Patents by Inventor Michael J. Ens

Michael J. Ens 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: 8823750
    Abstract: Various embodiments enable repetitive gestures, such as multiple serial gestures, to be implemented efficiently so as to enhance the user experience. Other embodiments provide various approaches to zoom operations that consider a particular element's contextual surroundings in making a zoom decision that is designed to enhance the user experience and provide efficiently-zoomed content given a device's or rendering container's form factor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Mirko Mandic, Michael J. Ens, Justin E. Rogers, Matthew A. Rakow, Jacob S. Rossi, Jane T. Kim, Sandra G. Roberts, Siddhartha Prakash
  • Publication number: 20140173497
    Abstract: Techniques to facilitate finding a tab or tabs in a user interface window are described. Various embodiments present tabs, individual tabs being associated with an opened document such as a web page or an activity, in a user interface window and automatically group at least some of the tabs together in a visually distinctive way. In at least some embodiments, this grouping is performed in response to a user interacting with the tabs in a particular way. For instance, a user may cause a tab to be created or moved within the user interface window such that the tab is grouped with a tab group or ungrouped from a tab group. Furthermore, one or more embodiments provide for certain tab-related actions, such as selecting an active tab and changing a display of a title of a tab, which can be performed in a manner based at least in part on this grouping.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2014
    Publication date: June 19, 2014
    Inventors: Tony E. Schreiner, Jeremiah S. Epling, Helen E. Drislane, Michael J. Ens
  • Patent number: 8631340
    Abstract: Techniques to facilitate finding a tab or tabs in a user interface window are described. Various embodiments present tabs, individual tabs being associated with an opened document such as a web page or an activity, in a user interface window and automatically group at least some of the tabs together in a visually distinctive way. In at least some embodiments, this grouping is performed in response to a user interacting with the tabs in a particular way. For instance, a user may cause a tab to be created or moved within the user interface window such that the tab is grouped with a tab group or ungrouped from a tab group. Furthermore, one or more embodiments provide for certain tab-related actions, such as selecting an active tab and changing a display of a title of a tab, which can be performed in a manner based at least in part on this grouping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2014
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Tony E Schreiner, Jeremiah S Epling, Helen E Drislane, Michael J Ens
  • Publication number: 20130179844
    Abstract: Various embodiments enable repetitive gestures, such as multiple serial gestures, to be implemented efficiently so as to enhance the user experience. In at least some embodiments, a first gesture associated with an object is detected. The first gesture is associated with a first action. Responsive to detecting the first gesture, pre-processing associated with the first action is performed in the background. Responsive to detecting a second gesture associated with the object within a pre-defined time period, an action associated with the second gesture is performed. Responsive to the second gesture not being performed within the pre-defined time period, processing associated with the first action is completed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2012
    Publication date: July 11, 2013
    Inventors: Mirko Mandic, Michael J. Ens, Justin E. Rogers
  • Publication number: 20130176344
    Abstract: Various embodiments enable repetitive gestures, such as multiple serial gestures, to be implemented efficiently so as to enhance the user experience. Other embodiments provide various approaches to zoom operations that consider a particular element's contextual surroundings in making a zoom decision that is designed to enhance the user experience and provide efficiently-zoomed content given a device's or rendering container's form factor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2012
    Publication date: July 11, 2013
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Mirko Mandic, Michael J. Ens, Justin E. Rogers, Matthew A. Rakow, Jacob S. Rossi, Jane T. Kim, Sandra G. Roberts, Siddhartha Prakash
  • Publication number: 20130067315
    Abstract: Various embodiments utilize a layout viewport and a visual viewport separate from the layout viewport. The layout viewport is utilized for such things as page layout operations and reporting Document Object Model values to script. The layout viewport can be thought of as an initial rectangle which is equivalent in size to the initial containing block. The initial containing block is a containing block that contains web content that is initially visible to the user. The visual viewport is separate from the layout viewport and is allowed to be freely manipulated relative to the layout viewport. For example, the visual viewport may “push” the layout viewport around when it collides with the layout viewport boundaries. The visual viewport can be thought of as the rectangle that is visible to the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2011
    Publication date: March 14, 2013
    Inventors: Matthew A. Rakow, Sergey Z. Malkin, Michael J. Ens, Yining Chen, Christian Fortini, Sandra G. Roberts, Michael J. Patten, Nicholas R. Waggoner
  • Publication number: 20120066634
    Abstract: In at least some embodiments, a web browser user interface is designed to enable site branding and functionality. Specifically, websites can provide content that can be utilized in a control layout area near the top of the web browser user interface to reinforce branding through the use of color and/or a site-provided icon, termed a “favicon” that serves dual roles as a branding instrumentality and a site's home button. Further, in at least some embodiments, branding can be reinforced through the use of a site-associated color that is utilized for rendering one or more web browser navigation controls.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2010
    Publication date: March 15, 2012
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jane T. Kim, Mary-Lynne Williams, Jess S. Holbrook, Sarah J. Bowers, Warren G. Stevens, Mirko Mandic, Martin J. Hall, Bruce A. Morgan, Israel Hilerio, Alexander H. Malek, Laura J. Gehring, Michael J. Ens, John E. Davis
  • Publication number: 20120066628
    Abstract: Various embodiments enable a tab within a web browser user interface to be dragged out of an associated tab band in which it appears. When dragged outside of the tab band, content can be rendered within a window associated with the tab. This permits side-by-side viewing of content in the primary web browser user interface as well as the window associated with the tab that has been dragged out of the tab band. In one or more embodiments, content that is associated with a dragged tab's window can include live content, such as multimedia presentations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2010
    Publication date: March 15, 2012
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael J. Ens, Louis A. Martinez, Mike Pell, Eugene Chang
  • Publication number: 20120060110
    Abstract: Various embodiments provide a notification bar user interface control that is designed to help users maintain focus on their browsing activities, while offering notifications in the form of suggestions. In at least some embodiments, the notification bar user interface control is non-modal and is presented at a location within the browsing field-of-view that is selected to reduce user distraction. Further, in at least some embodiments, the notification bar user interface control is presented in a manner which overlays content of the web page and thus, does not cause layout of the web page to be changed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2010
    Publication date: March 8, 2012
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ritika Virmani, Eugene Chang, Martin J. Hall, Jane T. Kim, Warren G. Stevens, Michael J. Ens, John H. Lueders, Prashant Singh, Sarah J. Bowers, Mike Pell, Mary-Lynne Williams
  • Publication number: 20090327947
    Abstract: Techniques to facilitate finding a tab or tabs in a user interface window are described. Various embodiments present tabs, individual tabs being associated with an opened document such as a web page or an activity, in a user interface window and automatically group at least some of the tabs together in a visually distinctive way. In at least some embodiments, this grouping is performed in response to a user interacting with the tabs in a particular way. For instance, a user may cause a tab to be created or moved within the user interface window such that the tab is grouped with a tab group or ungrouped from a tab group. Furthermore, one or more embodiments provide for certain tab-related actions, such as selecting an active tab and changing a display of a title of a tab, which can be performed in a manner based at least in part on this grouping.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2008
    Publication date: December 31, 2009
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Tony E. Schreiner, Jeremiah S. Epling, Helen E. Drislane, Michael J. Ens