Patents by Inventor Catherine Abbott Lofgren

Catherine Abbott Lofgren 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: 6243090
    Abstract: A system for retrieving information which is relevant to a user's input. The system has an input interface through which a user can enter an input. A questions source is coupled to the input interface and contains questions which are comparable to the input and which the source retrieves in response to an input. An information source is coupled to the input interface and contains information which is relevant to retrieved questions. A searcher is coupled to the input interface for searching the information source for information which is relevant to the input. A method for a computer system to retrieve information relevant to a user's input includes the steps of: entering an input in an input interface; matching the input with a question stored in a questions source; and selecting a question in the questions source with which to retrieve information relevant to the question.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2001
    Assignee: Apple Computer, Inc.
    Inventors: Nagabhushan Rao Machiraju, Michael James Graves, Sunil Vemuri, Ravinder Paul Chandhok, Catherine Abbott Lofgren
  • Patent number: 6028601
    Abstract: A user enters input, or a question in natural language form, and information is retrieved. A questions database is coupled to the input interface and contains questions which are comparable to the input and which the source retrieves in response to an input. An information source is coupled to the input interface and contains information which is relevant to retrieved questions. A searcher is coupled to the input interface for searching the information source for information which is relevant to the input. Information is ranked according to the entered query. A user's question is stored and linked to answers in the questions database. Users may add and link new questions which are not already stored in the questions database.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2000
    Assignee: Apple Computer, Inc.
    Inventors: Nagabhushan Rao Machiraju, Michael James Graves, Sunil Vemuri, Ravinder Paul Chandhok, Catherine Abbott Lofgren