Patents by Inventor Alexander R. W. Cheek

Alexander R. W. Cheek 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: 10521771
    Abstract: Visualization tools, and systems and software underlying such tools, for allowing user to visualize organizations of people. Members of an organization are represented by unabstracted nodes. In some embodiments, visualization diagrams are efficiently created by abstracting the unabstracted nodes in a manner that reduces the number of nodes needing to be rendered, while retaining the visual character of a similar diagram composed of the original, unabstracted nodes. In these embodiments, regions of abstraction diagrams can be selectively de-abstracted in response to a user's selection within the abstraction diagram. In response to such a selection, in some instances only a particular hierarchical reporting chain within the organization, or a portion thereof, is de-abstracted to allow the user to view unabstracted nodes within that chain. Also disclosed are other visualization tools, such as attribute-overlay tools, time-scrubbing tools, and geographic distribution tools, among others.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: Macromicro LLC
    Inventors: Alexander R. W. Cheek, James B. Peterson
  • Publication number: 20180330328
    Abstract: Visualization tools, and systems and software underlying such tools, for allowing user to visualize organizations of people. Members of an organization are represented by unabstracted nodes. In some embodiments, visualization diagrams are efficiently created by abstracting the unabstracted nodes in a manner that reduces the number of nodes needing to be rendered, while retaining the visual character of a similar diagram composed of the original, unabstracted nodes. In these embodiments, regions of abstraction diagrams can be selectively de-abstracted in response to a user's selection within the abstraction diagram. In response to such a selection, in some instances only a particular hierarchical reporting chain within the organization, or a portion thereof, is de-abstracted to allow the user to view unabstracted nodes within that chain. Also disclosed are other visualization tools, such as attribute-overlay tools, time-scrubbing tools, and geographic distribution tools, among others.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2018
    Publication date: November 15, 2018
    Inventors: Alexander R.W. Cheek, James B. Peterson
  • Patent number: 10061756
    Abstract: Methods of facilitating the discovery of relationships between/among participants within systems for annotating visual media objects to create new associations, communities, and other relationships. These methods include processing annotations, metadata, and/or other information using one or more aggregate-behavior-visualization algorithms and displaying aggregate-behavior visualizations to users. These visualizations allow users to seek out and discover relationships and provide unique knowledge assets useful for a variety of purposes, including creating smart documents and fostering learning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignees: Carnegie Mellon University, University of Louisville Research Foundation, Inc.
    Inventors: Ananda Gunawardena, David Kaufer, Alexander R. W. Cheek, Joanna Wolfe
  • Publication number: 20180204201
    Abstract: An apparatus, computer-readable medium, and method for ranking messages in a social network based on a virtual currency, including receiving an indication of approval over the social network for a message posted on the social network from a first user of the social network, the indication of approval being associated with a quantity of virtual currency and the quantity of virtual currency being less than or equal to a balance of virtual currency in a first account of the first user on the social network, transforming metadata associated with the message to increment a count of virtual currency associated with the message by the quantity of virtual currency associated with the indication of approval, the social network being configured to rank one or more messages posted on the social network based at least in part on a quantity of virtual currency associated with each message in the one or more messages, and removing the quantity of virtual currency from the first account of the first user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2018
    Publication date: July 19, 2018
    Inventors: Alexander R.W. Cheek, Nathaniel Cabot Earle, JR.
  • Patent number: 10026061
    Abstract: Visualization tools, and systems and software underlying such tools, for allowing user to visualize organizations of people. Members of an organization are represented by unabstracted nodes. In some embodiments, visualization diagrams are efficiently created by abstracting the unabstracted nodes in a manner that reduces the number of nodes needing to be rendered, while retaining the visual character of a similar diagram composed of the original, unabstracted nodes. In these embodiments, regions of abstraction diagrams can be selectively de-abstracted in response to a user's selection within the abstraction diagram. In response to such a selection, in some instances only a particular hierarchical reporting chain within the organization, or a portion thereof, is de-abstracted to allow the user to view unabstracted nodes within that chain. Also disclosed are other visualization tools, such as attribute-overlay tools, time-scrubbing tools, and geographic distribution tools, among others.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: Macromicro LLC
    Inventors: Alexander R. W. Cheek, James B. Peterson
  • Publication number: 20140365389
    Abstract: Visualization tools, and systems and software underlying such tools, for allowing user to visualize organizations of people. Members of an organization are represented by unabstracted nodes. In some embodiments, visualization diagrams are efficiently created by abstracting the unabstracted nodes in a manner that reduces the number of nodes needing to be rendered, while retaining the visual character of a similar diagram composed of the original, unabstracted nodes. In these embodiments, regions of abstraction diagrams can be selectively de-abstracted in response to a user's selection within the abstraction diagram. In response to such a selection, in some instances only a particular hierarchical reporting chain within the organization, or a portion thereof, is de-abstracted to allow the user to view unabstracted nodes within that chain. Also disclosed are other visualization tools, such as attribute-overlay tools, time-scrubbing tools, and geographic distribution tools, among others.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2014
    Publication date: December 11, 2014
    Inventors: Alexander R. W. Cheek, James B. Peterson
  • Publication number: 20130185657
    Abstract: Methods of facilitating the discovery of relationships between/among participants within systems for annotating visual media objects to create new associations, communities, and other relationships. These methods include processing annotations, metadata, and/or other information using one or more aggregate-behavior-visualization algorithms and displaying aggregate-behavior visualizations to users. These visualizations allow users to seek out and discover relationships and provide unique knowledge assets useful for a variety of purposes, including creating smart documents and fostering learning.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Publication date: July 18, 2013
    Applicants: UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INC., CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Ananda Gunawardena, David Kaufer, Alexander R. W. Cheek, Joanna Wolfe