Patents by Inventor Steven D. Kafka
Steven D. Kafka 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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Patent number: 8949343Abstract: A communication confirmation message provides social networking events in combination with information regarding addresses to a member. The message can be used to suggest additional social network friends to members of a social network. The communication confirmation message is utilized to provide additional information on the social network member's friends, information from third party social networks, and recommendations to add individuals or second parties with whom the social network member communicates as friends.Type: GrantFiled: August 28, 2008Date of Patent: February 3, 2015Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Jennifer Iting Shen, Omar H. Shahine, Steven D. Kafka, Thomas Jan Stovicek
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Patent number: 8886234Abstract: Techniques involving unified messaging and other functionality are described. In one or more implementations, the techniques describe receiving a message at a web service from a messaging client and identifying a communication device that includes telephone functionality and is configured to format the message as a short messaging service (SMS) message. The SMS message may be identified by a phone number associated with the communication device. The message may then be sent to the communication device for automatic transmission of the SMS message by the communication device over a phone network.Type: GrantFiled: April 6, 2011Date of Patent: November 11, 2014Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Steven D. Kafka, Jason F. Moore, Gandhimathi Vaithilingam, Aby John
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Patent number: 8799786Abstract: Scheduled message cleanup techniques are described. In one or more implementations, a method implemented by one or more computing devices includes detecting that a message has been received from a sender for delivery via a user account. Responsive to a determination that an option has been selected for the sender in association with the user account, a previous message from the sender that is to be delivered via the user account is removed and the detected message is kept for delivery via the user account.Type: GrantFiled: April 11, 2011Date of Patent: August 5, 2014Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Michael James Ahiakpor, Steven D. Kafka
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Patent number: 8307038Abstract: A computer implemented method for assisting email users. The method determines the relevance of email addresses to users and utilizes the relevance information to assist users in addressing emails. The method may include gathering email addresses from one or more sources including inbound user emails associated with an email user, and determining a relevance of the email address to the user based on a heuristic. Once relevance is determined, the method includes applying relevant email addresses to a user's store of relevant addresses.Type: GrantFiled: June 9, 2006Date of Patent: November 6, 2012Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Eliot C. Gillum, Steven D. Kafka
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Publication number: 20120260193Abstract: Scheduled message cleanup techniques are described. In one or more implementations, a method implemented by one or more computing devices includes detecting that a message has been received from a sender for delivery via a user account. Responsive to a determination that an option has been selected for the sender in association with the user account, a previous message from the sender that is to be delivered via the user account is removed and the detected message is kept for delivery via the user account.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 11, 2011Publication date: October 11, 2012Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATIONInventors: Michael James Ahiakpor, Steven D. Kafka
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Publication number: 20120258742Abstract: Techniques involving unified messaging and other functionality are described. In one or more implementations, the techniques describe receiving a message at a web service from a messaging client and identifying a communication device that includes telephone functionality and is configured to format the message as a short messaging service (SMS) message. The SMS message may be identified by a phone number associated with the communication device. The message may then be sent to the communication device for automatic transmission of the SMS message by the communication device over a phone network.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 6, 2011Publication date: October 11, 2012Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATIONInventors: Steven D. Kafka, Jason F. Moore, Gandhimathi Vaithilingam, Aby John
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Patent number: 8010602Abstract: A method for determining whether to recommend a social relationship between a social network member and another party is disclosed. Electronic communication activity of the social network member and the other party is monitored. Based on a number of characteristics of the communication, a determination is made as to whether to recommend the party to the member as a social network friend. The characteristics can include how the parties communicate—whether through email, instant messaging and/or voice communication, whether the parties send direct email messages to each other, whether they communicate as part of a group email message, the location of each parties address in the email message and whether communication includes sharing activity.Type: GrantFiled: August 28, 2008Date of Patent: August 30, 2011Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Jennifer Iting Shen, Omar H. Shahine, Steven D. Kafka, Jennie Park Telehowski, Eliot Gillum, Sara Liu Yang
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Publication number: 20100057858Abstract: A method for determining whether to recommend a social relationship between a social network member and another party is disclosed. Electronic communication activity of the social network member and the other party is monitored. Based on a number of characteristics of the communication, a determination is made as to whether to recommend the party to the member as a social network friend. The characteristics can include how the parties communicate—whether through email, instant messaging and/or voice communication, whether the parties send direct email messages to each other, whether they communicate as part of a group email message, the location of each parties address in the email message and whether communication includes sharing activity.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 28, 2008Publication date: March 4, 2010Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATIONInventors: Jennifer Iting Shen, Omar H. Shahine, Steven D. Kafka, Jennie Park Telehowski, Eliot Gillum, Sara Liu Yang
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Publication number: 20100057859Abstract: A communication confirmation message provides social networking events in combination with information regarding addresses to a member. The message can be used to suggest additional social network friends to members of a social network. The communication confirmation message is utilized to provide additional information on the social network member's friends, information from third party social networks, and recommendations to add individuals or second parties with whom the social network member communicates as friends.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 28, 2008Publication date: March 4, 2010Applicant: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Jennifer Iting Shen, Omar H. Shahine, Steven D. Kafka, Thomas Jan Stovicek
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Publication number: 20090006111Abstract: A method for negotiating details of an event is disclosed. A user interface provides a set of widgets adapted to define details of the event, and at least one widget adapted to create a poll for a detail of the event. When the widget to create a poll is selected, at least one data field is provided to receive options regarding the event detail. Once the event is saved, it is published to a web page, and invitations are sent electronically to guests. If a poll has been created, then the published web page includes voting buttons that may be selected by the guests when they visit the web page such that preferences may be accommodated in scheduling the event. Further, the event web page is modified each time a vote button is selected such that tallies of the votes for each option are displayed.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 29, 2007Publication date: January 1, 2009Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATIONInventors: Omar H. Shahine, Michael I. Torres, Thomas R. Bauman, Steven D. Kafka, Azeen Chamarbagwala
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Publication number: 20070288575Abstract: A computer implemented method for assisting email users. The method determines the relevance of email addresses to users and utilizes the relevance information to assist users in addressing emails. The method may include gathering email addresses from one or more sources including inbound user emails associated with an email user, and determining a relevance of the email address to the user based on a heuristic. Once relevance is determined, the method includes applying relevant email addresses to a user's store of relevant addresses.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 9, 2006Publication date: December 13, 2007Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATIONInventors: Eliot C. Gillum, Steven D. Kafka