Patents Represented by Attorney Collins & Collins Incorporated
  • Patent number: 7925900
    Abstract: An apparatus and method provide power to perform functions on a computing device. In one example, the apparatus contains multiple processors that may operate at different power levels to consume different amounts of power. Also, any of the multiple processors may perform different functions. For example, one processor may be a low power processor that may control or operate at least one peripheral device to perform a low capacity function. Control may also switch from the low power processor to a high capacity processor. In one example, the high capacity processor controls the low power processor and further controls the at least one peripheral device through the lower power processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Gregory H. Parks, Erik Michael Geidl, Andrew John Fuller, Troy Scott Jones
  • Patent number: 7917613
    Abstract: A device monitoring system for monitoring a device comprising: a database including a health record for the device; a heartbeat server coupled to the database; a heartbeat agent operating on the device and coupled to the heartbeat server; a heartbeat packet sent from the heartbeat agent to the heartbeat server; and an update to the health record of the device responsive to the heartbeat packet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Ilarie G. Letca, Brijesh D. Bhatia, Stefan C. Negritoiu, Vladimir Joanovic
  • Patent number: 7912825
    Abstract: A method and system is described for building a document using a configurable plug-in architecture. In one example, a configuration file containing information of building the document with one or more components is received. The one or more components execute to modify or manipulate the document. The document may further be passed from one component to another component, where each of the components performs a function on the document. The sequence of execution of the components, the type of function or activity executed by each of the components, and/or configuration data of the components may be provided by the configuration file. The document may further be output to a user or stored.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventor: David C Wright
  • Patent number: 7908660
    Abstract: A dynamic risk management system for operating systems that provides monitoring, detection, assessment, and follow-up action to reduce the risk whenever it rises. The system enables an operating system to protect itself automatically in dynamic environments. The risk management system monitors a diverse set of attributes of the system which determines the security state of the system and is indicative of the risk the system is under. Based on a specification of risk levels for the various attributes and for their combinations, the risk management system determines whether one or more actions are required to alleviate the overall risk to the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventor: Pradeep Bahl
  • Patent number: 7903894
    Abstract: Described is an image compression technology by which a coefficient representative of a chrominance component corresponding to an (x, y) coordinate pair is coded into a symbol, along with plurality of context events associated with that symbol, to facilitate more efficient context-based arithmetic coding. For example, four context events may be generated, including one context event based on the corresponding (x, y) coefficient value in the luminance component, and three context events based on other luminance coefficients that have adjacent horizontal, vertical and diagonal relationships with the corresponding luminance component's coefficient, respectively. In one example implementation, coding the chrominance coefficient and computing the plurality of context events occurs in a zero coding pass of an entropy coder. A sign coding pass and a magnitude refinement pass may be performed to obtain further symbols for the context-based arithmetic coding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Hua Cai, Jiang Li
  • Patent number: 7900203
    Abstract: Systems and methods for sharing and synchronizing data using the addition of synchronization data to a feed that contains data items, and in some implementations, at least a node or endpoint that provides relay functionality or relay capabilities to one or more endpoints, are disclosed. Such systems and methods may also include the communication of information about the data that is synchronized, in addition to synchronization of the data itself.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Jack E. Ozzie, Robert G. Kirkpatrick, III, Matthew S. Augustine
  • Patent number: 7895205
    Abstract: Described is a technology, such as for use in information retrieval, by which key phrases (e.g., the phrases most relevant to a document) are extracted from a document based upon core words in that document (e.g., the words most relevant to the document). Various relevance features of each candidate word may be used to score and rank the candidate words relative to one another and thereby determine the core word or core words. The core word or words may be used to filter a document's phrases into candidate phrases, and/or used to determine core word feature values associated with each candidate phrase. The features of each candidate phrase, one or more of which may be based on the presence or absence of core words in the candidate phrase, are used to rank the candidate phrases, with the top-ranked candidate phrases being the key phrases associated with the document.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Shi Qin, Pei Yue
  • Patent number: 7890523
    Abstract: Technologies for search-based filtering of a property grid. Such filtering allows a user to enter a search term into an easily recognized search text box, or apply a user or pre-defined term to a property grid, thus reducing the set of properties visible so that the user has a smaller list to search to find the one on which they desire to operate. The search term is typically applied to all properties shown in the property grid. Elements that match the search term are made visible in an updated property grid while those that do not match are not presented. Also, the search term may be applied to more than just the name of the property. It may be applied to a category within which the property appears, the type of the property, or any of a number of attributes or tags that may be applied to the property.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Kurt B. Jacob, Peter W. Blois
  • Patent number: 7890526
    Abstract: A method of incrementally refining queries and updating query result lists without requiring a user to provide an explicit indicator of query submission. In the method, one or more query related character patterns are defined. Entry of query defining characters by a user is monitored to detect entry of a defined query related character pattern. The user is provided with one or more suggested query refinement options and an updated query result list each time a defined query related character pattern is detected. The query related character patterns may be a character pattern that indicates a word has been input by the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Brett D. Brewer, Oliver Hurst-Hiller
  • Patent number: 7885269
    Abstract: Networks may be analyzed using Steiner trees. In an example embodiment, a method includes acts of receiving, accepting, creating, and analyzing. Data specifying a network is received. Steiner tree parameters are accepted. A Steiner tree model is created on the data specifying the network responsive to the Steiner tree parameters. The Steiner tree model includes a local representation having a depth constraint for neighborhood vertices. The data specifying the network is analyzed to ascertain a Steiner tree solution based on the Steiner tree model, which includes the local representation, and using a locally-oriented combinatorial algorithm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Mohsen Bayati, Christian H. Borgs, Alfredo Braunstein, Jennifer T. Chayes, Riccardo Zecchina
  • Patent number: 7885395
    Abstract: Inbound calls to an enterprise are handled by a call-handling component, by identifying the calling party from intrinsic information about the call, by identifying a potential recipient from non-intrinsic information about the calling party, and by automatically routing the inbound call to a potential recipient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Jonathan J. Cadiz, Kuansan Wang, Adwait Ratnaparkhi, Xuedong D. Huang
  • Patent number: 7886024
    Abstract: A method, computer readable medium, user component, and system for sharing media object in a network environment are disclosed. A network manager may determine a similarity metric between users of the environment, between media objects, and/or between a user and media objects. Based upon the similarity metric, the network manager may share media objects with another user if the similarity metric exceeds a predetermined value or is more similar than other retrieved media objects. A user component may also provide a network map manager to display a network map, and may provide a tailored view manager to display a web log associated with at least one of the user icons displayed in the network map.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Sean Kelly, Lili Cheng, Shelly Farnham, William Portnoy
  • Patent number: 7882121
    Abstract: A query generation using cardinality constraints process including choosing a first set of parameters for a query, calculating an additional set of parameters based on the first set of parameters, executing the query using additional set of parameters, evaluating the cardinality error the additional set of parameters, and refining the additional set of parameters to meet the desired cardinality constraint. Creating a query and selecting parameters for the query to meet a desired cardinality constraint or set of cardinality constraints when the query is executed against a database may be difficult. A query generation using cardinality constraints process may create a set of parameters for a query which satisfies a desired cardinality constraint or set of cardinality constraints. An application of such a query generation using cardinality constraints process may be database component and code testing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Nicolas Bruno, Surajit Chaudhuri, Dilys Thomas
  • Patent number: 7882486
    Abstract: A prototyping tool is provided to an artistic team, which can use the tool to experiment with, demonstrate, and communicate aspects of the user interface interaction with various user interface elements. These user interface elements can be defined within a layered graphics representation of the user interface artwork, rather than individual flattened graphics files. By setting properties on individual user interface elements through the prototyping tool, the artistic team can review how the elements will appear and behave during typical interaction with a user. Furthermore, a description of the interaction properties and relationships of these user interface elements, as defined by the artistic team, is captured for communication to a programming team. The programming team can then load the layered graphical representation and the interaction description to implement the user interface interactivity developed and proposed by the artistic team.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Roland L. Fernandez, Bradford Gillespie, Wistar D. Rinearson
  • Patent number: 7873940
    Abstract: Described is sharing of portable packages containing encodings of processes. The packages can be provided to and shared among organizations or firms so that the packages can be applied to their software stacks. The packages are portable and distinct from the technology stacks. The packages can cross reference each other. The packages may be in the form of declarative code for configuring the technology stacks and can be plugged into the technology stacks to allow the technology stack to play the packages, thereby automating the processes encoded by the packages. The packages can be digitally signed or provided with certificates that can be used to verify their authenticity. The packages can be distributed over a network as requested by the various firms or organizations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Ashvinkumar J. Sanghvi, Giedrius Zizys, Vij Rajarajan
  • Patent number: 7865949
    Abstract: A system grants “provisional privileges” to a user request for the purpose of provisionally performing a requested transaction. If the provisionally-performed transaction does not put the system in a degraded state, the transaction is authorized despite the user request having inadequate privileges originally.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Brian Perlman, Richard S. Eizenhoefer, Wen-Pin Scott Hsu
  • Patent number: 7860704
    Abstract: Various technologies and techniques are disclosed that use lexicons in content searching and browsing. Lexicons for a particular subject matter are identified. Groups of content are correlated together based upon the lexicons for the particular subject matter. Upon request, a particular portion of content, such as a web page, is displayed. The lexicon(s) for the particular content are retrieved and the key words of the lexicon(s) contained in the particular content are displayed in some manner. For example, the key words of the lexicon(s) that are present in the particular content can be visually indicated. As another example, the correlations to other content can be displayed upon selecting a particular key word of a lexicon that is present in the particular content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventor: Keith S. Hamilton
  • Patent number: 7859537
    Abstract: Systems and methods for converting vector graphic object path profiles into planar map profiles for efficient mean value coordinates evaluation wherein the nodes of resultant region paths include a set of quantities of arbitrary dimension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventor: Siu Chi Hsu
  • Patent number: 7861224
    Abstract: Encoding a new version of a data module includes constructing a delta data module having data for providing the new version of the data module. The delta data module may indicate an encoding for copying data at an offset from one of a number of pointers into different versions of the data module. Decoding a delta data module to provide a new version of a data module includes copying, to the new version of the data module, data relative to a target pointer when an encoding in the delta data module indicates a matching pattern relative to the target pointer, and copying, to the new version of the data module, data relative to at least one other pointer when an encoding in the delta data module indicates a matching pattern relative to the at least one other pointer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Alexander Petrov, Thomas McGuire, Michael Sliger
  • Patent number: 7853669
    Abstract: Data files, applications and/or corresponding user interfaces may be accessed at a device that collaborates in a mesh. The mesh may include any number or type of devices that collaborate in a network. Data, applications and/or corresponding user interfaces may be stored within a core object that may be shared over the mesh. Information in the core object may be identified with a corresponding user such that a user may use any collaborating device in the mesh to access the information. In one example, the information is stored remotely from a device used to access the information. A remote source may store the desired information or may determine the storage location of the desired information in the mesh and may further provide the desired information to a corresponding user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: George P. Moromisato, Noah B. Edelstein, Abhay V. Parasnis, Anthony D. Andrews, Raymond E. Ozzie, William D. Devlin, Akash J. Sagar