Patents by Inventor Eric Merrifield

Eric Merrifield 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: 20070203718
    Abstract: A system and method for providing a business architecture model which clearly identifies regulatory practices applicable to a business, and how these regulatory practices affect different aspects of a business. The business architecture model according to the present system and method may also be easily modified to model the costs and effects of compliance, non-compliance and hypothetical changes to the regulatory practices of a business. Once the model is set up, it can monitor and manage some or all aspects of a business' regulatory practices in an automated manner. The model may be integrated with a business' information technology infrastructure to manage and keep track of regulatory practices, as well as to provide notifications when an event occurs related to the regulatory practice.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2006
    Publication date: August 30, 2007
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventor: Eric Merrifield
  • Publication number: 20060229922
    Abstract: The present invention extends to associating and visualizing schematized business networks. Users can visualize and navigate a business network without having got understand or create associations between structures of different business layers. Users can configure the level of detail by zooming in and zooming out of relevant portions of the business network such that the appropriate amount of detail for a given task is provided. Accordingly, users are provided business context for completing tasks more efficiently without being overwhelmed by unneeded business details and without lacking all the relevant business details.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2005
    Publication date: October 12, 2006
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Marc Levy, Ulrich Homann, Eric Merrifield, David Appel, Scott Isaacs, Norman Judah
  • Publication number: 20060229926
    Abstract: The present invention extends to comparing and contrasting models of business. Model processing modules implement formal operators that can be used to manipulate models of business. A compare operator can be used to compare similarly typed models of business. A contrast operator can be used to contrast differ types of business models. A constraint operator can be used to check business models for compliance with constraints. A refinement operator can be used to refine business models based on industry (or otherwise more) specific data. A compose operator can be used to compose new business models from portions of other business models.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2005
    Publication date: October 12, 2006
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Ulrich Homann, Marc Levy, Eric Merrifield, Elizabeth Davidson, David Appel, Scott Isaacs
  • Publication number: 20060224425
    Abstract: The present invention extends to comparing and contrasting models of business. Model processing modules implement formal operators that can be used to manipulate models of business. A compare operator can be used to compare similarly typed models of business. A contrast operator can be used to contrast differ types of business models. A constraint operator can be used to check business models for compliance with constraints. A refinement operator can be used to refine business models based on industry (or otherwise more) specific data. A compose operator can be used to compose new business models from portions of other business models.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2005
    Publication date: October 5, 2006
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Ulrich Homann, Marc Levy, Eric Merrifield, Elizabeth Davidson, David Appel, Scott Isaacs
  • Publication number: 20060116919
    Abstract: The present invention extends to efficient and flexible business modeling based upon structured business capabilities. A computer system receives a plurality of business modeling attributes representing different layers of a business. The computer system extracts business capability attributes from among the received plurality of business modeling attributes. The computer system accessing a structured data model that defines data formats for the extracted business capability attributes. The computer system formats the extracted business capability attributes in accordance with the data formats defined in the structured data model. The computer system models a business capability based upon the formatted business capability attributes. A structured data model can include a capability modeling schema having data format definitions that define how business capability attributes are to be represented.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2004
    Publication date: June 1, 2006
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Ulrich Homann, Marc Levy, Eric Merrifield, David Appel, Elizabeth Davidson, Scott Isaacs, Norman Judah
  • Publication number: 20060116922
    Abstract: The present invention extends to efficient and flexible business modeling based upon structured business capabilities. A computer system receives a plurality of business modeling attributes representing different layers of a business. The computer system extracts business capability attributes from among the received plurality of business modeling attributes. The computer system accessing a structured data model that defines data formats for the extracted business capability attributes. The computer system formats the extracted business capability attributes in accordance with the data formats defined in the structured data model. The computer system models a business capability based upon the formatted business capability attributes. A structured data model can include a capability modeling schema having data format definitions that define how business capability attributes are to be represented.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2005
    Publication date: June 1, 2006
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Ulrich Homann, Marc Levy, Eric Merrifield, David Appel, Elizabeth Davidson, Scott Isaacs, Norman Judah