Patents by Inventor Michael Novak
Michael Novak 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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Publication number: 20080072664Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention provide, for example, a system and method for automatically adjusting the inoculum level of a sample. Certain embodiments of the present invention may measure a concentration of particles present in a preliminary sample using a sensor device and determine an amount of diluent to be added to or removed from a sample container to prepare a sample having a selected concentration of particles, corresponding to a selected inoculum level. Embodiments of the present invention may also automatically add or remove the diluent using an automated fluidics system so as to prepare a sample having the selected particle concentration. Once the selected particle concentration is achieved and verified, some embodiments may also remove at least a portion of the sample from the sample container such that the container contains a selected volume of the sample.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 27, 2007Publication date: March 27, 2008Inventors: Timothy Roy Hansen, John Thulin Page, Thomas Paul Borgoyn, Ammon David Lentz, Robert Michael Novak
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Publication number: 20080010320Abstract: Requesting and receiving image files associated with media content. The received image files are stored such that an identifier value associated with the media content is stored in the filenames of the received image files. The invention determines which of the image files is associated with specific media content by searching for the identifier value of the specific media content in the filenames of the image files.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 18, 2007Publication date: January 10, 2008Applicant: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Daniel Plastina, Michael Novak
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Publication number: 20070271497Abstract: Methods and systems for creating and rendering skins are described. In one described embodiment skins can be defined as sets of script files, art files, media files, and text files. These files can be used to create new and different skin appearances, layouts and functionalities. The files are organized for use using a hierarchical tag-based data structure, an example of which is an XML data structure. The data structure is processed to provide an object model. The object model can be a scriptable object model that enables script to execute to provide an interactive, dynamic skin that can respond to internal and external events. In one embodiment, a computer architecture used for rendering the skin includes a layout manager that processes an intermediate representation of the XML data structure to provide the scriptable object model. Various components of the scriptable object model can include a script engine for receiving and executing script, and one or more rendering elements.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 1, 2007Publication date: November 22, 2007Applicant: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Michael Novak, David Nadalin, Kipley Olson
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Patent number: 7293227Abstract: Requesting and receiving image files associated with media content. The received image files are stored such that an identifier value associated with the media content is stored in the filenames of the received image files. The invention determines which of the image files is associated with specific media content by searching for the identifier value of the specific media content in the filenames of the image files.Type: GrantFiled: July 18, 2003Date of Patent: November 6, 2007Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Daniel Plastina, Michael Novak
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Publication number: 20070244856Abstract: In response to the user query of a first data source, the first data source is search and search results, if any, are displayed. In addition, a second data source is searched using the same or a similar query and the results, if any, are displayed.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 14, 2006Publication date: October 18, 2007Applicant: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Daniel Plastina, Lukas Dudkowski, Michael Novak, Judson Hally, Asif Baki, William Kiefer
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Patent number: 7272592Abstract: Storing metadata updates for a read-only media file. The media file has content and metadata describing the content. Responsive to a user or application program updating the metadata, the invention stores the updates to the metadata in an update data store when the media file is in the read-only state. The update data store is associated with the media file. The invention reconciles the metadata of the media file with the updates stored in the update data store to create updated metadata. The invention attempts to write the updated metadata to the media file when the media file is available with write access.Type: GrantFiled: December 30, 2004Date of Patent: September 18, 2007Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Stuart Alan Wyatt, Michael Novak, Daniel Plastina
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Publication number: 20070168388Abstract: A media player monitors user playback control actions, such as skip commands, during a playback experience associated with a playlist. Based on these actions, the media player sets one or more media files to an inactive state. The media player defines a subgroup, or modified playlist excluding the inactive media files for further processing.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 30, 2005Publication date: July 19, 2007Applicant: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Daniel Plastina, Michael Novak, William Kiefer
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Patent number: 7219308Abstract: Methods and system for enhancing user experience when rendering digital media content. Defining a visible region of the window in which a media player user interface (UI) is presented to clip undesirable portions of the window provides an improved media player UI. Further aspects are directed to enhancing user experience when rendering digital media content in full screen presentation mode.Type: GrantFiled: June 21, 2002Date of Patent: May 15, 2007Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Michael Novak, Jonathan M. Cain, Tedd K. Dideriksen, David M. Nadalin, Patrick N. Nelson
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Publication number: 20070083556Abstract: A method for managing a group of owned and for-purchase media items in response to a single user action. The method treats the owned media items and the for-purchase media items similarly with respect to the user's interaction with them, facilitating a user paradigm-shift from thinking about two stores of media items to a single store of media items available for use. A media item grouping generic to both types of media items is provided, permitting sharing of media item collections between users having different access rights with respect to the media items.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 14, 2006Publication date: April 12, 2007Applicant: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Daniel Plastina, Michael Novak, Kipley Olson, Michael Tse, David Nadalin, Phillip Lu, Dennis Kiilerich, Andrew Silverman
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Publication number: 20070048713Abstract: Integrated management of local media files stored at a computer and remote media files accessible via a data communication network. A hierarchical structure displayed in a user interface of a media player application represents local and remote media libraries and permits media player operations on the media files from either the local media library or the remote media library or both. The user interface is configured to receive user input and the media player application is responsive to the user input for performing the media player operations.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 12, 2005Publication date: March 1, 2007Applicant: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Daniel Plastina, Michael Novak, Jonathan Cain, Keith Ballinger, Frank Chang, Judson Hally
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Publication number: 20070048712Abstract: Integrated management of local and remote media files. A playlist of media files adapted for rendering by a media player application are located in either a local media library stored at the computer or a remote media library accessible by the computer via a data communication network or both. Media player operations may be performed on the playlist. A first identifier identifies each of the media files in the playlist and a second identifier represents a source of each of the media files in the playlist. A streaming locator defined by the first and second identifiers locates each of the media files in the playlist in the local media library and then in the remote library.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 12, 2005Publication date: March 1, 2007Inventors: Daniel Plastina, Michael Novak, Jonathan Cain, Keith Ballinger, Frank Chang, Judson Hally
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Publication number: 20070048714Abstract: Integrated management of local media files stored at a computer and remote media files accessible via a data communication network. A compressed catalog of the remote media files is stored locally on the computer. A user interface of a media player application displays the contents of a library of local media files and the contents of the compressed catalog. The user interface is configured to receive user input and the media player application is responsive to the user input for performing the media player operations on media files from either the local media library or the compressed catalog or both.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 12, 2005Publication date: March 1, 2007Applicant: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Daniel Plastina, Michael Novak, Jonathan Cain, Keith Ballinger, Frank Chang, Judson Hally
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Publication number: 20070038672Abstract: A method for generating a list of media items selected from a library of media items in response to only a single action being performed. The method displays information identifying a portion of the library of media items and selects a group of media items from the portion of the library in response to only a single action. By utilizing only a portion of the media items in the library, the generated list of media items is desirable to a user by excluding less desirable media items.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 11, 2005Publication date: February 15, 2007Applicant: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Daniel Plastina, Jonathan Cain, Michael Novak
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Publication number: 20070016599Abstract: A method for establishing a filtering engine for generating an ordered list of one or more media items selected from a library of media items. A user can select multiple filters and assign a weight to the filters according to the importance of each filter. In response, the playlist engine will generate a playlist of media items according to the weighted filters. A user interface includes elements for selecting and weighting filters for generating such a playlist.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 15, 2005Publication date: January 18, 2007Applicant: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Daniel Plastina, Jonathan Cain, Michael Novak
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Publication number: 20060288041Abstract: Methods, computer-readable media, and systems for providing a user with media item ratings based upon media item ratings of a community of related users. The user sends information about herself to the system. The system places the user in a community of users based upon the user information and provides media item ratings to members of the community based upon media item ratings by other community members.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 20, 2005Publication date: December 21, 2006Applicant: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Daniel Plastina, Edward Gausman, John Mullally, Michael Novak, Pradeep Jha
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Publication number: 20060288043Abstract: A system and method is disclosed for selectively synchronizing, with a media library, media files within folders of a filing system. This system and method can preferentially synchronize certain folders rather than others based on whether or not the folders have been modified. This system and method can also maintain synchronization between a media library and a filing system by regularly checking for changes in the filing system.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 29, 2006Publication date: December 21, 2006Applicant: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Michael Novak, Daniel Plastina
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Publication number: 20060230065Abstract: A system and method for suggesting a list of media items to a user. The method comprises presenting a user with a selection element for gathering a seed for generating a list of media items related to the seed. The method further receives a seed selection from the user and identifies one or more characteristics of the seed. The method further generates a suggested list of media items with characteristics corresponding to the one or more characteristics of the seed. The method additionally presents the user with the suggested list of media items and a choice of selecting media items or groups of media items in the suggested list. A system for executing the method comprises a user interface, a processor, and a data source for generating the suggested list by evaluating characteristics of the media items to similar find media items.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 6, 2005Publication date: October 12, 2006Applicant: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Daniel Plastina, Jonathan Cain, Michael Novak
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Publication number: 20060230349Abstract: Methods for reporting status information in a user interface and managing synchronizations. One or more categories of status information are defined in connection with synchronization operations performed on digital files. Upon termination of a synchronization operation, per-file status information for the terminated synchronization operation is categorized in one of the defined categories. The defined categories having per-file status information categorized therein are displayed with a summary of the per-file status information. In one aspect, an expandable node corresponding to each of the defined categories of status information that have per-file status information categorized therein is displayed. Grouping the digital files according to the defined categories of status information, permits collectively managing the digital files.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 6, 2005Publication date: October 12, 2006Applicant: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Michael Novak, Kipley Olson
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Publication number: 20060224620Abstract: Automatic rules-based synchronization of digital files on a source device and a target device coupled to it. A source computer executes a synchronization engine for managing transfer of files from a source database to a target device coupled to the computer as a function of a defined storage capacity of the device. The synchronization engine is configured to receive user-defined rules for selecting which of the files are to be transferred to the device and assigning priorities to the files. The synchronization engine builds a designated list of the files to be transferred according to the priorities defined by the rules.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 29, 2005Publication date: October 5, 2006Applicant: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Andrew Silverman, Daniel Plastina, Kipley Olson, Michael Novak, William Sproule
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Publication number: 20060218187Abstract: A system for generating an ordered list of one or more media items selected from a library of media items. The system comprises a user-associated selection filter for generating a subgroup of media items from the library. The system further comprises a user-associated ordering filter for ordering at least a portion of the subgroup of media items into an ordered list.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 25, 2005Publication date: September 28, 2006Applicant: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Daniel Plastina, Jonathan Cain, Michael Novak