Patents by Inventor Hugh E. Williams
Hugh E. Williams 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: 11915045Abstract: In at least some embodiments, a store-type operation is received and buffered within a store queue entry of a store queue associated with a cache memory of a processor core capable of executing multiple simultaneous hardware threads. A thread identifier indicating a particular hardware thread among the multiple hardware threads that issued the store-type operation is recorded. An indication of whether the store queue entry is a most recently allocated store queue entry for buffering store-type operations of the hardware thread is also maintained. While the indication indicates the store queue entry is a most recently allocated store queue entry for buffering store-type operations of the particular hardware thread, the store queue extends a duration of a store gathering window applicable to the store queue entry. For example, the duration may be extended by decreasing a rate at which the store gathering window applicable to the store queue entry ends.Type: GrantFiled: June 18, 2021Date of Patent: February 27, 2024Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Derek E. Williams, Guy L. Guthrie, Hugh Shen
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Patent number: 10853374Abstract: A method and media are provided for managing feedback data that will be used for ranking search results. A plurality of user feedback data from more than one user can be aggregated into a search index. The user feedback data can be associated with one or more documents within the index such that the one or more documents can be ranked based on the type of feedback data that is aggregated. Once the documents have been ranked, the ranked documents can be provided to a requester.Type: GrantFiled: September 17, 2014Date of Patent: December 1, 2020Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLCInventors: James Dai, Julia H. Farago, Natala J. Menezes, Ramez Naam, Saleel Sathe, Hugh E. Williams
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Patent number: 8959104Abstract: Systems and methods for determining query suggestions based upon content items are provided. Content items may include, without limitation, a search query result item, e.g., displayed on a search results web page, an advertisement, and a query-based query suggestion. Once determined content-item-based query suggestions are presented to the user. If desired, such presentation may be dynamically exposed in response to a user action, for instance, in response to a user hovering over a portion of the associated content item for at least a predetermined period of time.Type: GrantFiled: March 21, 2008Date of Patent: February 17, 2015Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Ariel J. Lazier, Hugh E. Williams, Timothy C. Hoad
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Patent number: 8503523Abstract: Functionality is described for forming a summary representation of a video item to help a user decide whether to obtain a full version of the video item. The functionality operates by: (a) receiving a video item; (b) dividing the video item into a plurality of segments; (c) extracting at least one key frame from each of the plurality of segments to form a plurality of key frames; and (d) organizing the video segments into one or more groups corresponding to one or more respective scenes based on the plurality of key frames, to thereby form the representation of the video item. The functionality can be used to communicate search results to a user, to provide a sample of the video item in a message, etc.Type: GrantFiled: June 29, 2007Date of Patent: August 6, 2013Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Hugh E. Williams, Xian-Sheng Hua, Hong-Qiao Li, Xiaodong Fan, Richard Qian
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Patent number: 8103967Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer storage media for generating a virtual workspace that references online media content of interest, facilitates re-visitation of encountered instances of content, and shares those instances with other software applications are provided. Upon receiving an indication that an online media content item has been selected, at least a reference thereto is copied to a virtual workspace where it may be accessed at a later time. The virtual workspace may be organized into content collections via the use of reference groupings, folders, categories, tags, labels, and the like and may be accessible in the context of a plurality of applications. In embodiments, the virtual workspace is associated with a display area that is presented concurrently with an application being utilized so that the virtual workspace may be accessed and utilized without leaving the context of an active application.Type: GrantFiled: August 31, 2007Date of Patent: January 24, 2012Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Ariel J. Lazier, Hugh E. Williams, Timothy C. Hoad, Joshua Edward Smith
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Patent number: 8005857Abstract: A unique object navigation system, user interface, and method that facilitate faster and smoother navigation of objects are provided. For example, the system can generate a plurality of objects that can be rendered on a display space that spans a single page in length, thereby mitigating the need to navigate through multiple pages. The system can determine the length of the page according to the number of objects generated. To view off-screen objects, an infinite scroll component can be employed. The amount of scroll space needed to view the plurality of objects can be determined in part by the length of the page and/or by the number of objects. The objects can also be viewed in a film strip format that is infinitely scrollable. The film strip view allows a view of the objects to be maintained while also viewing a selected object in greater detail at the same time.Type: GrantFiled: December 3, 2009Date of Patent: August 23, 2011Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Julia H. Farago, Hugh E. Williams, James E. Walsh, Nicholas A. Whyte, Kavi J. Goel, Philip Fung, Ariel J. Lazier, Kenneth A. Moss, Ethan N. Ray
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Patent number: 7774339Abstract: It has been found that user navigation that follows search engine interactions provides implicit endorsement of resources (such as web resources) that are preferred by users, and which may be particularly valuable for exploratory search tasks. Thus, a combination of past searching and browsing user behavior is analyzed to identify additional information that augments search results delivered by a search engine. The additional information may include a display of hyperlinks to locations which are derived from the past searching and browsing user behavior, given a specific input query. The additional information may be provided to supplement web search results.Type: GrantFiled: June 11, 2007Date of Patent: August 10, 2010Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Ryen W. White, Mikhail Bilenko, Nicholas E. Craswell, Michael M. Cameron, Hugh E. Williams
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Publication number: 20100083155Abstract: A unique object navigation system, user interface, and method that facilitate faster and smoother navigation of objects are provided. For example, the system can generate a plurality of objects that can be rendered on a display space that spans a single page in length, thereby mitigating the need to navigate through multiple pages. The system can determine the length of the page according to the number of objects generated. To view off-screen objects, an infinite scroll component can be employed. The amount of scroll space needed to view the plurality of objects can be determined in part by the length of the page and/or by the number of objects. The objects can also be viewed in a film strip format that is infinitely scrollable. The film strip view allows a view of the objects to be maintained while also viewing a selected object in greater detail at the same time.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 3, 2009Publication date: April 1, 2010Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATIONInventors: JULIA H. FARAGO, HUGH E. WILLIAMS, JAMES E. WALSH, NICHOLAS A. WHYTE, KAVI J. GOEL, PHILIP FUNG, ARIEL J. LAZIER, KENNETH A. MOSS, ETHAN N. RAY
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Patent number: 7664739Abstract: A unique object navigation system, user interface, and method that facilitate faster and smoother navigation of objects are provided. For example, the system can generate a plurality of objects that can be rendered on a display space that spans a single page in length, thereby mitigating the need to navigate through multiple pages. The system can determine the length of the page according to the number of objects generated. To view off-screen objects, an infinite scroll component can be employed. The amount of scroll space needed to view the plurality of objects can be determined in part by the length of the page and/or by the number of objects. The objects can also be viewed in a film strip format that is infinitely scrollable. The film strip view allows a view of the objects to be maintained while also viewing a selected object in greater detail at the same time.Type: GrantFiled: February 14, 2006Date of Patent: February 16, 2010Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Julia H. Farago, Hugh E. Williams, James E. Walsh, Nicholas A. Whyte, Kavi J. Goel, Philip Fung, Ariel J. Lazier, Kenneth A. Moss, Ethan N. Ray
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Publication number: 20090240683Abstract: Systems and methods for determining query suggestions based upon content items are provided. Content items may include, without limitation, a search query result item, e.g., displayed on a search results web page, an advertisement, and a query-based query suggestion. Once determined content-item-based query suggestions are presented to the user. If desired, such presentation may be dynamically exposed in response to a user action, for instance, in response to a user hovering over a portion of the associated content item for at least a predetermined period of time.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 21, 2008Publication date: September 24, 2009Applicant: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Ariel J. Lazier, Hugh E. Williams, Timothy C. Hoad
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Publication number: 20090198676Abstract: Information retrieval systems such as web search systems locate documents amongst millions and even billions of possible documents on the basis of query terms. In order to achieve this document indexes are created. We propose creating new fields in the documents to store feedback information. This information comprises query terms used in a particular search as well as information about whether a particular document retrieved is given positive or negative feedback for example. Indexes are created on the basis of this feedback information in addition to other available information. As a result relevance of search results is improved. Multiple fields of information are available for given documents (such as abstract fields, title fields, anchor text fields as well as our feedback fields). Any search algorithm which deals with multiple fields as well as multiple query terms and which provides for differential weighting of document fields is used.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 15, 2007Publication date: August 6, 2009Applicant: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Michael J. Taylor, Stephen Robertson, Hugh E. Williams, Nicholas E. Craswell
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Publication number: 20090157612Abstract: An economy is created where users compete to get their search lists shown based on a set of criteria. The search lists can be displayed after the users pay a rent associated with a query. The search lists continue to be displayed if search lists are popular with the public. If a search list is popular, it earns revenue for the creator of the list. If the search list is not popular, it is removed from being displayed and receives no further consideration. The creator initially creates a search list for a low-valued query and moves up to creating a search list for a higher-valued query if the creator can pay the higher rent associated with the higher-valued query. The creator earns more revenue when targeting higher-valued queries. The creator continues to create search lists until the highest-valued queries are reached.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 14, 2007Publication date: June 18, 2009Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATIONInventors: Phillip T. Su, Eric Burns, Hugh E. Williams
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Publication number: 20090150784Abstract: Systems, methods, and user interfaces for presenting video search results are provided. Representations of video search results are presented to the user. Each representation may include a video preview of the video item. If desired, the preview may be dynamically executed in response to a user action, for instance, in response to a user hovering over a portion of the associated video representation for at least a predetermined period of time. Another embodiment in accordance with the present invention relates to a user interface for presenting video search results in response to an input query. The user interface includes a video item representation display area and a video item display area. The video item representation display area displays a representation of each of the video items, and if desired, the representation is dynamically executed in response to a user action. The video item display area may display the one or more video items.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 7, 2007Publication date: June 11, 2009Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATIONInventors: JUSTIN S. DENNEY, TIMOTHY C. HOAD, HUGH E. WILLIAMS, RICHARD J. QIAN
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Publication number: 20090064007Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer storage media for generating a virtual workspace that references online media content of interest, facilitates re-visitation of encountered instances of content, and shares those instances with other software applications are provided. Upon receiving an indication that an online media content item has been selected, at least a reference thereto is copied to a virtual workspace where it may be accessed at a later time. The virtual workspace may be organized into content collections via the use of reference groupings, folders, categories, tags, labels, and the like and may be accessible in the context of a plurality of applications. In embodiments, the virtual workspace is associated with a display area that is presented concurrently with an application being utilized so that the virtual workspace may be accessed and utilized without leaving the context of an active application.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 31, 2007Publication date: March 5, 2009Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATIONInventors: Ariel J. Lazier, Hugh E. Williams, Timothy C. Hoad, Joshua E. Smith
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Publication number: 20090007202Abstract: Functionality is described for forming a summary representation of a video item to help a user decide whether to obtain a full version of the video item. The functionality operates by: (a) receiving a video item; (b) dividing the video item into a plurality of segments; (c) extracting at least one key frame from each of the plurality of segments to form a plurality of key frames; and (d) organizing the video segments into one or more groups corresponding to one or more respective scenes based on the plurality of key frames, to thereby form the representation of the video item. The functionality can be used to communicate search results to a user, to provide a sample of the video item in a message, etc.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 29, 2007Publication date: January 1, 2009Applicant: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Hugh E. Williams, Xian-Sheng Hua, Hong-Qiao Li, Xiaodong Fan, Richard Qian
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Publication number: 20080306937Abstract: It has been found that user navigation that follows search engine interactions provides implicit endorsement of resources (such as web resources) that are preferred by users, and which may be particularly valuable for exploratory search tasks. Thus, a combination of past searching and browsing user behavior is analyzed to identify additional information that augments search results delivered by a search engine. The additional information may include a display of hyperlinks to locations which are derived from the past searching and browsing user behavior, given a specific input query. The additional information may be provided to supplement web search results.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 11, 2007Publication date: December 11, 2008Applicant: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Ryen W. Whilte, Mikhail Bilenko, Nicholas E. Craswell, Michael M. Cameron, Hugh E. Williams
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Publication number: 20080208831Abstract: Computer readable media, systems, and methods for controlling search indexing are described. In embodiments, a search index control instruction is received and, if permitted by the search index control instruction, content pertaining to the received instruction is indexed and presented in accordance therewith. In one embodiment, receiving the search index control instruction includes traversing the Internet with a web crawler and analyzing one or both of a robots.txt file and source code associated with a website of interest to locate instructions. Search index control instructions may include, by way of example only, exclusionary instructions (e.g., excluding specified domains from linking to portions of the content associated with a website) and modification instructions (e.g., permitting indexing and presentation of content associated with a website but only in a modified form to reduce the risk of content theft).Type: ApplicationFiled: February 26, 2007Publication date: August 28, 2008Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATIONInventors: Julia H. Farago, Hugh E. Williams, Darren A. Shakib, Nicholas A. Whyte, Srinath R. Aaleti