Patents by Inventor Peter Andrew Bernard

Peter Andrew Bernard 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: 10154385
    Abstract: In implementations of creating a communication group, a mobile device can receive a selection to enable communication of location information between devices that correspond to entities from a group of entities associated with a user of the mobile device. The mobile device can receive location information that describes a physical location or proximity of the devices that correspond to the entities, and present in a user interface on a display device, a visual representation that indicates at least one of the entities is at a location within a pre-set distance of the mobile device. A communication group can be created that includes the entities selected from the group of entities associated with the user of the mobile device. The mobile device can also communicate the location information of the mobile device to all of the devices that correspond to the entities as a group communication based on the communication group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Darren Alexander Apfel, Jonathan David Friedman, Keith Lindsey Rowe, Rosanna H. Ho, Sandra I. Vargas, Peter Andrew Bernard, Matthew Justin Von Bencke
  • Publication number: 20170164164
    Abstract: In implementations of creating a communication group, a mobile device can receive a selection to enable communication of location information between devices that correspond to entities from a group of entities associated with a user of the mobile device. The mobile device can receive location information that describes a physical location or proximity of the devices that correspond to the entities, and present in a user interface on a display device, a visual representation that indicates at least one of the entities is at a location within a pre-set distance of the mobile device. A communication group can be created that includes the entities selected from the group of entities associated with the user of the mobile device. The mobile device can also communicate the location information of the mobile device to all of the devices that correspond to the entities as a group communication based on the communication group.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2017
    Publication date: June 8, 2017
    Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Darren Alexander Apfel, Jonathan David Friedman, Keith Lindsey Rowe, Rosanna H. Ho, Sandra I. Vargas, Peter Andrew Bernard, Matthew Justin Von Bencke
  • Patent number: 9578468
    Abstract: This document describes tools capable of enabling users of mobile communication devices to create communication groups quickly and easily. With such a communication group a user may call, text, or instant message all persons in the group at once by selecting the communication group rather than each person in the group. In one embodiment, the tools enable a user to build a communication group by dragging and dropping indicators for persons he or she knows from one area of a screen into another area. In another embodiment, the tools automatically collect persons from those that the user knows based on one or more criteria. The user may then easily create a communication group of those collected persons, such as by tapping on an area of a mobile device's display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Darren Alexander Apfel, Jonathan David Friedman, Keith Lindsey Rowe, Rosanna H. Ho, Sandra I. Vargas, Peter Andrew Bernard, Matthew Justin Von Bencke
  • Publication number: 20140135052
    Abstract: This document describes tools capable of enabling users of mobile communication devices to create communication groups quickly and easily. With such a communication group a user may call, text, or instant message all persons in the group at once by selecting the communication group rather than each person in the group. In one embodiment, the tools enable a user to build a communication group by dragging and dropping indicators for persons he or she knows from one area of a screen into another area. In another embodiment, the tools automatically collect persons from those that the user knows based on one or more criteria. The user may then easily create a communication group of those collected persons, such as by tapping on an area of a mobile device's display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2014
    Publication date: May 15, 2014
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Darren Alexander Apfel, Jonathan David Friedman, Keith Lindsey Rowe, Rosanna H. Ho, Sandra I. Vargas, Peter Andrew Bernard, Matthew Justin Von Bencke
  • Publication number: 20080306909
    Abstract: Systems and methods that intelligently download media files from a repository to a portable device of a user (e.g., cell phone), via an intelligent download engine and based on likelihood that such downloaded files are of interest to the user. Accordingly, from a user's perspective a seamless access to music depository is provided (e.g., typically all files of the depository seem to be virtually present on the portable device), and a user's manual interaction (e.g., selection of files based on memory requirement of the portable unit) is mitigated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2007
    Publication date: December 11, 2008
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Peter Andrew Bernard, James Farquharson Pratt, Sandra Irene Vargas
  • Patent number: 6032256
    Abstract: An I/O port locking computer security system is implemented in the power management module of the hardware-software interface program (BIOS). A hotkey sequence of keystrokes activates the portlock feature and a system management interrupt signal (SMI) is generated. A SMI handler routine receives the interrupt signal and generates a signal to a hardware device handler. The device handler receives the signal and then disables various data transfer I/O ports on the computer (e.g., serial, parallel, fax, modem, floppy drives, and infrared communication ports). I/O ports in the disabled state cannot be accessed. Thus, data in the computer cannot be transmitted, copied, or "beamed" via infrared, to an unauthorized system or medium. I/O ports in the disabled state are enabled after receiving a password and a SMI interrupt signal is generated. A SMI handler receives the interrupt signal and generates a signal to a hardware device handler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 29, 2000
    Inventor: Peter Andrew Bernard