the area designated for display of the native operating system interface and it's associated applications.
  • GUI graphical user interface
  • a computer operating under the control of any utility operating system such as Microsoft WindowsTM, Linux, Apple's Macintosh O/S or Unix may have the allocation of visible display controlled by techniques of the present invention.
  • the operating system user interface (the native GUI) may be scaled and/or moved to a specific area of the display permitting a parallel (or complementary) GUI to operate in the open area.
  • An example embodiment of the present invention may be as an application that operates under the primary or utility operating system or it may be distributed as functionality that is combined with an operating system kernel (e.g., distributed as a microkernel) to control the display and content in the parallel display.
  • an operating system kernel e.g., distributed as a microkernel
  • a technique for adding and using a parallel graphical user interface adjacent to the primary graphical display user interface, for example in the border beyond the standard screen display area.
  • Conventional video systems such as VGA, SVGA, XGA, SXGA and UXGA video systems, include a defined border surrounding the display area. The original purpose of this border was to allow adequate time for the horizontal and vertical retrace of the electron gun in a cathode ray tube display.
  • the border which can be controlled as a user interface is a portion of what is known as the "overscan" area.
  • Example embodiments include a method and system for presenting one or more additional or secondary user interfaces, for example, in the overscan area surrounding the native user interface display (the desktop).
  • the electron gun in a CRT When the electron gun in a CRT retraces to the left of the screen or the top of the screen, it requires a significant amount of time relative to the presentation of a scanned line of data. During the retrace, the electron gun is turned off ("blanked"). If the blanking time required for the retrace is equal to the amount of time available, there is no usable overscan. However, modern monitors have become much faster in their retrace speeds, leaving a significant amount of time when the electron gun need not be blanked, allowing a displayable border. In the prior art, although the border is usually "black" (the gun is turned off), it is well known how to specify that the border shall be given any one of six colors. Standard BIOS allows a specification of this color.
  • the desired color is simply specified in one of the registers for the video controller. Typically no data for this color is stored in the buffer of video memory for the display.
  • An example embodiment of the present invention establishes an additional video buffer for the border and allows this buffer to be written with display data like the regular display buffer.
  • the display area is thereby expanded, on one or more edges, to provide a visible area previously invisible.
  • the pixels within this newly visible area of the display are made accessible to programs through an application programming interface (API) component of example embodiments of the present invention.
  • API application programming interface
  • a program incorporating a parallel graphical user interface may be displayed in the previously blanked area ofthe display, functionally increasing the accessible area ofthe display without hardware modification.
  • the desktop may be increased or decreased to non-standard sizes to leave open display area for the parallel graphical user interface.
  • Example embodiments of the present invention include a method and system for displaying an image on a video display system in an area outside of the primary display area generated by the video display system by adjusting the video display area to include display memory outside of predefined video modes.
  • Two dimensions define the standard display area, each specifying a number of pixels. Selecting a video "mode" specifies these dimensions.
  • the method can be accomplished by adjusting parameters for the video display system to increase the number of pixels in at least one dimension of the display system.
  • the number of pixels which is added is less than or equal to the difference between the number of pixels specified in the video mode and a maximum number of pixels which the video display system can effectively display. Any such difference is referred to here as an overscan area.
  • the overscan area may be the difference between the current desktop video mode and the display capability of the display device or more specifically, any portion of video memory unused when the operating system is in a given screen dimension. Because most interface displays are created by writing a desired image to a buffer or memory for the video display, the method requires allocating additional video display memory for the added pixels. The image written to such memory is then displayed by the system alongside the original display area. In other example embodiments, only the vertical dimension is increased and the parallel or complementary user interface is presented above or below the primary display area. Alternatively, the horizontal dimension may be increased and the parallel user interface displayed to the right or the left of the primary display area. Similarly, the parallel user interface may be displayed on any or all of the four sides of the primary display area.
  • a parallel (or complementary) GUI is provided that includes access to existing search engines and browsers.
  • the parallel GUI includes a search engine and/or browser.
  • a search engine and/or browser may be opened in either the overscan area or a space within or over the native operating system user interface.
  • techniques are provided for adding and using a parallel graphical user interface adjacent to the primary graphical display user interface even if no overscan area is used. These techniques can be used to increase the overall real estate of the display area whereby the desktop is reduced, scaled, or moved to fit in a smaller or new portion of the total display area. A parallel user interface can then be displayed in the remaining portion ofthe total display area, or in a space within or over the desktop. In one embodiment, displaying and maintaining the parallel user interface is accomplished transparent to the user interface ofthe native operating system by intercepting calls to the video display driver. In some embodiments, techniques are provided for WindowsTM environments and for Unix style environments. Other embodiments using similar techniques for other types of environments are also contemplated.
  • a pixel mask technology for supporting permitted applications to define, reserve, and use persistent display regions within the native desktop area of the display screen. These persistent display regions mask other output, thus preventing the output from the permitted applications to a persistent display region from being obscured by output from other (non-permitted) applications.
  • a display-trap technology is provided to support a video card and driver independent mechanism for reducing the display area allocated to the desktop user interface, so that one or more parallel user interfaces can be displayed in the remaining area ofthe display screen.
  • the methods and systems of the present invention are combined with voice and video streaming technologies, such as VoIP, IP streaming video, video encoding, video conferencing, and television programming and enabliing technologies, such as EPG and HDTV support, to produce applications whose user interfaces communicate outside of the native desktop area.
  • voice and video streaming technologies such as VoIP, IP streaming video, video encoding, video conferencing, and television programming and enabliing technologies, such as EPG and HDTV support
  • voice and video streaming technologies such as VoIP, IP streaming video, video encoding, video conferencing, and television programming and enabliing technologies, such as EPG and HDTV support
  • voice and video streaming technologies such as VoIP, IP streaming video, video encoding, video conferencing, and television programming and enabliing technologies, such as EPG and HDTV support
  • calendars, calculators, video conferencing applications, phones, etc. can be provided that are enabled to communicate with a user in one or more areas outside, or on top of, the desktop.
  • the user interfaces of these applications are persistent
  • these applications are combined with a microkernel that is native operating system independent and can run on any computer system that the microkernel supports, including as an embedded application in a hardware device.
  • these techniques are used to create a webtop interface, which is independent of the desktop and the native operating system.
  • Figure 1 is a block diagram of a first embodiment of the present invention.
  • Figure 2 is a block diagram of a second embodiment of the present invention.
  • Figure 3 is a diagram of a standard display with an overscan user interface on all four borders ofthe display.
  • Figure 4 is a block diagram of the basic components of a computer system video display environment that interacts with the methods and systems of the present invention.
  • Figure 5 is a diagram of a cursor or pointer within the overscan user interface and the hotspot above it within the standard display.
  • Figure 6 is a diagram of the usable border within the vertical overscan and the horizontal overscan surrounding the standard display.
  • Figure 7 is an overview flow diagram showing the operation of a preferred embodiment ofthe present invention.
  • Figure 8 is a flow diagram of the sub-steps in Identify Display step 102 of Figure 7.
  • Figure 9 is a flow diagram of the sub-steps of changing the display resolution step 114 of Figure 7.
  • Figure 10 is a flow diagram ofthe sub-steps in the Paint the Display step 120 of Figure 7.
  • Figure 11 is a flow diagram of the sub-steps of Enable Linear
  • Figure 12 is a flow diagram of the sub-steps of the Process Message Loop of Figure 7.
  • Figure 13 is a flow diagram of the sub-steps of the Check Mouse and Keyboard Events step 184 in Figure 12.
  • Figure 14 is a flow diagram of the sub-steps of the Change Emulation Resolution step 115 in Figure 7.
  • Figure 15 is a diagram of a standard display ofthe prior art.
  • Figure 16 is a diagram of a standard display with an overscan user interface in the bottom overscan area.
  • Figure 17 is a diagram of a standard display including a desktop, an overscan user interface in the bottom overscan area and a context sensitive browser on the side.
  • Figure 18 is a diagram of a standard display with an overscan user interface in the bottom and on the right overscan area.
  • Figure 19 is a line drawing of a parallel GUI according to an example embodiment.
  • Figure 20 is a simplified example of a menu tree.
  • Figure 21 is a line drawing of a parallel GUI with an accessory container or cartridge.
  • Figures 22-30 are example screen display illustrations of several complementary user interfaces coexisting with a native GUI.
  • Figure 31 is an example block diagram of an implementation of the xSidesTM architecture.
  • Figure 32 is an example block diagram of an application using pixel mask technology in conjunction with an extended display area-enabled display driver.
  • Figure 33 is an example screen display of application windows that are displayed using a universal trapping approach for modifying the display area and rendering outside ofthe native desktop.
  • Figure 34 is an example block diagram of an example embodiment ofthe trapping technique for modifying the display area..
  • Figure 35 is an example block diagram of the trapping architecture supporting multiple APIs for different windowing environments.
  • Figure 36 is an example block diagram of the trapping architecture communication using kernel mode hooks.
  • Figure 37 is an example block diagram of applications using techniques that intercept native graphics interface library calls. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
  • Embodiments of the present invention provide methods and systems for displaying information on a display surface in a manner that complements the display metaphor and technology provided by a native operating system.
  • a complementary user interface is made operable within an existing system or is provided as a stand-alone environment.
  • the complementary user interface may coexist as one or more secondary graphical user interfaces ("GUIs") with a primary user interface, such as conventional desktop GUI provided by the native operating system.
  • GUIs secondary graphical user interfaces
  • the complementary user interface provided by such embodiments may be used, for example, to provide additional display screen real estate or to provide quick or continuous (“sticky”) access to selected applications.
  • the complementary user interface may provide access to a wide variety of capabilities, including, for example, continuous access to a user's favorite network locations on, for example, the Internet.
  • continuous access to applications such as a personal information manager, calendar, phone, video conferencing, television programming, etc. may be provided.
  • programming mechanisms and interfaces in a video display and control system such as computer system 7 or settop box 8 provide one or more parallel GUIs such as space 2C and/or space 4 in a display area such as display area 1 or display area 9 by providing access and visibility to a portion of the display otherwise ignored and/or inaccessible (an "overscan area").
  • Display areas such as display area 1 or display area 9 may be created on any type of analog or digital display hardware including but not limited to CRT, TFT, LCD and flat panel displays.
  • Alternate display content controller 6 interacts with the computer utility operating system 5B and hardware drivers 5C to control allocation of display space 1 and create and control one or more parallel graphical user interfaces such as context sensitive network browser (CSNB) 2 and internet pages 2A and 2B adjacent to the operating system desktop 3.
  • Alternate display content controller 6 may be incorporated in either hardware or software.
  • an alternate display content controller may be an application running on the computer operating system, or may include an operating system kernel of varying complexity ranging from dependent on the native operating system for hardware system services to a parallel system independent of the native operating system and capable of supporting dedicated applications. Applications enabled with the alternate display content controller also may be embedded in various devices.
  • the alternate display content controller may also include content and operating software such as JAVA delivered over the Internet I, or over any other network.
  • the alternate display content controller may also be included in a television decoder/settop box such as box 8 to permit two or more parallel graphical user interfaces such as pages 9A and 9B to be displayed simultaneously.
  • Methods and systems of the present invention may be compatible with conventional television formats such as NTSC, PAL, PAL-C, SECAM and MESECAM.
  • content and software may be delivered over any conventional delivery medium 10 including but not limited to over the air broadcast signals 10A, cable IOC, optical fiber, and satellite 1 OB.
  • Figures 1 and 2 will be referenced in more detail below.
  • Figure 15 shows an example of a standard prior art display desktop generated by a Microsoft Windows 95TM operating system. Within the desktop 31 are the taskbar 32 and desktop icons 33.
  • a complementary graphical user interface image is painted onto one or more of the sides of the overscan area as shown in Figure 3.
  • Figure 3 is a depiction of a Super VGA (SVGA) display with the addition of a graphical bar user interface displayed in the overscan area.
  • the overscan user interface bar 30 is defined to reside outside the borders of the "desktop" display area 31.
  • the display is modified to include a graphical user interface 30 in a bar 20-pixels high below the bottom edge.
  • the display is modified to include a graphical user interface in four bars each 25-pixels high/wide outside each of the four display edges: a bottom bar 30, a left side bar 34, a right side bar 36, and a top bar 38.
  • the complementary interface may include, and is not limited to, buttons, menus, application output controls (such as a "ticker window”), animations, and user input controls (such as edit boxes). Because the complementary interface is not obscured by other applications running within the standard desktop, the complementary interface may be constantly visible or it may toggle between visible and invisible states based upon any of a number of programming parameters (including, but not limited to, the state of the active window, the state of a toggle button, a network message, user preference, etc.).
  • the native desktop may be reduced or moved to fit in a smaller or new portion of the total display area, leaving any side or other region open for displaying the complementary user interface.
  • Figures 22-30 illustrate several possible configurations and allocations of the display area to include one or more complementary user interfaces. These figures illustrate that the complementary user interfaces may have heterogeneous styles and sizes and may reside on one or more areas of the overscan area as well as within (overlaying) the native GUI (see, for example, menus 2301 in Figure 23).
  • the desktop may be moved or reduced, as shown in Figure 25 and 30, and used in conjunction with complementary user interfaces that reside outside of or within the modified desktop.
  • Figure 25 also demonstrates a complementary GUI whose contents can be dynamically driven by connecting to a network, such as the Internet.
  • FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the basic components of a computer system video display environment that interacts with the methods and systems of the present invention.
  • the software component S Within the software component S are the native operating system 63 and one or more applications such as application 61. Within the protected modes of modern systems, applications 61 do not have direct access to the Video or Graphics Drivers 64 or hardware components such as the video card 66 which contains the video chipset 66A, 66B and 66C. Abstraction layers such as Application Programming Interface (API) 60, and/or DirectX API 62, provide limited access, often through the operating system 63.
  • API Application Programming Interface
  • DirectX API 62 DirectX API
  • One such example API is Microsoft's GDI, which provides graphical display capabilities to applications running in Microsoft Windows environments.
  • Embodiments of the present invention provide a technique for painting and accessing an area of the computer display not accessible, or used, in the native desktop graphics modes.
  • the primary display area desktop is usually assigned by the operating system to be one of a set of pre-determined video "modes" such as those laid out in Tables 1 and 2 below, each of which is predefined at a specific pixel resolution.
  • the accessible area ofthe computer display may not be modified except by selecting another ofthe available predefined modes.
  • the displayed video buffer data occupies less than the entire drivable screen size.
  • the drivable screen size is determined by the total amount of video memory and the operative video display characteristics.
  • the width of the overscan border that can be used for a complementary user interface depends on the amount of the horizontal overscan 52 reduced by the horizontal blanking 54 and the amount ofthe vertical overscan 53 reduced by the vertical blanking 55.
  • CTR cathode ray tube
  • the nominal horizontal scan rate is 31.5 KHz (31,500 times per second) with a vertical scan rate of 60 Hz (60 frames per second). So the number of lines in one frame is 31,500/60, or 525. Because only 480 lines of data need to be displayed, there are 525-480, or 45, lines available for vertical overscan. Leaving a more than adequate margin for retrace, which requires only 2 lines worth of time, the preferred embodiment uses 25 lines for the alternate display. Thus the additional 18 unused but available lines may be used to increase the size of the native operating system desktop to some non-standard size while still allowing two lines for retrace, or may be left blank, or may be used for one or more additional alternate parallel user interface displays.
  • the 1024x768 graphics mode may have a nominal horizontal scan rate of 68J KHz with a vertical scan rate of 85 Hz which computes to 808 lines per frame or 40 lines available for vertical overscan.
  • the frame size increases to 1145 lines which includes 377 lines available for vertical overscan.
  • the information display methods of an embodiment of the present invention that uses the physical overscan area to increase display screen real estate can be achieved by providing three capabilities: (1) to address and modify the visible resolution of the video display system such that portions ofthe overscan area are made visible as shown in Figure 6,
  • API application programming interface
  • Figure 7 provides example flow diagrams of an implementation of an embodiment ofthe present invention that meets the capabilities described above.
  • the environment for this example implementation is a standard Microsoft Windows 95TM operating environment, using Microsoft Visual C and Microsoft MASM with Microsoft's standard platform Software Developer's Kit (SDK) and Device Driver Kit (DDK) for the development platform.
  • SDK Software Developer's Kit
  • DDK Device Driver Kit
  • embodiments can perform on other other platforms and within other environments.
  • embodiments could be implemented within any graphical interface environment, such as X- Windows, OSF Motif, Apple Macintosh OS, a Java OS, and others in which similar video standards (VGA, SVGA, XGA, SXGA, UXGA, 8514/A) are practiced.
  • the methods and systems of the present invention also provide other techniques, such as emulation mode, for the alternate display content controller to effectively increase the size of the display area available to parallel user interfaces, by sharing the usable display area between the native GUI and the parallel user interfaces.
  • Emulation mode operates by either effectively shrinking down the portion ofthe display area allocated to the primary GUI, or by effectively increasing the resolution to a standard or non-standard resolution and utilizing the increase without offering any ofthe increase to the primary GUI.
  • Emulation mode as discussed in detail with respect to Figure 14, provides hooks into the video driver and controls what resolution and portion of the screen is allocated to the primary GUI and what is allocated to the parallel GUIs.
  • emulation mode can be used to share the display area between a primary GUI and one or more parallel GUIs. If the alternate display content controller determines that neither overscan techniques nor emulation mode can be used to display a complementary GUI, then it attempts to use a standard windowed mode provided by the native operating system or primary GUI.
  • the alternate display content controller determines how to increase the display area to utilize a complementary GUI, either by increasing the addressable area of the display (e.g., using the overscan area or by using emulation mode and increasing the resolution) or by decreasing the portion of the display usable by the primary GUI, such that remaining display area can be used by one or more complementary GUIs.
  • Use of the overscan area is not automatic - the hardware and software system needs to be accessible to some degree in order to do this (either by knowledge of the video driver and hardware or by a series of heuristics). Several mechanisms can be used to determine whether an overscan technique can be used and are discussed in detail below.
  • the alternate display content controller determines whether an "emulation" mode can be used, which shares the resolution of the video display between the primary and any parallel (complementary) GUIs, effectively creating an accessible overscan area.
  • step 102 the program attempts to determine the display type and current location in memory used by the display driver, in order to determine the size and locations of any display modifications to be made, e.g., to the size and location of overscan area(s) to be used.
  • the program first queries the hardware registry in Query Hardware Registry, step 131, to attempt to determine the registered display type. If successful, the program then determines compatibility information in Display Type Supported, step 135, to verify that the program supports that display type and determine memory allocation information.
  • the program may use an alternate approach, shown as subroutine Query hardware, steps 135 in Figure 8, to query the BIOS, in step 134, and the video chipset 66, in step 136, for similar information as described immediately below.
  • BIOS is to be accessed in step 134
  • physical memory is first allocated in Allocate Physical Memory, step 132, and accessed using Microsoft's DPMI (DOS Protected Mode Interface) to map it to the linear memory address in which the BIOS resides. It uses DPMI to assign BIOS linear address to physical memory, step
  • the program queries the BIOS in Read BIOS block, Search for VGA XVA type and manufacturer ID, step 134. If successful, the driver and chipset are then further queried to determine the display type and memory location in
  • this routine returns a failure. If a known chipset manufacturer's identification is found, the driver and/or chipset may be queried with manufacturer-specific routines, step 136, to identify and initialize, as necessary, the specific chipset.
  • the program If, in determining the display type, the program identifies a video device driver that is supported by the xSidesTM Video Driver Extensions (VDE), the program will use the VDE to implement overscan mode and proceed to run.
  • VDE Video Driver Extensions
  • the xSidesTM VDE are extensions that can be implemented by video device driver suppliers to more transparently and congruently support the xSidesTM environment.
  • step 104 If, at step 104, the program was unable to finally identify the display type, either because the registry query in step 131 or the hardware query in step 135 was unsuccessful, the program will proceed to run in "emulation" mode. Returning to Figure 7, if the program has not already determined that it must proceed in "emulation” mode, it must determine whether it can proceed in
  • overscan mode step 104.
  • a set of classes is used, all derived from a common base class corresponding to the below-described VGA-generic technique.
  • the first mechanism is an implementation of the VGA-generic technique. Using this mechanism, no information specific to a video-card is necessary, other than ensuring VGA support.
  • standard application programming interface
  • API API
  • Allocation of the primary surface will always be based on the entire screen display. Given the linear address of the allocated primary surface, from which a physical address can be derived, it can be extrapolated that the physical address of the location in video memory immediately adjacent to the primary surface, and therefore immediately below the desktop display, is represented by the sum of the number of bytes of memory used to maintain the primary surface in memory added to the physical address ofthe primary surface.
  • the size of the primary surface as represented in video memory can be determined.
  • the system looks in the CRs for the resolution of the screen, 800 by 600, in terms of number of bits per pixel, or bytes per pixel. Then any data stored in the CR representing any horizontal stride is included. This is the true scan line length.
  • the physical address of the allocated secondary surface is derived from its linear address.
  • the allocated secondary surface is, in fact, allocated in the memory space contiguous to the primary surface (the value of the secondary surface physical address is equal to the value of the primary surface physical address plus the size of the primary), the secondary surface is determined to be the location in memory for the overscan display.
  • the program can identify the Interrupt Descriptor Table (IDT) from the Intel 80386 (or greater and compatible) processors, the program can use the Debug Registers (DRs) to move the driver data found between the primary and secondary display surfaces to a location further down the video memory, making the contiguous memory space available to the program.
  • IDT Interrupt Descriptor Table
  • DRs Debug Registers
  • the IDT associates each interrupt with a descriptor for the instructions that service the associated event. For example, when a software interrupt (INT 3) is generated (and interrupts are enabled), the Intel processor will suspend what it was currently doing, look up in the IDT for the appropriate entry (or interrupt vector) for the address of the code to execute to service this interrupt.
  • the code is known as the Interrupt Service Routine (ISR). It will start executing the ISR. When a Return From Interrupt instruction (IRET) is executed by the ISR, the processor will resume what is was doing prior to the interrupt.
  • ISR Interrupt Service Routine
  • Intel 80386 microprocessors provide a set of system registers that are normally used for debugging purposes. These are technically referred to as the Debug Registers (DRs).
  • the DRs allow control over execution of code as well as access over data.
  • the DRs are used in conjunction with exception code.
  • There are four addresses registers i.e., Four different locations of code and/or data) (DRO, DR1, DR2, and DR3).
  • the controlling register (DR7) can be programmed to selectively enable the address registers.
  • DR7 is used to control the type of access to a memory location that will generate an interrupt. For example, an exception can be raised for reading and or writing a specific memory location or executing a memory location (i.e., Code execution).
  • the status register (DR6) is used to detect and determine the debug exception, (i.e., which address register generated the exception).
  • the x86 processor When enabled and the data criterion is met, the x86 processor generates an Interrupt 1 (INT 1).
  • One example implementation of the alternate display content controller preferably first sets up the IDT to point a new ISR to process INT 1 interrupts. Next, the address of the code to be hooked (or the memory location of data) is programmed into one of the address registers and the appropriate bits within the control register are set. When the x86 processor executes this instruction (or touches the memory location of data), the processor generates an INT 1. The processor will then invoke the Interrupt 1 ISR (as described above.) At this point, the ISR can do almost any kind of processor, code or data manipulation. When complete, the ISR executes an IRET instruction and the processor starts execution after the point of the INT 1 occurrence. The interrupt code has no knowledge of the interruption. This mechanism is used in the example implementation to move the memory address for the video cache and the hardware cursor.
  • the first mechanism for determining whether or not overscan is supported determines how much physical area to allocate for the desktop, allowing adjacent area for parallel GUI secondary space beyond that to display in the overscan area.
  • the newly allocated area will be the very first block of memory available. If this block immediately follows the primary surface, the physical address will correspond to the value associated with the physical address ofthe primary surface, plus the size of the primary surface. If that is true, the memory blocks are contiguous, this VGA-generic mechanism can be used to proceed with overscan mode, and the program returns true in step 104 of Figure 7.
  • VGA-generic mechanism If this first, VGA-generic mechanism cannot be used, the video card and driver name and version information retrieved from the hardware registry or BIOS, as described earlier, is used in conjunction with a look-up table to determine the best alternatives among the remaining mechanisms.
  • the table includes a set of standards keyed to the list of driver names found in the hardware registry.
  • a class object specific to the video chipset is instantiated based, directly or indirectly, on the VGA-generic object.
  • a reliability, or confidence, fudge factor may be used. For example, if the hardware look up determines that an XYZ-brand device of some kind is being used, but the particular XYZ device named is not found in the look up table, a generic model from that chipset manufacturer many often be usable. If no information on the video card is available, the program returns false in step 104 of Figure 7 and will not proceed in overscan mode.
  • the next alternative mechanism for determining overscan mode support uses surface overlays.
  • the first step to this approach is to determine if the system will support surface overlays. A call is made to the video driver to determine what features are supported and what other factors are required. If surface overlays are supported, for example, there may be a scaling factor required. For example, a particular video card in a given machine, using 2 megabytes of video RAM, might support unsealed surface overlays at 1024x768 at 8 bits per pixel, but not at 1024x768 at 16 bits per pixel because the bandwidth of the video card or the speed of the card, coupled with the relatively small amount of video memory would not be sufficient to draw a full width overlay. It is often horizontal scaling that is at issue, preventing the driver from drawing a full width overlay.
  • An overlay is literally an image that is drawn on top of the primary surface. It is not a secondary surface, which is described above.
  • the system sends its signal from the video driver to the hardware which in turn merges the two signals together, overlaying the second signal on top ofthe first.
  • a secondary surface is allocated sufficient in size to encompass the normal desktop display area plus the overscan area to be used for display of the overscan bar or bars.
  • the allocated secondary surface does not have to be located contiguous in memory to the primary surface.
  • these approaches use more video memory than the others.
  • the first step is to allocate a secondary surface sufficient in size to contain the video display (the primary surface) plus the overscan area to be used. If the allocation fails, that means that there is not enough video memory to accomplish the task and this set of mechanisms is skipped and the next alternative tried.
  • a timer of very small granularity is used to execute a simple memory copy of the contents of the primary surface onto the appropriate location of this secondary surface. The timer executes the copy at approximately 85 times per second.
  • Another mechanism for determining overscan mode support is a variant that uses the system page tables to find addresses that correspond to the graphical display interface ofthe native operating system, such as Windows' GDI.
  • the system page table mechanism queries the system page tables to determine the current GDI surface address, that is, the physical address in the page table for the primary surface.
  • a secondary surface is then created large enough to hold all of what is in the video memory plus the , memory required for the overscan area to be displayed. This surface address is then pushed into the system page table and asserted as the GDI surface address.
  • GDI reads from or writes to the primary surface through the driver, it actually reads from or writes to a location within the new, larger surface.
  • the program can, subsequently, modify the area of the surface not addressed by GDI.
  • the original primary surface can be de-allocated and the memory usage reclaimed.
  • This mechanism being more memory-efficient than the previously described mechanism, is the preferred alternative. But this mechanism, modifying the page tables, will not work correctly on a chipset that includes a coprocessor device. If the initial device query reveals that the device does include a coprocessor, this variant mechanism will not be attempted.
  • Other variations of the above-described mechanisms for determining overscan mode support are handled by derived class objects.
  • the VGA- generic mechanisms may vary when the video card requires more than ten bits to represent the video resolution in the CR. Some instances may require 11 bits.
  • Such registers typically do not use contiguous bytes, but use extension bits to designate the address information for the higher order bits.
  • the eleventh bit is usually specified in an extended CR register and the extended CR registers are usually chip specific.
  • a variation of the surface overlay mechanism includes a scaling factor, as described above. This alternative is handled in specific implementations through derived class objects and may be the preferred solution in certain situations.
  • overscan mode is supported and subsequently to initialize overscan mode returns a failure
  • another mode such as “emulation” mode or “windowed” mode may be used instead.
  • Controller Registers must first be unlocked, as indicated in Unlock CRTC registers, step 108 in Figure 7, to make them writeable.
  • the controller registers 6H, 16H, 11H, 10H, 12H and 15H as shown in Figure 4 and detailed in Table 3, may be accessed through standard input/output ports, using standard inp/outp functions. They are unlocked by clearing bit 7 in controller register 11H.
  • Addressing of video memory is accomplished through one of several means.
  • One is to use the standard VGA 64 Kb "hardware window", moving it along the video memory buffer 66B ( Figure 4) in 64Kb increments as necessary.
  • One example method is to enable linear addressing by querying the video chipset for the linear window position address, step 138 of Figure 11. This 32-bit offset in memory allows the program to map the linear memory to a physical address, steps 140 and 142 of Figure 11, that can be manipulated programmatically.
  • the routine can modify the size of the display, step 114 of Figure 7 to include the border areas.
  • Changing the display resolution to modify the size of the display is shown in detail in Figure 9.
  • the routine first checks to determine whether or not the system is running in "emulation" mode, step 144, and, if so, returns true. If not, it then determines whether to reset all registers and values to their original state, effectively returning the display to its original appearance, steps 148-154. The determination is based upon a number of parameters, such as whether the current resolution, step 146, reflects a standard value or previous programmatic manipulation, step 148. If a standard resolution is already set, the variables are reset to include the specified border areas, step 150. If not, the registers are reset to standard values. In both cases the CR registers are adjusted, step 154, to modify the scanned and blanked areas of the display. If the top or side areas are modified, existing video memory is moved accordingly in step 162 of Figure 10.
  • the program may proceed to run in "emulation" mode, step 113 of Figure 7, if possible, or in windowed mode, step 116 of Figure 7.
  • Overscan mode in the present invention, can be viewed as techniques for adding a secondary GUI by reconfiguring the actual display mode to add a modified, non-standard GUI mode in which the standard display size or resolution has been adjusted to include a secondary display in addition to the primary display.
  • a standard 640x480 display is modified in accordance with techniques of the present invention to become a larger display, one section of which corresponds to the original 640x480 display while another section may correspond to a 640x25 secondary GUI display.
  • resources are allocated for a secondary GUI by fooling the video driver into going to larger resolution.
  • This technique guarantees that enough video memory is allocated and unused, since the video driver allocates system resources according to the resolution that the video driver believes it will be operating in.
  • To operate one or more secondary user interfaces in one or more areas of the screen it is necessary to have the memory within video memory or the frame buffer that is associated with the display location that is contiguously below the primary surface be free and available.
  • the program may execute such routine whenever resolutions will be switched, initializing the chipset pertinent to that particular routine. If the program finds a routine pertinent to the current particular chipset it will be launched. The routine initializes itself, performs the necessary changes to the driver's video resolution tables, forces a reenable, and sufficient space is subsequently available for one or more secondary user interfaces.
  • the video driver When reenabled, the video driver allocates video memory as needed for the primary display according to the data on the video resolution tables. Therefore, the modified values result in a larger allocation. Once the video driver has allocated memory necessary for the primary surface, the driver will allow no outside modification of the allocated memory. Thus by fooling the driver into believing that it needs to allocate sufficient memory for a resolution exactly x bytes larger than the current resolution where x is the size of one or more secondary user interfaces, the program can be sure that no internal or external use of the allocated memory space can conflict with the secondary user interface.
  • step 114 the driver has already reserved sufficient memory for one or more secondary user interfaces, which is not available to any other process or purpose.
  • an enveloping driver is installed to sit above the actual (primary) video driver and shims itself in between the hardware abstraction layer and the primary video driver in order to be able to handle all calls to the primary driver.
  • This technique modifies the primary driver and its tables in a much more generic fashion rather than in a chipset specific fashion.
  • the enveloping driver shims into the primary video driver, transparently handling calls back and forth to the primary video driver.
  • the enveloping driver finds the video resolution tables in the primary video driver, which may be in a number of locations within the driver.
  • the enveloping driver modifies the tables (for example, increasing 800x600 to 800x625).
  • a 1024x768 table entry may become, for example, an 1024x800 entry.
  • the primary video driver cannot validate the new resolution and therefore cannot actually change the display resolution setting.
  • the primary video driver has allocated memory, allocated the cache space, determined memory addresses and moved cache and offscreen buffers as necessary, but is unable to use all of the space allocated, or draw into that space.
  • Emulation mode uses a "hooking" mechanism, as shown in Figure 14, to use and reallocate display areas and driver resources.
  • the video device driver is identified through the hardware registry or the BIOS, e.g., as described above, certain programming interface entry points into the driver are hooked, such as in step 117, to control parameters passed to and from the driver.
  • the alternate display content controller modifies the parameters being passed to the driver, and/or modifies the values being returned from the driver, thereby controlling the attributes of the display communicated back to the native operating system's graphical device interface.
  • the program thus "hooks" (or intercepts) calls to the video device driver to and from the graphical device interface.
  • the program can allocate screen area in different ways in step 119:
  • step 121 by intercepting a resolution change request and identifying the next-higher supported screen resolution and passing that higher resolution to the video device driver and when the driver acknowledges the change, intercepting the returned value, which would reflect the new resolution, and actually returning the original requested resolution instead.
  • the program intercepts the request and modifies it to change the video device driver to the next supported resolution higher than 800x600, say 1024x768.
  • the driver will change the screen resolution to 1024x768 and return that new resolution.
  • the program intercepts the return and instead passes the original request, 800x600, to GDI.
  • the video device driver has allocated and displays a 1024x768 area of memory.
  • GDI and the native OS will display the desktop in an 800x600 area of the display, leaving areas on the right and bottom edges ofthe screen available to the program.
  • step 123 the program intercepts only the return from the video device driver and modifies the value to change the graphical device interface's understanding of the actual screen resolution. For example, when GDI requests a change from 800x600 resolution to 1024x768 resolution, the program intercepts the returned acknowledgment, subtracting a predetermined amount, for example, 32, before passing the return on to GDI.
  • the video device driver has allocated and displays a 1024x768 area of memory. GDI will display the desktop in an 1024x736 area of the display, leaving an area on the bottom edge ofthe screen available to the program.
  • step 125 the program performs the reverse of step-up mode: that is, the program intercepts a resolution change request; requests the resolution change, but returns the next lower resolution to the graphical device interface.
  • the program intercepts the request and modifies it to change the video device driver to 800x600.
  • the video device driver will change the screen resolution to 800x600 and returns that new resolution.
  • the program intercepts the return and instead passes a next lower resolution, 640x480 (denying the request), to GDI.
  • the driver has allocated and displays a 800x600 area of memory.
  • GDI and the native OS will display the desktop in an 640x480 area of that display, leaving areas on the right and bottom edges ofthe screen available to the overscan program.
  • Windowed mode as described with reference to step 116 of Figure 7. Windowed mode will use established API routines to the native operating system GUI to run as an
  • application toolbar within the standard window display area. Running as a standard application enables the program to take advantage of mechanisms available to all applications on the native OS, such as window creation, docking toolbar interfaces, etc., and allows the program to run under standard conditions.
  • the alternate display content controller determines how to increase the display area to utilize a complementary GUI, either by increasing the addressable area of the display (e.g., using the overscan area or by using emulation mode and increasing the resolution) or by decreasing the portion of the display usable by the primary GUI, such that remaining display area can be used by one or more complementary GUIs. If no overscan techniques are usable in a particular video display scenerio, then the alternate display content controller determines whether an "emulation" mode can be used, which shares the resolution of the video display between the primary and any secondary (complementary) GUIs. 3. Rendering Images to the Modified Display Area
  • Phase 2 of the example embodiments of the present invention begins by painting the new images into an off-screen buffer, step 118, as is commonly used in the art, and making the contents visible, step 120, as described with respect to Figure 10.
  • the program can display data by any of these techniques, as appropriate:
  • the program determines the linear addresses for the off- desktop memory location(s) left available to it, and can render directly to those memory locations as shown in steps 158 and 142 of Figure 11 and step 154 of Figure 10.
  • step 156 If the program is in "windowed” mode, step 156, the off-screen buffer is painted into the standard window client space, step 166, and made visible, step 164, using generic windowing-system routines. 4. Event Handling In Conjunction With the Modified Video Display Area
  • a preferred embodiment of the program includes a standard application message loop, step 122, which processes system and user events.
  • An example of a minimum functionality process loop is in Figure 12.
  • the alternate display content controller handles a minimal set of system events, such as painting requests, step 170, system resolution changes, step 172, and activation/deactivation, step 174.
  • user events such as key or mouse events
  • System paint messages are handled by painting as appropriate into the offscreen buffer, step 178, and painting the window or display buffer, step 180, as appropriate, as described earlier in Figure 10.
  • System resolution messages are received whenever the system or user changes the screen or color resolution.
  • the program resets all registers and/or hooks, as approriate for the current modes, to the correct new values, then changes the display resolution, step 182, as earlier described in Figure 9, to reflect the new resolution modified. User messages can be ignored when the program is not the active application.
  • Figure 13 describes a method of implementing user-input events.
  • cursor or mouse support so that the user has a pointing device input tool within the alternate display content controller area user interface.
  • GDI's "cliprect" is modified to encompass the bar's display area. That keeps the operating system from clipping the cursor as it moves into the overscan area. This change doesn't necessarily make the cursor visible or provide event feedback to the application, but is the first step.
  • Some current Windows applications continually reset the cliprect. It is a standard programming procedure to reset the cliprect after use or loss of input focus. Some applications use the cliprect to constrain the mouse to a specific area as may be required by the active application. Whenever the program receives the input focus it reasserts the cliprect, making it large enough for the mouse to travel down into the program display space. Once the cliprect has been expanded, the mouse can generate messages to the operating system reflecting motion within the expansion area. GDI does not draw the cursor outside what it understands to be its resolution, however, and does not pass "out-of-bounds" event messages on to an application.
  • the preferred program uses a VxD device driver, and related callback functions, to make hardware driver calls at ring zero to monitor the actual physical deltas, or changes, in the mouse position and state. Every mouse position or state change is returned as an event to the program which can graphically represent the position within the display space.
  • An alternative mechanism avoids the need to expand the cliprect in order to avoid conflict with a class of device drivers that use the cliprect to facilitate virtual display panning.
  • the program can determine "delta's", changes in position and state. Whenever the cursor touches the very last row or column of pixels on the standard display, it is constrained there by setting the cliprect to a rectangle comprised of only that last row or column.
  • a "virtual" cursor position is derived from the deltas available from the input device. The actual cursor is hidden and a virtual cursor representation is explicitly displayed at the virtual coordinates to provide accurate feedback to the user. If the virtual coordinates move back onto the desktop from the overscan area, the cliprect is cleared, the virtual representation removed, and the actual cursor restored onto the screen.
  • a third alternative mechanism creates a transparent window that overlaps the actual Windows desktop display area by a predefined number of pixels, for example, two or four pixels. If the mouse enters that small, transparent area, the program hides the cursor. A cursor image is then displayed within the overscan bar area, at the same X-coordinate but at a Y-coordinate correspondingly offset into the overscan area. If a two-pixel overlap area is used, this method uses a granularity of two. Accordingly, this API-only approach provides only limited vertical granularity. This alternative mechanism assures that all implementations will have some degree of mouse-input support, even when cliprect and input device driver solutions fail.
  • the keyboard input can be trapped whenever the mouse is determined to be within the program's display space.
  • key events can be trapped and processed whenever the program determines to do so (e.g., when the user moves the mouse onto the program display space).
  • other applications can be prevented from viewing keyboard events. If the keyboard driver itself is hooked, even GDI does not get the key input events.
  • Figure 7 also describes the cleanup mechanisms executed when the program is closed, step 124.
  • the display is reset to the original resolution, step 126, and the CR registers are reset to their original values, step 128, and locked, step 130.
  • an API to the functionality of the alternate display content controller is provided to applications to enable them to use graphics primitives that fully function within a display area that potentially extends past the display area originally allocated to the native desktop.
  • these API are provided to support applications in differing system environments and to achieve different functions. These embodiments allow communications with the modified display area from an application to be as transparent as possible, so that the application does not need to know whether it is communicating to an area allocated to the desktop or to an area outside of that allocated to the desktop.
  • the alternative display content controller provides an
  • the alternate display content controller intercepts all function calls to the GDI application programming interface (API).
  • the controller determines, based upon the coordinates of the window being written to, whether the call should be forwarded to a display driver that can output to an overscan area (a complementary GUI display driver), or whether the call should be forwarded to the native graphics device interface.
  • a complementary GUI display driver an overscan area
  • One skilled in the art will recognize that other combinations are possible, such as part processing of the request by the complementary GUI display driver before forwarding the request to the native graphics display driver
  • Figure 37 is an example block diagram of applications using techniques that intercept native graphics interface library calls.
  • applications 3701 and 3702 are shown making a call to a function of the API of a graphics device interface after loading the GDI code (GDI 32.DLL).
  • Application 3701 is an application which uses the alternate display content controller API (referred to here, for example, as the "xSides” API) to render using techniques of a complementary GUI into the extended display area (e.g., the display area outside of the native desktop rectangle).
  • Application 3702 is a standard WindowsTM application.
  • the alternate display content controller 3703 intercepts the call, and determines whether to forward it to a display driver enabled with the techniques of the present invention 3704, or (/and) to a native display driver (e.g., WindowsTM GDI) 3705.
  • a display driver enabled with the techniques of the present invention 3704 or (/and) to a native display driver (e.g., WindowsTM GDI) 3705.
  • a native display driver e.g., WindowsTM GDI
  • this interception technique is accomplished by fooling applications into loading a complementary GUI-enabled graphics device interface library (e.g., xSides GDI) instead of the native operating system graphics device interface library (e.g., GDI).
  • the alternate display content controller renames the native graphics device interface library (e.g., "MS GDI 32.DLL") and names its own graphics device interface library (the overscan- enabled GDI) into the name of the native graphics device interface library (e.g., xSides GDI is renamed "GDI.DLL").
  • the alternate display content controller's library loads and initializes, it loads the native graphics device interface library, thereby linking directly into the native GUI capabilities. Thereafter, applications transparently call the alternate display content controller, even if they are only invoking routines ofthe native graphics interface device library.
  • the library needs to determine whether to invoke the API that is extended display area-enabled (xGDI) or to invoke the native GDI.
  • xGDI extended display area-enabled
  • the alternate display content controller knows which applications actually use the xGDI API.
  • xGDI knows when an application that is not xGDI-enabled (e.g., application 3702) is making a function call to the new graphics library, and the call can immediately be forwarded on to the native GDI (e.g., "MS GDI 32.DLL").
  • an application that is xGDI- enabled e.g., application 3701
  • the xGDI routines can determine whether the location referred to in the call (relative to where the pointer was located when the call was made) is within the native desktop rectangle or outside of it in the extended display area.
  • the alternate display content controller may allow an application to write into the extended display area regardless of whether it has "registered" itself with xGDI.
  • an application such as a calculator may be initially launched in the native desktop area and then dragged using a mouse into the extended display area.
  • the extended display area-enabled API can transparently translate the applications calls relative to new origin coordinates in order to render into the extended display area.
  • One technique for accomplishing this transparent translation is to intercept every call to the native GDI that causes a repaint or a refresh to occur, translate the coordinates and draw into offscreen memory, and then render the offscreen memory contents into the extended display area.
  • a second technique for accomplishing this transparent translation is to translate each native GDI function call to an extended display area-enabled function call and to then translate coordinates in each call. For example, the "CreateWindow" function call of GDI forwards to an "XCreate Window” function call.
  • One difficulty of using this technique is that the alternate display content controller becomes sensitive to modified versions ofthe native GDI.
  • techniques of the present invention provide a mechanism by which arbitrary rectangular regions of a native desktop display can be reserved for a specific application, allowing the creation and presentation of persistent images that cannot be obscured by any other application. These rectangular regions are called Pixel Masks, because they are masks on the pixels in the region. These techniques are provided via software tools and libraries and complementary documentation, which enable applications developers to build applications with persistent presence on the native desktop.
  • the Pixel Mask software is implemented using a variation of the display driver of the alternate display content controller.
  • the display driver is augmented to provide a new feature, that of creating and defining Pixel Masks and authorizing sources.
  • the display driver is augmented by inserting a filter layer between the native operating system's graphics device interface (e.g., Windows TM GDI) and the display driver.
  • Figure 32 is an example block diagram of an application using pixel mask technology in conjunction with an extended display area-enabled display driver.
  • the Pixel Mask software is shown residing between the enabled display driver 3202 and the native graphics device interface 3203.
  • Pixel Mask software There are two primary parts to the Pixel Mask software: an API that provides a programming interface to the application and a filter driver that intercepts calls from the graphics device interface to the display driver and provides the pixel mask functionality.
  • the Pixel Mask API provides a set of functions that allows the application program to create and define the Pixel Mask regions, and to identify the authorized bitmap that can be displayed in the Pixel Mask region.
  • Pixelmask lnit initializes the Pixel Mask software. Resources are allocated and initialized, and the software is put into a known state.
  • Pixelmask Uninit de-initializes the Pixel Mask software. Resources are freed, and the software in put into an undefined state.
  • Pixelmask CreateMask creates and defines a pixel mask.
  • Pixelmask DeleteMask deletes a previously created pixel mask.
  • Pixelmask ActivateMask activates an existing pixel mask.
  • Pixelmask DeactivateMask deactivates an existing pixel mask. Once deactivated, the display space is no longer reserved.
  • Pixelmask_IdentifySource identifies the display source (for example, a bitmap) that has access to an existing pixel mask. All other attempts to display to the display space within the pixel mask will be clipped at the pixel mask boundaries.
  • the Pixel Mask Display filter augments the functionality of the display driver by allowing the creation of pixel masks and the identification of authorized display sources that can be displayed in the pixel masks.
  • the display filter will clip all other data that is output into the region covered by the pixel masks.
  • the display filter intercepts calls from the native graphics device interface to the display driver. It hooks in processing before calling the display driver and additional processing after the thread of execution returns from the display driver.
  • Each of these functions will be wrapped by an associated Pixel Mask software function that will, for non-authorized sources, check the specified destination against existing pixel masks, and, if there's an intersection, clip the source data so none is displayed in the region covered by the pixel mask.
  • Authorized sources will be passed through to the display driver function to render data.
  • the pixel mask techniques can also provide persistent displays outside the desktop.
  • API's application programming interfaces
  • API's application programming interfaces
  • Microsoft's DirectX and/or DirectDraw in place of the CRT Controller registers and/or direct access to the display buffer.
  • API's applications programming interfaces
  • Microsoft's DirectX and/or DirectDraw capable of direct driver and/or hardware manipulation, to create a second virtual display surface on the primary display with the same purpose, to display a separate and unobscured graphical user interface.
  • 6.2 Using Alternate Display Content Controller to Drive the Native Desktop Techniques of the present invention may be used to control the desktop e.g., Windows) to easily enable the desktop to operate in virtually any non-standard size limited only by the capability of the display hardware. This may be in combination with parallel graphical user interface displays or exclusively to maximize the primary operating system desktop display area. This may not require any modification to the operating system.
  • Windows e.g., Windows
  • the visual display area is conventionally defined by the values maintained in the CRTC registers on the chip and available to the driver.
  • the normally displayed area is defined by VGA standards, and subsequently by SVGA standards, to be a preset number of modes, each mode including a particular display resolution which specifies the area ofthe display in which the desktop can be displayed.
  • the desktop of a typical native operating system can only be displayed in this area because the operating system does not directly read/write the video memory, rather it uses programming interface calls to the video driver.
  • the video driver simply reads/writes using an address that happens to be in video memory. So this mechanism needs to recognize the value (e.g., address) that the video card and driver assert is available for painting. This value is queried from the registers, modified by specific amounts to increase the display area, and rewritten to the card.
  • example embodiments can change the attributes of writable and visible display area without informing the operating system's display interface ofthe change.
  • Embodiments of the present invention don't necessarily change the
  • CRTCs to add just to the bottom.
  • the top is also moved up a little. This keeps the displayed interfaces centered within the drivable display area. For example, rather than just add thirty-two scan lines to the bottom, the top of the display area is moved up by sixteen lines.
  • any number of parallel GUIs may be positioned in areas not normally considered the conventional overscan area.
  • a secondary GUI may be positioned in a small square exactly in the center ofthe normal display in order to provide a service required by the particular system and application.
  • the techniques of reading and rewriting screen display information can be used to maintain the primary GUI information, or portions of it, in an additional memory and selectively on a timed, computed, interactive, or any other basis, replace a portion of the primary GUI with the secondary GUI such as a pop-up, window, or any other display space.
  • the techniques discussed can be used to effectively position a secondary GUI anywhere on the display screen that is addressable by the alternate display content controller.
  • the controller can also be used to control the relationship between the native (primary) GUI and any secondary GUIs in terms of what is displayed, in what location, at what time.
  • a security system may require the ability to display information to a user without regard to the status of the computer system and/or require the user to make a selection, such as call for help by clicking on "911?".
  • Embodiments of the present invention could provide a video display buffer in which a portion of the primary GUI interface was continuously recorded and displayed in a secondary GUI for example in the center of the screen. Under non-emergency conditions, the secondary GUI would then be effectively invisible in that the user would not notice anything except the primary GUI.
  • an alarm monitor could cause the secondary GUI to present the "911?" to the user by overwriting the copy of the primary display stored in the secondary GUI memory.
  • a database of photographs may be stored and one recalled in response to an incoming phone call in which caller ID identified a phone number associated with a database photo entry.
  • embodiments of the present invention may provide one or more secondary user interfaces which may be useful whenever it is more convenient or desirable to control a portion of the total display, either outside the primary display in an unused area such as an overscan area or even in a portion of the primary GUI directly or by time division multiplexing, directly by communication with the video memory, or by bypassing at least a portion of the video memory to create a new video memory.
  • methods and systems of the present invention may provide one or more secondary user interfaces outside of the control of the native system, such as the native operating system, which controls the primary GUI.
  • Additional user interfaces may be used for a variety of different purposes.
  • a secondary user interface may be used to provide simultaneous access to the Internet, full motion video, and a conference channel.
  • a secondary user interface may be dedicated to a local network or multiple secondary user interfaces may provide simultaneous access and data for one or more networks to which a particular computer may be connected.
  • a universal "trapping” technique for modifying the display area and running applications in extended display areas (outside of the native desktop).
  • the new method is "universal" in the sense that, unlike several of the other techniques, it is not sensitive to the particular video card and driver installed in the system. These techniques can be used as an alternative to emulation mode.
  • the trapping technique operates by shrinking the display area, (rectangle) allocated to the native desktop and then dynamically swapping the old size and the new size in response to certain events in the system.
  • Figure 33 is an example screen display of application windows that are displayed using a universal trapping approach for modifying the display area and rendering outside of the native desktop.
  • the native desktop (with a collection of icons displayed) is shown in display area 3301.
  • Parallel GUIs are shows in display areas 3302-3304, here shown as surrounding the native desktop 3301.
  • Any combination of these parallel GUIs may exist, on one or more sides ofthe native desktop, and that several parallel GUIs may coexist on a side.
  • An example embodiment of the trapping technology shrinks the desktop rectangle, and then dynamically swaps the old size and the new size in response to certain events. For example, whenever the mouse moves, the desktop rectangle must be temporarily restored to full screen, in order for the cursor have full range of motion and move into the areas outside the new size (smaller) inner desktop.
  • the WNDPROC (window main procedure) of each outside window must be hooked.
  • the hook procedure checks for messages related to size and position of the window (WM_DESTROY, WM_SIZING, WM_WINDOPOSCHANGING, WM WINDOWPOSCHANGED, WM_SYSCOMMAND), in order to maintain proper placement of the window and size ofthe new desktop.
  • Context Switches When context is switched to an outside window (a window outside of the native desktop area), the desktop rectangle is expanded to full screen; when switched to an inside window, the desktop rectangle is set back to its small size. 5.
  • SET_DEVICE_FOCUS This is a VMM control message that is broadcast from the Virtual Display Driver (VDD) whenever the screen is going to DOS full-screen mode or back. We turn on or off trapping in this case. For NT, a different detection method is needed.
  • GDI! Escape The hook for this function checks for the GDI Escape code 39, which is MOUSETRAILS. Presumably this code is sent on each mode change. The main reason for this hook is to react to the screen mode changes not caused by the ChangeDisplaySettings[Ex] (e.g. Direct Draw).
  • FIG 34 is an example block diagram of components of an example embodiment of the trapping technique for modifying the display area.
  • This embodiment consists of four components: a 16-bit DLL (TRAP16.DLL) 3401, a 32-bit DLL (TRAP32.DLL) 3402, a 32-bit EXE (TRAP.EXE) 3403, and a VxD (TRAP.VXD) 3404.
  • TRAP32.DLL is where most ofthe action takes place. It is a hybrid of ring-three and ring-zero code.
  • TRAP16.DLL is used for trapping APIs in the 16-bit USER and GDI modules.
  • the VxD is simply a "helper" that brokers kernel-mode calls for TRAP32.DLL.
  • TRAP.EXE is the shell that loads the other modules and creates windows around the edge ofthe desktop.
  • the trapping architecture supports multiple APIs, each residing in a separate DLL.
  • Figure 35 is an example block diagram of the trapping architecture supporting multiple APIs for different windowing environments.
  • the trapping architecture shown in Figure 35 supports a PixelBar API 3503, a Win32-Specific API 3504, and an Other API 3505.
  • the PixelBar API 3503 supports a cu ⁇ ent implementation of the extended display area support and allows applications, such as xSides, discussed in the Example Complementary User Interfaces section, to run without modification.
  • a drawback of using the PixelBar API atop the current embodiment of the trapping architecture is that the PixelBar API was designed to be platform independent, with no knowledge of windows; space created outside the native desktop by the trapping technique on the other hand, is actually a window. So the application passes raw bitmaps down to the PixelBar API, and the trapping support then turns around and copies them to a window. In effect, every pixel is processed twice.
  • a WIN32-specific API 3504 eliminates the double buffering.
  • a trapping technique-aware application registers itself with the trapping architecture, and then requests that it be run outside the native desktop. This way, the application is running "natively,” with window dimensions that extend into the outside rectangle, and can write pixels directly to its own window without going through an extra API.
  • APIs 3505 include techniques for other applications, such as ADA-viewers, to communicate with the trapping architecture As discussed above, particular function calls in the native windowing system are hooked to determine the location of the desktop rectangle and in order to maintain the "illusion" of a smaller desktop.
  • Figure 36 is an example block diagram of the trapping architecture communication using kernel mode hooks.
  • the hooking mechanism works as follows. The first step is to find the linear address of the interception point. The way this is found depends on what is being hooked.
  • _SHELL_LoadLibrary and SHELL GetProcAddress are executed, returning a 16:16 address which can then be converted to a linear address via SelectorMapFlat.
  • the client calls GetProcAddress from Ring 3 and passes the address down to kernel-mode, or, alternatively, called from Ring 3 via an asynchronous procedure call.
  • an INT3 instruction is inserted at that address. This is a one-byte software interrupt (opcode CC).
  • the linear address is also saved in an internal table, along with the byte covered up by the INT3 instruction.
  • the VxD gets control (because it was hooked at init time with Hook PM Fault).
  • the current EIP is checked against a table of breakpoints; if it's not found, the INT3 is assumed to have been placed by another process, and the old INT3 handler is called. If it is the trapping_system INT3, the hook procedure is called, then the byte replaced by the INT3 is temporarily restored, and execution is resumed at the point of the INT3, and single-step mode is turned on.
  • the INT1 handler will then restore the INT3, turn off single-step mode, and resume execution.
  • the main service provided by the kernel-mode component is the interception of the various API entry points, Windows messages, and, in the case of Windows 9x, VMM Control messages.
  • kernel-mode services are provided through IOCTLs issued from user-mode programs via the DeviceloConfrol function, as described in the block diagram in Figure 36. This is the standard way for 32-bit user-mode programs to communicate with kernel-mode code, and thus provides some consistency between
  • Windowing environments other than WindowsTM utilize other architectures for creating windows and rendering to them.
  • Unix type environments several window systems are used, including those modeled after an architecture known as X- Windows, developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (for example, the MIT developed XI 1 Server). These environments use an API to create windows and resources for them that are based upon a hierarchy of windows.
  • the desktop background is typically mapped to the root (parent) window, and all other applications that wish to participate as a joint collection are mapped to windows that are children of this root window. This way, the window system knows how to distribute events to the applications that own particular windows.
  • the methods and systems of the present invention provide a mechanism for dividing windows between the desktop and between the parallel user interfaces of the complementary GUI. Techniques are provided to split the adapter resources for display of information and to create one or more windowing spaces outside ofthe normal desktop display.
  • the alternate display content controller traps the adapter codes and modifies the drawable screen space used by X- Windows.
  • the alternate display content controller then creates its own spaces using a windowing system specifically engineered to display data in the extended display designated spaces.
  • the XI 1 Server code is modified to allow for N number of "Root” Windows to be presented. This is achieved by modifying the X- Server and changing the drawable area for the "User Root” window, and creating a second "xSides root” window.
  • the alternate display content controller (acting as the XI 1 server) then traps client requests, and events, and directs information to the co ⁇ ect window based on client attributes. For example, an xSides client's requests have specific characteristics that are designed for the xSides space.
  • the alternate display content controller creates N number of displays, each controlled by its own XI 1 display server. First, a master controller switch is created, which is responsible for the full screen management.
  • the display is divided by the number of servers needed, depending upon how many separate extended display spaces are being used.
  • the servers are accessible by the standard X-Client communication. All other instances are alternate display content controller-specific XI 1 Servers which accept content from client code that has been enabled to use the alternate display content controller API.
  • alternate display content controller 6 may be launched as a service, as an application, or as a user application.
  • alternate display content controller 6 may be launched as a service within the registry of utility operating system 5B.
  • the first kind of application is launched in the Run section in the registry, and the user application may be initiated from the Start Up Group within the Start button.
  • alternate display content controller 6 may be initiated any time from the first thing after graphics mode is enabled to the very last thing initiated.
  • alternate display content controller 6 may be visible shortly after utility operating system 5B such as Windows actually addresses the display, and how soon after depends on where alternate display content controller 6 is put it in the order of the things that will be launched as services. It may be possible to put alternate display content controller 6 so that it launches as essentially the first service and thus would launch almost at the same time as the drivers, very, very shortly after the drivers are launched. Accordingly, it is possible to have the screen change from text mode to graphics, draw the colored background, immediately re-display with the overscan addressed and a parallel GUI such as CSNB 2 display the very close to the same time as taskbar.
  • alternate display content controller 6 may be visible in display space 1 shortly after icons appear.
  • the xSidesTM application environment (hereinafter "xSidesTM") implemented by xSides Corporation provides a complementary user interface, which can coexist using the techniques of the present invention with a native desktop such as Windows 95. It includes, among other capabilities, a cylindrical visualization of a secondary user interface, a Portal feature, and a Web Jump (Network Browser) feature that offers Internet browsing and searching capabilities.
  • the Portal feature can include any type of textual or graphical content envisioned by its implementer.
  • PIM personal information manager
  • xSidesTM also includes the ability to create and execute these interfaces through an application programming interface (API) component.
  • API application programming interface
  • the xSidesTM API supports the creation and maintenance of a secondary GUI, such as the example cylindrical user interface discussed below with reference to Figures 19-21.
  • a secondary GUI such as the example cylindrical user interface discussed below with reference to Figures 19-21.
  • One skilled in the art will recognize that many other user interfaces can be realized by the methods, systems, and techniques of the present invention and that these interfaces may be available in conjunction with one another.
  • the xSidesTM environment is an embodiment of the methods and systems of the present invention. It supports a user interface that is always visible and accessible, technically scalable, able to "overtake” the desktop, merge-able, able to provide highly secure data transmissions, easy to use, and small ( ⁇ 1.5 MB to download).
  • xSidesTM is implemented by software (for example, the alternate display content controller discussed above), that is independent of any underlying systems' user interface. It resides “below” the operating system and “above” the drivers (if the system architecture is viewed from the drivers up through the application software).
  • the xSidesTM software communicates directly to the driver level and adjusts video display parameters. It also allows keyboard and mouse events outside of the primary user interface supported by the native operating system as described in the earlier sections.
  • the technology can deliver, among other things, Internet content and services, third-party applications, Web browsers, personal Internet portals, advertisements, Web-based client-server applications, including audio and video conferencing, and electronic program guides (EPGs).
  • EPGs electronic program guides
  • the xSidesTM technology is able to support Web-based applications on settop boxes and, on the other hand, specific device applications, such as telephones and video and audio conferencing on a generic media such as computer display screen using the Internet.
  • the xSidesTM Technology enables content and functionality to reside physically outside and be controlled independent of the existing operating systems, such content and functionality do not interfere with and cannot be covered by the operating system or the applications that reside on the desktop. In this manner, the xSidesTM technology is able to support a "Web-top" interface as opposed to a simple desktop interface.
  • the xSidesTM technology can be distributed with a microkernel, cross-platform solutions can be offered without the need to load multiple operating systems on a single computer system. For example, xSidesTM can support applications such as WebMail, instant messaging, e-faxing, telephony, music players.
  • the xSidesTM Technology is able to support interactive content and applications in a persistent fashion outside of the operating system because it resides outside of the operating system's control. Because xSidesTM resides within an abstraction layer "below" the operating system and “above” the device drivers, xSidesTM can adjust the parameters for the video display system, can increase the number of pixels and scan lines, and can enable keyboard and mouse events within the overscan area. This allows xSidesTM to dramatically resize the existing desktop, if desired, "uncovering" the majority ofthe display area around any or all four sides ofthe desktop, which can then be used to display complementary content and applications.
  • An application programming interface (“API") to the xSidesTM Technology allows developers to rapidly develop applications that take advantage of these unique characteristics of the technology. The technology can potentially address every user of an Internet-enabled computer or TV worldwide.
  • the proliferation of consumer electronics operating systems i.e., Microsoft CE
  • such devices as portable daily planners and set-top boxes further expands the market opportunity for this technology.
  • Example products that have used xSidesTM Technology are variations of co-branded mini-portals, which reside on the user's display area and feature the content and applications of partner vendors. These products initially appear on the bottom of a computer screen as a thin cylinder icon (the "control bar") containing a series of control buttons.
  • the control bar is comprised of a number of faces, which are called “SidesTM,” each of which can contain different combinations of content, applications and graphics (hence the name xSidesTM). The user can easily rotate from one SideTM to the next with mouse clicks to view and access the different content present on a given SideTM.
  • the ability to rotate the xSidesTM interface to different faces expands the available computer display real estate and allows for compatibility among products licensed to different partners, enabling users to easily view and access whatever content they want.
  • the control buttons can perform a variety of tasks, including launching a Web connection or application, displaying tickers and banners of server-delivered content, or can allow the user to launch functions running in an additional xSidesTM display area called the xSidesTM Portal.
  • the xSidesTM Portal is an Internet display area which can contain any image or application, including email and instant messaging input and output, calendar and address book information, ISP controls, ad-banners, electronic programming guides and Web-based client-server applications.
  • the Portal may be independent of and coexist with (above, below, or beside) the xSidesTM control bar.
  • the images and applications are html-based; however, one skilled in the art will recognize that the Portal support can be programmed to display data / content in any programming language or format, such as Java-based content or XML. In each case the Portal support is modified to interpret the content source language of choice.
  • the content source for the portal can come from a remote network such as the Internet, an intranet, or from local device storage, such as a hard disk.
  • the xSidesTM Portal may be used, for example, to build personal "desktop" Internet portals. Although in one embodiment preferably only one Portal is displayed in conjunction with an xSidesTM control bar (there may be multiple bars on the screen), multiple Portals can be associated with a single side, provided each Portal is accessible through a user interface component such as a button or menu.
  • the xSidesTM technology is implemented by a distributed architecture comprised of client and server computer systems.
  • the content (the sides) for user control bars is stored on one or more xSidesTM servers and users communicate to these servers via network connections.
  • Figure 31 contains an example block diagram of an implementation ofthe xSidesTM architecture.
  • Server computer system 3101 is connected to client computer system 3102 through a set of communication and configuration mechanisms, 3103 and 3104, respectively, which interface to a client side application 3105 responsible for the display of the xSidesTM control bar.
  • server computer system 3101 and the client computer system 3102 may in implementation reside in a multiple of distributed or non- distributed layouts, including that an xSidesTM server may be distributed over several systems or may reside on the same machine as the client components.
  • xSidesTM server may be distributed over several systems or may reside on the same machine as the client components.
  • other configurations and components are possible and may be used to implement the technology described herein.
  • the user downloads the partner's content initially from a server machine upon installation of xSidesTM on the user's client machine.
  • the content is initially stored within a database or file system, such as database 3107 or file system 3108.
  • the xSidesTM server machine 3106 sends the content to the xSidesTM application 3105, through the communications layer 3103, the client computer system 3102 can store a local copy of the user's control bar and configuration information on local database / file system 3109.
  • the communications layer 3103 functions to streamline the communications between the client computer system 3102 and the server computer system 3101 and supports the modularized updates of client-side information. Communication is performed preferably using encrypted markup (e.g., SGML) files, which are sent across the network connection using standard HTTP packet processing.
  • the communications layer 3103 streamlines requests by combining the requests from the various dynamic link libraries (“DLLs") that handle client-side functions into a single request packet that is sent to an xSidesTM server. For example, the sides management functionality that enables users to add and remove sides and the various statistical functions are preferably handled using separate DLLs.
  • DLLs dynamic link libraries
  • the communications layer 3103 When these DLLs need to issue requests, they send them to the communications layer 3103, which combines the requests by placing tags that corresponds to each request in a single packet that is forwarded to the server. The server then deconstructs each packet to process the actual requests. Streamlining the communication in this manner minimizes network traffic and delays.
  • the communications layer (client and server portions) enables the ability schedule server communication (ping the server for information) and to schedule the completion of server side tasks on behalf of dependent components on the client side. For example, the Stats/Logging mechanism described below may schedule the updates of server-side logging information on a periodic basis.
  • the components of the client-side xSidesTM process such as the DLLs previously mentioned, can be downloaded at the start of each xSidesTM session.
  • xSidesTM can be "hot swapped" to download updated system components in the background.
  • This enables xSidesTM to dynamically configure and update itself transparent to the user.
  • the frequency of updates and polling the server for information can be set in any manner - e.g., randomly or explicitly or implicitly by the user or by the application (client- or server-side).
  • the source and destination for pings and downloads is configurable - thus allowing the configuration ofthe server-side components to be dynamically configured as well.
  • Each xSidesTM user is identifiable by a unique global identifier (a "GUID").
  • GUIDs are used for multiple purposes, including identifying the request and response packets communicated by the communications layer.
  • an xSidesTM configuration profile can be associated with each user, such that each user can use xSidesTM according to the users' prefe ⁇ ed configuration, regardless of the physical location of the user and regardless of the machine used by the user to run xSidesTM.
  • a user can initiate an xSidesTM session from a remote location (such as the users' home computer) and see the same sides (applications) the user sees from the users' normal machine (for example, the users' machine at work). Changes that are made by the user on any machine under the user's GUID are automatically synchronized on the server system, even if multiple instances of xSidesTM' sessions under the same GUID are running simultaneously.
  • xSidesTM provides a User Registration client/server application, preferably implemented as an extractable component such as a DLL, which gathers information from the user and stores it on a server-side file storage mechanism (such as a database).
  • a server-side file storage mechanism such as a database.
  • xSidesTM determines what sides need to be downloaded and cached on the client system, to make the control bar look like what the user would expect. This operation is performed transparently to the user and provides the user's expected environment even if the machine which initiated the request has a version of xSidesTM that was installed from a different partner.
  • the caching mechanisms and general component replacement mechanisms work in conjunction with the merge functionality to provide this configurability.
  • Merging is a process in which content from one control bar is merged into another bar. Merge allows users to upgrade their existing xSidesTM products to subsequent versions and to add or remove sides (or faces) to a user's control bar at will. Preferably, when a merge takes place, the original distributor's logo and unique content retains its place on the user's bar, and one or more new sides of information are added.
  • merge enables users to make their xSidesTM product a convenient, one-stop destination for all of their favorite content and services. This is not only important and attractive to users, but also to strategic partners who are able to introduce multiple faces, as well as upgrade their users to new applications and functionality over time. Although merge provides product convenience and flexibility for both users and strategic partners, in one prefe ⁇ ed embodiment neither the original faces nor the persistent logos on an xSidesTM product can be "de-merged," giving strategic partners additional incentive to distribute the products.
  • the xSidesTM technology also enables users to automatically have the sides of their control bars updated as newer versions become available, for example through the use of a website, e.g., AUSides.com, and a user registration / configuration mechanism.
  • xSidesTM will automatically update the side's content on a periodic basis (for example, by polling a server machine to determine whether new content is available and downloading the side definition files when it is).
  • Automatic updates are also preferably performed when a partner changes a side and notifies the server machine.
  • dependent files - such as new component DLLs — can be downloaded to the client machine using the "hot swapping" mechanism described above.
  • xSidesTM uses merge technology to create the control bar according to the users configuration profile. This feature is particularly useful when a user travels between different computer systems.
  • the sides Once merged or downloaded, the sides are cached on the client system for efficient access. They can be cached indefinitely or for a period of use or under another expiration-based scheme.
  • any changes to the user's configuration profile are posted to the server system.
  • sides can be filtered by vendor (partner / supplier) and by user class. This capability is useful, for example, for the xSidesTM server to determine what to display in a user's initial configuration, what a particular user can modify, and for tracking information for a partner. Assuming that the sides for the partners' control bars are stored in a database (other implementations are possible), the database can also maintain stored procedures that co ⁇ elate a particular user class with the sides available to that user.
  • a vendor in this instance is associated with a list of user classes, each of which are associated with a list of user GUIDs and a list of sides.
  • 8.2.4 Statistics and Logging Facility xSidesTM also offers a statistics facility and a logging facility.
  • the statistics facility is implemented as a DLL component of the xSidesTM application on the client computer system.
  • the purpose of the statistics facility is to gather and record activity and send it to the server computer system to be logged. Once logged, the logging facility uses the data to construct accounting reports and to perform other accounting functions.
  • the statistics facility records user activity in terms of "clicks” and "impressions.”
  • a click is a mouse click on an xSidesTM side or portal; an impression is the amount of time a given area ofthe xSidesTM software is displayed to a user.
  • the impression is the time this side is displayed, a click occurs when the user presses a mouse button on a portion of side MyExampleSide.
  • the xSidesTM application informs the statistics facility each time a side is displayed (what activity to record) and when a mouse click is trapped (when the activity should be recorded).
  • the statistics DLL prepares a markup string that encodes the recorded data and sends the data on a periodic basis to the server system to be logged. (In one embodiment another DLL is responsible for retrieving the data from the statistics DLL on a periodic basis, e.g., each minute, and for sending the data to the server system.)
  • the markup strings include user and vendor information, thus user activity can be tracked by vendor as well.
  • the logger facility parses the markup strings and enters appropriate data into the database.
  • the impression time for a side begins when it is first displayed to the user and ends when it is replaced by another display.
  • the statistics facility detects between impressions and mere idle time using a timeout heuristic. Specifically, each impression duration is compared to a timeout value and when it exceeds this timeout value, the impression time is cut off.
  • xSidesTM also provides a means for partners to send priority messages to their users via a mechanism known as Instant Alerts.
  • the Instant Alert facility is preferably a DLL component and thus communicates with an xSidesTM server via the communications layer described above. It can also be automatically updated.
  • the Instant Alert facility allows a partner to send a message to a particular user or to broadcast it to a group (a class) of users.
  • the message content is preferably HTML and is displayed in a browser window on the user's client machine.
  • Each message is markup based with tags that identify the partner, the user GUID etc, and thus each message can be processed using xSidesTM communication layer packet transport mechanism. Also, because the messages are markup based and thus contain embedded identifying information, appropriate acknowledgments can be sent back to the server when the message is displayed or received.
  • a partner may use a template type message, which includes the ability to name attributes that are filled in when the message is sent. These named attributes function like macros in that there value is computed at the time the message is sent. This value can be the user's GUID, thus providing a unique identifying mechanism for each user.
  • the Instant Alert facility provides tools for creating and managing such template messages. The tool can be form-based or can provide an API for message management.
  • the xSidesTM API provides support for interfacing to other technologies that enable the transmission of audio and video data over broadband cable networks and over the Internet. Support of these technologies allows xSidesTM to support applications without having to load an alternate operating system, or multiple operating systems.
  • the API can be used to support two way audio and video applications such as a telephone, a video conferencing application, and other applications that use audio and video streaming technologies, such as those provided by Real Networks Inc. and Broadcom Inc.
  • xSidesTM can integrate with the technologies and protocols for the transmission of voice over the Internet and broadband networks (e.g., VoIP, VoDSL, and VoATM).
  • xSidesTM presents an API to applications, which hides the underlying technology from applications developers, and allow the developers to present applications in persistent areas on a display screen.
  • These API are compatible with any ofthe techniques used to modify the display screen and thus can present these persistent applications anywhere on the screen, including outside the desktop in physical overscan space, for example in Portals, in windows on the desktop, or in any combination of the above.
  • Appendix A herein incorporated by reference in its entirety, shows several example such parallel user interfaces being displayed in conjunction with a native desktop.
  • xSidesTM when xSidesTM is implemented with a microkernel and is packaged along with the application, the applications can be directly executed on the microkernel and thus execute more efficiently.
  • packaging will enable embedding 2-way communication devices using xSidesTM directly in devices that are function specific as opposed to a general purpose computer.
  • client applications can run on xSidesTM implemented as a microkernel or hosted as services on top of a host OS transparently to the application.
  • the audio and video streaming technologies over the Internet enable two way voice communication to work as follows:
  • the analog data (such as the voice signals from a telephone or other analog device) are converted from analog to digital and then sent from a source digital device (such as a source computer system) as digital packets over the network medium (Internet or broadband network).
  • a source digital device such as a source computer system
  • These packets with digital voice data are then reassembled at the destination (such as the receiving computer system), converted from digital to analog data, and sent out directly through a digital device (such as a connected telephone).
  • These technologies typically support an API, which hides all of the A/D and D/A conversion and assembling and disassembing of packets.
  • the xSidesTM API marries these technogies to the desktop, by providing an API to the lower level technology APIs to offer application developers a means for providing voice and audio-enabled applications in the xSidesTM space.
  • the API maps one to one with the lower level calls, and in others, it maps one xSidesTM API call to several underlying technology calls. In either case, the underlying technical details are transparently provided to the application developer.
  • display area 26 includes a parallel GUI 28 according to embodiments of the present invention.
  • Display area 26 may be located anywhere on screen 24S of video monitor 24.
  • long axis L oriented horizontally display area 26 may be located adjacent edge 24T or edge 24B.
  • display area 26 may be located adjacent edge 24L or edge 24R.
  • Aspect ratio 34 of parallel GUI 28 is the relationship between dimension 32 measured along long axis L and dimension 30 expressed as 34:1 where aspect ratio
  • Aspect ratio 34 dimension 32 ⁇ dimension 30
  • GUI 28 includes bar 38 su ⁇ ounded by area 28 A.
  • Bar 38 may include one or more containers or cartridges such as cartridge 86 of Figure 20.
  • Area 28A may be any color; in the example embodiment, area 28A is black.
  • Bar 38 may be composed of separate elements such as title area 40, one or more help areas such as help area 42 and or help area 56, one or more rotators such as rotator 44 and or rotator 48, and one or more buttons such as button 46, button 50, ticker 52 and button 54.
  • a button may be depressible such as button 46 or non-depressible such as button 40.
  • a depressible button such as button 46 may perform an associated action and display highlighting when selected and clicked on using any conventional pointing device such as mouse 22.
  • a non-depressible button such as button 40 may act as a label and or initiate apparent rotation of the elements of bar 38 to the right of button 40 along with all the associated sound, apparent motion, and highlighting as described below.
  • button frame 62 may be changed such as by changing its color and thus the apparent intensity of emitted light.
  • the change evoked in a button frame such as button frame 62 may be localized to a portion of the button frame such as corner 62A.
  • a 'mouse over' condition causes light to apparently emit from the lower left corner of the button frame such as corner 62B.
  • Clicking on or 'mouse down' condition of a depressible button such as button 46 may evoke apparent movement ofthe button and or apparent lighting changes adjacent the effected button.
  • 'mouse down' of a depressible button such as button 46 causes button 46 to apparently move into bar 38 and an apparent increase of light from behind button frame 62. Apparent motion and light emission changes may be accomplished by any conventional means.
  • a 'mouse up' condition is initiated thus completing a button selection cycle.
  • a 'mouse up' condition may initiate an action such a hyperlink or launch an application associated with the acting button such as button 46.
  • a 'mouse up' condition may cause a button such as button 46 to reverse the apparent motion caused by the prior 'mouse down' condition, thus as in the prior example, button 46 apparently springs back out of bar 38 into alignment with bar 38.
  • a highlighting change of a selected button may also be included.
  • a post selection highlighting is the same as the earlier described 'mouse over' highlighting and is maintained until another button such as button 54 is selected or some other action within parallel GUI 28 is initiated.
  • Actuation of a complete button selection cycle on a non-depressible button such as button 50, a title button such as title area 40, or on a rotator such as rotator 44 may initiate rotation about long axis L of the display area.
  • a click of right mouse button 22R initiates rotation of 38 in a first direction D and a click of left mouse button 22L initiates rotation of 38 in a second direction U, opposite first direction D.
  • sound may be used to enhance the experience and thus heighten the similarity of a virtual metaphor to a real 3-dimensional device.
  • sound 66 may issue from the computer system; sound 66 may resemble a sound or sounds issued from a real device such as a subtle mechanical click. Any other appropriate sound or sounds may also be used.
  • a non-depressible button such as button 50 may be used a title button or a placeholder, and thus may not invoke a utility, URL or any other function if subjected to a complete button selection cycle. Accordingly, no highlighting or other special indicia would accompany a 'mouse over' condition of a non-depressible button such as button 50.
  • a non-depressible button such as button 50 may include the functionality of a rotator such as rotator 44 or 48. Thus a complete button selection cycle on such a non-depressible button would result in the apparent rotation of non-depressible button 50 and all the elements of bar 38 to its right such as ticker 52 and button 60.
  • Tickers such as ticker 52 may be dynamic reading areas within a cartridge such as cartridge 86 as shown in Figure 20. Scrolling updateable text such as text 53 can be displayed and the text reading area can also be dynamically linked to launch an application or URL.
  • a ticker such as ticker 52 may be as long as a single button or any combination of multiple buttons.
  • the text such as text 53 that is displayed may be scrolling or otherwise made to move through ticker window 52A. In a cu ⁇ ently prefe ⁇ ed embodiment of the present invention text enters ticker window 52A at right side 52R and scrolls left, to left side 52L.
  • the scrolling text such as text 53 may repeat in a loop at the end of the text string.
  • Ticker text such as text 53 may be updated locally or over a network.
  • a ticker such as ticker 52 may activate a hyperlink through a network when ticker 52 is clicked on, or subjected to a complete button cycle.
  • Menu 70 includes title bands 72, 74, 76, 78 and 80, which co ⁇ espond to title area 40, button 46, button 50, ticker 52 and button 54 respectively.
  • Rotators 44 and 48 are represented by bands 82 and 84, respectively.
  • title area 40 includes 6 containers or cartridges, cartridges 86, 87, 88, 89, 90 and cartridge 91.
  • Cartridges such as cartridge 90 or cartridge 91 may include accessories such as a web browser or media player or any other accessory.
  • Accessories for a cartridge such as cartridge 90 may be installed for use with system software, or they may be components ofthe software implementing the parallel GUI, or they may be available via a network.
  • Accessory cartridge 90 may include function specific actuators such as fast forward or next track for a CD player.
  • a section of accessory cartridge 90 or any other cartridge selected may also be dedicated to a single function such as web browser 92, to permit the browser to remain visible at all times that parallel GUI software is running.
  • Cartridges such as cartridges 86-91 may be pre-loaded with links and accessories.
  • the elements or buttons of a cartridge may be blank for loading by a user through a "merge" capability.
  • User cartridge(s) may include access to applications, documents, files, or network links such as URLs and or embedded functions.
  • Some embedded functions which may be launched from a cartridge may include a browser, an MP3 player, instant messaging, trading notices for marketplace functions, alerts for auction results and or trades, agent checking regarding price comparison searches.
  • User items such as applications, documents, files, or network links may be added to a user button via any conventional method such as copy and paste or drag and drop functions of system software or of any web browser.
  • user buttons may be renamed or cleared in any conventional manner.
  • a parallel GUI such as parallel GUI 28 may also include a help function.
  • Help screens or menus may be implemented in any conventional manner.
  • a map ofthe contents and organization of bar 38 may be provided in the form of a menu or tree such as menu 70 of Figure 20.
  • Menu 70 and other help screens may extend from display area 26 in any conventional manner. In one embodiment, in which menu 70 is visible extending away from edge 26T thus allowing bar 38 to remain visible, actuation of a complete button cycle on a title such as title 87C will initiate rotation of bar 38 to bring cartridge 87 and title 87C to visibility on bar 38.
  • display area 26 includes 4 preset actuators 94. Activation of a complete button cycle on an actuator such as actuator 96 will rotate bar 38 to a pre-selected position. A user may initially load, change or delete a preset setting associated with an actuator such as actuator 96.
  • the software implementing the parallel GUI may also include a screen saver component such as idle component 96. If parallel GUI 28 is notified that the system software is in idle, rather than blanking display area 26 as in some conventional techniques, parallel GUI 28 may auto rotate through all possible cartridge displays of menu 70. When the system software returns to active mode, bar 38 will automatically return to the last active position prior to idle.
  • a complete button cycle of title area 40 as described above may result in apparent rotation of bar 38 and thus display an adjacent cartridge such as cartridge 87 or cartridge 85 (not shown).
  • Title area 40 may also include all buttons and rotators to the right of title area 40 as well.
  • a complete button cycle of title area 40 changes the visible title such as title 86 and apparently rotates elements of bar 38 to the right of title area 40 such as rotator 44, rotator 48, button 46, button 50, ticker 52 and button 54.
  • title 87A may be visible as well as a set of it's subordinate titles such as titles 87B, 87C, 87D and 87E. Additional cycling of title area 40 will result in display of additional cartridges and thus additional titles of band 72 such as titles 88A and 89A.
  • a merge function may be included to allow cartridges such as cartridges 86-91 to be added to an existing parallel GUI such as parallel GUI 28.
  • a cartridge such as cartridge 86 may be added or merged with any existing cartridges in a parallel GUI such as parallel GUI 28 using any conventional technique such as copy and paste or drag and drop.
  • a merged cartridge such as cartridge 86 may be added between any two adjacent cartridges such as cartridges 88 and 89.
  • existing cartridges may be reordered using a conventional sort function.
  • New cartridges may be merged or added to an existing parallel GUI from any conventional media such as magnetic storage media, optical storage media, or from network resources such as the Internet, or any local or intranet network.
  • a delete and or a sort function may also be included to permit a user to organize or personalize a bar such as bar 38 in parallel GUI according to their own wishes consistent with the parallel GUI software.
  • a user may go to a specific Internet site to peruse the applications available to be merged into the parallel GUI.
  • One such application is an application providing access to weather information over the WEB.
  • the user selects the application to be merged, and the parallel GUI automatically determines a set of cartridges provided by the application.
  • the parallel GUI software then merges the determined set of cartridges into the cu ⁇ ent data structure used to store data on the cu ⁇ ently loaded cartridges.
  • any conventional data structure may be used, including a ⁇ ays, hash tables, linked lists, and trees.
  • a data structure that allows easy replacement of entire cartridges (such as cartridges stored as branches of a tree) is used.
  • the parallel GUI software may then update any related data structures whose information depends upon knowledge of the cu ⁇ ent set of available cartridges.
  • the technique of controlling the allocation of display area 1 is used to open a context-sensitive network-browser-2 (CSNB) adjacent but not interfering with operating system desktop 3 and/or parallel graphical user interface 4.
  • a display controller such as alternate display content controller 6 may include CSNB 2 thus permitting the browser to create and control a space for itself on display 1 which may not be overwritten by utility operating system 5B.
  • the combined controller/browser may be an application running on the computer operating system, or may include an operating system kernel of varying complexity ranging from dependent on the utility operating system for hardware system services to a parallel system independent of the utility operating system and capable of supporting dedicated applications.
  • the alternate display content controller/browser may also include content and operating software such as JAVA delivered over the Internet I or any other LAN.
  • Context sensitive interface such as network browser 2 may respond to movement and placement of cursor 1C controlled by a pointing device such as mouse IM anywhere on display area 1. The generation and control of a cursor across two or more parallel graphical user interfaces was described previously. The location of cursor 1C will trigger CSNB 2 to retrieve appropriate and related network pages such as web page 2A. CSNB 2 may store the last X number of CSNB enabled network addresses for display offline. In a cu ⁇ ently prefe ⁇ ed embodiment of the present invention, X is ten pages. If a user is examining a saved CSNB enabled page offline, a mouse click on the page or a link on the page will initiate the users dial-up sequence and establish an online connection.
  • alternate display content controller 6 may include a browser or search engine.
  • space 2C may include an edit input box 2D.
  • Edit input box 2D may include conventional functionality's such as edit, copy, paste, etc.
  • a user may enter a URL into edit input box 2D using any conventional input device and then select a button to launch or initiate alternate display content controller 6 as a browser. This may be accomplished by using objects and or drivers from utility operating system 5B.
  • Initiating alternate display content controller 6 as a browser would include a simple window to display the URL as a live HTML document with all conventional functionality. By implementing alternate display content controller 6 as a little applet that uses that DLL, it may slide on, or slide off. Thus initiating alternate display content controller 6 as a browser is like a window into the Internet.
  • a user may enter any text into edit input box 2D using any conventional input device and then select a button to launch or initiate alternate display content controller 6 as a search engine.
  • search By entering a search string and selecting "search” and enter any string and click on “search” and pass that to any number from one to whatever or existing search engines, and subsequently have the search string acted on by one or more selected search engines and or by alternate display content controller 6 as a search engine. Resulting in multiple different windows appearing in some sort of stacked or cascaded or tiled format, with the different searches within them.
  • the results or HTML document may be displayed in any overscan area or on the desktop.
  • a context sensitive network browser such as CSNB 13 may also include a suite of tools such as tools 14 that may or may not have fixed locations on the browser space.
  • tools may include but are not limited to e- mail, chat, buddy lists and voice.
  • spaces such as desktop 14 A, web page 14B, secondary GUI 14C and browser 13 may be arranged in any convenient manner.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Human Computer Interaction (AREA)
  • Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
  • Controls And Circuits For Display Device (AREA)
  • User Interface Of Digital Computer (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne un contrôleur de contenu d'affichage alterné qui propose une technique de contrôle d'un affichage vidéo séparément de, et en plus, du contenu affiché sur la surface d'affichage du système d'exploitation. Lorsque l'affichage est un moniteur d'ordinateur, le contenu d'affichage alterné interagit avec le système d'exploitation et les pilotes du matériel informatique afin de contrôler une attribution d'espace d'affichage et de créer une ou plusieurs interfaces(s) graphique(s) utilisateur parallèle(s) en plus du bureau du système d'exploitation. Un contrôleur de contenu d'affichage alterné peut également être incorporé au matériel informatique ou au logiciel. En tant que logiciel, un contrôleur de contenu d'affichage alterné peut être une application fonctionnant sur le système d'exploitation informatique ou peut comporter un logiciel d'évaluation du système d'exploitation de complexité variable allant de, dépendant du système d'exploitation utilitaire pour les services du système de matériel informatique à indépendant du système d'exploitation utilitaire et capable de supporter des applications dédiées. Le contrôleur de contenu d'affichage alterné peut également comprendre un logiciel d'exploitation et de contenu livrés via Internet ou tout autre réseau étendu. Le contrôleur de contenu d'affichage alterné peut également être compris dans un décodeur/système intégré télévisuel afin de permettre à deux ou plus d'interfaces graphiques utilisateurs parallèles de s'afficher simultanément.
PCT/US2001/047737 2000-11-13 2001-11-13 Procede et systeme de controle d'une interface utilisateur complementaire sur une surface d'affichage Ceased WO2002039266A2 (fr)

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US24843800P 2000-11-13 2000-11-13
US60/248,438 2000-11-13
US72626100A 2000-11-28 2000-11-28
US09/724,919 2000-11-28
US09/726,262 2000-11-28
US09/724,978 2000-11-28
US09/726,202 2000-11-28
US09/724,978 US6892359B1 (en) 2000-02-18 2000-11-28 Method and system for controlling a complementary user interface on a display surface
US09/726,202 US6677964B1 (en) 2000-02-18 2000-11-28 Method and system for controlling a complementary user interface on a display surface
US09/726,261 2000-11-28
US09/726,262 US6727918B1 (en) 2000-02-18 2000-11-28 Method and system for controlling a complementary user interface on a display surface
US09/724,919 US6717596B1 (en) 2000-02-18 2000-11-28 Method and system for controlling a complementary user interface on a display surface

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Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1669848A3 (fr) * 2004-12-08 2012-06-06 Microsoft Corporation Méthode et système d'interface comportant une barre de tâches avec des touches
AU2014240365B2 (en) * 2004-12-08 2016-06-23 Microsoft Technology Licensing, Llc Method and system of taskbar button interface

Family Cites Families (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
AU4351297A (en) * 1996-09-27 1998-04-17 Honeywell Inc. Method for constraining the available display surface in which application displays may be rendered
US6590592B1 (en) * 1999-04-23 2003-07-08 Xsides Corporation Parallel interface

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1669848A3 (fr) * 2004-12-08 2012-06-06 Microsoft Corporation Méthode et système d'interface comportant une barre de tâches avec des touches
US8656300B2 (en) 2004-12-08 2014-02-18 Microsoft Corporation Method and system of taskbar button interfaces
AU2014240365B2 (en) * 2004-12-08 2016-06-23 Microsoft Technology Licensing, Llc Method and system of taskbar button interface
US9710133B2 (en) 2004-12-08 2017-07-18 Microsoft Technology Licensing, Llc Method and system of taskbar button interfaces

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AU2002232542A1 (en) 2002-05-21
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