Patents by Inventor Thomas R. Firman
Thomas R. Firman 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: 7542999Abstract: A method and system for transparently combining remote and local storage to provide an extended file system such as a virtual local drive for a computer system client/user, e.g., a user of a pocket sized personal computer or a cable set-top box. A client device may load file system object data, storing the directories and files remotely, and retrieving the files only when required. Via its local storage, the extended file system handles unreliable connections and delays. When a connection to an extended file system server is present, the extended file system provides automatic downloading of information that is not locally cached, and automatically uploading of information that has been modified on the client. Extended file system attributes are employed to determine the actual location of file system data, and a lightweight protocol is defined to download or upload remote data by low-level components that make the remote source transparent from the perspective of the application.Type: GrantFiled: April 7, 2004Date of Patent: June 2, 2009Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Vivek P. Kamath, Craig S. Brown, John B. Pence, M. Chandra Shekaran, Thomas G. Lorimor, Thomas R. Firman, Elizabeth J. Gentile, Keith M. Toussaint
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Patent number: 6754696Abstract: A method and system for transparently combining remote and local storage to provide an extended file system such as a virtual local drive for a computer system client/user, e.g., a user of a pocket sized personal computer or a cable set-top box. A client device may load file system object data, storing the directories and files remotely, and retrieving the files only when required. Via its local storage, the extended file system handles unreliable connections and delays. When a connection to an extended file system server is present, the extended file system provides automatic downloading of information that is not locally cached, and automatically uploading of information that has been modified on the client. Extended file system attributes are employed to determine the actual location of file system data, and a lightweight protocol is defined to download or upload remote data by low-level components that make the remote source transparent from the perspective of the application.Type: GrantFiled: March 24, 2000Date of Patent: June 22, 2004Assignee: Micosoft CorporationInventors: Vivek P. Kamath, Craig S. Brown, John B. Pence, M. Chandra Shekaran, Thomas G. Lorimor, Thomas R. Firman, Elizabeth J. Gentile, Keith M. Toussaint
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Publication number: 20020178009Abstract: Voice utterances are substituted for manipulation of a pointing device of the kind which is manipulated to control motion of a cursor on a computer display and to indicate desired actions associated with the position of the cursor on the display. Voiced utterances are converted to commands, expressed in a predefined command language, to be used by an operating system of a computer, by converting some voiced utterances into commands corresponding to actions to be taken by the operating system, and converting other voiced utterances into commands which carry associated text strings to be used as part of text being processed in an application program running under the operating system. A table is generated for aiding the conversion of voiced utterances to commands for use in controlling an operating system of a computer to achieve desired actions in an application program running under the operating system.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 20, 2002Publication date: November 28, 2002Applicant: Lernout & Hauspie Speech Products N.V., a Belgian corporationInventor: Thomas R. Firman
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Publication number: 20020128843Abstract: Voice utterances are substituted for manipulation of a pointing device, the pointing device being of the kind which is manipulated to control motion of a cursor on a computer display and to indicate desired actions associated with the position of the cursor on the display, the cursor being moved and the desired actions being aided by an operating system in the computer in response to control signals received from the pointing device, the computer also having an alphanumeric keyboard, the operating system being separately responsive to control signals received from the keyboard in accordance with a predetermined format specific to the keyboard; in the system, a voice recognizer recognizes the voiced utterance, and an interpreter converts the voiced utterance into control signals which will directly create a desired action aided by the operating system without first being converted into control signals expressed in the predetermined format specific to the keyboard.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 9, 2001Publication date: September 12, 2002Applicant: Lernout & Hauspie Speech Products N.V., a Belgian corporationInventor: Thomas R. Firman
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Publication number: 20020010582Abstract: Voice utterances are substituted for manipulation of a pointing device of the kind which is manipulated to control motion of a cursor on a computer display and to indicate desired actions associated with the position of the cursor on the display. Voiced utterances are converted to commands, expressed in a predefined command language, to be used by an operating system of a computer, by converting some voiced utterances into commands corresponding to actions to be taken by the operating system, and converting other voiced utterances into commands which carry associated text strings to be used as part of text being processed in an application program running under the operating system. A table is generated for aiding the conversion of voiced utterances to commands for use in controlling an operating system of a computer to achieve desired actions in an application program running under the operating system.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 14, 2001Publication date: January 24, 2002Applicant: Lernout & Hauspie, Belgian corporationInventor: Thomas R. Firman
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Patent number: 5377303Abstract: Voice utterances are substituted for manipulation of a pointing device, the pointing device being of the kind which is manipulated to control motion of a cursor on a computer display and to indicate desired actions associated with the position of the cursor on the display, the cursor being moved and the desired actions being aided by an operating system in, the computer in response to control signals received from the pointing device, the computer also having an alphanumeric keyboard, the operating system being separately responsive to control signals received from the keyboard in accordance with a predetermined format specific to the keyboard; in the system, a voice recognizer recognizes the voiced utterance, and an interpreter converts the voiced utterance into control signals which will directly create a desired action aided by the operating system without first being converted into control signals expressed in the predetermined format specific to the keyboard.Type: GrantFiled: December 9, 1993Date of Patent: December 27, 1994Assignee: Articulate Systems, Inc.Inventor: Thomas R. Firman