Patents by Inventor Christopher A. Zimmerman

Christopher A. Zimmerman 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).

  • Publication number: 20030007011
    Abstract: A method and system for adding application defined properties and application defined property sheet pages are provided. The application defined properties may be added to a list of system defined properties. Once added, the application defined properties may be displayed and edited. In addition, a user may select several objects, display the properties common to all of the objects in a list, and edit the common properties. Moreover, application defined property sheet pages may be added to a set of system defined property sheet pages. A user may then display and edit the application defined property sheet pages. Also, a user may select several objects, display the properties common to all of the objects on a per-property browsing list, and edit the common properties. In addition, a user may select several objects, display the property sheet pages common to all of the objects, and edit the properties on these property sheet pages.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2002
    Publication date: January 9, 2003
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher A. Zimmerman, Christopher Lee Fraley, John E. Elsbree
  • Patent number: 6417872
    Abstract: A method and system for adding application defined properties and application defined property sheet pages are provided. The application defined properties may be added to a list of system defined properties. Once added, the application defined properties may be displayed and edited. In addition, a user may select several object, display the properties common to all of the objects in a list, and edit the common properties. Moreover, application defined property sheet pages may be added to a set of system defined property sheet pages. A user may then display and edit the application defined property sheet pages. Also, a user may select several objects, display the properties common to all of the objects on a per-property browsing list, and edit the common properties. In addition, a user may select several objects, display the property sheet pages common to all of the objects, and edit the properties on these property sheet pages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2002
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher A. Zimmerman, Christopher Lee Fraley, John E. Elsbree
  • Patent number: 6304258
    Abstract: A method and system for adding application defined properties and application defined property sheet pages are provided. The application defined properties may be added to a list of system defined properties. Once added, the application defined properties may be displayed and edited. In addition, a user may select several objects, display the properties common to all of the objects in a list, and edit the common properties. Moreover, application defined property sheet pages may be added to a set of system defined property sheet pages. A user may then display and edit the application defined property sheet pages. Also, a user may select several objects, display the properties common to all of the objects on a per-property browsing list, and edit the common properties. In addition, a user may select several objects, display the property sheet pages common to all of the objects, and edit the properties on these property sheet pages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2001
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher A. Zimmerman, Christopher Lee Fraley, John E. Elsbree
  • Patent number: 6288720
    Abstract: A method and system for adding application defined properties and application defined property sheet pages are provided. The application defined properties may be added to a list of system defined properties. Once added, the application defined properties may be displayed and edited. In addition, a user may select several objects, display the properties common to all of the objects in a list, and edit the common properties. Moreover, application defined property sheet pages may be added to a set of system defined property sheet pages. A user may then display and edit the application defined property sheet pages. Also, a user may select several objects, display the properties common to all of the objects on a per-property browsing list, and edit the common properties. In addition, a user may select several objects, display the property sheet pages common to all of the objects, and edit the properties on these property sheet pages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2001
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher A. Zimmerman, Christopher Lee Fraley, John E. Elsbree
  • Publication number: 20010002129
    Abstract: A method and system for adding application defined properties and application defined property sheet pages are provided. The application defined properties may be added to a list of system defined properties. Once added, the application defined properties may be displayed and edited. In addition, a user may select several objects, display the properties common to all of the objects in a list, and edit the common properties. Moreover, application defined property sheet pages may be added to a set of system defined property sheet pages. A user may then display and edit the application defined property sheet pages. Also, a user may select several objects, display the properties common to all of the objects on a per-property browsing list, and edit the common properties. In addition, a user may select several objects, display the property sheet pages common to all of the objects, and edit the properties on these property sheet pages.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2001
    Publication date: May 31, 2001
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation.
    Inventors: Christopher A. Zimmerman, Christopher Lee Fraley, John E. Elsbree
  • Patent number: 6208337
    Abstract: A method and system for adding application defined properties and application defined property sheet pages are provided. The application defined properties may be added to a list of system defined properties. Once added, the application defined properties may be displayed and edited. In addition, a user may select several objects, display the properties common to all of the objects in a list, and edit the common properties. Moreover, application defined property sheet pages may be added to a set of system defined property sheet pages. A user may then display and edit the application defined property sheet pages. Also, a user may select several objects, display the properties common to all of the objects on a per-property browsing list, and edit the common properties. In addition, a user may select several objects, display the property sheet pages common to all of the objects, and edit the properties on these property sheet pages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2001
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher A. Zimmerman, Christopher Lee Fraley, John E. Elsbree
  • Patent number: 6067578
    Abstract: The present invention provides a control architecture that enables the sharing of controls between many containers. That is, the present invention provides for developing a control in such a manner that it may be used on dissimilar containers without modification. Thus, the control architecture of the present invention is a container independent control architecture that allows for the sharing of code. Since the container independent control architecture of the present invention provides for code sharing, the time required for developing controls and containers is reduced by the present invention. The present invention is utilized by splitting the functionality performed by a control into container dependent functionality and container independent functionality. After splitting the functionality, the present invention embodies the container independent functionality into a control and the container dependent functionality into an extended control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2000
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher A. Zimmerman, Christopher L. Fraley
  • Patent number: 5911068
    Abstract: The present invention provides a control architecture that enables the sharing of controls between many containers. That is, the present invention provides for developing a control in such a manner that it may be used on dissimilar containers without modification. Thus, the control architecture of the present invention is a container independent control architecture that allows for the sharing of code. Since the container independent control architecture of the present invention provides for code sharing, the time required for developing controls and containers is reduced by the present invention. The present invention is utilized by splitting the functionality performed by a control into container dependent functionality and container independent functionality. After splitting the functionality, the present invention embodies the container independent functionality into a control and the container dependent functionality into an extended control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 8, 1999
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher A. Zimmerman, Christopher L. Fraley
  • Patent number: 5706505
    Abstract: An improved method and system for binding data is provided. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, bound controls transfer data to cursors through a binding manager. The binding manager is also responsible for transferring data from a cursor to a bound control. In addition, a preferred embodiment of the present invention provides for a notification mechanism as part of the cursor. The notification mechanism of the cursor of the preferred embodiment provides synchronization amongst all binding managers utilizing the cursor. The notification mechanism of the preferred embodiment provides synchronization amongst all binding managers by invoking event handlers registered by the binding managers. The event handlers are invoked by the cursor both before and after an operation is performed by the cursor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 6, 1998
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher Lee Fraley, Jerry J. Dunietz, Andrew Layman, Christopher A. Zimmerman, Gunnar Mein
  • Patent number: 5682510
    Abstract: A method and system for adding application defined properties and application defined property sheet pages are provided. The application defined properties may be added to a list of system defined properties. Once added, the application defined properties may be displayed and edited. In addition, a user may select several objects, display the properties common to all of the objects in a list, and edit the common properties. Moreover, application defined property sheet pages may be added to a set of system defined property sheet pages. A user may then display and edit the application defined property sheet pages. Also, a user may select several objects, display the properties common to all of the objects on a per-property browsing list, and edit the common properties. In addition, a user may select several objects, display the property sheet pages common to all of the objects, and edit the properties on these property sheet pages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 28, 1997
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher A. Zimmerman, Christopher Lee Fraley, John E. Elsbree
  • Patent number: 5485617
    Abstract: A method and system for dynamically generating object connections is provided. In a preferred embodiment, a connection can be generated between a source object and a sink object using a connection point object. A source object has connection point objects where each connection point object corresponds to a particular interface. A sink object implements one or more notification interfaces for connecting to a source object. A connection point object of a source object can connect to multiple notification interfaces, which belong to one or more sink objects. A connection point object keeps track of pointers to the notification interfaces to which it has been connected. In order to generate a connection, a sink object requests from a source object a connection point object corresponding to a particular interface. The source object determines whether it supports such a connection point object, and if so returns a pointer to the connection point interface of the determined connection point object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 16, 1996
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: David S. Stutz, Christopher A. Zimmerman