Patents Assigned to Microsoft Technology Licensing
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Publication number: 20200257998Abstract: A computing device, including memory, an accelerator device, and a processor. The processor may generate a plurality of data packs that each indicate an update to a variable of one or more variables of a combinatorial cost function. The processor may transmit the plurality of data packs to the accelerator device. The accelerator device may, for each data pack, retrieve a variable value of the variable indicated by the data pack and generate an updated variable value. The accelerator device may generate an updated cost function value based on the updated variable value. The accelerator device may be further configured to determine a transition probability using a Monte Carlo algorithm and may store the updated variable value and the updated cost function value with the transition probability. The accelerator device may output a final updated cost function value to the processor.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 11, 2019Publication date: August 13, 2020Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Matthias TROYER, Helmut Gottfried KATZGRABER, Christopher Anand PATTISON
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Publication number: 20200259958Abstract: A conference system is provided that includes a processor configured to provision a plurality of bridge telephone numbers having a plurality of different country codes, and receive a dial-out request for one of a plurality of attendees of a conference meeting for connecting to the conference meeting. The dial-out request includes a target telephone number associated with a communication device of the one of the plurality of attendees. The processor is further configured to select one of the provisioned plurality of bridge telephone numbers based on a result of a match between at least a country code of the selected bridge telephone number and the target telephone number, and cause dial-out to the target telephone number from the selected bridge telephone number.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 8, 2019Publication date: August 13, 2020Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventor: Gareth Lyndon Eadred BRIDGES
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Publication number: 20200258044Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for determining whether a user has deferred one or more emails. More specifically, a system and method may determine whether an email is likely to have been deferred by a user, perform at least one action on the email determined likely to have been deferred, determine a mode for providing an indication to the user to follow-up with the email determined likely to have been deferred, and cause an indication specific to the email determined likely to have been deferred to be provided to the user. In some instances, the notifications are based on a device associated with the user and/or may be included in at least one of a task management application and/or a calendar application.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 31, 2019Publication date: August 13, 2020Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Christopher Huai-Hsien LIN, Chia-Jung LEE, Milad SHOKOUHI, Susan DUMAIS, Ahmed Hassan AWADALLAH, Bahareh SARRAFZADEH
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Publication number: 20200257542Abstract: A configuration control transfer (“CCT”) system controls the transferring of control of configuration information of a device from a current configuration source to a target configuration source. A CCT server of the CCT system may send a request for the configuration information of the device where the configuration information of the device currently under control of the at least one first configuration source. The CCT server may also receive the requested configuration information, determine whether the second configuration source is able to support the configuration information of the first configuration source, and based at least on a determination that the second configuration source is able to support the configuration information, request that the device transfer control of the configuration information from the first configuration source to the second configuration source to unenroll the device with the first configuration source and enroll the device with the second configuration source.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 31, 2020Publication date: August 13, 2020Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Tanvir Ahmed, Peter J. Kaufman, Shayak Lahiri, John Chadwell Spaith, Janani Vasudevan, Dennis Edward Flanagan
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Publication number: 20200254800Abstract: An example printable structure comprises a first fabric layer that includes a first side that is printable with water-based ink. The first fabric layer is permissive to migration of the water based ink through the first fabric layer. A first adhesive layer is bonded to a second side of the first fabric layer. An ink migration barrier is bonded to the first adhesive layer opposite the first fabric layer, a second adhesive layer is bonded to the ink migration barrier opposite the first adhesive layer, and a second fabric layer is bonded to the second adhesive layer opposite the ink migration barrier. The second fabric layer is permissive to migration of the water-based ink through the second fabric layer. The ink migration barrier is configured to provide resistance to ink bleed from the first fabric layer to the second fabric layer.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 2, 2020Publication date: August 13, 2020Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Minh Cao NGUYEN, Anthony James HEWETT, James Alec ISHIHARA, Denise Sara Kleinhans SADLER, Steven William PEPIN
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Publication number: 20200257682Abstract: Automatically identifying insights from a dataset and presenting the insights graphically and in natural language text ranked by importance is provided. Different data types and structures in the dataset are automatic recognized and matched with a corresponding specific analysis type. The data is analyzed according to the determined corresponding analysis types, and insights from the analysis are automatically identified. The insights within a given insight type and between insight types are ranked and presented in order of importance. Insights include those having multiple pipelined attributes and other insights include multiple insights identified as having some relationship for the included insights.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 27, 2020Publication date: August 13, 2020Applicant: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLCInventors: Rui DING, Shi HAN, Dongmei ZHANG
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Publication number: 20200257852Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a spreadsheet application with an enhanced understanding of mathematical equations using a mathematical engine and a calculation engine. The disclosed spreadsheet application has many enhanced features, such as, but not limited to: analyzing complex equations, identifying dependencies, converting mathematical notation to spreadsheet notation, connecting variables in an equation to other cells of the spreadsheet, solving or simplifying equations, recommending different display representations of data, and a providing a math display mode.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 8, 2019Publication date: August 13, 2020Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Christian CANTON, John CAMPBELL, Catherine HARLEY
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Publication number: 20200257245Abstract: One disclosed example provides a computing device comprising a logic subsystem comprising a processor, and memory storing instructions executable by the logic subsystem. The instructions are executable to display via a display system one or more holographic objects, receive depth image data from a depth image sensor, detect a user input setting a trajectory for a selected holographic object, in response to detecting the user input setting the trajectory for the selected holographic object, determine the trajectory for the selected holographic object set by the user input, determine, based upon the depth image data and the trajectory, a surface intersected by the trajectory of the selected holographic object, and display via the display system the selected holographic object as travelling along the trajectory and changing in form upon encountering the surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 13, 2019Publication date: August 13, 2020Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Addison Kenan LINVILLE, Jarod Wayne LENZ ERWIN, Dong Yoon PARK
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Patent number: 10737172Abstract: A user-input device includes a user-actuatable trigger configured to pivot about a trigger axis, a posture sensor configured to determine a posture of the user-actuatable trigger about the trigger axis, a force sensor configured to determine an actuation force applied to the user-actuatable trigger, and a force-feedback motor operatively coupled to the user-actuatable trigger. The force-feedback motor is configured to activate based on a force-feedback signal and adjust a user-perceived state of the user-actuatable trigger.Type: GrantFiled: June 1, 2017Date of Patent: August 11, 2020Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Aaron Schmitz, Gabriel Michael Rask Gassoway, Jonathan Shea Robinson
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Patent number: 10740549Abstract: Systems and methods for charting audio files and/or attributes of audio files associated with a spreadsheet are provided. For instance, when an audio file is associated with a spreadsheet, the audio file may be treated as a new type of data within the spreadsheet. In some aspects, a plurality of audio files may be associated with a spreadsheet, e.g., within a single cell or within a range of cells. In some aspects, the audio files themselves, as well as audio data (e.g., modulated data representing soundwaves, etc.), audio attributes (e.g., frequency, amplitude, sampling rate, codec, bitrate, volume, pitch, speed, channel, audio effects, author/artist, creation date and/or time, file name, file size, duration, etc.), and/or spreadsheet data (e.g., values in cells, user comments, etc.) may be incorporated into a report (e.g., a chart) using a spreadsheet charting function, either automatically or by user selection.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 2016Date of Patent: August 11, 2020Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: John Campbell, Jim Sun, Samuel C. Radakovitz, Matthew Hart Fichtner, Christian Canton
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Patent number: 10743077Abstract: Techniques for accounting for position-specific differences in user interaction while conducting content item selection events are provided. In one technique, a position-specific factor is determined. The position-specific factor may be based on a ratio of an observed interaction and a predicted interaction. Different positions in a content item feed or on a web page may be associated with different position-specific factors. Eventually, multiple content items are identified for presentation on a screen of a computing device. The content items include a first content item for which a predicted interaction rate is calculated and a second content item for which no predicted interaction rate is calculated. An order of the content items is determined based on the position-specific factor. For example, the predicted interaction rate of the first content item is modified based on the position-specific factor. The content items are presented on the screen based on the order.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2018Date of Patent: August 11, 2020Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Lijun Peng, David Pardoe, Yuan Gao, Jinyun Yan
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Patent number: 10742912Abstract: Pixel arrangements in time-of-flight sensors are presented that include sensing elements that establish charges related to incident light, charge storage elements that accumulate integrated charges transferred from the sensing elements, and diffusion nodes configured to establish measurement voltages representative of the integrated charges that are dumped from the charge storage elements. The pixel arrangement includes analog domain output circuitry comprising a measurement capacitance element that stores the measurement voltage, and a reset capacitance element that stores a reset voltage established at the diffusion node during a reset phase performed prior to a measurement phase. The analog domain output circuitry subtracts the stored reset voltage from the stored measurement voltage for processing into a pixel output voltage that at least partially reduces readout voltage uncertainty of the pixel arrangement.Type: GrantFiled: July 5, 2019Date of Patent: August 11, 2020Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Cyrus Soli Bamji, Onur Can Akkaya, Tamer Elkhatib, Swati Mehta, Satyadev H. Nagaraja, Vijay Rajasekaran
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Patent number: 10740808Abstract: The disclosed technology is generally directed to smart contracts. In one example of the technology, a first sub-contract is initialized based on communications from a first beacon node and a second beacon node. Initializing the first sub-contract includes seeding an asset on a ledger based on the first sub-contract. One or more additional sub-contracts are initialized based on communications from the beacon nodes such that the first sub-contract and the one or more additional sub-contracts together form an enterprise smart contract, and such that each sub-contract of the enterprise smart contract interrelates to at least one other sub-contract of the enterprise smart contract. Execution of logic for the enterprise smart contract is controlled. Information associated with the execution of the logic for the enterprise contract is stored on the ledger.Type: GrantFiled: November 28, 2017Date of Patent: August 11, 2020Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventor: John Marley Gray
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Patent number: 10740455Abstract: The public enclave key of each enclave in an enclave pool may be registered in an enclave pool registry, and the registry updated each time there is an enclave pool membership change. A shared enclave pool key may be derived from the public enclave key of each enclave of the enclave pool. The shared enclave pool key may be stored, in a shared key ledger, as a first version of the shared enclave key, and an updated version of the shared key may be generated and stored as another version each time there is an enclave pool membership change. The output of a cryptlet that executed in multiple enclaves may be signed with the enclave private key of each enclave in which the cryptlet executed. Each enclave signature may be compared against each version of the of the shared enclave pool key in the shared key ledger.Type: GrantFiled: May 11, 2017Date of Patent: August 11, 2020Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventor: John Marley Gray
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Patent number: 10739988Abstract: A personalized persistent collection of customized inking tools is provided. In an ink-enabled application, a user is enabled to create new inking tools and to select properties to associate with the new inking tools according to the user's wants/needs. Inking tool elements illustrative of the properties associated with the user-customized inking tools are included in an inking tool tray displayed in a UI of the application. The user-selected properties associated with the user-customized inking tools are stored in a data store that is accessible by the application and other applications from various computing devices. The inking tool tray is consistent across applications and computing devices for allowing the user to create, keep, and roam a customized set of inking tools, and providing the user with one-click access to the user's customized inking tools. Advantageously, the user does not have to repeatedly set up an inking tool with often-used attributes.Type: GrantFiled: November 4, 2016Date of Patent: August 11, 2020Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Alex Jacob Simmons, Lisa Carolyn Cherian, L. Tucker Hatfield, Sarah Elizabeth Sykes
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Patent number: 10742571Abstract: A system is configured to replay a selected conversation with a selected agent. The selected conversation may be selected from a plurality of previously conducted conversations with other agents. The selected agent may be selected from a plurality of available agents. The system determines various tasks, named entities, and user preferences from the selected conversation. During a replay of the selected conversation with the selected agent, the system generates responses to messages received from the selected agent based on the determined tasks, named entities, and user preferences. The system also allows a user to select whether the replayed conversation should be conducted in a passive mode or in an active mode. In a passive mode, the system generally conducts the replayed conversation autonomously whereas, in an active mode, the system requests user input before sending a response to the selected agent.Type: GrantFiled: July 28, 2017Date of Patent: August 11, 2020Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Anantha Deepthi Uppala, Chetan Bansal
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Patent number: 10740461Abstract: Identification of an entity performing a deletion or modification action on locally stored files and notification to mitigate risks to cloud stored files is provided. A local or remote file watcher may monitor locally stored files and detect a deletion or modification action. The file watcher may also identify an entity performing the deletion or modification action. The entity may be an application, a process, a user other than the user that is the owner of the files, or the user himself/herself. The file watcher may further determine one or more alert conditions or rules associated with the affected file(s) and/or the entity, that is under which circumstances an alert is to be issued. The alert notification(s) may be issued to the user, an administrator, a cloud storage service, and/or a data protection service such that protective measures can be taken if necessary.Type: GrantFiled: May 16, 2019Date of Patent: August 11, 2020Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Filip Chelarescu, John D. Rodrigues, Steven J. Bailey, Adam C. Czeisler
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Patent number: 10740407Abstract: A facility for managing information about document-related activities is described. In some cases, the facility uses particular kinds of structures to represent, in a document graph, document-related activities performed by particular users. In some cases, the facility uses these structures to enable one user to subscribe to the document-related activities performed by another user. In some cases, the facility uses these structures to aggregate document-related activities performed by users in a group of users, such as by aggregating topics that are addressed by documents that are the subject of these document-related activities. In some cases, the facility uses particular kinds of structures to represent, in a document graph, tasks that certain users either can help with or need help with. In some cases, the facility uses these structures to match users that can help with a task with users that need help with a task.Type: GrantFiled: January 5, 2017Date of Patent: August 11, 2020Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Christopher Lee Mullins, Joshua Allen Cowhig, Robert Earl Standefer, III
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Patent number: 10740704Abstract: This disclosure provides a system and method for providing intelligently-selected collections of user-centric content in a web browser. When implemented as a method, the method includes maintaining a user-centric graph with a plurality of user-centric facts derived from user interaction with different computer services. The method further includes recognizing different contexts of interest to the user. For each context, a collection of user-centric facts pertaining to the context are recognized in the user-centric graph, such recognition being based on a relationship between user-centric facts in the user-centric graph. The method further includes, for each context, displaying intelligently-selected content based on the collection of user-centric facts.Type: GrantFiled: October 4, 2018Date of Patent: August 11, 2020Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Vipindeep Vangala, Nishchay Kumar, Ankur Hayatnagarkar
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Patent number: 10743085Abstract: In some examples, a facility augments an audio-video sequence playback display with respect to a current playback position of the audio-video sequence within a time index range of the sequence. For a first portion of the time index range of the sequence containing the current playback position (“CPP”), the facility performs automatic voice transcription against the audio component to obtain speech text for at least one speaker. For a second portion of the time index range of the sequence containing the CPP, the facility performs automatic image recognition against the video component to obtain identifying information identifying at least one person, object, or location. Simultaneously with the sequence playback display and proximate to the sequence playback display, the facility displays one or more annotations each based upon (a) at least a portion of the obtained speech text, (b) at least a portion of the obtained identifying information, or (c) both.Type: GrantFiled: July 21, 2017Date of Patent: August 11, 2020Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Akshay Prabhu, Vasanth Raja Chittampally