Patents by Inventor Alan Noel MULHALL

Alan Noel MULHALL has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11694254
    Abstract: The description relates to an interactive physical product browsing experience. One example includes a display system for displaying objects. The display system comprises a plurality of object displays each comprising an object store, a robot for moving objects to and from a repository, a user input receiving means, and a processing means. The processing means is configured to cause the object displays to display some of the objects, monitor user behaviour using the user input receiving means, and cause the robot to move an object from the repository to one of the object stores based on the user behaviour.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Andreas Balzer, David Mowatt, Alan Noel Mulhall, Muiris Woulfe
  • Patent number: 11272055
    Abstract: Methods and systems which perform information retrieval using natural language dialogue for navigating an inventory of items are described. One example provides an information retrieval system to a user using natural language dialogue. The system comprises a user input receiving device, an output device, a database comprising an inventory of items, and a processor. The processor is configured to retrieve one or more items from the inventory of items using an iterative process by: in response to receiving from the user input receiving device a user input, identifying a subset of the inventory based on the user input. The processor is configured to automatically process the subset of items to determine a classification for distinguishing between items of the subset, to generate an enquiry for a user using the classification and to transmit the enquiry to the output device. The user input and/or the enquiry may use natural language.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Andreas Balzer, David Mowatt, Alan Noel Mulhall, Muiris Woulfe
  • Patent number: 11074058
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer storage media for providing and removing deployment packages using deployment system operations of an integrated deployment strategy in a deployment system. The integrated deployment strategy includes programmatically defined deployment operations that are associated with deployment profiles for intelligent structured and coordinated deployment of deployment packages. In operation, based on one or more scores (e.g., early adopter score, fit scores, usage propensity score) of a first set of deployment profiles for a first plurality of users, deployment operations are performed to cause execution of a deployment package for clients associated with the first plurality of users. Based on deployment data of the deployment package, the first set of deployment profiles, and a second set of deployment profiles, a second plurality of users are identified for executing the deployment package.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: David Mowatt, Alan Noel Mulhall
  • Patent number: 10838575
    Abstract: The description relates to determining tiles of interest to a user. One example includes a computing device comprising a display, a user input receiving means, and a processing means. The processing means is configured to render on the display a first plurality of tiles each having a respective value of a first classification. The processing means is configured to receive from the user input receiving means a first user input indicating user interest in a first tile of the first plurality of tiles, the first tile having a first value of the first classification. The processing means is configured, in response to receiving the first user input, to render on the display a second plurality of tiles each having a respective value of a second classification and being related to the first tile by having a value of the first classification within a threshold similarity of the first value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Andreas Balzer, Alan Noel Mulhall, Muiris Woulfe, David Mowatt
  • Publication number: 20200007681
    Abstract: Methods and systems which perform information retrieval using natural language dialogue for navigating an inventory of items are described. One example provides an information retrieval system to a user using natural language dialogue. The system comprises a user input receiving device, an output device, a database comprising an inventory of items, and a processor. The processor is configured to retrieve one or more items from the inventory of items using an iterative process by: in response to receiving from the user input receiving device a user input, identifying a subset of the inventory based on the user input. The processor is configured to automatically process the subset of items to determine a classification for distinguishing between items of the subset, to generate an enquiry for a user using the classification and to transmit the enquiry to the output device. The user input and/or the enquiry may use natural language.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2019
    Publication date: January 2, 2020
    Inventors: Andreas BALZER, David MOWATT, Alan Noel MULHALL, Muiris WOULFE
  • Patent number: 10455087
    Abstract: Methods and systems which perform information retrieval using natural language dialog for navigating an inventory of items are described. One example provides an information retrieval system to a user using natural language dialog. The system comprises a user input receiving device, an output device, a database comprising an inventory of items, and a processor. The processor is configured to retrieve one or more items from the inventory of items using an iterative process by: in response to receiving from the user input receiving device a user input, identifying a subset of the inventory based on the user input. The processor is configured to automatically process the subset of items to determine a classification for distinguishing between items of the subset, to generate an enquiry for a user using the classification and to transmit the enquiry to the output device. The user input and/or the enquiry may use natural language.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Andreas Balzer, David Mowatt, Alan Noel Mulhall, Muiris Woulfe
  • Publication number: 20180364888
    Abstract: The description relates to determining tiles of interest to a user. One example includes a computing device comprising a display, a user input receiving means, and a processing means. The processing means is configured to render on the display a first plurality of tiles each having a respective value of a first classification. The processing means is configured to receive from the user input receiving means a first user input indicating user interest in a first tile of the first plurality of tiles, the first tile having a first value of the first classification. The processing means is configured, in response to receiving the first user input, to render on the display a second plurality of tiles each having a respective value of a second classification and being related to the first tile by having a value of the first classification within a threshold similarity of the first value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2017
    Publication date: December 20, 2018
    Inventors: Andreas BALZER, Alan Noel MULHALL, Muiris WOULFE, David MOWATT
  • Publication number: 20180365759
    Abstract: The description relates to an interactive physical product browsing experience. One example includes a display system for displaying objects. The display system comprises a plurality of object displays each comprising an object store, a robot for moving objects to and from a repository, a user input receiving means, and a processing means. The processing means is configured to cause the object displays to display some of the objects, monitor user behaviour using the user input receiving means, and cause the robot to move an object from the repository to one of the object stores based on the user behaviour.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2017
    Publication date: December 20, 2018
    Inventors: Andreas BALZER, David MOWATT, Alan Noel MULHALL, Muiris WOULFE
  • Publication number: 20180367668
    Abstract: Methods and systems which perform information retrieval using natural language dialogue for navigating an inventory of items are described. One example provides an information retrieval system to a user using natural language dialogue. The system comprises a user input receiving device, an output device, a database comprising an inventory of items, and a processor. The processor is configured to retrieve one or more items from the inventory of items using an iterative process by: in response to receiving from the user input receiving device a user input, identifying a subset of the inventory based on the user input. The processor is configured to automatically process the subset of items to determine a classification for distinguishing between items of the subset, to generate an enquiry for a user using the classification and to transmit the enquiry to the output device. The user input and/or the enquiry may use natural language.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2017
    Publication date: December 20, 2018
    Inventors: Andreas BALZER, David MOWATT, Alan Noel MULHALL, Muiris WOULFE