Patents by Inventor Aaron M. Butcher

Aaron M. Butcher 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).

  • Patent number: 11748427
    Abstract: Methods, systems and computer program products are provided for spoiler prevention. Media consumption applications may be placed in “spoiler-free” mode, for example, to prevent media content from spoiling first-hand user experience. A user may provide and/or authorize access to and use of spoiler prevention information. A user may request media content (e.g., while surfing the Internet). Digital media content to be presented to a user may be searched in real-time and/or pre-searched for spoiler content and/or associated spoiler indications relative to spoiler prevention information. Identified spoiler content may be concealed from users. A procedure may be provided for users to determine one or more reasons why content is concealed, to selectively reveal concealed content, and to provide feedback whether concealed content was or was not spoiler content for a user. Feedback may be used to improve spoiler prevention, for example, by retraining a machine learning model, which may be user-specific.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Geoffrey T. Ebersol, Jeff West, Benjamin D. Kelly, Aaron M. Butcher, Felix G. T. I. Andrew
  • Publication number: 20230138796
    Abstract: Methods, systems and computer program products are provided for spoiler prevention. Media consumption applications may be placed in “spoiler-free” mode, for example, to prevent media content from spoiling first-hand user experience. A user may provide and/or authorize access to and use of spoiler prevention information. A user may request media content (e.g., while surfing the Internet). Digital media content to be presented to a user may be searched in real-time and/or pre-searched for spoiler content and/or associated spoiler indications relative to spoiler prevention information. Identified spoiler content may be concealed from users. A procedure may be provided for users to determine one or more reasons why content is concealed, to selectively reveal concealed content, and to provide feedback whether concealed content was or was not spoiler content for a user. Feedback may be used to improve spoiler prevention, for example, by retraining a machine learning model, which may be user-specific.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2022
    Publication date: May 4, 2023
    Inventors: Geoffrey T. EBERSOL, Jeff WEST, Benjamin D. KELLY, Aaron M. BUTCHER, Felix G. T. I. ANDREW
  • Publication number: 20230083527
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for managing a GUI of a web browser. When a user interaction with a tab presentation control is detected, a horizontal tab strip having first navigation tab controls for a set of webpages is removed, and a vertical tab strip having second navigation tab controls for the same set of webpages is displayed in a vertical column in the browser. In response to detecting a user hover interaction with the vertical tab strip while the vertical tab strip is in a collapsed state, the vertical tab strip is expanded from the collapsed state to an expanded state. In response to termination of the user hover interaction, the vertical tab strip is collapsed from the expanded state to the collapsed state. The vertical tab strip in the collapsed state occupies a smaller portion of the GUI then the vertical tab strip in the expanded state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2022
    Publication date: March 16, 2023
    Inventors: William J. DEVEREUX, Jerin R. SCHNEIDER, Olga VESELOVA, Patrick Evan LITTLE, Warren C. STEVENS, Darryl J. BROWN, Michael H. CATBAGAN, Aaron M. BUTCHER, Daniel J. KRENN
  • Patent number: 11568009
    Abstract: Methods, systems and computer program products are provided for spoiler prevention. Media consumption applications may be placed in “spoiler-free” mode, for example, to prevent media content from spoiling first-hand user experience. A user may provide and/or authorize access to and use of spoiler prevention information. A user may request media content (e.g., while surfing the Internet). Digital media content to be presented to a user may be searched in real-time and/or pre-searched for spoiler content and/or associated spoiler indications relative to spoiler prevention information. Identified spoiler content may be concealed from users. A procedure may be provided for users to determine one or more reasons why content is concealed, to selectively reveal concealed content, and to provide feedback whether concealed content was or was not spoiler content for a user. Feedback may be used to improve spoiler prevention, for example, by retraining a machine learning model, which may be user-specific.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Geoffrey T. Ebersol, Jeff West, Benjamin D. Kelly, Aaron M. Butcher, Felix G. T. I. Andrew
  • Patent number: 11531719
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for managing a GUI of a web browser. When a user interaction with a tab presentation control is detected, a horizontal tab strip having first navigation tab controls for a set of webpages is removed, and a vertical tab strip having second navigation tab controls for the same set of webpages is displayed in a vertical column in the browser. In response to detecting a user hover interaction with the vertical tab strip while the vertical tab strip is in a collapsed state, the vertical tab strip is expanded from the collapsed state to an expanded state. In response to termination of the user hover interaction, the vertical tab strip is collapsed from the expanded state to the collapsed state. The vertical tab strip in the collapsed state occupies a smaller portion of the GUI then the vertical tab strip in the expanded state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: William J. Devereux, Jerin R. Schneider, Olga Veselova, Patrick Evan Little, Warren G. Stevens, Darryl J. Brown, Michael H. Catbagan, Aaron M. Butcher, Daniel J. Krenn
  • Patent number: 11443005
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer program products are described herein for unsupervised clustering of browser history using web navigational activities. For example, correlation scores are calculated that indicate correlations between web pages indicated in a browsing history of a user. Moreover, the correlation scores are calculated based on web navigational activities determined from the browsing history. In addition, the web pages are clustered into a plurality of clusters based on the correlation scores and the clusters are ranked for relevancy to the user based on a relevancy algorithm. The relevancy algorithm determines a likelihood that a user will access a corresponding web page for each web page of a cluster. A cluster having a greatest ranking is identified and an indication of a web page of the identified cluster as a suggested web page to revisit is provided to a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Ken M. Sadahiro, Aaron M. Butcher, Philippe Favre, Anatolie Gavriliuc, Kofi S. Opoku, Seung-Yup Chai, Nandini Arijit Bhattacharya, John D. Malatras, Nicolas A. Champagne-Williamson, Kangsan Lee, Jerin R. Schneider
  • Publication number: 20220092133
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for managing a GUI of a web browser. When a user interaction with a tab presentation control is detected, a horizontal tab strip having first navigation tab controls for a set of webpages is removed, and a vertical tab strip having second navigation tab controls for the same set of webpages is displayed in a vertical column in the browser. In response to detecting a user hover interaction with the vertical tab strip while the vertical tab strip is in a collapsed state, the vertical tab strip is expanded from the collapsed state to an expanded state. In response to termination of the user hover interaction, the vertical tab strip is collapsed from the expanded state to the collapsed state. The vertical tab strip in the collapsed state occupies a smaller portion of the GUI then the vertical tab strip in the expanded state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2020
    Publication date: March 24, 2022
    Inventors: William J. Devereux, Jerin R. Schneider, Olga Veselova, Patrick Evan Little, Warren G. Stevens, Darryl J. Brown, Michael H. Catbagan, Aaron M. Butcher, Daniel J. Krenn
  • Publication number: 20210406326
    Abstract: Methods, systems and computer program products are provided for spoiler prevention. Media consumption applications may be placed in “spoiler-free” mode, for example, to prevent media content from spoiling first-hand user experience. A user may provide and/or authorize access to and use of spoiler prevention information. A user may request media content (e.g., while surfing the Internet). Digital media content to be presented to a user may be searched in real-time and/or pre-searched for spoiler content and/or associated spoiler indications relative to spoiler prevention information. Identified spoiler content may be concealed from users. A procedure may be provided for users to determine one or more reasons why content is concealed, to selectively reveal concealed content, and to provide feedback whether concealed content was or was not spoiler content for a user. Feedback may be used to improve spoiler prevention, for example, by retraining a machine learning model, which may be user-specific.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2020
    Publication date: December 30, 2021
    Inventors: Geoffrey T. Ebersol, Jeff West, Benjamin D. Kelly, Aaron M. Butcher, Felix G. T. I. Andrew
  • Patent number: 11068132
    Abstract: An improved user interface is provided for displaying selectable software functionality controls and for presenting logical groupings of particular functionality controls associated with a selected top-level functionality. Underneath a row of top-level functionality tabs, functionalities controls associated with a given top-level functionality tab are presented in logical groupings. Selection of a particular tab switches modes of the user interface to present controls for functionalities associated with the selected tab.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Jensen M. Harris, Aaron M. Butcher, David A. Morton, Jesse Clay Satterfield, Justin Denney
  • Patent number: 11023103
    Abstract: An improved user interface is provided for displaying selectable software functionality controls that are relevant to a selected object and that remain visibly available for use while the selected object is being edited. Upon selection of a particular object for editing, functionality available for editing the object is presented in a ribbon-shaped user interface above the software application workspace to allow the user ready and efficient access to functionality needed for editing the selected object. The display of relevant functionality controls is persisted until the user dismisses the display, selects another top-level functionality control or selects another object for editing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Jesse Clay Satterfield, Aaron M. Butcher, David A. Morton, Jensen M. Harris, Justin Denney
  • Publication number: 20200380051
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer program products are described herein for unsupervised clustering of browser history using web navigational activities. For example, correlation scores are calculated that indicate correlations between web pages indicated in a browsing history of a user. Moreover, the correlation scores are calculated based on web navigational activities determined from the browsing history. In addition, the web pages are clustered into a plurality of clusters based on the correlation scores and the clusters are ranked for relevancy to the user based on a relevancy algorithm. The relevancy algorithm determines a likelihood that a user will access a corresponding web page for each web page of a cluster. A cluster having a greatest ranking is identified and an indication of a web page of the identified cluster as a suggested web page to revisit is provided to a user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2019
    Publication date: December 3, 2020
    Inventors: Ken M. Sadahiro, Aaron M. Butcher, Philippe Favre, Anatolie Gavriliuc, Kofi S. Opoku, Seung-Yup Chai, Nandini Arijit Bhattacharya, John D. Malatras, Nicolas A. Champagne-Williamson, Kangsan Lee, Jerin R. Schneider
  • Publication number: 20200285356
    Abstract: An improved user interface is provided for displaying selectable software functionality controls that are relevant to a selected object and that remain visibly available for use while the selected object is being edited. Upon selection of a particular object for editing, functionality available for editing the object is presented in a ribbon-shaped user interface above the software application workspace to allow the user ready and efficient access to functionality needed for editing the selected object. The display of relevant functionality controls is persisted until the user dismisses the display, selects another top-level functionality control or selects another object for editing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2020
    Publication date: September 10, 2020
    Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Jesse Clay SATTERFIELD, Aaron M. BUTCHER, David A. MORTON, Jensen M. HARRIS, Justin DENNEY
  • Patent number: 10635266
    Abstract: An improved user interface is provided for displaying selectable software functionality controls that are relevant to a selected object and that remain visibly available for use while the selected object is being edited. Upon selection of a particular object for editing, functionality available for editing the object is presented in a ribbon-shaped user interface above the software application workspace to allow the user ready and efficient access to functionality needed for editing the selected object. The display of relevant functionality controls is persisted until the user dismisses the display, selects another top-level functionality control or selects another object for editing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Jesse Clay Satterfield, Aaron M. Butcher, David A. Morton, Jensen M. Harris, Justin Denney
  • Publication number: 20200081594
    Abstract: An improved user interface is provided for displaying selectable software functionality controls and for presenting logical groupings of particular functionality controls associated with a selected top-level functionality. Underneath a row of top-level functionality tabs, functionalities controls associated with a given top-level functionality tab are presented in logical groupings. Selection of a particular tab switches modes of the user interface to present controls for functionalities associated with the selected tab.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2019
    Publication date: March 12, 2020
    Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Jensen M. Harris, Aaron M. Butcher, David A. Morton, Jesse Clay Satterfield, Justin Denney
  • Patent number: 10521081
    Abstract: An improved user interface is provided for displaying a gallery of images showing different formatting options combinations that may be applied to a selected object. When a particular image is selected an associated formatting options combination is automatically applied to the selected object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Andrew M. Himberger, Tracey M. Gauthier, Aaron M. Butcher, Jensen M. Harris, Jesse Clay Satterfield
  • Patent number: 10437431
    Abstract: An improved user interface is provided for displaying selectable software functionality controls and for presenting logical groupings of particular functionality controls associated with a selected top-level functionality. Underneath a row of top-level functionality tabs, functionalities controls associated with a given top-level functionality tab are presented in logical groupings. Selection of a particular tab switches modes of the user interface to present controls for functionalities associated with the selected tab.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Jensen M. Harris, Aaron M. Butcher, David A. Morton, Jesse Clay Satterfield, Justin Denney
  • Publication number: 20180268054
    Abstract: A playlist engine is provided that selects content items for a partial playlist. The content items may include audio content items (i.e., tracks or songs). In one implementation, a user provides a request to expand a partial playlist. The request may include the partial playlist and an indication of the number of additional content items that the user would like to add to the partial playlist. The playlist engine may select one or more attributes from the content items in the partial playlist, and may use the selected one or more attributes to determine additional content items that are relevant to the selected one or more attributes. The playlist engine may add the additional content items to the partial playlist.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2017
    Publication date: September 20, 2018
    Inventors: Julie MUSTAIN, Ryan STEFFEN, Aaron M. BUTCHER, Kelly Jean GRAHAM, Scott D. SANDERS, John Thomas KIMBELL, Jeffrey Christopher ABRAHAM, Geeven SINGH, Claudio Fernando GUGLIERI LILLO, Ana Sofia GONZALEZ AGUIRRE
  • Publication number: 20170357392
    Abstract: An improved user interface is provided for displaying selectable software functionality controls that are relevant to a selected object and that remain visibly available for use while the selected object is being edited. Upon selection of a particular object for editing, functionality available for editing the object is presented in a ribbon-shaped user interface above the software application workspace to allow the user ready and efficient access to functionality needed for editing the selected object. The display of relevant functionality controls is persisted until the user dismisses the display, selects another top-level functionality control or selects another object for editing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2017
    Publication date: December 14, 2017
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Jesse Clay SATTERFIELD, Aaron M. BUTCHER, David A. MORTON, Jensen M. HARRIS, Justin DENNEY
  • Publication number: 20170205971
    Abstract: An improved user interface is provided for displaying a gallery of images showing different formatting options combinations that may be applied to a selected object. When a particular image is selected an associated formatting options combination is automatically applied to the selected object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2017
    Publication date: July 20, 2017
    Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Andrew M. Himberger, Tracey M. Gauthier, Aaron M. Butcher, Jensen M. Harris, Jesse Clay Satterfield
  • Patent number: 9690450
    Abstract: An improved user interface is provided for displaying selectable software functionality controls that are relevant to a selected object and that remain visibly available for use while the selected object is being edited. Upon selection of a particular object for editing, functionality available for editing the object is presented in a ribbon-shaped user interface above the software application workspace to allow the user ready and efficient access to functionality needed for editing the selected object. The display of relevant functionality controls is persisted until the user dismisses the display, selects another top-level functionality control or selects another object for editing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Jesse Clay Satterfield, Aaron M. Butcher, David A. Morton, Jensen M. Harris, Justin Denney