Patents by Inventor George H. Pitt, III

George H. Pitt, III 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: 7089502
    Abstract: An operating system provides extensions through which application developers may extend the capabilities of a shell of the operating system. For example, application developers may add menu items to context menus for objects that are visible within an integrated system name space. In addition, developers may add property sheet pages for such objects. Application developers also have the option of providing per-instance icons for each instance of an object. Application developers may provide data object extension handlers for customizing data sources on a per-object class basis and may provide drop target extension handlers on a per-object class basis to customize drop target behavior. Developers may additionally provide copy-hook handlers to regulate file system operations on objects. Developers may also extend the functionality provided by the shell of the operating system by adding their own custom name spaces to the integrated system name space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2006
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Nakajima, George H. Pitt, III, Joseph D. Belfiore, Christopher J. Guzak, Chee H. Chew
  • Patent number: 6437810
    Abstract: An operating system provides extensions through which application developers may extend the capabilities of a shell of the operating system. For example, application developers may add menu items to context menus for objects that are visible within an integrated system name space. In addition, developers may add property sheet pages for such objects. Application developers also have the option of providing per-instance icons for each instance of an object. Application developers may provide data object extension handlers for customizing data sources on a per-object class basis and may provide drop target extension handlers on a per-object class basis to customize drop target behavior. Developers may additionally provide copy-hook handlers to regulate file system operations on objects. Developers may also extend the functionality provided by the shell of the operating system by adding their own custom name spaces to the integrated system name space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2002
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Nakajima, George H. Pitt, III, Joseph D. Belfiore, Christopher J. Guzak, Chee H. Chew
  • Patent number: 6160550
    Abstract: An operating system provides extensions through which application developers may extend the capabilities of a shell of the operating system. For example, application developers may add menu items to context menus for objects that are visible within an integrated system name space. In addition, developers may add property sheet pages for such objects. Application developers also have the option of providing per-instance icons for each instance of an object. Application developers may provide data object extension handlers for customizing data sources on a per-object class basis and may provide drop target extension handlers on a per-object class basis to customize drop target behavior. Developers may additionally provide copy-hook handlers to regulate file system operations on objects. Developers may also extend the functionality provided by the shell of the operating system by adding their own custom name spaces to the integrated system name space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2000
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Nakajima, George H. Pitt, III, Joseph D. Belfiore, Christopher J. Guzak, Chee H. Chew
  • Patent number: 6008806
    Abstract: An operating system provides extensions through which application developers may extend the capabilities of a shell of the operating system. For example, application developers may add menu items to context menus for objects that are visible within an integrated system name space. In addition, developers may add property sheet pages for such objects. Application developers also have the option of providing per-instance icons for each instance of an object. Application developers may provide data object extension handlers for customizing data sources on a per-object class basis and may provide drop target extension handlers on a per-object class basis to customize drop target behavior. Developers may additionally provide copy-hook handlers to regulate file system operations on objects. Developers may also extend the functionality provided by the shell of the operating system by adding their own custom name spaces to the integrated system name space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1999
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Nakajima, George H. Pitt, III, Joseph D. Belfiore, Christopher J. Guzak, Chee H. Chew
  • Patent number: 5990905
    Abstract: New varieties of child window controls are provided as system resources that application programs may exploit. The preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a dynamic link library (DLL) for implementing the new child window controls as part of an operating system. The new child window controls include a header bar control for providing header bars in application programs. The new controls also include a hot key control that allows a user to view and edit hot key combinations. The new controls further include a tab control for establishing tabs that differentiate amongst pages in user interfaces provided by application programs. An image list data type is defined and functions are provided for manipulating the image list data type. Image lists include multiple like-sized images that are stored efficiently in a single bitmap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 23, 1999
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Chee H. Chew, Neil Konzen, Christopher J. Guzak, Stuart T. Laney, George H. Pitt, III, Ian M. Ellison-Taylor, Ron O. Gery
  • Patent number: 5977971
    Abstract: A tree view control is provided as a system resource that may be used by application programs. The tree view control enables an application program to display a hierarchical list of items. The hierarchical list of items may be expandable or collapsible so as to vary the view of the hierarchical tree that is visible to a user. The expansion and collapsing of the tree is performed by a mechanism that is independent of the selection mechanism that is used to select items in the hierarchical tree. An in-place editing mechanism is provided to facilitate the in place editing of labels of items in the hierarchical tree. As an optimization, the tree view control may provide for deferred evaluation of items such that the display information needed to display an item on an output device is not evaluated until needed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1999
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher J. Guzak, Jeffrey L. Bogdan, George H. Pitt, III, Chee Heng Chew
  • Patent number: 5889521
    Abstract: New varieties of child window controls are provided as system resources that application programs may exploit. The preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a dynamic link library (DLL) for implementing the new child window controls as part of an operating system. The new child window controls include a header bar control for providing header bars in application programs. The new controls also include a hot key control that allows a user to view and edit hot key combinations. The new controls further include a tab control for establishing tabs that differentiate amongst pages in user interfaces provided by application programs. An image list data type is defined and functions are provided for manipulating the image list data type. Image lists include multiple like-sized images that are stored efficiently in a single bitmap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 30, 1999
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Chee Heng Chew, Neil Konzen, Christopher J. Guzak, Stuart T. Laney, George H. Pitt, III, Ian M. Ellison-Taylor, Ron O. Gery
  • Patent number: 5889522
    Abstract: New varieties of child window controls are provided as system resources that application programs may exploit. The preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a dynamic link library (DLL) for implementing the new child window controls as part of an operating system. The new child window controls include a header bar control for providing header bars in application programs. The new controls also include a hot key control that allows a user to view and edit hot key combinations. The new controls further include a tab control for establishing tabs that differentiate amongst pages in user interfaces provided by application programs. An image list data type is defined and functions are provided for manipulating the image list data type. Image lists include multiple like-sized images that are stored efficiently in a single bitmap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 30, 1999
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Chee Heng Chew, Neil Konzen, Christopher J. Guzak, Stuart T. Laney, George H. Pitt, III, Ian M. Ellison-Taylor, Ron O. Gery
  • Patent number: 5886695
    Abstract: New varieties of child window controls are provided as system resources that application programs may exploit. The preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a dynamic link library (DLL) for implementing the new child window controls as part of an operating system. The new child window controls include a header bar control for providing header bars in application programs. The new controls also include a hot key control that allows a user to view and edit hot key combinations. The new controls further include a tab control for establishing tabs that differentiate amongst pages in user interfaces provided by application programs. An image list data type is defined and functions are provided for manipulating the image list data type. Image lists include multiple like-sized images that are stored efficiently in a single bitmap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 23, 1999
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Chee Heng Chew, Neil Konzen, Christopher J. Guzak, Stuart T. Laney, George H. Pitt, III, Ian M. Ellison-Taylor, Ron O. Gery
  • Patent number: 5852441
    Abstract: An operating system provides extensions through which application developers may extend the capabilities of a shell of the operating system. For example, application developers may add menu items to context menus for objects that are visible within an integrated system name space. In addition, developers may add property sheet pages for such objects. Application developers also have the option of providing per-instance icons for each instance of an object. Application developers may provide data object extension handlers for customizing data sources on a per-object class basis and may provide drop target extension handlers on a per-object class basis to customize drop target behavior. Developers may additionally provide copy-hook handlers to regulate file system operations on objects. Developers may also extend the functionality provided by the shell of the operating system by adding their own custom name spaces to the integrated system name space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 22, 1998
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Nakajima, George H. Pitt, III, Joseph D. Belfiore, Christopher J. Guzak
  • Patent number: 5844551
    Abstract: An operating system provides extensions through which application developers may extend the capabilities of a shell of the operating system. For example, application developers may add menu items to context menus for objects that are visible within an integrated system name space. In addition, developers may add property sheet pages for such objects. Application developers also have the option of providing per-instance icons for each instance of an object. Application developers may provide data object extension handlers for customizing data sources on a per-object class basis and may provide drop target extension handlers on a per-object class basis to customize drop target behavior. Developers may additionally provide copy-hook handlers to regulate file system operations on objects. Developers may also extend the functionality provided by the shell of the operating system by adding their own custom name spaces to the integrated system name space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 1, 1998
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Nakajima, George H. Pitt, III, Joseph D. Belfiore, Christopher J. Guzak
  • Patent number: 5838322
    Abstract: An operating system provides extensions through which application developers may extend the capabilities of a shell of the operating system. For example, application developers may add menu items to context menus for objects that are visible within an integrated system name space. In addition, developers may add property sheet pages for such objects. Application developers also have the option of providing per-instance icons for each instance of an object. Application developers may provide data object extension handlers for customizing data sources on a per-object class basis and may provide drop target extension handlers on a per-object class basis to customize drop target behavior. Developers may additionally provide copy-hook handlers to regulate file system operations on objects. Developers may also extend the functionality provided by the shell of the operating system by adding their own custom name spaces to the integrated system name space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1998
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Nakajima, George H. Pitt, III, Joseph D. Belfiore, Christopher J. Guzak
  • Patent number: 5838319
    Abstract: A tree view control is provided as a system resource that may be used by application programs. The tree view control enables an application program to display a hierarchical list of items. The hierarchical list of items may be expandable or collapsible so as to vary the view of the hierarchical tree that is visible to a user. The expansion and collapsing of the tree is performed by a mechanism that is independent of the selection mechanism that is used to select items in the hierarchical tree. An in-place editing mechanism is provided to facilitate the in place editing of labels of items in the hierarchical tree. As an optimization, the tree view control may provide for deferred evaluation of items such that the display information needed to display an item on an output device is not evaluated until needed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1998
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher J. Guzak, Jeffrey L. Bogdan, George H. Pitt, III, Chee Heng Chew
  • Patent number: 5831606
    Abstract: An operating system provides extensions through which application developers may extend the capabilities of a shell of the operating system. For example, application developers may add menu items to context menus for objects that are visible within an integrated system name space. In addition, developers may add property sheet pages for such objects. Application developers also have the option of providing per-instance icons for each instance of an object. Application developers may provide data object extension handlers for customizing data sources on a per-object class basis and may provide drop target extension handlers on a per-object class basis to customize drop target behavior. Developers may additionally provide copy-hook handlers to regulate file system operations on objects. Developers may also extend the functionality provided by the shell of the operating system by adding their own custom name spaces to the integrated system name space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 3, 1998
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Nakajima, George H. Pitt, III, Joseph D. Belfiore, Christopher J. Guzak
  • Patent number: 5689662
    Abstract: An operating system provides extensions through which application developers may extend the capabilities of a shell of the operating system. For example, application developers may add menu items to context menus for objects that are visible within an integrated system name space. In addition, developers may add property sheet pages for such objects. Application developers also have the option of providing per-instance icons for each instance of an object. Application developers may provide data object extension handlers for customizing data sources on a per-object class basis and may provide drop target extension handlers on a per-object class basis to customize drop target behavior. Developers may additionally provide copy-hook handlers to regulate file system operations on objects. Developers may also extend the functionality provided by the shell of the operating system by adding their own custom name spaces to the integrated system name space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 18, 1997
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Nakajima, George H. Pitt, III, Joseph D. Belfiore, Christopher J. Guzak
  • Patent number: 5675520
    Abstract: A method for extending a common user interface in a windowing environment of a programmed computer system. To customize a common dialog box, an application provides a sub-dialog box template defining application-specific extensions to the common dialog box, and a sub-dialog procedure for controlling the behavior of the application-specific extensions. An operating system processes input to the extended version of the common dialog box depending on where user input occurs. In response to input at application-specific controls, the system sends a message to the sub-dialog procedure. In response to input at standard controls, the system sends a message to a common dialog procedure provided in the operating system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 7, 1997
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: George H. Pitt, III, Christopher J. Guzak
  • Patent number: 5617526
    Abstract: A system visual notification area is provided to display visual notifications to a user. The visual notifications provide visual cues to a user of the nature of the intended notification. The visual notifications may notify a user of events, status information, or other information. The visual notifications may be interactive so as to display information about a notification when a cursor is positioned to point at the notification. Moreover, the visual notifications may be interactive so as to provide a means for activating a program or displaying a menu to respond to the notification. The visual notifications are displayed without substantially interrupting execution of any currently active programs. Furthermore, the visual notifications may be displayed without the program that is provided to respond to the notifications having a currently active window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 1, 1997
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel P. Oran, Teresa A. Serrador, Joseph D. Belfiore, George H. Pitt, III