Patents by Inventor Eric J. Horvitz
Eric J. Horvitz 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).
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Patent number: 9363361Abstract: Described herein is a technique for customizing device behavior based on evaluated relationships between a user and the user's environment. User conduct is analyzed based on available sensors, which may include user-facing cameras. The user's environmental context is similarly evaluated based on the available sensors. Conduct and context, as well as any identified relationships between such conduct and context, may be reported to application programs, and may form the basis for customized device behavior.Type: GrantFiled: April 12, 2011Date of Patent: June 7, 2016Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLCInventors: Gur Kimchi, Marc Eliot Davis, Matthew Graham Dyor, Eric J. Horvitz
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Publication number: 20160109257Abstract: A system with the ability to dynamically compose a sequence of visual views or flows allowing a single object or region, or multiple objects or regions, to be viewed from different perspectives and visual distances is described. The sequence of views can provide smooth flyovers over positions and details on objects that are deemed to be of interest, with changes in zoom level and/or velocity that are functions of the estimated complexity and/or unfamiliarity with features of the object. In an example, a flyover displaying different views on a map of a city arterial system on a small-screened mobile device is composed based on current traffic conditions, swooping up and down with parabolic trajectories, based on distances being traversed, and pausing at times over key traffic jams and other findings of interest based on the estimated visual complexity and predicted atypicality of situations.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 21, 2015Publication date: April 21, 2016Inventors: Eric J. Horvitz, Raman K. Sarin
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Patent number: 9267811Abstract: A system with the ability to dynamically compose a sequence of visual views or flows allowing a single object or region, or multiple objects or regions, to be viewed from different perspectives and visual distances is described. The sequence of views can provide smooth flyovers over positions and details on objects that are deemed to be of interest, with changes in zoom level and/or velocity that are functions of the estimated complexity and/or unfamiliarity with features of the object. In an example, a flyover displaying different views on a map of a city arterial system on a small-screened mobile device is composed based on current traffic conditions, swooping up and down with parabolic trajectories, based on distances being traversed, and pausing at times over key traffic jams and other findings of interest based on the estimated visual complexity and predicted atypicality of situations.Type: GrantFiled: March 13, 2013Date of Patent: February 23, 2016Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Eric J. Horvitz, Raman K. Sarin
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Publication number: 20160034705Abstract: A stochastic privacy service provider may provide users with a guaranteed upper bound on a probability that personal data will be accessed while enabling the services to collect data that can be used to enhance its services. Users may receive incentives to become participants in a stochastic privacy program. The stochastic privacy provider may employ one or more probabilistic and decision-theoretic methods to determine which participants' personal data should be sought while guaranteeing that the probability of personal data being accessed is smaller than the mutually agreed upon probability of access. The probability of access may be on a per time basis. The stochastic privacy provider mayaccess coalescenses of the personal data of sets of multiple people, where a maximum probability is given for accessing statistical summaries of personal data computed from groups of people that are of at least some guaranteed size.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 30, 2014Publication date: February 4, 2016Inventors: Eric J. Horvitz, Ece E. Kamar, Ryen W. White, Adish Singla
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Patent number: 9244931Abstract: Techniques provide time-aware ranking, such as ranking of information, files or URL (uniform resource locator) links. For example, time-aware modeling assists in determining user intent of a query to a search engine. In response to the query, results are ranked in a time-aware manner to better match the user intent. The ranking may model query, URL and query-URL pair behavior over time to create time-aware query, URL and query-URL pair models, respectively. Such models may predict behavior of a query-URL pair, such as frequency and timing of clicks to the URL of the pair when the query of the pair is posed to the search engine. Results of a query may be ranked by predicted query-URL behavior. Once ranked, the results may be sent to the user in response to the query.Type: GrantFiled: October 11, 2011Date of Patent: January 26, 2016Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Kira Radinsky, Susan T. Dumais, Krysta M Svore, Jaime Brooks Teevan, Eric J. Horvitz
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Patent number: 9243928Abstract: A system with the ability to dynamically compose a sequence of visual views or flows allowing a single object or region, or multiple objects or regions, to be viewed from different perspectives and visual distances is described. The sequence of views can provide smooth flyovers over positions and details on objects that are deemed to be of interest, with changes in zoom level and/or velocity that are functions of the estimated complexity and/or unfamiliarity with features of the object. In an example, a flyover displaying different views on a map of a city arterial system on a small-screened mobile device is composed based on current traffic conditions, swooping up and down with parabolic trajectories, based on distances being traversed, and pausing at times over key traffic jams and other findings of interest based on the estimated visual complexity and predicted atypicality of situations.Type: GrantFiled: February 15, 2013Date of Patent: January 26, 2016Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Eric J. Horvitz, Raman K. Sarin
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Publication number: 20150356488Abstract: A crowdsourcing environment is described herein which uses a single-stage or multi-stage approach to evaluate the quality of work performed by a worker, with respect to an identified task. In the multi-stage case, an evaluation system, in the first stage, determines whether the worker corresponds to a spam agent. In a second stage, for a non-spam worker, the evaluation system determines the propensity of the worker to perform desirable (e.g., accurate) work in the future. The evaluation system operates based on a set of features, including worker-focused features (which describe work performed by the particular worker), task-focused features (which describe tasks performed in the crowdsourcing environment), and system-focused features (which describe aspects of the configuration of the crowdsourcing environment). According to one illustrative aspect, the evaluation system performs its analysis using at least one model, produced using any type of supervised machine learning technique.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 9, 2014Publication date: December 10, 2015Inventors: Semiha Ece Kamar Eden, Rajesh M. Patel, Steven J. R. Shelford, Hai Wu, David A. Molnar, Eric J. Horvitz
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Publication number: 20150346837Abstract: Aspects relate to detecting gestures that relate to a desired action, wherein the detected gestures are common across users and/or devices within a surface computing environment. Inferred intentions and goals based on context, history, affordances, and objects are employed to interpret gestures. Where there is uncertainty in intention of the gestures for a single device or across multiple devices, independent or coordinated communication of uncertainty or engagement of users through signaling and/or information gathering can occur.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 10, 2015Publication date: December 3, 2015Inventors: Meredith June Morris, Eric J. Horvitz, Andrew Daivd Wilson, F. David Jones, Stephen E. Hodges, Kenneth P. Hinckley, David Alexander Butler, Ian M. Sands, V. Kevin Russ, Hrvoje Benko, Shawn R. LeProwse, Shahram Izadi, William Ben Kunz
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Publication number: 20150310224Abstract: The present invention provides methods for using abstractions of people, including dynamic and static groups of people, to enhance the efficiency of the specification and automation of policies for sharing information between users with a “need-to-know.” An instance of the present invention can also provide these users information based on a “time-to-know.” By providing access to information based on group affiliation and properties of the content of the information, the present invention maintains optimal information privacy while minimizing encumbrances to sharing data with appropriate users and even at appropriate times. The present invention can be integrated with other communication technologies to facilitate access to information in a time appropriate manner. Other instances of the present invention employ automated and semi-automated, mixed-initiative techniques, to make information-sharing decisions.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 6, 2015Publication date: October 29, 2015Inventors: Eric J. Horvitz, Jonathan T. Grudin, Prasun Dewan
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Patent number: 9163952Abstract: A suggestive mapping device may predict, suggest, and/or provide potential destinations to a user. Additionally, the device may store historical location data of the user, determine a travel vector of the user, and predict the destination of the user based at least in part on the historical location data and/or the travel vector. Further, the device may provide hands-free maps to destinations when the user does not know the address at least by receiving contextual data of the user and/or contextual data of the user's contacts. Such hands-free, suggestive mapping devices may facilitate more effective navigation.Type: GrantFiled: April 15, 2011Date of Patent: October 20, 2015Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLCInventors: Paul A. Viola, Zhaowei Jiang, John C. Krumm, Matthew Graham Dyor, Eric J. Horvitz, Lili Cheng
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Patent number: 9141704Abstract: Architecture that monitors interaction data (e.g., search queries, query results and click-through rates), and provides users with links to other users that fall into similar categories with respect to the foregoing monitored activities (e.g., providing links to individuals and groups that share common interests and/or profiles). A search engine can be interactively coupled with one or more social networks, and that maps individuals and/or groups within respective social networks to subsets of categories associated with searches. A database stores mapped information which can be continuously updated and reorganized as links within the system mapping become stronger or weaker. The architecture can comprise a social network system that includes a database for mapping search-related information to an entity of a social network, and a search component for processing a search query for search results and returning a link to an entity of a social network based on the search query.Type: GrantFiled: June 28, 2006Date of Patent: September 22, 2015Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Christopher A. Meek, Eric J. Horvitz, Joshua T. Goodman, Gary W. Flake, Oliver Hurst-Hiller, Anoop Gupta, Ramez Naam, Kenneth A. Moss, William H. Gates, III, John C. Platt, Trenholme J. Griffin, Bradly A. Brunell
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Patent number: 9134798Abstract: Aspects relate to detecting gestures that relate to a desired action, wherein the detected gestures are common across users and/or devices within a surface computing environment. Inferred intentions and goals based on context, history, affordances, and objects are employed to interpret gestures. Where there is uncertainty in intention of the gestures for a single device or across multiple devices, independent or coordinated communication of uncertainty or engagement of users through signaling and/or information gathering can occur.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 2008Date of Patent: September 15, 2015Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Meredith June Morris, Eric J. Horvitz, Andrew David Wilson, F. David Jones, Stephen E. Hodges, Kenneth P. Hinckley, David Alexander Butler, Ian M. Sands, V. Kevin Russ, Hrvoje Benko, Shawn R. LeProwse, Shahram Izadi, William Ben Kunz
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Publication number: 20150212712Abstract: The present invention provides a unique system and method that facilitates navigating smoothly and gracefully through any type of content viewable on portable devices such as cell-phones, PDAs, and/or any other hybrids thereof. In addition, such navigation can be performed while preserving perspective and context with respect to a larger amount of content. Pointing devices can also be used to navigate through content—the amount or detail of the content being dependant on the speed of the pointing device. Additionally, a semi-transparent overview of content can be overlaid a zoomed-in portion of content to provide perspective to the zoomed in portion. Content shown in the semi-transparent overview can depend on the location of the pointing device with respect to the content.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 12, 2014Publication date: July 30, 2015Inventors: Daniel C. Robbins, Raman K. Sarin, Eric J. Horvitz, Edward B. Cutrell
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Patent number: 9076128Abstract: The present invention provides methods for using abstractions of people, including dynamic and static groups of people, to enhance the efficiency of the specification and automation of policies for sharing information between users with a “need-to-know.” An instance of the present invention can also provide these users information based on a “time-to-know.”By providing access to information based on group affiliation and properties of the content of the information, the present invention maintains optimal information privacy while minimizing encumbrances to sharing data with appropriate users and even at appropriate times. The present invention can be integrated with other communication technologies to facilitate access to information in a time appropriate manner. Other instances of the present invention employ automated and semi-automated, mixed-initiative techniques, to make information-sharing decisions.Type: GrantFiled: February 23, 2011Date of Patent: July 7, 2015Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Eric J. Horvitz, Jonathan T. Grudin, Prasun Dewan
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Publication number: 20150185037Abstract: A route planning system comprises a receiver component that receives a request for directions between a beginning point and a destination point. An analysis component analyzes a traffic system representation that varies as context varies and outputs expected amounts of travel time between the beginning point and the destination point for multiple contexts based at least in part upon the analysis. A method is described herein that includes techniques for searching over routes and trip start times simultaneously so as to identity start times and routes associated with maximal expected value, or equivalently minimum expected cost, given preferences encoded about one or more of the leaving time, the travel time, and the arrival time.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 11, 2015Publication date: July 2, 2015Inventor: Eric J. Horvitz
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Publication number: 20150149430Abstract: The subject disclosure pertains to web searches and more particularly toward influencing resultant content to increase relevancy. The resultant content can be influenced by reconfiguring a query and/or filtering results based on user location and/or context information (e.g., user characteristics/profile, prior interaction/usage temporal, current events, and third party state/context . . . ). Furthermore, the disclosure provides for query execution on at least a subset of designated web content, for example as specified by a user. Still further yet, a localized marketing system is disclosed that provides discount offers to users that match merchant criteria including proximity. A system for actively probing populations of users with different parameters and monitoring responses can be employed to collect data for identifying the best discounts and deadlines to offer to users to achieve desired results.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 3, 2014Publication date: May 28, 2015Inventors: Gary Flake, William H. Gates, III, Eric J. Horvitz, Joshua T. Goodman, Surajit J. Chaudhuri, Trenholme J. Griffin, Oliver Hurst-Hiller, Kenneth A. Moss
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Patent number: 9043358Abstract: A unified search service may collect information related to an enterprise from at least one of publicly available data and private enterprise data. In some implementations, crowd sourcing may be used to determine a source list of one or more sources of information. Authored content can be generated, such as by combining one or more items of information from the public data with one or more items of information from the private enterprise data. Further, in some implementations, a public index may be generated from the public data, and one or more affiliation indexes may be generated from the private enterprise data. For example, a first affiliation index may contain confidential enterprise information, while a second affiliation index may contain non-confidential enterprise information. A user's affiliation to the enterprise may be taken into consideration when determining which indexes to use when responding to a search request from the user.Type: GrantFiled: March 9, 2011Date of Patent: May 26, 2015Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Lili Cheng, Xuedong David Huang, Heung-Yeung Shum, Eric J. Horvitz, James H. Lewallen, Todd D. Newman, David S. Taniguchi
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Patent number: 9015081Abstract: Escalations in users' goals or concerns in web-based searching and browsing may be predicted. An escalation feature is extracted from a webpage and run through a classifier trained to estimate a likelihood that a subsequent search query will comprise an escalation when compared to a previous search query and/or that a subsequent webpage selection will comprise an escalation when compared to a previous webpage selection. It can thus be predicted whether a user visiting a current webpage is likely to escalate or navigate to another webpage based upon the current webpage, for example.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 2010Date of Patent: April 21, 2015Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Eric J. Horvitz, Ryen W. White
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Patent number: 9008960Abstract: A route planning system comprises a receiver component that receives a request for directions between a beginning point and a destination point. An analysis component analyzes a traffic system representation that varies as context varies and outputs expected amounts of travel time between the beginning point and the destination point for multiple contexts based at least in part upon the analysis. A method is described herein that includes techniques for searching over routes and trip start times simultaneously so as to identity start times and routes associated with maximal expected value, or equivalently minimum expected cost, given preferences encoded about one or more of the leaving time, the travel time, and the arrival time.Type: GrantFiled: June 19, 2013Date of Patent: April 14, 2015Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventor: Eric J. Horvitz
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Patent number: 9007648Abstract: The claimed subject matter relates to an architecture that can provide configurable entities in connection with electronic archival of print-based media. In accordance therewith, print-based media can be archived electronically (e.g., by imaging or scanning the print-based media) in a remastered form that provides for displaying the original work with readily modifiable entities, such as advertisements. Media or entities can be selected based upon the original advertiser, the original product, or another element or feature of the print-based media, and can also be selected based upon a profile associated with the media consumer.Type: GrantFiled: July 24, 2013Date of Patent: April 14, 2015Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Gary W. Flake, Eric J. Horvitz, Lili Cheng