Patents Represented by Attorney Merchant & Gould
  • Patent number: 8352226
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer readable media are provided for real-time oil and gas field production optimization using a proxy simulator. A base model of a reservoir, well, pipeline network, or processing system is established in one or more physical simulators. A decision management system is used to define control parameters, such as valve settings, for matching with observed data. A proxy model is used to fit the control parameters to outputs of the physical simulators, determine sensitivities of the control parameters, and compute correlations between the control parameters and output data from the simulators. Control parameters for which the sensitivities are below a threshold are eliminated. The decision management system validates control parameters which are output from the proxy model in the simulators. The proxy model may be used for predicting future control settings for the control parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Landmark Graphics Corporation
    Inventors: Alvin Stanley Cullick, William Douglas Johnson
  • Patent number: 8352418
    Abstract: A collaborative authoring application provides an authoring environment in which two or more users can edit a document concurrently. Each user edits a copy of the document, sends updates to a master copy of the document, and receives updates from the master copy of the document. The authoring environment generally inhibits the users from providing conflicting editing instructions to the master copy of the document. For example, each user can generate a content lock about one or more data units within the document. The authoring environment may synchronize content locks automatically and content only at the request of the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Jonathan Beckett Bailor, Ethan Joseph Bernstein, Mark Rolland Knight, Christopher James Antos, Andrew Richard Simonds, Brian Michael Jones, Simon Peter Clarke, Edgar Mark Sunderland, David Benjamin Robins, Miko Arnab Sakhya Singha Bose
  • Patent number: 8352870
    Abstract: Embodiments of a collaborative authoring environment enable a user to resolve editing conflicts arising when synchronizing a user copy of a data file with a master copy of the data file. Content updates may be synchronized separately from metadata updates. Metadata updates may be synchronized automatically, whereas content updates may be synchronized only when any identified editing conflicts are resolved. When an editing conflict is identified, the user interface of the authoring application may be configured to toggle between displaying and hiding the identified editing conflicts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Jonathan Beckett Bailor, Ethan Joseph Bernstein, Kelly Michael Krout, Matthew Eric Mizulo, Jonathan Ian Gordner
  • Patent number: 8352988
    Abstract: A method and apparatus providing time-shifted television within a video-on-demand system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Cox Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Geoffrey Alan Cleary, Michael C. Bertram
  • Patent number: 8351913
    Abstract: Multiple instances of an incoming call in an integrated system capable of communicating through multiple networks are associated such that the called party is provided a single (merged) notification along with options to select among available call types. The call is established using a selected network and end device registered to the called user. Association of the instances is accomplished by comparing caller identity derived from a variety of information associated with the calling party. Conversation or correlation IDs are used to associate the instances as being for the same call and with other related communications such as a related instant messaging session.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Rajesh Ramanathan, Pradipta Kumar Basu, Amritansh Raghav, Nikhil P. Bobde, Sriram K. Parameswar
  • Patent number: 8352296
    Abstract: Presence information within a meeting room is detected and published to users for managing room availability and real time status. Various means such as motion detectors, card readers, log-in mechanisms associated with in-room computers, and the like, are used to detect presence information. Different status indicators are assigned to each room and published through a communication application or hosted service providing useful and real time information to users.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Puneet Taneja, Murali Venkataraman, Shiran Sathananthan, Eric Sather, Vivek Ramamoorthy, Anil Kommineni, Paul Egger
  • Patent number: 8347408
    Abstract: A system that stores plural reference measures, each reference measure corresponding to measured transitions of one or more video objects of plural successive pictures corresponding to a video scene, receives first and second measures of plural successive pictures corresponding to a first video scene received from a remote device, the first and second measures corresponding to measured transitions of a video object of the first video scene, compares the first and second measures with the stored plural reference measures, and indicates to the remote device whether a threshold percentage match exists between the first and second measures and one of the stored plural reference pictures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Arturo A. Rodriguez, Peter M. Gits
  • Patent number: 8341923
    Abstract: A method of packing shutter panels including applying foam clips to sides of a shutter panel. The ends of the foam clips extend beyond ends of the shutter panel so that the ends of the foam clips overhang the panel. A plastic covering wrapped around the foam clips and the shutter panel is wrapped tight enough to compress and bend the ends of the foam clips inward toward the panel to form protective corners.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Hunter Douglas Inc.
    Inventors: Denise C. Dyson, Michael S. Goldberg, Terry D. Goodale, Michael A. Panco
  • Patent number: 8347345
    Abstract: The invention relates to apparatus and methods for a television terminal with a modem. The television terminal may be a set top terminal for use with a cable television program delivery system. The modem may be integral to the terminal or may be provided as a hardware upgrade unit or expansion card connected to the terminal to modularly enhance the functionality of the terminal. The modem enables the terminal to communicate with interactive services and on-line databases, including services and databases outside of the television program delivery system. The services and databases may provide home shopping, airline reservations, news, financial information, classified advertisements, home banking, and/or interactive teletext.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Cox Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: John S. Hendricks, Alfred E. Bonner, Richard E. Wunderlich, Eric C. Berkobin
  • Patent number: 8346869
    Abstract: Embodiments are provided for the granular data synchronization of multiple data objects. A three-tiered cache may be automatically generated by an application program. A server data object may be stored in a first tier and may include a first set of properties for a current state of data stored on a server. A client data object may be stored in a second tier and may include a second set of properties including one or more properties in the first set and/or un-persisted edits made to the first set. A view data object may be stored in a third tier and may include a third set of properties including un-persisted and unsaved edits made to the first or second set which are being viewed on a client. The server and client data objects may be synchronized to determine edits made to the data stored on the server.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Alexander Malek, Alexander D. Tudor
  • Patent number: 8345083
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method dynamically configures a BL bandwidth in a conference based on bandwidth capabilities in the video conferencing network. In one embodiment, the conference may include any combination of endpoints characterized as BL endpoints and SVCL endpoints. The method includes determining one or more bandwidth capabilities for a plurality of endpoints participating in a conference. The bandwidth capabilities for each respective endpoint may be based on its video decoding capability, the maximum bit-rate it can accept, the video encoding capability of the other endpoints, or a bandwidth constraint manifestation in a portion of the network, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Shantanu Sarkar, Arturo A. Rodriguez
  • Patent number: 8346768
    Abstract: A method is presented for merging document metadata at a client computer. A document obtained from a server computer is opened by a user at the client computer. If the document does not include paragraph identifiers, a paragraph identifier is assigned to each paragraph in the document. When the document is opened by a second user at a second client computer, metadata for the document is received from the server computer. A determination is made whether to merge the metadata received from the server computer with current metadata for the document. When it is determined that the current metadata and the metadata received from the server computer should be merged, paragraph identifiers are adjusted in the document based on the metadata received from the server computer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Jonathan B. Bailor, David B. Robins
  • Patent number: 8340106
    Abstract: A multi-hop mesh network may be connected to a Local Area Network (LAN) using a MAC Bridge. One or more nodes on the mesh network may be configured as a bridge node that employs a MAC bridge. Packets that travel between stations on the LAN to nodes on the mesh network flow through one of the bridge nodes on the mesh network. The bridge nodes do not receive all the packets on mesh network, but they receive the packets that are to be transmitted across the MAC bridge. As the bridge nodes learn of new stations on the LAN they advertise routes to the other nodes within the mesh network specifying how to reach those stations. This enables MAC Bridge functionality between wireless mesh networks and 802 LANs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Adam Sapek, Thiruvengadam Venketesan
  • Patent number: 8341224
    Abstract: A server enforces a policy for selecting what received change to process. The non-selected changes are not processed by the server. Instead, after the selected change is processed and is incorporated into the current version of the text, the server sends an update to each of the clients indicating the change made to the current version of text. A client performs a conflict resolution procedure when its change was not processed by the server. The conflict resolution procedure detects the differences between the updated text version and its text change that was not accepted by the server and uses the differences to deduce the intent of the user and come up with a merged version of the text which preserves the intent and avoids data loss. The updated version is then sent back to the server to update the current version of the text.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Shruti Kasetty, Anil Abraham Elson
  • Patent number: 8339273
    Abstract: An event annunciator may be provided. The event annunciator may comprise a housing, an alerting element, a switch, and a lanyard. The housing may be configured to mount on a pole that supports an electric power line. The alerting element may be in the housing and may have an active state and an inactive state. The switch may be in the housing and may have a first position and a second position. The first position may cause the alerting element to remain in the inactive state. The second position may cause the alerting element to remain in the active state. The lanyard may be configured to cause the switch to operate from the first state to the second state when the lanyard is pulled from the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Southwire Company
    Inventor: Corydon L. Somes
  • Patent number: 8341620
    Abstract: Embodiments provide an optimized virtual application or suite of virtual applications, but are not so limited. In an embodiment, components of a system are configured to generate an optimized virtual package that can be used in a virtual application streaming environment. Components of the system can provide bits of the optimized virtual package based in part on scenario mappings associated with a user action and/or an application or application feature. In one embodiment, a client virtualization handler can operate to download byte ranges of an optimized virtual package including re-prioritizing byte range download operations as part of streaming virtual application functionality over a computing network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Jefferson B. Criddle, Gurashish Singh Brar, Anthony D. Krueger
  • Patent number: 8341189
    Abstract: A computing device includes instructions that, when executed by a processing unit, cause the processing unit to: create a business data catalog module that accesses and manipulates data residing on an internal data store and an external data store, wherein the business data catalog module receives a request for data, determines whether the data resides in the internal data store or the external data store, and access the data residing on the external data store, and create a external data provisioning module that provisions data accessed from the external data store, wherein the external data provisioning module maps external data from the external data store for presentation on a client computing device. A user can access and manipulate the data from the external data store in a same manner as accessing and manipulating data from the internal data store.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Jonathan Campbell, Eray Chou, Howard M. Crow, III, Peter K. Harwood, Todd Haugen, Christopher Foster Johnson, Mohammed Nazeeruddin
  • Patent number: 8341512
    Abstract: An interface for designing a report is provided, with elements of the report being disposed at intersections of report positions and configured to present information derived from data in a database. A formula is associated with one or more selected elements in the report to generate a result for the one or more selected elements. A tuple identifying the report positions of the one or more selected elements is associated and stored with the formula in a formula list associated with the report. The report is configured so that, when the report is generated, it is determined whether identifying report positions corresponding to an identified element in the report correspond with the tuple in the formula list. Upon determining the tuple corresponds with the identifying report positions for the identified element, the formula associated with the tuple is applied to generate the result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Alisson A. S. Sol, Luming Wang, Xiaohong Mark Yang, Patrick J. Baumgartner, Peter Eberhardy
  • Patent number: 8332456
    Abstract: Computer-implemented methods and computer-readable storage media are disclosed relating to displaying server errors on the client computing system that caused the failed request. A client listener application configured to execute on a client computing system. The client listener application is further configured to exchange data over a network with a server system, and provide metadata to the server system identifying the client computing system in association with a client request for execution of code on the server system. The client listener program is configured to receive an assert message indicating an error resulting from the execution of the code on the server and signal receipt of the assert message over a user interface. The client listener program is further configured to provide an opportunity for a user to respond to the assert message via the user interface by choosing to ignore the assert message or to analyze the error.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Benjamin E. Canning, Phillip I. Beish, Shaun P. Eagan
  • Patent number: 8331058
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing a write head with an improved pole tip to improve overwrite and/or adjacent track interference. A cross pole tip writer is provided with a shape that is designed to reduce the saturation on the pole tip and aid in the concentration of flux to the down track.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Savas Gider, Wen-Chien David Hsiao, Quan-chiu Harry Lam, Terence Tin-Lok Lam, Edward Hin Pong Lee, Yansheng Luo, Vladimir Nikitin, Changqing Shi, Xiaoyu Sui