Patents by Inventor Roberto A Franco
Roberto A Franco 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: 20120304316Abstract: A method and system for validating access to a group of related elements are described. The elements within the group access a security context associated with a markup domain when a call is made to an element. An authorized call to an element is enabled such that the markup domain is navigated to a new web page. However, an unauthorized call is prevented so that the navigation to the new web page is not permitted. After the markup domain has been navigated, the security context associated with the markup domain is invalidated. A new security context is generated and associated with the markup domain. The elements associated with the web page navigated from are inaccessible after navigation of the markup domain to the new page. The association of the new security context with the markup domain prevents an unauthorized user from accessing any element that references the previous security context.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 8, 2012Publication date: November 29, 2012Applicant: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Sundaram Ramani, Joseph S. Beda, Mark Alcazar, Roberto A. Franco, Roland Katsuaki Tokumi, John G. Bedworth
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Publication number: 20120240050Abstract: A method and system that provide an intuitive user interface and related components for making Internet users aware of Internet cookie-related privacy issues, and enabling users to control Internet privacy through automatic cookie handling. Default privacy settings for handling cookies are provided, and through the user interface, the privacy settings may be customized to a user's liking. Further, through the user interface, for each individual site that forms a page of content, the site's privacy policy may be reviewed and/or the privacy controlled by specifying how cookies from that site are to be handled. To make users aware, the user interface provides an active alert on a first instance of a retrieved web site's content that fails to include satisfactory privacy information, and thereafter, provides a distinctive passive alert to allow the user selective access to privacy information, per-site cookie handling and cookie handling settings.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 18, 2012Publication date: September 20, 2012Applicant: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Aaron Goldfeder, Cem Paya, Joseph J. Gallagher, Roberto A. Franco, Stephen J. Purpura, Darren Mitchell, Frank M. Schwieterman, Viresh Ramdatmisier
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Publication number: 20120239693Abstract: An integrated program lookup browser provides an integrated system with an online program lookup web service that assists the user in finding these unrecognized files, protocols and web page objects by allowing the user to perform a program lookup on a web service that can search one or more databases and return the URL to download the appropriate application or protocol or return the actual program or protocol.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 4, 2012Publication date: September 20, 2012Applicant: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Linda W. Averett, Tariq Sharif, Roberto A. Franco, Anthony T. Chor, Vishu Gupta, Venkatraman V. Kundallur, Joseph T. Farro
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Publication number: 20120222137Abstract: Described herein is a technique of protecting users against certain types of Internet attacks. The technique involves obtaining certificates from visited web sites and qualifying communications with those web sites based on the content of the certificates.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 7, 2012Publication date: August 30, 2012Applicant: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Eric M. Lawrence, Roberto A. Franco, Venkatraman V Kudallur, Marc A. Silbey
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Patent number: 8245049Abstract: A method and system for validating access to a group of related elements are described. The elements within the group access a security context associated with a markup domain when a call is made to an element. An authorized call to an element is enabled such that the markup domain is navigated to a new web page. However, an unauthorized call is prevented so that the navigation to the new web page is not permitted. After the markup domain has been navigated, the security context associated with the markup domain is invalidated. A new security context is generated and associated with the markup domain. The elements associated with the web page navigated from are inaccessible after navigation of the markup domain to the new page. The association of the new security context with the markup domain prevents an unauthorized user from accessing any element that references the previous security context.Type: GrantFiled: June 14, 2004Date of Patent: August 14, 2012Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Sundaram Ramani, Joseph S. Beda, Mark Alcazar, Roberto A. Franco, Roland Katsuaki Tokumi, John G. Bedworth
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Patent number: 8195640Abstract: An integrated program lookup browser provides an integrated system with an online program lookup web service that assists the user in finding these unrecognized files, protocols and web page objects by allowing the user to perform a program lookup on a web service that can search one or more databases and return the URL to download the appropriate application or protocol or return the actual program or protocol.Type: GrantFiled: June 16, 2006Date of Patent: June 5, 2012Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Linda W. Averett, Tariq Sharif, Roberto A. Franco, Anthony T. Chor, Vishu Gupta, Venkatraman V. Kudallur, Joseph T. Farro
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Publication number: 20120137183Abstract: Embodiments are configured to improve the stability of a Web browser by identifying plug-in modules that cause failures. Data in memory at the time of a failure is analyzed, and a failure signature is generated. The failure signature is compared to a database of known failure signatures so that the source of the failure may be identified. If a plug-in module to a Web browser is identified as the source of a failure, options are presented to the user who may update the plug-in module with code that does not produce a failure or disable the plug-in module altogether.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 3, 2012Publication date: May 31, 2012Applicant: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Joseph E. Benedek, Roberto A. Franco, Quji Guo, J. Craig Hally, Reid T. Holmes, Roman Pamucci, Edward J. Praitis, Christopher T. Sager, Brian D. Wentz
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Publication number: 20120131636Abstract: A method and system for locking down a local machine zone associated with a network browser is provided. Placing the local machine zone in a lockdown mode provides stricter security settings that are applied to active content attempting to publish within a local page open in the network browser. The stricter setting are provided in a new set of registry keys that correspond to the lockdown mode of the local machine zone. The original security settings remain unchanged so that other systems and applications functionality that depends on the original security settings remains unaffected for the local machine zone. A user may also selectively allow active content to render despite the local machine zone being locked down.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 30, 2012Publication date: May 24, 2012Applicant: Microsoft CorporationInventors: David Andrew Ross, Roberto A. Franco, John Green Bedworth, Shankar Ganesh, Venkatraman V. Kudallur, Anantha P. Ganjam, Kurt James Schmucker
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Patent number: 8176542Abstract: Described herein is a technique of protecting users against certain types of Internet attacks. The technique involves obtaining certificates from visited web sites and qualifying communications with those web sites based on the content of the certificates.Type: GrantFiled: May 3, 2010Date of Patent: May 8, 2012Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Eric M. Lawrence, Roberto A. Franco, Venkatraman V. Kudallur, Marc A. Silbey
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Patent number: 8166406Abstract: A method and system that provide an intuitive user interface and related components for making Internet users aware of Internet cookie-related privacy issues, and enabling users to control Internet privacy through automatic cookie handling. Default privacy settings for handling cookies are provided, and through the user interface, the privacy settings may be customized to a user's liking. Further, through the user interface, for each individual site that forms a page of content, the site's privacy policy may be reviewed and/or the privacy controlled by specifying how cookies from that site are to be handled. To make users aware, the user interface provides an active alert on a first instance of a retrieved web site's content that fails to include satisfactory privacy information, and thereafter, provides a distinctive passive alert to allow the user selective access to privacy information, per-site cookie handling and cookie handling settings.Type: GrantFiled: June 28, 2002Date of Patent: April 24, 2012Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Aaron Goldfeder, Cem Paya, Joseph J. Gallagher, Roberto A. Franco, Stephen J. Purpura, Darren Mitchell, Frank M. Schwieterman, Viresh Ramdatmisier
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Patent number: 8161563Abstract: In various embodiments, applications that are configured to interact with the Internet in some way are executed in a restricted process with a reduced privilege level that can prohibit the application from accessing portions of an associated computing device. For example, in some embodiments, the restricted process can prohibit applications from read and write access to portions of a system's computer-readable media, such as the hard disk, that contains administrative data and settings information and user data and settings. In these embodiments, a special portion of the disk, termed a “containment zone”, is designated and used by applications in this restricted process.Type: GrantFiled: July 20, 2010Date of Patent: April 17, 2012Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Roberto A. Franco, Anantha P. Ganjam, John G. Bedworth, Peter T. Brundrett, Roland K. Tokumi, Jeremiah S. Epling, Daniel Sie, Jianrong Gu, Marc Silbey, Vidya Nallathimmayyagari, Bogdan Tepordei
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Patent number: 8112673Abstract: The present invention improves the stability of a Web browser by identifying plug-in modules that cause failures. Data in memory at the time of a failure is analyzed, and a failure signature is generated. The failure signature is compared to a database of known failure signatures so that the source of the failure may be identified. If a plug-in module to a Web browser is identified as the source of a failure, options are presented to the user who may update the plug-in module with code that does not produce a failure or disable the plug-in module altogether.Type: GrantFiled: June 4, 2008Date of Patent: February 7, 2012Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Joseph E. Benedek, Roberto A. Franco, Quji Guo, J. Craig Hally, Reid T. Holmes, Roman Pamucci, Edward J. Praitis, Christopher T. Sager, Brian D. Wentz
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Patent number: 8108902Abstract: A method and system for locking down a local machine zone associated with a network browser is provided. Placing the local machine zone in a lockdown mode provides stricter security settings that are applied to active content attempting to publish within a local page open in the network browser. The stricter setting are provided in a new set of registry keys that correspond to the lockdown mode of the local machine zone. The original security settings remain unchanged so that other systems and applications functionality that depends on the original security settings remains unaffected for the local machine zone. A user may also selectively allow active content to render despite the local machine zone being locked down.Type: GrantFiled: April 30, 2004Date of Patent: January 31, 2012Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: David Andrew Ross, Roberto A. Franco, John Green Bedworth, Shankar Ganesh, Venkatraman V. Kudallur, Anantha P. Ganjam, Kurt James Schmucker
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Patent number: 8078740Abstract: In various embodiments, applications that are configured to interact with the Internet in some way are executed in a restricted process with a reduced privilege level that can prohibit the application from accessing portions of an associated computing device. For example, in some embodiments, the restricted process can prohibit applications from read and write access to portions of a system's computer-readable media, such as the hard disk, that contains administrative data and settings information and user data and settings. In these embodiments, a special portion of the disk, termed a “containment zone”, is designated and used by applications in this restricted process.Type: GrantFiled: June 3, 2005Date of Patent: December 13, 2011Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Roberto A. Franco, Anantha P Ganjam, John G. Bedworth, Peter T. Brundrett, Roland K Tokumi
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Patent number: 8074272Abstract: Tools are described that notify a user of a security risk in a network browser. The tools can determine that a security setting of a network browser poses a security risk and notify the user of this risk. In some situations the tools also enable a user to reduce the security risk with a single user action. This single user action can alter one or multiple security settings responsible for the security risk.Type: GrantFiled: July 7, 2005Date of Patent: December 6, 2011Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Wayne Choi, Sean O. Lyndersay, Roberto A. Franco
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Publication number: 20110106948Abstract: In various embodiments, applications that are configured to interact with the Internet in some way are executed in a restricted process with a reduced privilege level that can prohibit the application from accessing portions of an associated computing device. For example, in some embodiments, the restricted process can prohibit applications from read and write access to portions of a system's computer-readable media, such as the hard disk, that contains administrative data and settings information and user data and settings. In these embodiments, a special portion of the disk, termed a “containment zone”, is designated and used by applications in this restricted process.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 20, 2010Publication date: May 5, 2011Applicant: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Roberto A. Franco, Anantha P. Ganjam, John G. Bedworth, Peter T. Brundrett, Roland K. Tokumi, Jeremiah S. Epling, Daniel Sie, Jianrong Gu, Marc Silbey, Vidya Nallathimmayyagari, Bogdan Tepordei
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Publication number: 20110047617Abstract: Various embodiments provide protection against web resources associated with one or more undesirable activities. In at least some embodiments, a method detects and responds to a user-initiated activity on a computing device. Responding can include, by way of example and not limitation, checking locally, on the computing device, whether a web resource that is associated with the user-initiated activity has been identified as being associated with a safe site. Furthermore, in at least some embodiments, the method checks remotely, away from the computing device, whether the web resource is identified as being at least possibly associated with one or more undesirable activities.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 4, 2010Publication date: February 24, 2011Applicant: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Aaron H. Averbuch, Manav Mishra, Roberto A. Franco, Tariq Sharif
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Publication number: 20100325715Abstract: Described is a technology by which a plug-in (e.g., an ActiveX® control) instantiated by a web browser calls functions of a credential service to use a set of credential data (e.g., a card file) for logging into a website. If the credential service determines that a previously used card file for the website exists, a representation of that card file is displayed in the browser, and the data of that card file is used to obtain a token for logging in the user. If not found, an icon is presented instead, by which the user can select a user interface that allows selection of another card file that meets that meet the website's requirements.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 23, 2009Publication date: December 23, 2010Applicant: Microsoft CorporationInventors: John Deurbrouck, Caleb G. Baker, Danhua Zhu, Colin Leslie Dellow, Roberto A. Franco
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Patent number: 7831915Abstract: Various embodiments provide protection against web resources associated with one or more undesirable activities. In at least some embodiments, a method detects and responds to a user-initiated activity on a computing device. Responding can include, by way of example and not limitation, checking locally, on the computing device, whether a web resource that is associated with the user-initiated activity has been identified as being associated with a safe site. Furthermore, in at least some embodiments, the method checks remotely, away from the computing device, whether the web resource is identified as being at least possibly associated with one or more undesirable activities.Type: GrantFiled: November 10, 2005Date of Patent: November 9, 2010Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Aaron H Averbuch, Manav Mishra, Roberto A. Franco, Tariq Sharif
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Patent number: 7792964Abstract: In various embodiments, applications that are configured to interact with the Internet in some way are executed in a restricted process with a reduced privilege level that can prohibit the application from accessing portions of an associated computing device. For example, in some embodiments, the restricted process can prohibit applications from read and write access to portions of a system's computer-readable media, such as the hard disk, that contains administrative data and settings information and user data and settings. In these embodiments, a special portion of the disk, termed a “containment zone”, is designated and used by applications in this restricted process.Type: GrantFiled: October 28, 2005Date of Patent: September 7, 2010Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Roberto A. Franco, Anantha P Ganjam, John G. Bedworth, Peter T. Brundrett, Roland K Tokumi, Jeremiah S. Epling, Daniel Sie, Jianrong Gu, Marc Silbey, Vidya Nallathimmayyagari, Bogdan Tepordei