Patents by Inventor Nathaniel Ballou

Nathaniel Ballou 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).

  • Publication number: 20060047584
    Abstract: A system and method for presenting images and related items to a user. A digital image from a data store is assessed, and a portion of the image is defined as a region of interest. Properties are associated with this defined region, and these properties are utilized to infer relationships between the region of interest and related items in the data store. Optionally, a user input indicating a desire to view related content may be received and such content may be presented to the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2004
    Publication date: March 2, 2006
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Alexander Vaschillo, Bradley Gibson, Christopher Evans, John Platt, Nathaniel Ballou, Paul Hellyar, Scott Dart, Steve Glenner
  • Publication number: 20050063083
    Abstract: In an Item-based system, Images (e.g., JPEG, TIFF, bitmap, and so on) are treated as core platform objects (“Image Items” or, more simply, “Images”) and exist in an “Image Schema” that provides an extensible representation of an Image in the system-that is, the characteristics of an Image and how that Image relates to other Items (including but not limited to other Images) in the system. To this end, the Image Schema defines the properties, behaviors, and relationships for Images in the system, and the Schema also enforces rules about Images, for example, what data specific Images must contain, what data specific Images may optionally contain, how specific Images can be extended, and so on and so forth.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2003
    Publication date: March 24, 2005
    Inventors: Scott Dart, Bradley Gibson, Christopher Evans, Paul Hellyar, Alexander Vaschillo, John Platt, Steve Glenner, Nathaniel Ballou
  • Publication number: 20050055354
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to a computer system comprising a plurality of Items, Item Folders, and a hardware/software interface system. The Items constitute discrete storable units of information that can be manipulated by a hardware/software interface system. The Item Folders, which are Items themselves, constitute an organizational structure for Items. Each Item belongs to at least one Item Folder, and Items may belong to more than one Item Folder. However, an Item is not necessarily owned by any particular Item Folder, such that the deletion of said Item Folder does not automatically result in the deletion of said Item. Instead, an Item might be automatically deleted only when it no longer belongs to any Item Folder or, alternately, and Item may be automatically deleted when it is a member of only one Item Folder and that Item Folder is deleted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2003
    Publication date: March 10, 2005
    Inventors: J. Thompson, Kim Cameron, Walter Smith, Darren Shakib, Nathaniel Ballou, Pedro Celis