Patents by Inventor Christopher Hay

Christopher Hay 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: 20200387551
    Abstract: In some examples, example-based ontology training for natural language query processing may include identifying, based on an analysis of a query by using an ontology, a term in the query that includes an unknown meaning. The query may be in a natural language format. Based on a context of the query, a proposed definition of the term may be inferred. Based on the proposed definition of the term, a request may be generated to provide a definition of the term, or to modify the proposed definition of the term. A reply to the request may be received. The reply may be in the natural language format. The reply may be analyzed to update the proposed definition of the term. The ontology may be modified to include the updated definition of the term. Based on the modified ontology, a response to the query may be generated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2019
    Publication date: December 10, 2020
    Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Christopher A. Hays, Eeshan M. Shah, Aaron Meyers, Tu H. Phan
  • Patent number: 10817554
    Abstract: The modifying of a natural language interpretation model for interpreting natural language queries. The system discovers modifications that one or more queriers made to one or more original query results of one or more natural language queries to generate one or more modified query results. The system then uses the discoveries to identify one or more changes to a natural language interpretation model that would result (given the same natural language queries) in one or more query results that more accurately reflect the one or more modified query results. The system the causes the natural language interpretation model to be modified with at least one of the one or more identified changes. Accordingly, over time, the natural language interpretation model may learn from observations of its own performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Pedram Faghihi Rezaei, Christopher A. Hays, Amir M. Netz, Patrick J. Baumgartner
  • Patent number: 10318528
    Abstract: A mechanism for responding to a natural language query. Linguistic parsing is applied to the natural language query to generate a set of language element(s). One or more of those language elements are mapped to parameters and/or data elements of a parameterized report, which is selected for use in responding to the query based on the mapping. The selection of the parameterized report and/or mapping to the parameterized report may use the schema of the underlying dataset that the parameterized report uses in order to perform more precise mapping and selection. The selected parameterized report is then used to construct structured data that is responsive to the query. For instance, the structured data could include visualizations. In this manner, already existing parameterized reports that were previously used to generated structured data in the form of reports, may again be used in order to respond to natural language queries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Christopher A. Hays, Patrick J. Baumgartner, Aaron Meyers, Jingxiao Wu
  • Publication number: 20190117027
    Abstract: The present invention is concerned with a surface cleaning apparatus. The apparatus has substantially elongate and laterally extending head portion and a handle portion defining a longitudinal axis generally perpendicular to the head portion. The head portion includes opposite lateral ends, a first housing defining a first chamber and a rim forming an opening via which water from a surface to be cleaned enters the first chamber, a squeegee connected to the rim for directing the water via the opening to the first chamber, and guide means for guiding the water from the squeegee to the first chamber for initial containment, thus minimizing the water from dripping away from the apparatus in use, and the handle portion includes a second housing forming the handle portion and defining a second chamber for receiving and containing the water from the first chamber for subsequent containment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2017
    Publication date: April 25, 2019
    Inventors: SIMEON CHARLES JUPP, CHRISTOPHER HAY, HOSS VONG, CHUN YU WONG, YING GANG JIE, HONG CHANG CHEN
  • Patent number: 10045678
    Abstract: A surface cleaning device, such as a floor mop, has a handle via which a user holds on to the device and maneuvers the device during use, a head to which the handle connects, a base at which the head is secured and is situated, in normal use, below the head. The base is provided with, in normal use, a lower surface for engaging a surface to be cleaned via a removable or disposable substrate material, wherein the base is provided with a plurality of grippers for securing the disposable substrate material, the base and the grippers belong to an integral component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: HAYCO MANUFACTURING LIMITED
    Inventors: Christopher Hay, Simeon Charles Jupp, Greg Clegg Spooner, Hoss Vong
  • Patent number: 10031939
    Abstract: Mechanisms to help a computing system respond to a request for information within a data model. After determining that there is insufficient information within the data model to respond to the request, the computing system identifies one or more additional data sources that are external to the data model and that contain information suitable to respond to the request. The computing system then automatically supplements the data model with at least one of such additional data sources. The computing system then responds to the request using the supplemented data model. In some embodiments, the supplementation is performed in advance of the request by analyzing the characteristics of the data model and/or by anticipating possible future requests. Thus, a data model grows automatically in response to particular usage of that data model to satisfy requests.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Pedram Faghihi Rezaei, Amir M. Netz, Adam D. Wilson, Christopher A. Hays, Patrick J. Baumgartner
  • Publication number: 20180101604
    Abstract: The modifying of a natural language interpretation model for interpreting natural language queries. The system discovers modifications that one or more queriers made to one or more original query results of one or more natural language queries to generate one or more modified query results. The system then uses the discoveries to identify one or more changes to a natural language interpretation model that would result (given the same natural language queries) in one or more query results that more accurately reflect the one or more modified query results. The system the causes the natural language interpretation model to be modified with at least one of the one or more identified changes. Accordingly, over time, the natural language interpretation model may learn from observations of its own performance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2017
    Publication date: April 12, 2018
    Inventors: Pedram Faghihi REZAEI, Christopher A. HAYS, Amir M. Netz, Patrick J. BAUMGARTNER
  • Patent number: 9910894
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method for generating a report from a report definition specifying a plurality of data scopes for a dataset includes interpreting, with a processor, a report definition for the report, the report definition comprising a calculation expression for populating a unit of the report, the calculation expression comprising a data aggregation operation, the data aggregation operation comprising an originating reference to a further data scope, accessing a memory coupled to the processor to obtain data from the dataset for respective subsets of the dataset corresponding with the further data scope, determining, with the processor, an output value for the calculation expression in accordance with the obtained data and the data aggregation operation, and rendering the report based on the output value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Christopher A. Hays, John H. Vulner, Robert M. Bruckner
  • Patent number: 9798801
    Abstract: The modifying of a natural language interpretation model for interpreting natural language queries. The system discovers modifications that one or more queriers made to one or more original query results of one or more natural language queries to generate one or more modified query results. The system then uses the discoveries to identify one or more changes to a natural language interpretation model that would result (given the same natural language queries) in one or more query results that more accurately reflect the one or more modified query results. The system the causes the natural language interpretation model to be modified with at least one of the one or more identified changes. Accordingly, over time, the natural language interpretation model may learn from observations of its own performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Pedram Faghihi Rezaei, Christopher A. Hays, Amir M. Netz, Patrick J. Baumgartner
  • Publication number: 20170249356
    Abstract: A mechanism for responding to a natural language query. Linguistic parsing is applied to the natural language query to generate a set of language element(s). One or more of those language elements are mapped to parameters and/or data elements of a parameterized report, which is selected for use in responding to the query based on the mapping. The selection of the parameterized report and/or mapping to the parameterized report may use the schema of the underlying dataset that the parameterized report uses in order to perform more precise mapping and selection. The selected parameterized report is then used to construct structured data that is responsive to the query. For instance, the structured data could include visualizations. In this manner, already existing parameterized reports that were previously used to generated structured data in the form of reports, may again be used in order to respond to natural language queries.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2016
    Publication date: August 31, 2017
    Inventors: Christopher A. Hays, Patrick J. Baumgartner, Aaron Meyers, Jingxiao Wu
  • Patent number: 9607026
    Abstract: Embodiments are directed to determining a data insertion point in a data layout based on relative cardinalities between data objects and to determining a data insertion point in a data layout based on defined hierarchies between data objects. In an embodiment, a computer system receives a user input indicating that an additional portion of information is to be added to an existing data layout which includes multiple different data objects. The computer system accesses the data objects to determine relative cardinalities between the data objects in the data layout. The computer system determines an optimal data insertion point for inserting the additional portion of information based on the determined relative cardinalities between the data objects. The computer system also inserts the additional portion of information in the existing data layout at the determined optimal data insertion point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Christopher A. Hays, Carolyn Khanh Chau, Robert A. Meyers
  • Publication number: 20170071438
    Abstract: A surface cleaning device, such as a floor mop, has a handle via which a user holds on to the device and maneuvers the device during use, a head to which the handle connects, a base at which the head is secured and is situated, in normal use, below the head. The base is provided with, in normal use, a lower surface for engaging a surface to be cleaned via a removable or disposable substrate material, wherein the base is provided with a plurality of grippers for securing the disposable substrate material, the base and the grippers belong to an integral component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2016
    Publication date: March 16, 2017
    Applicant: HAYCO MANUFACTURING LIMITED
    Inventors: Christopher HAY, Simeon Charles JUPP, Greg Clegg SPOONER, Hoss VONG
  • Publication number: 20160092603
    Abstract: Mechanisms to help a computing system respond to a request for information within a data model. After determining that there is insufficient information within the data model to respond to the request, the computing system identifies one or more additional data sources that are external to the data model and that contain information suitable to respond to the request. The computing system then automatically supplements the data model with at least one of such additional data sources. The computing system then responds to the request using the supplemented data model. In some embodiments, the supplementation may be performed in advance of the request by analyzing the characteristics of the data model and/or by anticipating possible future requests. Thus, a data model may grow automatically in response to particular usage of that data model to satisfy requests.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Publication date: March 31, 2016
    Inventors: Pedram Faghihi Rezaei, Amir M. Netz, Adam D. Wilson, Christopher A. Hays, Patrick J. Baumgartner
  • Patent number: 9251247
    Abstract: A reporting system is described herein that allows a report author to declare data reporting structures that specify to a reporting application how to dynamically categorize data with changing or potentially unknown characteristics. The reporting system may extend RDL and the data grouping provided by Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services by adding new elements to the XML-based RDL schema. The reporting system allows the report author to specify for the system to fill gaps in the data, so that the report has a similar layout even as data changes from period to period. The reporting system also allows the report author to specify whether data that does not fit any predefined group bucket is displayed in a report. Thus, the reporting system allows unsophisticated database users to define reports that group data consistently regardless of missing values or other changes in the underlying data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Robert M. Bruckner, Christopher A. Hays, Fang Wang
  • Patent number: 9245002
    Abstract: A reporting system is described herein that allows a report author to declare data reporting structures that specify to a reporting application how to dynamically categorize data with changing or potentially unknown characteristics. The reporting system may extend RDL and the data grouping provided by Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services by adding new elements to the XML-based RDL schema. The reporting system allows the report author to specify for the system to fill gaps in the data, so that the report has a similar layout even as data changes from period to period. The reporting system also allows the report author to specify whether data that does not fit any predefined group bucket is displayed in a report. Thus, the reporting system allows unsophisticated database users to define reports that group data consistently regardless of missing values or other changes in the underlying data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Robert M. Bruckner, Christopher A. Hays, Fang Wang
  • Publication number: 20160019292
    Abstract: The modifying of a natural language interpretation model for interpreting natural language queries. The system discovers modifications that one or more queriers made to one or more original query results of one or more natural language queries to generate one or more modified query results. The system then uses the discoveries to identify one or more changes to a natural language interpretation model that would result (given the same natural language queries) in one or more query results that more accurately reflect the one or more modified query results. The system the causes the natural language interpretation model to be modified with at least one of the one or more identified changes. Accordingly, over time, the natural language interpretation model may learn from observations of its own performance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2014
    Publication date: January 21, 2016
    Inventors: Pedram Faghihi Rezaei, Christopher A. Hays, Amir M. Netz, Patrick J. Baumgartner
  • Publication number: 20150201819
    Abstract: The present invention is concerned with an improved surface cleaning device. The device has a utility portion for engaging a surface to be cleaned and a handle portion connected to the utility portion. The utility portion defines a lower surface facing a surface to be cleaned, and is adapted to accommodate a sheet of cleaning substrate for covering the lower surface and contacting a surface to be cleaned in use. The utility portion includes a plurality of projection members protruding from the lower surface for providing one or more raised regions on the cleaning sheet substrate which otherwise is fitted against the lower surface, such that in use the one or more raised regions are accessible to recessed area of a surface to be cleaned.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2015
    Publication date: July 23, 2015
    Inventors: CHRISTOPHER HAY, GREGORY CLEGG SPOONER
  • Publication number: 20150149471
    Abstract: A reporting system is described herein that allows a report author to declare data reporting structures that specify to a reporting application how to dynamically categorize data with changing or potentially unknown characteristics. The reporting system may extend RDL and the data grouping provided by Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services by adding new elements to the XML-based RDL schema. The reporting system allows the report author to specify for the system to fill gaps in the data, so that the report has a similar layout even as data changes from period to period. The reporting system also allows the report author to specify whether data that does not fit any predefined group bucket is displayed in a report. Thus, the reporting system allows unsophisticated database users to define reports that group data consistently regardless of missing values or other changes in the underlying data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2015
    Publication date: May 28, 2015
    Inventors: Robert M. Bruckner, Christopher A. Hays, Fang Wang
  • Publication number: 20150058350
    Abstract: A reporting system is described herein that allows a report author to declare data reporting structures that specify to a reporting application how to dynamically categorize data with changing or potentially unknown characteristics. The reporting system may extend RDL and the data grouping provided by Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services by adding new elements to the XML-based RDL schema. The reporting system allows the report author to specify for the system to fill gaps in the data, so that the report has a similar layout even as data changes from period to period. The reporting system also allows the report author to specify whether data that does not fit any predefined group bucket is displayed in a report. Thus, the reporting system allows unsophisticated database users to define reports that group data consistently regardless of missing values or other changes in the underlying data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2014
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Inventors: Robert M. Bruckner, Christopher A. Hays, Fang Wang
  • Publication number: 20140351296
    Abstract: Embodiments are directed to determining a data insertion point in a data layout based on relative cardinalities between data objects and to determining a data insertion point in a data layout based on defined hierarchies between data objects. In an embodiment, a computer system receives a user input indicating that an additional portion of information is to be added to an existing data layout which includes multiple different data objects. The computer system accesses the data objects to determine relative cardinalities between the data objects in the data layout. The computer system determines an optimal data insertion point for inserting the additional portion of information based on the determined relative cardinalities between the data objects. The computer system also inserts the additional portion of information in the existing data layout at the determined optimal data insertion point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2014
    Publication date: November 27, 2014
    Inventors: Christopher A. Hays, Carolyn Khanh Chau, Robert A. Meyers