Patents by Inventor Gregory W. Riker

Gregory W. Riker 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).

  • Method and system for selectively interdependent control of devices
    Patent number: 5467264
    Abstract: A computer method and system for providing a user with selectively interdependent control of devices. The devices include lamps, video cameras, motion detectors, and so forth. An identification of a first device and a second device is obtained from the user. A definition of a dependency relationship is then obtained from the user wherein the second device has a status which depends on a status of the first device. The status of the first device is continually monitored. When the status of the first device changes, the status of the second device is updated in accordance with the dependency relationship defined by the user. The second device is then activated or deactivated based on the updated status of the second device. Any number of devices are controlled in this fashion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1993
    Date of Patent: November 14, 1995
    Assignee: Microsoft
    Inventors: Adam Rauch, Gregory W. Riker, Nathan P. Myhrvold