Patents by Inventor James M. Lyon

James M. Lyon 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: 9880759
    Abstract: A data storage array may be made up of several storage devices, each of which may contain array metadata that may allow portions of the storage array to be used. A system may have a file system manager that may receive and respond to file system commands and a storage device manager that may store data on the several storage devices. Array metadata defining where data is stored within the storage array is stored on each device within the array. A policy engine may identify data to be stored on the array and determine if the data contains array metadata or other types of data and may store the data on every device, devices having specific characteristics, two or more devices, or one device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: David A. Goebel, James M. Lyon, Bulat Shelepov, Robert S. Kleinschmidt, Mark Vayman
  • Patent number: 9713174
    Abstract: Described is a technology by which a target device automatically starts tethering on a source device. A target device sends a request to start tethering to the source device, which responds by starting tethering, independent of needing any user interaction on the source device. While tethering is operational, status messages may be exchanged between the source device and the target device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Thomas W. Kuehnel, Shai Guday, James M. Lyon
  • Patent number: 9445305
    Abstract: Techniques and tools are described for transmitting beacon messages using a wireless communication protocol, such as the Bluetooth Low Energy protocol. In some examples, beacon messages can be generated in a compact format and included in an AdvData portion of a payload of a protocol data unit of a Bluetooth Low Energy advertising channel packet. A beacon message can be transmitted from a stationary beacon generation device and broadcast to an area within a transmission range of the beacon generation device, and mobile computing devices, such as mobile phones, can receive the beacon message and perform one or more actions in response to information contained in the beacon message, all while conserving energy used by the beacon generation device and the mobile computing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: James M. Lyon, Hugh A. Teegan, Thomas Kuehnel, Vishal Soni
  • Patent number: 9385947
    Abstract: A message transport system may use a publication subscription mechanism to connect nodes and transport messages through the nodes. Each node may establish connections to other nodes, and subscription requests and publication notifications may be passed across the nodes to establish paths for messages. When a message is published, the message may be passed over those connections for which a subscription is active. A path identifier may be added to the message as it is passed between nodes, and the path identifier may be used by a subscribing node for identification of the information being received. When a subscriber notification is removed, the path may be deconstructed across multiple nodes. The nodes may be arranged such that each node is agnostic to any connections past the nodes to which it is connected, and may allow any node to subscribe to any information published within the network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Daniel Thompson, Michael K. Liptack, James M. Lyon, Robert Hanz, Guhan Suriyanarayanan, Chien-Lung Yu
  • Patent number: 9280433
    Abstract: Described is a headless server appliance configured with a secondary actuation mechanism that when actuated, enters the headless server appliance into a diagnostic mode. For example, the diagnostic mode may correspond to a secondary operating system booted from a BIOS component activated by the secondary actuation mechanism. In the diagnostic mode, primitives may be communicated between a client device coupled (e.g., via a network or USB connection) to the headless server appliance, such as to provide the client device with access to the headless server appliance's hard disk. Other primitives, such as communicated via APIs, may provide the client device with access to the BIOS. The secondary operating system and/or client device may perform diagnostics and recovery operations on the headless server appliance. For example, the client device or similar source may restore or update the primary operating system image to a storage medium of the headless server appliance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Cesare John Saretto, James C. Gray, James M. Lyon
  • Publication number: 20150301758
    Abstract: A data storage array may be made up of several storage devices, each of which may contain array metadata that may allow portions of the storage array to be used. A system may have a file system manager that may receive and respond to file system commands and a storage device manager that may store data on the several storage devices. Array metadata defining where data is stored within the storage array is stored on each device within the array. A policy engine may identify data to be stored on the array and determine if the data contains array metadata or other types of data and may store the data on every device, devices having specific characteristics, two or more devices, or one device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2015
    Publication date: October 22, 2015
    Inventors: David A. Goebel, James M. Lyon, Bulat Shelepov, Robert S. Kleinschmidt, Mark Vayman
  • Patent number: 9037541
    Abstract: A data storage array may be made up of several storage devices, each of which may contain array metadata that may allow portions of the storage array to be used. A system may have a file system manager that may receive and respond to file system commands and a storage device manager that may store data on the several storage devices. Array metadata defining where data is stored within the storage array is stored on each device within the array. A policy engine may identify data to be stored on the array and determine if the data contains array metadata or other types of data and may store the data on every device, devices having specific characteristics, two or more devices, or one device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: David A. Goebel, James M. Lyon, Bulat Shelepov, Robert S. Kleinschmidt, Mark Vayman
  • Patent number: 9008639
    Abstract: Techniques and tools are described for controlling an audio signal of a mobile device. For example, information indicative of acceleration of the mobile device can be received and correlation between the information indicative of acceleration and exemplar whack event data can be determined. An audio signal of the mobile device can be controlled based on the correlation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: James M. Lyon, James Kai Yu Lau, Raman Kumar Sarin, Jae Pum Park, Monica Estela Gonzalez Veron
  • Publication number: 20140161129
    Abstract: A message transport system may use a publication subscription mechanism to connect nodes and transport messages through the nodes. Each node may establish connections to other nodes, and subscription requests and publication notifications may be passed across the nodes to establish paths for messages. When a message is published, the message may be passed over those connections for which a subscription is active. A path identifier may be added to the message as it is passed between nodes, and the path identifier may be used by a subscribing node for identification of the information being received. When a subscriber notification is removed, the path may be deconstructed across multiple nodes. The nodes may be arranged such that each node is agnostic to any connections past the nodes to which it is connected, and may allow any node to subscribe to any information published within the network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2014
    Publication date: June 12, 2014
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel Thompson, Michael K. Liptack, James M. Lyon, Robert Hanz, Guhan Suriyanarayanan, Chien-Lung Yu
  • Patent number: 8675518
    Abstract: A message transport system may use a publication subscription mechanism to connect nodes and transport messages through the nodes. Each node may establish connections to other nodes, and subscription requests and publication notifications may be passed across the nodes to establish paths for messages. When a message is published, the message may be passed over those connections for which a subscription is active. A path identifier may be added to the message as it is passed between nodes, and the path identifier may be used by a subscribing node for identification of the information being received. When a subscriber notification is removed, the path may be deconstructed across multiple nodes. The nodes may be arranged such that each node is agnostic to any connections past the nodes to which it is connected, and may allow any node to subscribe to any information published within the network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Micorsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel Thompson, Michael K. Liptack, James M. Lyon, Robert Hanz, Guhan Suriyanarayanan, Chien-Lung Yu
  • Publication number: 20130331028
    Abstract: Described is a technology by which a target device automatically starts tethering on a source device. A target device sends a request to start tethering to the source device, which responds by starting tethering, independent of needing any user interaction on the source device. While tethering is operational, status messages may be exchanged between the source device and the target device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2012
    Publication date: December 12, 2013
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Thomas W. Kuehnel, Shai Guday, James M. Lyon
  • Patent number: 8533420
    Abstract: A storage monitoring system may reside between a file system and a storage system in a thin provisioned storage system. The storage monitoring system may create space holder files within a volume, where the space holder files contain an address space not backed up with physical storage. As requests for storage space are received from a file system, the storage monitoring system may allocate physical space to the volume by provisioning portions of the physical storage device to the volume and by removing one of the space holder files. The storage monitoring system may present alerts when physical storage space is low, as well as return an amount of physical space available to a volume size request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: David A. Goebel, James M. Lyon, Bulat Shelepov, Robert S. Kleinschmidt, Mark Vayman
  • Patent number: 8478755
    Abstract: A computer-implemented sorting method for efficiently sorting large data sets in computing environments that include virtual memory and processor caching, the method including determining available physical memory, identifying portions of the data set that each fit in the available physical memory, determining available cache, identifying sub-portions within the portions that each fit in the available cache, sorting each sub-portion, repeating the identifying portions, identifying sub-portions, and sorting for each portion of the data set, and merging the sorted sub-portions and portions such that the data set is sorted. The sorting method avoids the use of virtual memory and seeks to identify sub-portions that fit in available cache.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventor: James M. Lyon
  • Patent number: 8473956
    Abstract: A priority based scheduling system for a server prioritizes multiple tasks that are defined using various constraints, which may include relationships defined between different tasks, performance parameters for each task, and completion constraints. The system may track actual performance of a task and update the performance parameters over time. Some embodiments may include a status monitoring agent that may detect that a monitored network parameter has changed that may cause a scheduled task to be raised or lowered in priority. The system may be used to schedule and execute one time tasks as well as recurring tasks, and may execute those tasks during a rigid or flexible periodic time window. Many of the tasks may be pausable and resumable, and such tasks may be performed in increments over successive time windows.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Charles E. Kindel, James Christopher Gray, Neil S. Fishman, James M. Lyon, Alexander Dadiomov
  • Publication number: 20130065584
    Abstract: Techniques and tools are described for transmitting beacon messages using a wireless communication protocol, such as the Bluetooth Low Energy protocol. In some examples, beacon messages can be generated in a compact format and included in an AdvData portion of a payload of a protocol data unit of a Bluetooth Low Energy advertising channel packet. A beacon message can be transmitted from a stationary beacon generation device and broadcast to an area within a transmission range of the beacon generation device, and mobile computing devices, such as mobile phones, can receive the beacon message and perform one or more actions in response to information contained in the beacon message, all while conserving energy used by the beacon generation device and the mobile computing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2011
    Publication date: March 14, 2013
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: James M. Lyon, Hugh A. Teegan, Thomas Kuehnel, Vishal Soni
  • Publication number: 20120231838
    Abstract: Techniques and tools are described for controlling an audio signal of a mobile device. For example, information indicative of acceleration of the mobile device can be received and correlation between the information indicative of acceleration and exemplar whack event data can be determined. An audio signal of the mobile device can be controlled based on the correlation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2011
    Publication date: September 13, 2012
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: James M. Lyon, James Kai Yu Lau, Raman Kumar Sarin, Jae Pum Park, Monica Estela Gonzalez Veron
  • Patent number: 8239648
    Abstract: A thin provisioned storage system may have a file system manager that presents a logical storage system to a user and a storage management system that manages physical storage devices. When a block of data is freed at the logical layer, the file system manager may identify the freed block and send a command to the physical layer. The physical layer may identify the corresponding physical block or blocks and free those blocks on the physical layer. The storage management system may use a table to manage the location of blocks of data across multiple physical storage devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: David A. Goebel, James M. Lyon, Bulat Shelepov, Robert S. Kleinschmidt, Mark Vayman
  • Patent number: 8225232
    Abstract: The subject invention relates to systems and methods that enable dynamic programming and execution of an electronic communications dialog. In one aspect, a configurable messaging system is provided. The system includes a configuration file to describe interface options of a computerized dialog session, wherein the configuration file specifies interface activities and state transitions between the interface options within the configuration file. A state controller executes the interface options during communications activities with the dialog session. The configuration file can also describe prompt elements to solicit information from users or applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Sridhar Sundararaman, Srinivasa Reddy Manda, David A. Howell, James M. Lyon
  • Publication number: 20120131303
    Abstract: A storage monitoring system may reside between a file system and a storage system in a thin provisioned storage system. The storage monitoring system may create space holder files within a volume, where the space holder files contain an address space not backed up with physical storage. As requests for storage space are received from a file system, the storage monitoring system may allocate physical space to the volume by provisioning portions of the physical storage device to the volume and by removing one of the space holder files. The storage monitoring system may present alerts when physical storage space is low, as well as return an amount of physical space available to a volume size request.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2010
    Publication date: May 24, 2012
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: David A. Goebel, James M. Lyon, Bulat Shelepov, Robert S. Kleinschmidt, Mark Vayman
  • Publication number: 20120117370
    Abstract: Described is a headless server appliance configured with a secondary actuation mechanism that when actuated, enters the headless server appliance into a diagnostic mode. For example, the diagnostic mode may correspond to a secondary operating system booted from a BIOS component activated by the secondary actuation mechanism. In the diagnostic mode, primitives may be communicated between a client device coupled (e.g., via a network or USB connection) to the headless server appliance, such as to provide the client device with access to the headless server appliance's hard disk. Other primitives, such as communicated via APIs, may provide the client device with access to the BIOS. The secondary operating system and/or client device may perform diagnostics and recovery operations on the headless server appliance. For example, the client device or similar source may restore or update the primary operating system image to a storage medium of the headless server appliance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2012
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Cesare John Saretto, James C. Gray, James M. Lyon