Patents by Inventor Derek Edward Hoiem

Derek Edward Hoiem 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).

  • Context-based help engine and dynamic help
    Patent number: 6959294
    Abstract: An application and a context-based help system operate on a computer. The application includes a plurality of components that effectuate application functions, where each component of the application is constructed to describe a current context of the component representative of a current state of the component. At least some of the components are active at any one time. The help system includes a help engine that receives the current context from each active component, dynamically builds a current overall context of the application based on each received current context, locates help topics based on the current overall context, and filters and prioritizes the located help topics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2005
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Timothy Rand Sullivan, Justin Shane McRoberts, Victor Stone, Craig Andrew Critchley, Derek Edward Hoiem, Peter Loforte
  • Context-based help engine and dynamic help
    Publication number: 20030016238
    Abstract: An application and a context-based help system operate on a computer. The application includes a plurality of components that effectuate application functions, where each component of the application is constructed to describe a current context of the component representative of a current state of the component. At least some of the components are active at any one time. The help system includes a help engine that receives the current context from each active component, dynamically builds a current overall context of the application based on each received current context, locates help topics based on the current overall context, and filters and prioritizes the located help topics.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2002
    Publication date: January 23, 2003
    Inventors: Timothy Rand Sullivan, Justin Shane McRoberts, Victor Stone, Craig Andrew Critchley, Derek Edward Hoiem, Peter Loforte