Patents by Inventor Mary Ellen Zurko

Mary Ellen Zurko 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: 7926112
    Abstract: A system protects a computing device from potentially harmful code in a document by receiving a data structure representation of the document and adding dynamically one or more definitions of potentially harmful active content to an editable configuration file. Each definition identifies potentially harmful active content and specifies an action to be performed on that potentially harmful active content if that potentially harmful active content is found in the document. The editable configuration file is parsed to generate a data structure representation of the one or more definitions in the editable configuration file. The data structure representation of the document is compared with the data structure representation of the one or more definitions of potentially harmful active content to identify potentially harmful active content within the document. The document is modified to render harmless any identified potentially harmful active content before presenting the document to the computing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Mary Ellen Zurko, Vernoica Morales, Robert Congdon
  • Publication number: 20110078197
    Abstract: Managing file distribution in an online file sharing system implemented by at least one server includes inviting a first entity to access a shared file hosted by the online file sharing system, and allowing the first entity to reshare the shared file through the online file sharing system with at least a second entity only to an extent permitted by a resharing policy stored by the online file sharing system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2009
    Publication date: March 31, 2011
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mary Ellen Zurko, David J. Toth, Satwiksai Seshasai, Charles P. De Saint-Aignan, Christopher J. Paul
  • Patent number: 7853471
    Abstract: A method and system for scheduling a meeting. The method comprises the steps of receiving a request from a participant in an instant message session to schedule a meeting; and running a natural language processing tool to determine meeting participants and available times, from a record of the message session. A calendaring and scheduling application is run to accept the meeting participants and available times, consult calendars of the meeting participants, and schedule the meeting. A notification is sent to the participants in the instant message session of the meeting schedule, and the meeting schedule is added to the calendars of the meeting participants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Mary Ellen Zurko, Mary E. Raven
  • Publication number: 20100169431
    Abstract: A system and method for circumventing a do-not-disturb status of an instant messaging user including defining requesting, from one or more do not disturb circumvention mediators, do-not-disturb status circumvention of an instant messaging user. Circumvention permission for the do-not-disturb status of the instant messaging user is received. The do-not-disturb status of the instant messaging user is circumvented based upon, at least in part, the circumvention permission.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2008
    Publication date: July 1, 2010
    Inventors: Gary Denner, Cynthia E. Barber-Mingo, Ruthie D. Lyle, Patrick Joseph O'Sullivan, Mary Ellen Zurko
  • Publication number: 20100169438
    Abstract: A system and method for circumventing a do-not-disturb status of an instant messaging user including defining a trusted user. A do-not-disturb status of an instant messaging user is identified. The trusted user is allowed to circumvent the do-not-disturb status of the instant messaging user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2008
    Publication date: July 1, 2010
    Inventors: Gary Denner, Cynthia E. Barber-Mingo, Ruthie D. Lyle, Patrick Joseph O'Sullivan, Mary Ellen Zurko
  • Publication number: 20100169136
    Abstract: A dynamically developed social networking group is defined within a collaborative platform. Information regarding one or more attributes of one or more members of the group is collected. Anonymized statistical data regarding the group is provided, based upon, at least in part, the information regarding one or more attributes of one or more members of the group.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2008
    Publication date: July 1, 2010
    Inventors: NANCY ELLEN KHO, REBECCA HUGHES, JAMIE LIU, JUDY J. PIPER, MARY ELLEN ZURKO
  • Publication number: 20100169957
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, system and computer program product for supporting weak password authentication in a multi-user application environment. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for supporting weak password authentication in a multi-user application environment can be provided. The method can include acquiring log in data for a log in attempt by an end user amongst end users in a multi-user application. The method also can include messaging the log in data to others of the end users for subjective analysis by the others of the end users in detecting an unauthorized log in attempt.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2008
    Publication date: July 1, 2010
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Mary Ellen Zurko
  • Publication number: 20100115580
    Abstract: These and other objectives are attained with a method and system for evaluating an access policy change. The method comprises the step of providing an access control mechanism having a first policy, and an audit log having entries of accesses made under that first policy. The method comprises the further steps of submitting a second policy to the access control mechanism, comparing the log entries to the second policy, and based on the results of the comparing step, taking one of a predetermined number of actions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2009
    Publication date: May 6, 2010
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mary Ellen Zurko, George R. Blakley, III
  • Patent number: 7697551
    Abstract: A system for converting instant messaging (IM) text to telephone speech and back. The system includes a first electronic device configured to transmit and receive IM text. A translation module is housed inside the first electronic device. The translation module is configured to perform (i) translate the outgoing IM text into speech, and (ii) translate incoming speech into IM text. The system further includes a second electronic device communicatively coupled by way of a network to the first electronic device such that the second electronic device may receive the IM text as translated speech from the first electronic device via a call.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2010
    Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Razeyah Stephen, Mary Ellen Zurko
  • Publication number: 20100070587
    Abstract: A method for utilizing embedded resurfacing logic in electronic mail (email), the method includes: receiving an email with embedded resurfacing logic at a recipient's email client; determining whether the recipient has opened the email; wherein in the event the email has not been opened: determining whether a triggering event has occurred; wherein in the event a triggering event has occurred and has not exceeded a maximum number of triggering events: generating a resurfaced email entry at the top of the recipients email inbox, and wherein the triggering event is a predefined time interval in which the recipient has not opened the email.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2008
    Publication date: March 18, 2010
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Itzhack Goldberg, Avner Levi, Uri Silbershtein, Mary Ellen Zurko
  • Publication number: 20100050246
    Abstract: A method and system for authorizing a user. The method comprises the steps of assigning a first role to a user in a first domain, assigning a second role in a second domain to the first role, and assigning access to a resource in the second domain to the second role. The method comprises the further steps of receiving a request from the user for the resource; and providing access to the resource, to the user. The invention may be employed by users and services to manage their interaction with those services, including configuring which they trust for what types of information, in what applications, and which subsets of information they can be trusted to provide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2009
    Publication date: February 25, 2010
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mary Ellen Zurko, Joseph A. Pescatello
  • Publication number: 20090293127
    Abstract: A system protects a computing device from potentially harmful code in a document by receiving a data structure representation of the document and adding dynamically one or more definitions of potentially harmful active content to an editable configuration file. Each definition identifies potentially harmful active content and specifies an action to be performed on that potentially harmful active content if that potentially harmful active content is found in the document. The editable configuration file is parsed to generate a data structure representation of the one or more definitions in the editable configuration file. The data structure representation of the document is compared with the data structure representation of the one or more definitions of potentially harmful active content to identify potentially harmful active content within the document. The document is modified to render harmless any identified potentially harmful active content before presenting the document to the computing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2009
    Publication date: November 26, 2009
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Mary Ellen Zurko, Veronica Morales, Robert Congdon
  • Patent number: 7607172
    Abstract: Described are a system and method for protecting a computing device from potentially harmful code in a document. One or more definitions of potentially harmful active content are provided in an editable text file. The document is compared with each definition of potentially harmful active content in the editable text file to identify potentially harmful active content within the document. The document is modified to render harmless any identified potentially harmful active content before presenting the document to the computing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Mary Ellen Zurko, Veronica Morales, Robert Congdon
  • Publication number: 20090249432
    Abstract: A method and computer program product for defining one or more authorized users capable of granting do-not-disturb circumvention privileges, and receiving an indicator of a grant of do-not-disturb circumvention privileges to a circumventing user by the one or more authorized users. A do-not-disturb status of an instant messaging user is circumvented based upon, at least in part, the grant of do-not-disturb circumvention privileges.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2008
    Publication date: October 1, 2009
    Inventors: PATRICK JOSEPH O'SULLIVAN, Gary Denner, Ruthie D. Lyle, Cynthia Barber-Mingo, Mary Ellen Zurko
  • Publication number: 20090164267
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method of employing organizational context within a collaborative tagging system can include receiving at least one tag for an artifact from a user, determining at least one attribute of the user, and storing a tag record including the tag, the attribute of the user, and an association of the tag with the artifact.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Publication date: June 25, 2009
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mustansir Banatwala, Mary Ellen Zurko
  • Publication number: 20090083827
    Abstract: A system and method for circumventing a do-not-disturb status of an instant messaging user including defining a policy of circumvention rights for circumventing do-not-disturb status in instant messaging. A do-not-disturb status of an instant messaging user is identified, and the do-not-disturb status of the instant messaging user is circumvented based upon the policy of circumvention rights.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2007
    Publication date: March 26, 2009
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Gary Denner, Patrick Joseph O'Sullivan, Ruthie D. Lyle, Mary Ellen Zurko, Cynthia E. Barber-Mingo
  • Publication number: 20080148368
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to securing extranet access to a collaborative environment and provide a method, system and computer program product for secure extranet access to collaborative activities in a collaborative environment. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for secure extranet access to collaborative activities in a collaborative environment can be provided. The method can include adding an extranet collaborator to a collaborative space within a collaborative environment and establishing encryption credentials for the extranet collaborator. Thereafter, in response to detecting a change to the collaborative space, the change can be encrypted with the credentials and the change can be messaged to the extranet collaborator. Notably, a contribution to the activity can be received from the extranet collaborator. Once received, the contribution can be decrypted with the credentials and the contribution can be posted to the activity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2006
    Publication date: June 19, 2008
    Inventors: Mary Ellen Zurko, David E. Wilson
  • Publication number: 20080056283
    Abstract: A system for converting instant messaging (IM) text to telephone speech and back. The system includes a first electronic device configured to transmit and receive IM text. A translation module is housed inside the first electronic device. The translation module is configured to perform (i) translate the outgoing IM text into speech, and (ii) translate incoming speech into IM text. The system further includes a second electronic device communicatively coupled by way of a network to the first electronic device such that the second electronic device may receive the IM text as translated speech from the first electronic device via a call.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2006
    Publication date: March 6, 2008
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Razeyah Stephen, Mary Ellen Zurko
  • Patent number: 7036022
    Abstract: A method for executing trusted commands, in which a trusted command is first received from a user at a user terminal and parsed by untrusted code; then passed to a trusted computing base for execution. The trusted computing base displays some indication of what is to be done back to the user for confirmation. Confirmation of the commands prevents unauthorized modification of the commands and increases system confidence. A randomly (or pseudo-randomly) generated process identifier is employed to verify the existence of a trusted path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2006
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Mary Ellen Zurko, Thomas Andrew Casey, Jr., Morrie Gasser, Judith Shelhorse Hall, Clifford Earl Kahn, Andrew Halstead Mason, Paul Douglas Sawyer, Leslie Richard Kendall, Steven B. Lipner
  • Patent number: 6871283
    Abstract: A method for executing trusted commands, in which a trusted command is first received from a user at a user terminal and parsed by untrusted code; then passed to a trusted computing base for execution. The trusted computing base displays some indication of what is to be done back to the user for confirmation. Confirmation of the commands prevents unauthorized modification of the commands and increases system confidence. A randomly (or pseudo-randomly) generated process identifier is employed to verify the existence of a trusted path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2005
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Mary Ellen Zurko, Thomas Andrew Casey, Jr., Morrie Gasser, Judith Shelhorse Hall, Clifford Earl Kahn, Andrew Halstead Mason, Paul Douglas Sawyer, Leslie Richard Kendall, Steven B. Lipner