Patents Represented by Attorney Microsoft Corporation
  • Patent number: 8307412
    Abstract: End users of a multi-factor authentication service can utilize an account management service, and third-party website can register to utilize the multi-factor authentication service. Registering a third-party website can comprise the multi-factor authentication service receiving a valid digital identity certificate for the third-party website, and receiving an agreement to terms of use of the multi-factor authentication service for the third-party website. Once received, the multi-factor authentication service can enable the third-party website to utilize the service (e.g., switch the service on, or send an authorization key to the third-party website). Further, registering a user to the multi-factor authentication service can comprise determining availability of service, and providing a location-specific access code. Additionally, registering the user can comprise registering the user's mobile device, for example, to provide multi-factor authentication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Raymond E. Ozzie, Jack E. Ozzie, Thomas A. Galvin, Eric M. Patey
  • Patent number: 8307010
    Abstract: A data set may be represented as a hierarchical node set, comprising interrelated nodes that respectively include various data features (e.g., versions in a version-controlled software architecture.) Queries may be formulated regarding the inclusion of a particular feature in the nodes of the hierarchical data set (“does this node include this data feature?” and “what is the path of the data feature through the node set?”) Such queries may be evaluated by identifying a source node that includes the data feature, identifying candidate merge paths from the source node to the taget node, and determining whether the nodes of any candidate merge path include the data feature. The results may be presented to the user, e.g., as a visual layout of the portion of the hierarchical node set that includes the data feature or a timeline of nodes illustrating the path of the data feature over time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Chandru Ramakrishnan, Craig Harry, Mario A. Rodriguez, Tan Phan, Jim Presto
  • Patent number: 8307008
    Abstract: Creation and management of electronic files for a localization project. The electronic files are based on a data structure that defines the format and content of the electronic files and includes a first data structure portion that contains data that represents a plurality of references to localization project files. Moreover, the data structure includes a second data structure portion that is associated with the first data structure portion that contains data that represents a plurality of references to standard files.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: James M. Pinkerton, Terry Farrell, Peter A. Thompson, James Anders Nelson, David Ahs, Jordi Mola Marti
  • Patent number: 8296671
    Abstract: Systems and methods for enabling access to data, including data represented using a variety of “richer” data formats, are disclosed. Such systems and methods may be useful, among a variety of cases, with applications or entities that may not typically be able to access such richer data. In at least some implementations, data copied to a clipboard and formatted using a variety of formats may be provided or accessed by a destination application as part of a paste operation even when the destination application may not natively provide the ability to access all of the data formats that might exist on a clipboard. In at least some implementations, such access may be provided without modifying or augmenting the data placed on the clipboard.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Raman Narayanan, Ming Liu, Paresh S Suthar
  • Patent number: 8295589
    Abstract: Photographs of an object may be oriented with respect to both the geographic location and orientation of the object by registering a 3D model derived from a plurality of photographs of the objects with a 2D image of the object having a known location and orientation. For example, a 3D point cloud of an object created from photographs of the object using a Photosynth™ tool may be aligned with a satellite photograph of the object, where the satellite photograph has location and orientation information. A tool providing scaling and rotation of the 3D model with respect to the 2D image may be used or an automatic alignment may be performed using a function based on object edges filtered at particular angles. Once aligned, data may be recorded that registers camera locations for the plurality of photographs with geographic coordinates of the object, either absolute latitude/longitude or relative to the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Eyal Ofek, Dan Hou, Blaise Aguera y Arcas, Scott Vernon Fynn, Roberto R. Molinari, Michael Kroepfl, Tony Ernst
  • Patent number: 8290945
    Abstract: A human or hand-labeled ranking of URL results for a search query is compared against actual click data for the respective query/URL pairs (e.g., which URLs were actually clicked on by users when the URLs were presented to users when the search query was run in the real world). The human ranking or ordering of the URL results (e.g., pre-existing relevance ranking) for the query can then be adjusted, if necessary, based upon the real world click data (e.g., click relevance ranking). The modified pre-existing relevance ranking can be used in providing future search results.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Kumar Chellapilla, Anton Mityagin, Xuanhui Wang
  • Patent number: 8291036
    Abstract: A datacenter infrastructure comprising a plurality of datacenters is configured to provide services to users. Data (e.g., application data) provided to respective datacenters from a user is synchronized between different datacenters comprised within “a cloud” according to a multilevel synchronization scheme. Respective levels of the multilevel synchronization operate to transfer different priority (user) data between the plurality of datacenters, wherein respective priorities are determined based upon the importance of the data in providing a service. For example, data used to perform a service is synchronized by a synchronization component facilitating a higher level of synchronization between datacenters, while data not routinely used to perform a service is synchronized by a lower priority synchronization component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Ravi Kiran R. Poluri, Samir V. Shah, Rui Chen, Lin Huang
  • Patent number: 8290926
    Abstract: Data items of various data feeds (such as articles posted to a website or entries in an RSS feed) may be associated with various topics, but a user may be unable to monitor a large number of data feeds, and to avoid previously reviewed data items while searching for new data items. An aggregation service may monitor many data feeds, perform an automated topical evaluation of the data items, and generate a set of topical data feeds. Additional services may also be applied, such as filtering the topical data feeds by various criteria, translating data items from a native language into another language, and removing equivalent data items, such as articles redundantly covering the same news story. A centralized or cooperatively distributed service may scale for improved efficiency and value, since each data feed may be monitored and each data item received and evaluated on behalf of many users.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Raymond Ozzie, Eric Patey, Brian Lambert, George Moromisato
  • Patent number: 8291381
    Abstract: Where a process in a computing system comprises mixed code, having different sections of code managed by different runtimes, the call stack used to coordinate function invocations may comprise call stack frames created according to multiple calling conventions. In order to analyze this call stack in a stack walk or unwinding, a debugger may be configured to request the runtimes managing the process to claim a particular call stack frame, and to request the runtime that claims it to parse the contents of the frame, or to utilize call stack analysis techniques if the call stack frame was created by unmanaged code.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas Lai, Mike Stall, Jon Langdon, Jan Stranik, Drew Bliss
  • Patent number: 8281368
    Abstract: A secure (e.g., HTTPS) connection is established between a client and a server. Communication over the connection may utilize an application (e.g., a Web browser) that is not part of the client's trusted computing base. A password is sent from the client to the server over the connection such that the clear text password is unavailable to the application. For example, the password can be encrypted and inserted directly into the HTTPS stream from the client's trusted computing base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Raghavendra Malpani, Cristian Ilac, Tanmoy Dutta, Klaus Schultz
  • Patent number: 8276121
    Abstract: A requirement for a versioned resource is fulfilled, particularly in light of compatibility constraints of the requirement. Versions of the versioned resource are associated with compatibility information, such as a feature version and a service version, for example. In fulfilling the requirement, compatibility logic may be applied to identify versions that are compatible with the requirement, and selection logic may be applied to select a preferred version from the compatible versions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: James Miller, Vincent Henderson, Thorsten Brunklaus, Richard Lander, Thottam R. Sriram
  • Patent number: 8275726
    Abstract: As provided herein objects from a source catalog, such as a provider's catalog, can be added to a target catalog, such as an enterprise master catalog, in a scalable manner utilizing catalog taxonomies. A baseline classifier determines probabilities for source objects to target catalog classes. Source objects can be assigned to those classes with probabilities that meet a desired threshold and meet a desired rate. A classification cost for target classes can be determined for respective unassigned source objects, which can comprise determining an assignment cost and separation cost for the source objects for respective desired target classes. The separation and assignment costs can be combined to determine the classification cost, and the unassigned source objects can be assigned to those classes having a desired classification cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Panayiotis Tsaparas, Panagiotis Papadimitriou, Ariel D. Fuxman, Lise C. Getoor, Rakesh Agrawal
  • Patent number: 8271958
    Abstract: User script code that has been developed for execution in a host application can be remapped to debuggable script code, based on explicit debugging gestures, allowing for appropriate debugging coverage for the code while mitigating execution (in)efficiency issues. Capabilities of an application virtual machine used for the host application can be determined, and the user script code can be instrumented with guards for detecting explicit debugging gestures based on a virtual machine's (VM') capabilities. The instrumented user script code can be executed in a runtime environment, for example, by a just-in-time compilation service. If an explicit debugging gesture is detected, a function where the gesture was detected can be transformed into debuggable script code, in one embodiment, based on the debuggable gesture detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Jonathon Michael Stall, Anthony L. Crider, Igor A Zinkovsky, James Hugunin
  • Patent number: 8266292
    Abstract: Among other things, one or more techniques and/or systems are disclosed for generating a human memorable resource name. Both a first part of the resource name and a second part of the resource name are generated, where both parts respectively comprise a memorable alphanumeric string (e.g., easily remembered). The first and second parts of the resource name are combined with an intervening separator symbol to generate the first resource name, comprising the first part, the symbol, and the second part. The first resource name is compared against a desired threshold to determine if it can be used as the name for the resource. If the first resource name does not meet the threshold a second resource name is generated for the resource.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Raymond E. Ozzie, Eric M. Patey, Brian M. Lambert, George P. Moromisato
  • Patent number: 8265377
    Abstract: Various technologies and techniques are disclosed that improve cursive handwriting recognition. Cursive handwriting input is received from a user. The system performs a hierarchical prototype search as part of a recognition operation. A same space search is performed against a mixed database that has both print and cursive samples. A same space search is also performed against a cursive database that has only cursive samples. The results of these two same space searches are merged into a combined alternate list. The combined alternate list is then used as a constraint for the dynamic time warp searches that are performed against the mixed and cursive databases, respectively. The results of the dynamic time warp searches are also merged into a final combined alternate list, and the combined alternate list is used to make a recognition decision regarding the user's handwritten input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Qi Zhang, Michael T. Black
  • Patent number: 8260951
    Abstract: Difficulties associated with choosing advantageous network routes between server and clients are mitigated by a routing system that is devised to use many routing path sets, where respective sets comprise a number of routing paths covering all of the clients, including through other clients. A server may then apportion a data stream among all of the routing path sets. The server may also detect the performance of the computer network while sending the data stream between clients, and may adjust the apportionment of the routing path sets including the route. The clients may also be configured to operate as servers of other data streams, such as in a videoconferencing session, for example, and may be configured to send detected route performance information along with the portions of the various data streams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Minghua Chen, Miroslav Ponec, Sudipta Sengupta, Jin Li, Philip A. Chou
  • Patent number: 8260724
    Abstract: A seller may sell advertisements, such as banner ads, to a buyer pursuant to a request made by the buyer to the seller. Each request has a value. The seller may accept the request from the buyer to provide a banner ad for the buyer at a later time. A request, once accepted, may be revoked at a cost which may be a fixed fraction of the request value. The cost may be referred to as a buyback cost. The buyback cost represents the cost of revoking a request that had been accepted. Additionally, matroid set systems and knapsack systems may use buyback techniques.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Moshe Babaioff, Jason D. Hartline, Robert D. Kleinberg
  • Patent number: 8260857
    Abstract: The system and method of information or presentation projection allows a user to present information to single or multiple screens without need of additional cables. Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) is used to advertise, find, and control the display devices. A reverse Terminal Service (TS) session is used to connect the display to the user's machine. Attendance at and receipt of the presentation is addressed from both a presenter side and from an attendee side through a subscription model. This subscription model is facilitated and security of the presentation is addressed through the use meeting invitations. These invitations are generated by the presenter, and may be requested by the attendees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Todd R. Manion, Rohit Gupta
  • Patent number: 8253914
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display (LCD) is provided that comprises a rearward LCD substrate sheet that has an array of vias formed, where the vias provide electrical conduction between both sides of the rearward LCD substrate sheet. The number of vias in the array is substantially equal to or at least equivalent to a combination of a number of column drive lines and a number of row drive lines. The respective drive lines are connected to a corresponding via, such as on one side of the rearward LCD substrate sheet, and respective patterned conductors are connected to a corresponding via, such as on the other side of the rearward LCD substrate sheet. The patterned conductors provide a connection between respective drive lines and one or more corresponding drivers. In one example, this allows a “full bleed” display to be generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: James T. Kajiya, John Turner Whitted
  • Patent number: 8255546
    Abstract: An application program interface (API) for sending and receiving endpoint registration data and peer-to-peer network cloud data has a registration call for adding endpoint data to a peer-to-peer network. The API may receive explicit data regarding address information or may be instructed to select and maintain suitable address information as the topology of the peer-to-peer network changes. Blocking and non-blocking calls are exposed for retrieving information peer-to-peer network endpoint data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Noah Horton, David G. Thaler, Brian R. Lieuallen, Upshur Warren Parks, III, Jeremy L. Dewey, Todd R. Manion, Scott A. Senkeresty