Patents by Inventor Michael Halcrow
Michael Halcrow 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: 8462955Abstract: An online key stored by a remote service is generated or otherwise obtained, and a storage media (as it applies to the storage of data on a physical or virtual storage media) master key for encrypting and decrypting a physical or virtual storage media or encrypting and decrypting one or more storage media encryption keys that are used to encrypt a physical or virtual storage media is encrypted based at least in part on the online key. A key protector for the storage media is stored, the key protector including the encrypted master key. The key protector can be subsequently accessed, and the online key obtained from the remote service. The master key is decrypted based on the online key, allowing the one or more storage media encryption keys that are used to decrypt the storage media to be decrypted.Type: GrantFiled: June 3, 2010Date of Patent: June 11, 2013Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Octavian T. Ureche, Nils Dussart, Michael A. Halcrow, Charles G. Jeffries, Nathan T. Lewis, Cristian M. Ilac, Innokentiy Basmov, Magnus Bo Gustaf Nyström, Niels T. Ferguson
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Patent number: 8239964Abstract: Safe deposit boxes, services, and methods for physically secure data storage are provided that include securing a network-enabled computer within a safe deposit box, receiving, in the network-enabled computer, data transmitted from a remote computer coupled for data communications with the network-enabled computer; and storing the data in the memory of the network-enabled computer. Securing a network-enabled computer within a safe deposit box may be carried out by providing a locked safe deposit box having the networked enabled computer stored within. Securing a network-enabled computer within a safe deposit box may be carried out by providing a lockable safe deposit box having the networked enabled computer integrated within.Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 2008Date of Patent: August 7, 2012Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Michael A. Halcrow, Dustin Kirkland
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Publication number: 20120130977Abstract: Dynamic language checking includes identifying questionable language usage; creating a query in dependence upon the questionable language usage; querying a search engine with the query; receiving from the search engine search result statistics describing the search results for the query; and determining, in dependence upon search results statistics returned by the search engine, whether the questionable language usage is proper language usage.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 30, 2012Publication date: May 24, 2012Applicant: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Michael A. Halcrow, Dustin Kirkland
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Patent number: 8131746Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer program products are disclosed for dynamic language checking. Embodiments include identifying questionable language usage; creating a query in dependence upon the questionable language usage; querying a search engine with the query; receiving from the search engine search result statistics describing the search results for the query; and determining, in dependence upon search results statistics returned by the search engine, whether the questionable language usage is proper language usage.Type: GrantFiled: June 23, 2005Date of Patent: March 6, 2012Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Michael A. Halcrow, Dustin Kirkland
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Publication number: 20110302398Abstract: An online key stored by a remote service is generated or otherwise obtained, and a storage media (as it applies to the storage of data on a physical or virtual storage media) master key for encrypting and decrypting a physical or virtual storage media or encrypting and decrypting one or more storage media encryption keys that are used to encrypt a physical or virtual storage media is encrypted based at least in part on the online key. A key protector for the storage media is stored, the key protector including the encrypted master key. The key protector can be subsequently accessed, and the online key obtained from the remote service. The master key is decrypted based on the online key, allowing the one or more storage media encryption keys that are used to decrypt the storage media to be decrypted.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 3, 2010Publication date: December 8, 2011Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATIONInventors: Octavian T. Ureche, Nils Dussart, Michael A. Halcrow, Charles G. Jeffries, Nathan T. Lewis, Cristian M. Ilac, Innokentiy Basmov, Bo Gustaf Magnus Nystr+e,uml o+ee m, Niels T. Ferguson
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Patent number: 7996891Abstract: Systems, methods and computer program products for generating anonymous assertions. Exemplary embodiments include a method for generating anonymous assertions, the method comprising engaging anonymous role authentication via one or more authenticator services, generating an assertion token on a trusted assertion device that is booted into a trusted configuration, and processing the assertion and validating a right of the user to make the assertion for the event.Type: GrantFiled: January 30, 2008Date of Patent: August 9, 2011Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Richard J. Cardone, Michael A. Halcrow, Benjamin M. Landman, Kent E. Yoder
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Publication number: 20090193509Abstract: Systems, methods and computer program products for generating anonymous assertions. Exemplary embodiments include a method for generating anonymous assertions, the method comprising engaging anonymous role authentication via one or more authenticator services, generating an assertion token on a trusted assertion device that is booted into a trusted configuration, and processing the assertion and validating a right of the user to make the assertion for the event.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 30, 2008Publication date: July 30, 2009Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Richard J. Cardone, Michael A. Halcrow, Benjamin M. Landman, Kent E. Yoder
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Patent number: 7552327Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for conducting a confidential search. The method comprises accessing one or more terms associated with one or more nodes of a network, encrypting the accessed one or more terms and receiving an encrypted search term from a user. The method further comprises comparing the received encrypted search term with at least a portion of the encrypted accessed terms and providing a result of the comparison to the user.Type: GrantFiled: November 13, 2003Date of Patent: June 23, 2009Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Michael A. Halcrow, Dustin C. Kirkland, David B. Kumhyr, Kylene J. Smith
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Publication number: 20090094701Abstract: Safe deposit boxes, services, and methods for physically secure data storage are provided that include securing a network-enabled computer within a safe deposit box, receiving, in the network-enabled computer, data transmitted from a remote computer coupled for data communications with the network-enabled computer; and storing the data in the memory of the network-enabled computer. Securing a network-enabled computer within a safe deposit box may be carried out by providing a locked safe deposit box having the networked enabled computer stored within. Securing a network-enabled computer within a safe deposit box may be carried out by providing a lockable safe deposit box having the networked enabled computer integrated within.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 18, 2008Publication date: April 9, 2009Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Michael A. Halcrow, Dustin Kirkland
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Publication number: 20090072031Abstract: A method for a paper-free, verifiable, electronic voting system, the method comprising the steps of submitting votes by a voter using a direct-recording electronic voting machine, requesting a ballot summary from the direct-recording electronic voting machine, creating a ballot summary in a verification subsystem, displaying the ballot summary by the voting machine, casting a ballot by the voter, tallying votes by the electronic voting system, requesting the ballot summary be saved by the voting machine, saving the ballot summary securely by the verification subsystem, and displaying a cast ballot message on the voting machine.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 13, 2007Publication date: March 19, 2009Inventors: Richard J. Cardone, Michael A. Halcrow, Benjamin M. Landman, Kent Yoder
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Publication number: 20090072030Abstract: An apparatus for a paper-free, verifiable, electronic voting system, comprising an electronic voting machine including at least one direct recording electronic device, at least one ballot summary, where each of the ballot summaries representing selections of a voter, at least one ballot verification subsystem that creates, displays, and stores said ballot summaries, at least one ballot summary storage repository for storing said ballot summaries as saved ballot summaries, and an optional network for communication among components of the electronic voting system.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 13, 2007Publication date: March 19, 2009Inventors: Richard J. Cardone, Michael A. Halcrow, Benjamin M. Landman, Kent Yoder
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Publication number: 20090076891Abstract: An apparatus for executing a trusted electronic voting system under the control of an election authority comprising: at least one electronic voting machine; an election configuration for the voting machine in the electronic voting system; and a trusted computing platform for the voting machine in the electronic voting system.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 13, 2007Publication date: March 19, 2009Inventors: Richard J. Cardone, Michael A. Halcrow, Benjamin M. Landman, Kent Yoder
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Publication number: 20090072032Abstract: A method for voting in a trusted electronic voting system under the control of an election authority, the method comprising: casting a ballot having ballot information, the ballot information representing votes by a voter; receiving a request to cast the ballot by a voting machine, the voting machine running as a trusted computing platform; tallying the votes in a tally module; displaying the status of the vote tallying on the voting machine.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 13, 2007Publication date: March 19, 2009Inventors: Richard J. Cardone, Michael A. Halcrow, Benjamin M. Landman, Kent Yoder
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Patent number: 7484657Abstract: Safe deposit boxes, services, and methods for physically secure data storage are provided that include securing a network-enabled computer within a safe deposit box, receiving, in the network-enabled computer, data transmitted from a remote computer coupled for data communications with the network-enabled computer; and storing the data in the memory of the network-enabled computer. Securing a network-enabled computer within a safe deposit box may be carried out by providing a locked safe deposit box having the networked enabled computer stored within. Securing a network-enabled computer within a safe deposit box may be carried out by providing a lockable safe deposit box having the networked enabled computer integrated within.Type: GrantFiled: July 14, 2005Date of Patent: February 3, 2009Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Michael A. Halcrow, Dustin Kirkland
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Patent number: 7453362Abstract: A method for identifying product placement props in a scene, the method includes: equipping one or more cameras with individual radio frequency identification (RFID) readers for filming or recording a scene for audio/video (A/V) content; placing one or more product placement props each having an RFID tag affixed thereon representing product placements within the scene; wherein the RFID readers interrogate the RFID tags to determine product placement prop related information including: which of the one or more product placement props are in the scene, and the one or more product placement props relative location with respect to the one or more cameras; and one or more recording devices for retaining the A/V content and the product placement prop related information.Type: GrantFiled: May 9, 2008Date of Patent: November 18, 2008Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Michael A. Halcrow, Dustin Kirkland, Ameet M. Paranjape
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Publication number: 20080228770Abstract: A method, system and program are provided for selectively managing data migration in a stacked filesystem that receives a request to migrate a data file to a destination context, where the data file is divided into a plurality of sub-regions such that data stored in different sub-regions may have different contexts. In response to the migration request, file data is sequentially migrated, one sub-region at a time, to the destination context by maintaining context status information for each sub-region in a metadata portion of the data file, where the context status information prevents another application from accessing any sub-region in the data file that is being migrated, but allows access to other sub-regions in the data file.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 15, 2007Publication date: September 18, 2008Inventors: Michael A. Halcrow, Steven M. French
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Patent number: 7388496Abstract: A system for identifying product placement props in a scene, the system includes: one or more cameras individually equipped with radio frequency identification (RFID) readers for filming or recording a scene for audio/video (A/V) content; one or more product placement props each having an RFID tag affixed thereon representing product placements within the scene; wherein the RFID readers interrogate the RFID tags to determine product placement prop related information including: which of the one or more product placement props are in the scene, and the one or more product placement props relative location with respect to the one or more cameras; and one or more recording devices for retaining the A/V content and the product placement prop related information.Type: GrantFiled: October 12, 2007Date of Patent: June 17, 2008Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Michael A. Halcrow, Dustin Kirkland, Ameet M. Paranjape
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Publication number: 20080027866Abstract: A method, system, and computer readable medium for authenticating file system content. In one embodiment of the method of invention, file system content is received or retrieved for content authentication. Security relevant portions of the file content are identified in accordance with specified parse production rules that tokenize the original file content. Next, the identified security relevant portions of the file content are isolated and extracted from the original file content. The extracted security relevant portions of the file content are authenticated by generating a hash value for the extracted portions and comparing the hash value against a prior output of that hash function applied to a trusted snapshot of the same security relevant file content.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 26, 2006Publication date: January 31, 2008Inventors: MICHAEL A. HALCROW, EMILY J. RATLIFF
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Patent number: 7257373Abstract: One or more stationary wireless readers are used to determine the relative strength of calibration signals sent from fixed locations adjacent to POS terminals. Then, the signal strength of signals being transmitted by wireless devices within range of the one or more wireless readers is evaluated to determine the relative position of each wireless device to the POS terminals. This allows an operator of the POS system to determine the proximity of each wireless device relative to the POS terminals.Type: GrantFiled: October 14, 2004Date of Patent: August 14, 2007Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Michael A. Halcrow, Serge E. Hallyn
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Publication number: 20070167174Abstract: A WIFI-enabled and GPS-enabled user device executes a hotspot location utility, which enables the device to detect WIFI hotspots and update a locally-stored hotspot location database (LHLD) containing geographically-mapped hotspots. When a hotspot is detected, the device accesses the hotspot, retrieves identification information and usage terms from the hotspot, and measures performance metrics of the hotspot. The utility stores the identified hotspot with the current GPS coordinate as an entry within the LHLD. When a user later desires to locate hotspots within a particular geographic location, the user enters the physical address of the location, and hotspots with matching (or proximate) GPS coordinates of the entered address are presented to the user. The user may specify certain preferences for usage terms, performance metrics, and location criteria, and the utility filters all geographic hits and returns only hotspots in the geographic location that also satisfy these preferences.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 19, 2006Publication date: July 19, 2007Inventors: Michael Halcrow, Dustin Kirkland